Ryle de Soysa explained

Country:Sri Lanka
Fullname:Gahmini Ryle Johannes de Soysa
Birth Date:21 June 1917
Birth Place:Colombo, Western Province,
British Ceylon
Death Place:Colombo, Western Province,
Sri Lanka
Batting:Left-handed
Bowling:Leg break googly
Club1:Oxford University
Year1:1938 - 1939
Club2:Ceylon
Year2:1944/45
Columns:1
Column1:First-class
Matches1:8
Runs1:314
Bat Avg1:20.93
100S/50S1:–/2
Top Score1:67
Deliveries1:32
Wickets1:2
Bowl Avg1:7.50
Fivefor1:
Tenfor1:
Best Bowling1:2/15
Catches/Stumpings1:–/–
Date:29 May
Year:2020
Source:http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/48635.html Cricinfo

Gahmini Ryle Johannes de Soysa (21 June 1917 – 13 January 2002) was a Sri Lankan first-class cricketer and entrepreneur.

The son of Wilfred and Evelyn de Soysa, he was born at Colombo in June 1917. He was educated in Colombo at Royal College, captaining the school in a five-match tour of Australia, which was the first time a school team from Ceylon had toured abroad. He later studied in England at Oriel College at the University of Oxford.[1] While studying at Oxford, he played first-class cricket for Oxford University, making his debut against Yorkshire at Oxford in 1938. He made three further appearances in 1938 for Oxford, before making a final appearance in 1939 against the combined Minor Counties cricket team.[2] While at Oxford, he toured Jamaica with a combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities team, making two first-class appearances against Jamaica.[2] For Oxford University, de Soysa scored 241 runs at an average of 26.77 and with a high score of 67.[3] The influence of Frank Woolley on his batting was noted, particularly his late cuts and driving.[1]

After graduating from Oxford, he returned to Ceylon where he coached the Royal College XI.[1] De Soysa made a final first-class appearance for All-Ceylon against India at Colombo.[2] For many years he worked for the family tea, rubber and coconut exporting business.[4] He became president of the Singhalese Sports Club in 1997, then a team with first-class status, but had to step down the following year due to ill health.[1] De Soysa died at Colombo in January 2002. His elder brother was Harold de Soysa, the first Ceylonese Anglican Bishop of Colombo.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wisden - Obituaries in 2002 . ESPNcricinfo . 2020-05-29.
  2. Web site: First-Class Matches played by Ryle de Soysa . CricketArchive . 2020-05-29 . subscription.
  3. Web site: First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ryle de Soysa . CricketArchive . 2020-05-29 . subscription.
  4. Book: Foreign Commerce Weekly . 13 . 1948 . 32-33 . U.S. Department of Commerce . en.