Ever since my Dad named me ‘Sachin’ after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Cricket was running in my veins. I took to Cricket like a fish to water! Initially holding a plastic bat from Arpico and then a soft ball bat made in Moratuwa and finally a leather ball bat- a Gray Nicholls was the evolution of a journey started at the age of four.
Being a Wicketkeeper/ left hand batsman I represented S.Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia in all junior age groups. In my first year in the under 15 team I was selected for the Sri Lanka Under 14 team to tour Malaysia. Playing for your country in a National team is the dream of any young player and earning that distinction was a major turning point in my cricketing career.
The following year I captained the STC under 15 team and in the same year I was picked for the first XI Cricket team. It was not easy for me as the ‘baby’ of the team playing alongside much senior players. The dressing room pressure was always there but my skipper Nirushan gave me the much needed moral support which was so important for a fresher.
However, it was a bit of a roller coaster in my first year as I found myself dropped after playing a few matches. I was determined, always trusting in God’s plan for me and I clawed my way back in to the team in the first term as a specialist wicket keeper/ batsman. Come the all -important Royal Thomian big match in 2009; a fresher laden Thomian Cricket team against the star-studded and experienced Royalists. I was the youngest from both sides being just 15 years old. After a majestic 145 runs from Kusal Perera and Royal rattling up 313 in the first innings, we were bundled out for 99 in reply. I was 13 not out stroking 3 boundaries. Of course we were asked to follow on and were 39 for 2 at lunch on the second day and the match was expected to finish on the second day itself.
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Apparently, the Thomian skipper Nirushan and the experienced Faheem Saleem had other ideas. They were both unbeaten with two superb centuries to their names and at the end of the second day the Thomian scoreboard read a promising 225 for 2 with a slender 11 runs lead.
The third day signalled disaster for us as we were soon in trouble at 285 for 6 and I found myself promoted in the batting order after 2 wickets fell in consecutive balls. Words of our coaches Mr. Ajith Jayasekera and Mr.Kumar Boralessa still echo in my ears, ‘’Sachin stay till lunch’’. I had to face the hat-trick ball from Haroon Mawjood the Royal captain who had spun a web around our batters. The pressure was enormous as I walked in to take guard at 10.50 am. Saleem walked up to me and told me ‘’Sachin watch his googly’’. I watched every ball. Played down many but was quick to hit the loose balls for runs. Royal close in fielders were chirping all the time trying to break my concentration but I was focused on one thing; not to give my wicket away. I batted like my life depended on it till almost the start of the mandatory overs. By then STC had scored a mammoth 411 runs with Saleem a humongous 165 and myself a fighting 58 before being runout.
We had scripted the greatest ever fight back to date in the Royal-Thomian series and being part of that heroic effort really taught me my best lessons in life. Everything seems impossible until it is done’! If you are focused, you will succeed how hard it may look like in the beginning. Believe in yourself but always trust in God, he will never fail you! Our Skipper Nirushan summed up the effort thus. ‘’Eleven boys from STC went in to the ‘130th battle of the Blues’ but eleven men came out undefeated in the end! We proved yet again, the famed ‘Thomian grit’ was not a myth.
That one innings was the defining innings of my life and from there I never looked back, almost guiding STC to a famous win in the 2011 big match where when we were just 34 runs short of victory and bad light halted play with myself unbeaten on 77. Putting the icing on the cake, I captained my alma-mater in my final year in 2012, scored my third half century of the series and when I held aloft the D S Senanayake Shield at the awards ceremony I realized that all the sweat, toil, tears and sacrifices were not in vain.
It also proved that hard work, commitment, faith and a burning desire to succeed will make your dreams come true!
SACHIN PEIRIS- Capt S. Thomas’ 2012 Cricket team (2009-2012)
Sachin is currently reading for his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Politics, Law & Economics (PPLE) at the University of Amsterdam, in The Netherlands and plays Premier Division Cricket in Netherlands during his free time.
