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The former all Ceylon cricketer and current vice president of the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), P.I. Peiris, quite emphatically declared that it was a misconception, any a myth, to refer to the SSC as the sole domain of those from Royal and S. Thomas'.

Peiris a Cambridge blue of S. Thomas' and SSC, having played the game at the highest level, was most deservedly, with much competence proposing the toast to cricket, at the SSC's Centenary banquet at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi. There was in him a sense of urgency to substantiate what he said at the outset - losing no time, he explained that the club had its origin through cosmopolitan thinking, brought about by the members of the combined schools cricket team in 1899. The first secretary of the club was H.J.V. Ekanayake an old Wesleyite, who was responsible for the Wesley College song, whilst the chairman, was yet another Wesleyite in illustrious Sir Don Baron Jayatilleke and the first president was Harry Dias.

The nucleus of the cricket team in those formative years comprised C.E. Perera, his brother and Ekanayake all from Wesley, M.K. Albert and yet others from way down Moratuwa and Galle, with the Josephians and Peterites chipping in as well. Furthermore the membership was made up of varied communities, and Peiris went on to say that when he captained, his deputy was a muslim, his leading bowler was a Eurasian and the cricket secretary was a Borah.

The game of cricket at the club was a binding force, which assisted in the promotion of racial harmony, eliminating in the process differences in caste, creed and colour. Viewed in all its entirety, Peiris stressed that it is uncharitable therefore to say, that the SSC is parochial in outlook and, the prerogative of a leading school or two.

Switching on from the serious vein to the lighter, Peiris seeing the police band in the background providing pleasing music earlier, was reminded of a wedding he attended many years ago in Moratuwa, where too a band was playing in the church porch. The band not kept well informed, miscued and as the bridal couple was coming down the aisle played 'Poor Old Joe' he said that this cautions him not to bore the audience, for the band here might step in and play 'Pack up your troubles and go, go, go'.

With a sense of nostalgia he referred to Dr. C.H. Gunesekera, Chippy Gunesekere and F.C. De Saram, who were special to the club and dwelt as well on the greats like D.S. Senanayake, John Kotelawala, J.R. Jayewardene and Dudley Senanayake, who apart from being presidents of the club, went on to lead the nation too. Some of them he expressed with gratitude, influenced and moulded him and felt that the young should learn to respect and be appreciative of the services rendered by their elders in the cause of the club.

He appealed to the president of the club, to work towards the publishing of a comprehensive history of it. Peiris concluded his historic address thus ``As a club, we have swung far away from cricket, it's time we swing the pendulum back to cricket. Empires rise and empires fall, times change, we must achieve a balance and forge ahead to foster harmony through cricket, the binding force, for otherwise all will be lost. May the next 100 years, be mighty as the previous 100 years.

Earlier on, the vice president of the SSC and acting chairman of the Centenary banquet committee W.T. Ellawala made the welcome address, whilst the president of the club Daya Perera PC was the other post prandial speaker, who announced that his future plans for the club was the building of a new office complex, new dressing rooms and a new swimming pool.

The chairman of the centenary celebrations committee R.J. de Silva proposing the vote of thanks, outlined in detail the clubs' gratitude to all those associated with its progress. The banquet was interspersed by the lighting of the oil lamp, the observation of two minutes silence for those deceased, and the ceremonial dignified manner in which the birthday cake was brought in to the accompaniment of the music 'Dhannobudunge' by the Police band, and cut by the president. The proceedings were well steered with much finesse by the General Manager/curator of SSC Ranil Abeynaike, who had something relevantly apt to say as he introduced each speaker and what struck us as significant, was when introducing Ian Peiris he said that it was Peiris, who when as ground secretary was largely responsible for the transformation of the ground to the picturesque one it is now and so accepted as an international test venue.

The banquet which was exclusively for members, was preceded by a preliminary time of fellowship over cocktails at the Atrium Lobby, where members drawn from the professions of the medical, legal, business and cricketers past and present, along with the fairer sex lending much colour, indulged in harmless chatter, amidst the clinking of glasses reliving the past, swapping stories and anecdotes to make it a really memorable occasion befitting a centenary of this leading club.