In 1948, I was a member of the 1st eleven cricket team of Ananda College, Colombo. I along with my three cricketing colleagues, Bonny Wijesinghe, Terrance Amerasekera and late Harold Vitharana (a cricket zealot) by prior arrangement met at Borella Junction and decided to walk the distance to the Oval grounds through the Serpentine road hours ahead of the start of play on that day. We had already bought the tickets which was 50 cents or one rupee per person to enter the ground from the eastern side where there was seating or standing accommodation under cadjan sheds. When the commotion related by Bandula Perera took place, the four of us made a beeline towards the dressing rooms of the Australian team where the cricketers were seated. My eyes were set on the Australian cricketers especially on Don Bradman who had a stern and commanding look. I could still remember vividly with nostalgia the faces of the great three B’s - Bradman, Brown and Barnes and also the tall and handsome Keith Miller, who was surrounded by a bevy of beautiful local girls giggling, chatting and enjoying the company of this great all round cricketer as being the "Prince Charming" ‘of the team. All of a sudden Neil Harvey - the baby of the team - only 19 years then, appeared from the dressing room with bat and ball in hand to have a few knocks at the nets. I was quick enough to grab the ball from his hand and had the good fortune of being able to bowl a couple of overs to the great young left hander before my friend Harold took over from me. I think Neil Harvey made only seven runs that day but the few strokes he played indicated what an able and fine cricketer he was.

On that day of the match we did not see the brilliance of Bradman as he was out for 20 runs. I can’t remember who took Bradman’s wicket but I could faintly remember the great Don facing Sathi Coomaraswamy, who was bowling line and length at his best and one going over Bradman’s wicket missing the bails by a whisker! Also it was a treat to watch Sid Barnes and Sam Loxton giving a fine batting display all round the wicket by cutting, hooking, pulling and with excellent cover drives to all parts of the ground. When the Australians took to fielding we saw the fast bowling of Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller. Keith Miller nearly took off the scalp of Mahes Rodrigo who stood his ground unperturbed by negotiating the bumpers with dexterity. There was then no head or chest armour for the cricketers to protect themselves from injury as we have now.

No sooner the game was brought to a close I rushed to get into the KV line train (Punchi Kochiya) to go home to Mt. Lavinia, which was moving slowly towards Maradana. As I tried to alight from the train by holding on to the door handle I was thrown off and lay a few minutes flat on the ground amidst the screams and shouts of the passengers inside the train, before I took to my heels through a by lane to Cotta Road. Fortunately, I escaped a major disaster with no broken limbs, undergoing only a few bruises but lived to date, to tell this tale of the day I saw Don Bradman which I will never forget. I was a 17 year old boy at that time.

To cap it all, the next day when our cricketing colleagues met in school to discuss the cricket match Harold Vitharana our cricket-fan friend gave us a surprise by displaying a cricket ball supposed to have been presented to him by Neil Harvey - the one used to have been bowled to him at the nets and also a fountain pen supposed to have been presented to him by Don Bradman after getting his autograph. Some of our colleagues thought this was one of those stunts by Harold as he was known for his gimmicks. But as I knew my friend late Harold from our days at Ananda College, having played cricket and taken part in other activities as well together, I had no reason to doubt his story.

After leaving Ananda we used to bump into each other in Colombo Fort very often as both of us were employed in Colombo Fort. Whenever we met, we used to reminisce about our days at school relaxing for some time at the YMCA, Colombo Fort. I regret I could not attend Harold’s funeral as I was out of the country at that time. Though Harold is no more but my other two colleagues Bonny Wijesinghe (Ex Bloomfield cricketer /Captain) and Terrance Amerasekera (Ex. D.I.G./Magician ) are there with me still to share these thoughts of the day of Sir Don Bradman’s visit with the Australian Team "The Invincibles" to Ceylon in 1948.