Sabdharatnajyoti Saravanamuttu

Lt Col
Sabdharatnajyoti Saravanamuttu
MBE
Member of Colombo Municipal Council
In office
1937–1946
Personal details
Born1898
Colombo, Ceylon
Died(1957-07-17)17 July 1957
Colombo, Ceylon
Alma materSt Catharine's College, Cambridge
ProfessionLawyer
EthnicityCeylon Tamil
Cricket information
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium-fast
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1912–1918S. Thomas' College
1919–1920Ceylonese
1923Cambridge University
1923Cambridgeshire
1924Indian Gymkhana
1926–1938Ceylon
1933–1934Galle Cricket Club
1936–1937Ceylon Cricket Association
1947–1948MP Engineer's XI
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 6
Runs scored 148
Batting average 16.44
100s/50s 0/2
Top score 63
Balls bowled 120
Wickets 2
Bowling average 38.00
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 2/26
Catches/stumpings 2/0

Lieutenant Colonel Sabdharatnajyoti "Thambirajah" Saravanamuttu, MBE (1898 – 17 July 1957; also known as S. Sara) was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician, military officer, cricketer and sports administrator.

Early life and family

Saravanamuttu was born in 1898 in Colombo, Ceylon.[1] He was the son of Vetharniam Saravanamuttu, a physician from Colombo.[2] His mother's family were from Vaddukoddai in northern Ceylon.[3] His paternal grandfather Vetharniam is reputed to be the founder of Chunnakam, a small town in northern Ceylon.[4] Saravanamuttu had five eminent brothers: Ratnasothy, Nanasothy, Tharmasothy, Paikiasothy and Manicasothy.[2] He was educated at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia where he was captain of the cricket team (1916–18) and scored the fastest century in Ceylon.[3][4][5] He was also head prefect and boxing champion at S. Thomas.[4] He then joined St Catharine's College, Cambridge to study engineering.[3][4] He played cricket at Cambridge between 1921 and 1923 but failed to win a blue for Cambridge University Cricket Club.[4][5]

Career

Saravanamuttu was a member of Colombo Municipal Council from May 1937 to December 1946.[6] Saravanamuttu served in the Ceylon Defense Force during World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.[4] He was in command of one of the two Ceylon Light Infantry battalions deployed along the eastern coast of Ceylon to protect against Japanese invasion.[7] After the war he qualified as a lawyer and practised law.[4]

Saravanamuttu was captain of the Ceylon national cricket team twice and of Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club in 1934 and from 1936 to 1941.[5][8] He played in the European-Ceylonese Test series and for Ceylon against Australia, New Zealand and Marylebone Cricket Club.[5] He was president of the Board of Control for Cricket in Ceylon.[4][5]

Saravanamuttu was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1953 Coronation Honours.[4][5] He died on 17 July 1957 in Colombo aged 59.[1][5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Sabdharatnajyoti Saravanamuttu". CricketArchive.
  2. ^ a b Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. p. 180.
  3. ^ a b c "He gave of his best, but died a disillusioned man". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 28 May 2000.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Billimoria, Marc (13 August 2004). "The Saravanamuttu Prize at S. Thomas' College". Daily News (Sri Lanka).
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Obituaries in 1957". ESPNcricinfo/Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. 4 December 2005.
  6. ^ Hulugalle, H. A. J. (September 1965). Centenary Volume of the Colombo Municipal Council (1865 - 1965). Colombo Municipal Council . p. 61.
  7. ^ Tissainayagam, Romesh. "Japanese demonstrate cult of suicide bombing in Trincomalee". Tamil Canadian/Northeastern Monthly.
  8. ^ "Cricket Captains". Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club.