Sports
“A Doyen of Sri Lanka Hockey”
“Just call me DENNIS” a retrospective on Hockey in Sri Lanka will be launched on the 13 of February.
On Saturday the 13th of February the Book – “Just call me DENNIS” a retrospective on Hockey in Sri Lanka will be launched at the BRC, Havelock Park, Colombo 05, organized by the Mercantile Hockey Association.
Dennis a doyen of hockey in Sri Lanka has served the sport at it its best and leaves a legacy to inspire a generation of future hockirites.
Double International Chandra Schaffter in his message, mentions “There is nobody connected with the game of hockey as I have known it over the past 60 years who contributed more towards this than my friend Dennis De Rosayro. Dennis rose high in the ranks of club hockey players and is one to be respected.”
The book captures the interesting feats of hockey greats and wizards of the sticks in a pictorial story having played against immortal legends like Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh and Leslie Claudias. Records on Sri Lanka games with Olympic teams and the Asian circuit. The inaugural Hockey Nationals and its history to date is useful material for the future custodians of the game in the country.
HE represented Sri Lanka in the Corera Cup, which was virtually an annual tournament between Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Bangalore states. This was the level of Sri Lanka hockey then.
After having retired as Shipping Manager after a 40 year stint with Heath & Company, Dennis also served with the Janashakthi Group and into full retirement from Idac (Pvt)Ltd.
83-year-old Dennis, a doyen of the sport was the President of the Mercantile HA from 1978 to 2007 and still going strong, was the first captain of hockey at St. Benedict’s College in 1954. He played for BRC from 1954 to 1978 and All-Ceylon as a schoolboy against the Indian Olympic team in 1960 and against Pakistan in 1961, having represented Ceylon before in 1955. He was also a member of the Colombo Malay Cricket Club hockey team that toured South India, the first overseas hockey tour by a club in 1971 which comprised of some hockey greats. Serves currently as the Patron of the Burgher Recreation Club and an Honorary Life Member of the Mercantile Hockey Association.
His involvement with the game did not end when he retired as a competitive player, instead he continued to coach and or manage the BRC, MHA, CHA and Sri Lanka teams. Dennis goal was to give back to the sport he so loved so much. Numerous students have attested that Dennis has shaped their work ethic. His life and work were an example to the youngsters, many of whom would go on to achieve great things.
The book relates interesting anecdotes of his career. One of the highlights of his college career came about when he led the college team that played a hockey match against the prestigious Burgher Recreation Club(BRC) team in 1954. The BRC team had seven players who had international experience, including Asia’s Best Goalie, Freddy White, as well as Hugh Aldons and Ivan De Krester, all of whom captained Sri Lanka in later years. The accomplish team was unable to beat the school team and the match ended in a 4-all draw. Young Dennis surpassed all expectations netting the ball three times against this star team that day.
Captaining and coaching the Colombo Hockey Association(CHA) team in their tours to participate in the All-India invitation tournaments in late 60’s and early 70’s, he recalls the “Father of Hockey” the late Mr. Walter Jayasuriya who Managed the team.
Former Sri Lanka Hockey Captain Subash Fernando of Old Bens fame quotes – ” I know Stanley(Fernando) was trying his best to emulate you and I followed him. You were one of the greatest and stylish players I have ever seen. Unfortunately, we played on opposite sides. But you will not know how much we adored you as a hockey player and most importantly as s good citizen. If we had not seen you play, I do not think we would have reached half the standards we did. “
A legend by no means in the field of hockey in Sri Lanka, has dedicated a life time to the sport he so cherished. A strong believer of performance with integrity. During Sri Lanka’s historical tour between December 1959 and February 1960 to South and North India, ‘Dhayan Chand’, famously known as the ‘best ever player’, and his equally famed younger brother ‘Roop Singh’, came out of retirement to play for Jhanshi District Hockey Association. Their match against Ceylon drew over 10,000 fans. The Ceylon Captain Mylvaganam magnanimously asked Dennis to toss the coin and play center half in the match, which ended in a nil-all draw. After the match Dhayan ranked Ceylon about No. 05, in the world after India. Pakistan, East Germany and Holland, along with England and Malaysia and some continental countries.
The first book of its kind of Sri Lanka Hockey compiled provides readers with some in depth history of hockey in Sri Lanka, twisted with some hockey anecdotes to indulge in interesting reading. The book about Dennis and his adventourous journey in parallel captures periods the time the game was held in high esteem in the country and its formal administration to its current status. Sri Lanka having once enjoyed the position of third challenger in the Asian region to India and Pakistan was highly respected hockey playing nation then. Of course, the course of the game has changed with time, however India and Pakistan continue their challenging positions in the world. The game is continued to be played widely in the country.
Say’s Dennis; ” I wish to a leave a legacy for the nation on which future building blocks could be explicitly planned to bring back the glory of the game once enjoyed as a nation and slot Sri Lanka back as a challenger once more”.
Dennis has contributed his skill and talent for the benefit of the nation, a true son of Sri Lanka. The Book ‘Just call me Dennis” is a chronicle of this episode.
The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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