News has reached us of the passing of a Peterite cricketer and ruggerite who represented his alma mater for a few years in the 50s. The Old Peterites in Toronto join me in expressing our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of DESMOND DHARMARAJAH.
DHARMARAJAH – DESMOND. Beloved husband of Violet, loving father of Darrell, Dalrene and Russell, father-in-law of Anita, Thirukumar and Dilshani, brother of late Frank and Penny, much loved grandfather of Dion, Katrina, Andrew, Aden, Andrea, Rachel & Serah. Remains lie at A.F. Raymond’s Funeral Parlour. Cortege leaves the Parlour on Thursday 08th October at 3.30 p.m. for burial at the General Cemetery Borella (Anglican Section). 154605.
Desmond Dharmarajah represented St. Peter's College in Cricket and Rugby. He was a second-row forward and played alongside Lakshman Serasinghe, Jayantha Fernando, Adiel Anghie, Clifford Bartlett, Fritz Ohlmus, Linus Jayawardena and others. Serasinghe and Dharmarajah played hard and won the ball for the Peterites in the line outs most of the time. Both were taller than their opponents and this helped the two in both rugby and cricket.
Going through the archives of the Joe-Pete Cricket encounters, it is seen that Desmond Dharmarajah represented St. Peter’s College in 1958 and 1959. He opened bowling with the late Anton Perera both years. It was a pace/swing combination. Anton was considered the fastest schoolboy bowler at the time. Desmond was more a medium-pacer who picked up wickets with his on-the-spot bowling. He did not have much success in the two big matches he played but was a useful bowler of 10-15 overs in every game he played under Russel Duckworth’s captaincy in 1958 and Brian Seneviratne’s captaincy in 1959. Others who played alongside Desmond in the two years were David Muthumani, Nihal Wijesena, Darrel de Silva, Jayantha Fernando, Brian Seneviratne, Russel Duckworth, Lakshman Serasinghe, Premasiri Athukorala, Christie Marthalingam, Anton Perera, Richard Alles, Mark de Silva, Randy Layman, Richard Heyn, Tyrone Le Mercier, Adiel Anghie, and Elmo Gunasekara.
To the best of my knowledge he joins others like David Muthumani, Darrel de Silva, Jayantha Fernando, Brian Seneviratne, Premasiri Athukorala, Anton Perera, Richard Alles, Adiel Anghie and Elmo Gunasekara who have all left us in the last few decades. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord!
May his soul Rest in Peace!
Sincerely,
Upali Obeyesekere
President, JPAA Canada
October 7, 2015
