On This Day

A collection of 40 posts

On This Day Featured

Sir Arthur - The Author And First Class Cricketer

Born on 'Sherlock Holmes Day' today, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle named the fictional detective after a Nottinghamshire Cricketer and once took the wicket of W.G. Grace!

On This Day Featured

Some Were Fast, And There Was 'Summa'

Sumanthiran Navaratnam, whose centenary birth anniversary falls today, was once dubbed the 'Bolt of Asia' and a household name in Rugby from Player to President

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On This Day Featured

Ireland's Forgotten Hero Who Was Born In Ceylon

Born on this day in 1907 in Nuwara Eliya, Robert Tisdall left Ceylon long before he won the Gold medal for Ireland in the Men's 400m Hurdles at the 1932 Olympic Games

On This Day

Karunaratne - A Frank And Underrated Opener

Dimuth Karunaratne, who recently retired on his 100th Test match and one of the most prolific openers to grace the field in whites for Sri Lanka, turns 37 years today!

On This Day

Astonishing Feats Of The Bent Arm Bowler

With 1347 international wickets to his name, Muttiah Muralitharan who turns 53 years today is not your everyday tailender when looking at his batting and fielding feats!

Cricket

When 'Hope' Finally Became A Reality

After sharing sorrows as the losing side in four straight World Cup finals, Sri Lanka became the T20 World Cup winners on this day in 2014 at the Sher-E-Bangla Stadium.

On This Day

The CBSL Governor Who Led Sri Lanka Rugby

Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, who turns 75 years today, is the 14th Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and famously led Sri Lanka in the ASIAD Finals in 1974

On This Day

A Life Around Cricket, Hockey and Insurance!

Chandra Schaffter, founder of Janashakthi Insurance PLC and the oldest living First Class Cricketer who represented Ceylon in Hockey and Cricket, turns 95 years today.

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On This Day

The Bizarre Pitch That Bamboozled Bradman!

On this day in 1948, Colombo came to a halt as more than 20,000 spectators surrounded the P Sara Oval to watch Sir Don Bradman score the same number of runs as the pitch!

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On This Day

Tissera - The Tea Taster, Cricketer and Manager

'Deshabandu' Michael Tissera who turns 86 years today, didn't only taste tea but has also led Ceylon in the Pre-Test Era, famously tasting victory on Indian soil in 1965

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On This Day

From 2nd Fastest Bowler to 2nd In The World

Recent World Lead and Former Schoolboy Fast Bowler Rumesh Tharanga who turns 22 years today, is the first Sri Lankan Athlete to break the 85m barrier in Men's Javelin

On This Day

The Banker Who Took More Than 500 Wickets

Rangana Herath who turns 47 years today, holds the record for the most wickets taken by a Left Arm Test Bowler and the longest span of 19 years for Sri Lanka Cricket!

On This Day

"That's it, all the way to the boundary for four!"

On this day in 1996, the captain's Late Cut towards Third Man saw Sri Lanka conquer the mighty Australians for their first ever World Cup win, inspiring future generations.

On This Day

The Netball Coach Who Ran At The Olympics

'Deshabandu' Thilaka Jindasa who turns 62 years today, is the first sportswoman to be awarded this title when she became Sri Lanka's first female Olympian in 1988

On This Day

The Ceylon Hurdler Who Had The Last Laugh!

Ceylon's First Olympic Medalist Duncan White, who was born today in 1918, had an unusual exchange of words at the starting block before the start of his Olympic Final.

On This Day

The Ceylon-Born Author Who Sled For Canada!

Philanthropist and Author Sir Christopher Ondaatje who turns 92 years today, is the first Ceylon-Born Winter Olympian and was part of the Canadian Bobsled team in 1964!

On This Day

When Sri Lanka Became the 8th Test Nation

On this day in 1982, Sri Lanka played their inaugural Test match as the 8th country to receive the Full ICC Membership, against England at the P. Sara Oval Stadium.

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On This Day

Battle of Helm's Deep Recording at Wellington

LOTR Director Peter Jackson had an unusual idea to gather as many people to chant in Black Speech, during the New Zealand vs England 2nd ODI on this day in 2002!

On This Day

HSM Pieris, A Master In Chemistry And Cricket!

Henry Sri Mevan Peiris who turns 79 years today, is a renowned Polymer Technologist who even represented Sri Lanka as a fast bowler at the Inaugural World Cup in 1975.

On This Day

When Love Made Shashikala Bat On!

Shashikala Siriwardene who turns 40 years on Valentine's Day, has the longest career of 17 years with Sri Lanka Women's Cricket that was influenced by her pillar of success

On This Day

The 'Parkside Ranger' Who Ran Marathons

Turning 81 years today, S.L.B. Rosa holds the National Record in the Men's 10,000m that is yet to be broken since 1975, and the only Sri Lankan to finish 4th at the Boston Marathon

On This Day

The Queen of Sri Lanka Women's Cricket

Chamari Atapaththu who turns 35 years today, once found inspiration from a destructive southpaw and wanted to be just like him. But it's a "boy's sport", many said.

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On This Day

Kyle, The Youngest Abeysinghe Brother

Kyle Abeysinghe who turns 25 years today, represented Sri Lanka at the Olympics last year as the third sibling pair in the country's history, following his older brother Matthew.

On This Day

The Pilot Who Scored Sri Lanka's First Fifty

Capt. Sunil Wettimuny who turns 76 years today, had an unusual encounter with a Policeman at the hospital after scoring Sri Lanka's first ODI Fifty in the 1975 World Cup!

On This Day

The Bittersweet U19 World Cup Final

Today marks 25 years since the Malintha Gajanayake led Sri Lanka team played in the U19 World Cup Finals, only to lose to India who won their maiden U19 title