Major General Deshabandu Bertram Russell Heyn was a Sri Lankan general and cricketer. He was a former Commander of the Ceylon Army.
Robert Lloyd de Kretser was a Sri Lankan cricketer.
Peter David Heyn is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played in 18 unofficial Test matches from 1966 to 1976, and two One Day Internationals in the 1975 World Cup. Heyn is widely regarded as one of the best cover point fielders ever to represent Sri Lanka. In September 2018, he was one of 49 former Sri Lankan cricketers honoured by Sri Lanka Cricket for their services before Sri Lanka became a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Cricket was introduced to Sri Lanka in the first quarter of the 19th century, following colonisation of the island by the British. The earliest known match was recorded in 1832 and the earliest first-class one in 1926. The national team has played Test cricket from 1982. The national team has achieved international success by winning the 1996 Cricket World Cup and the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. Cricket is played nationwide with Test venues in Colombo, Galle, Kandy and Moratuwa. The country's most notable players include Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Rangana Herath, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara and Chaminda Vaas. Administration and governance are performed by Sri Lanka Cricket, which was founded in July 1922 as the Ceylon Cricket Association (CCA). The main domestic competition is the Premier Trophy which attained first-class status in 1988.
The Major League Tournament is the main domestic first-class cricket competition in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1938 and has existed under a number of different names. Matches before the 1988–89 season are not considered first-class. Relaunched as the Lakspray Trophy in 1988–89, it was renamed as the P. Saravanamuttu Trophy in 1990–91 and as the Premier Championship in 1998–99. There was a change of format in 2015–16 when it became the Premier League Tournament which was split into Tiers A and B the following year.
Tamil Union Cricket & Athletic Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. They play their home games at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium.
The M. J. Gopalan Trophy was an annual first-class cricket competition played between Ceylon and Madras between 1952–53 and 2007–08.
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu was a Ceylonese civil servant and sports administrator.
Ishak Shahabdeen is a Sri Lankan double international who represented his country in both Cricket and Hockey.
Reginald Abraham de Mel was a Ceylonese politician. Having served as the Mayor of Colombo, he served as the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees in the first parliament of Ceylon, until he was unseated by an election petition.
The Pakistan national cricket team toured Ceylon from mid-March to mid-April 1949 and played four matches including two internationals against the Ceylon national team. As neither country had yet achieved Test status, the internationals are classified as first-class matches. Both games were played at the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo and Pakistan won them both: the first by an innings and 192 runs; the second by 10 wickets. These two matches were the first four-day internationals played in Ceylon. Pakistan were captained by Mohammed Saeed and Ceylon by Derrick de Saram.
Herbert Innocent Kingsley Fernando is a former cricketer who was Ceylon's principal wicket-keeper from 1953 to 1970. He was also a doctor and a brigadier in the Sri Lanka Army.
Anurudda "Anura" Polonowita is a former cricketer who played for Ceylon from 1960 to 1969. He later became a prominent cricket administrator and groundsman. In September 2018, he was one of 49 former Sri Lankan cricketers felicitated by Sri Lanka Cricket, to honour them for their services before Sri Lanka became a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The Ceylon cricket team toured India in December 1932 and January 1933. Ceylon did not then have Test status, but two three-day unofficial Tests were played, both of which were drawn. The tour also included four other first-class matches and four minor matches. It was the first tour abroad by a Ceylonese team. The victories against Patiala and Central Provinces and Berar were Ceylon's first victories in first-class matches.
Edward George Samuel Kelaart was a Ceylonese cricketer who played first-class cricket between 1926 and 1935. He was Ceylon's first international captain, leading the side in two matches against India in 1932-33.
Claude van der Straaten, also spelt Vanderstaaten and Vanderstraaten was a cricketer who played on Ceylon's first tour in 1932–33.
Hilton Poulier was a cricketer who played on Ceylon's first tour in 1932–33.
Lucien Edward de Zoysa was a Ceylonese cricketer who played first-class cricket between 1947 and 1954. He became a stage actor, playwright, author, and cricket commentator on radio.
Hugh Cecil Aldons was a Sri Lankan–Australian sportsman, a triple international who represented Ceylon at three sports in the 1950s: hockey, cricket and rugby union. He captained the national hockey and cricket teams. He migrated to Australia in 1957.
