Empire Cricket Booklet

•

BOER PRISONERS OF WAR IN CEYLON

victim, caught by Van Zijl in the slips for 8. Perera was not out on 90 out of a total of 146. There were 12 extras. Otto was the best of the Boer bowlers (28-9-50-7) with De Villiers (10-1-33-1) and Coetzer (6-2-22-1) taking the other wickets. A heavy rainstorm during the interval between innings resulted in a fairly lengthy delay. The extended lunch break was used to treat players and officials of both teams to a sumptuous lunch at the Galle Face Hotel. 84 The storm did not, however, diminish the size or enthusiasm of the large crowd when play resumed. The captains inspected the pitch and decided to move it slightly to the left because of rain damage and continue with play. Throughout

was caught off the very next ball by De Fransz for 10 (11 for 3). Sennett was bowled in Ludovici's next over without scoring (11 for 4). Smuts was bowled by Thomasz for a duck (15 for 5), while Scheepers was run out for 4 (15 for 6). De Villiers joined Du Toit, but the latter was soon dismissed for the fourth of the Boers' five ducks, when De Fransz hung on with one hand to a high catch off Joseph (15 for 7). Du Plessis, described by the Ceylon Independent as 'an athletic looking fellow', was next in and in partnership with De Villiers, added 22 before De Villiers was bowled by Thomasz for 7 (37 for 8). Du Plessis lifted Joseph over his head for 6 before trying his hand once too often and was caught by Bada Kelaart on the boundary off Joseph for 25 (51 for 9). Coetzer was

A cricket match in progress at Diyatalawa camp. The cricket field at Diyatalawa was laid out by the Boers and is still in use today.

the match, the crowd displayed a warm and friendly attitude to the Boers. It was half past three when opening batsmen Kotze and Van Zijl took the field. Kotze did not last long, given out by Tennant, leg before to Ludovici, in the third over (4 for 1). Hilder joined Van Zijl but was caught in the slips by Ludovici off Kelaart for a duck (5 for 2). Van Zijl, described as a huge man 'with the playfulness of a schoolboy', hit the first ball of Ludovici's second over for six but

not out on 3 when the last wicket, that of Otto who was bowled by Thomasz for 0, fell. The Boers were all out for a paltry 53. The Colts' bowlers shared the wickets: Kelaart (3-1-3-1), Ludovici (3-0-8-3), Joseph (5-0-32-2) and Thomasz (4-0-7-3). Before the start of Colts' second innings, Governor Sir West Ridgeway was introduced to De Villiers. The teams took the field at 16:40 under huge applause from the spectators. The Colts, who enjoyed a lead