Captains Wijetunga and Soza on what cricket has taught them
50 years on from the inaugural Joe – Pete one-dayer
by Rex Clementine
Today (17th March 2024) marks the 50th anniversary of the first ever Battle of the Saints one-day game. It was the first ever one-day big match played in Sri Lanka and having taken a leaf out of the Joe – Pete book, other big matches also contained a one-dayer to go along with the traditional game.
The two captains who skippered the historic game – Dushan Soza of St. Joseph’s and Bernard Wijetunga of St. Peter’s were present at a recent media briefing held to announce the details of the 50th big match.
They recalled some nostalgic moments from that game, but more than that, what really impressed the gathering was them talking about what cricket had taught them to succeed in life. It is a lesson for every sportsman.
picture taken 50 years ago shows the Josephian captain congratulating the Peterite captain.
Bernard Wijetunga, the Peterite captain owns a unique record. That being both his father – Bernard (Senior) and son Shian played in the Joe – Pete. That’s the only instance in history where three Peterite generations have played the big match.
Wijetunga as a young man felt that he should have captained St. Peter’s in 1974 as he had made his first appearance under Roy Dias in 1972. But he wasn’t bitter by that. As a result, he got a chance to captain the Peterite side that played the first ever 50 over game the following year.
“I was upset and I told my father. His reply was that these things happen in sports and you just bite the bullet and move on,” Wijetunga told Sunday Island.
“These disappointments teach you to deal with ups and downs of life. You can be on top of the world and all of a sudden you are down and out. Don’t take too much into your head. Cricket is a great leveller.”
“Cricket is such a game where you can get three hundreds in a row and everyone comes to see you bat, but the next day you’ll be out for a duck. The other unique thing about this beautiful game is that it is a team game. There’s no room in cricket for the selfish.”
“I enjoy watching cricket these days but what I can’t understand is players arguing with umpires. The umpire’s word is law. That’s what was taught to us. When you are out you walk. You never question the umpire’s authority. Sometimes when umpires know that you aren’t a cheat, they tend to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Later I found in business you win some and lose some. If your competitor gets a business, you don’t go and fight him. You tell him, well done and move on. That’s the conduct of a gentleman. That’s what cricket taught me,” Wijetunga explained.
Wijetunga joined the travel trade after school and was a key figure at George Steuart Group of Companies.
His opposite number Dushan Soza is a well-known name in the corporate world. The inaugural Joe – Pete encounter wasn’t a great experience for his side as St. Peter’s won. But they went on to become the champions in the season beating several strong outfits.
“Several of my friends who played in the inaugural game have passed on. We were the school champions that season and we beat several strong sides. What a good side you are doesn’t really matter in cricket because if you don’t play well on that particular day, you will lose. That’s what happened to us in the inaugural one-dayer. It was a good lesson for life as well,” Soza said.
