Gwen Herat – a woman apart
In an era when women were ridiculed for playing cricket, Gwen Herat took the bold decision to champion women’s cricket in Sri Lanka. Against all odds, she dedicated herself to popularising cricket amongst women and pioneered the establishment of the Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Association in 1996, the same year the Islanders won the ICC Cricket World Cup.
She began her journey with Wennappuwa Ladies’ Cricket Club before becoming President of Puttalam District Women’s Cricket Association, where she served for nearly five years. From there onwards, she dedicated her life to promoting cricket among women in Sri Lanka, caring little about boundaries in advancing women’s cricket.
The first women’s cricket tournament in Sri Lanka was held in early January 1997—an invitational tournament with only four teams: Anuradhapura Shakthi, Wennappuwa Ladies’ Cricket Club, Colts, and Young Women of Colombo. Over 80 girls participated in this historic tournament held at the Colts ground.
During the awards ceremony, where Gwen served as chief guest, she announced that she had spoken to the International Women’s Cricket Council about Sri Lanka’s possibility of playing in the World Cup later that year. To the girls’ surprise, she declared that the world cup team would be selected from those present—inspiring news that motivated participants almost three decades ago.
The BCCSL (Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka) supported Gwen by providing its headquarters for Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Association (SLWCA) meetings. Then BCCSL Vice President Thilanga Sumathipala helped Gwen negotiate with the International Women’s Cricket Council, securing Sri Lanka’s berth in the 1997 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Former Test cricketer Guy de Alwis was appointed Head Coach, and the team, captained by Vanessa de Silva (née Bowen), participated in the Women’s Cricket World Cup in India. Sri Lanka played in Group B, with their opening match against India washed out. However, they beat West Indies by six wickets before finishing third in the group.
Under Gwen’s guidance, the Sri Lankan women’s team participated in three World Cups—1997, 2000, and 2005. In 1998, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in a Women’s Test match by 309 runs. Throughout Gwen’s presidency of SLWCA, Sri Lanka maintained its status, ranking sixth out of 13 countries worldwide.
Despite legal issues surrounding the country’s Sports Law, Gwen successfully negotiated with the International Women’s Cricket Council to include Sri Lanka in the seventh World Cup in New Zealand in 2000. In the eight-team tournament, Sri Lanka finished sixth with victories against Netherlands and Ireland.
Beyond making women’s cricket a recognised discipline, Gwen laid the foundation for Sri Lankan women to become professional cricketers and administrators by creating a strong voice and structure nearly three decades ago.
Almost 28 years after leading Sri Lanka into the Women’s Cricket World Cup, former skipper Vanessa de Silva admits that women’s cricket in Sri Lanka would not have come such a long way, if not for the bold and brave steps taken by Gwen Herat.
“With cricket, I have come a long way in my life,” stated Venessa, with profound gratitude towards Gwen, a mentor not only to her, but for many generations to follow.
“Thanks to the efforts and dedication late Mrs. Gwen Herat, I could play the first World Cup in 1997 and lead the side. That gave me an opportunity to work with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and I was appointed as a match referee in 2019. Later I was nominated to the ICC international panel in 2022 as a match referee,” said the former national skipper of her journey.
“I think a lot of Sri Lankan women cricketers should be grateful to Mrs. Herat for her pioneering efforts to see women’s cricket grow,” Vanessa added.
However, in 2004, Gwen faced challenges due to the fragmentation of women’s cricket following the formation of another association, partly influenced by political pressures during Jeevan Kumaratunga’s tenure as Minister of Sports. Despite attempts by some to run SLWCA on their own terms, they discovered that respect remained with Gwen Herat.
Eventually a compromise was reached, but one individual stood her ground. Gwen didn’t want a fight, yet she managed to stay at the helm thanks to a few genuine individuals who were looking toward a better future for women’s cricket in Sri Lanka.
One of Gwen’s toughest decisions was merging SLWCA with SLC in 2006. Following ICC instructions, she accepted this necessity despite disappointment over political interference. Gwen hoped the merger would provide better facilities and financial stability, though it meant losing opportunities to participate in women’s Test matches.
Having dedicated herself to women’s cricket for years without expecting rewards, Gwen’s most satisfying moment came in 2023 when she received the Lifetime Award from SLC President Shammi Silva at the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Awards ceremony for her invaluable contribution to women’s cricket.
Better known as Gwen Herat after marrying former cabinet minister Harold Herat, she was previously the famous actress Ayesha Weerakoon, appearing in several top-ranked Sinhala films including ‘Prema Tharagaya’ in the 1950s. She later moved away from cinema, a decision significantly helped him associate with women’s cricket’s growth in Sri Lanka.
Gwen’s final rites were held on Wednesday (28th) at Borella Cemetery with many close associates and understudies in attendance. Her legacy will never fade from women’s cricket history, as Gwen Herat remains the shining light of women’s cricket in Sri Lanka.