‘‘Through the Covers’’ is a captivating and moving autobiography by one of the finest opening batsmen ever to play for SSC and Sri Lanka . It captures the story of the evolution of a young schoolboy to a Test cricketer. The book begins with his early days at the Royal College “ Glendale ” branch at Bandarawela, where the boys carried their matting and rollers for three miles to makeshift grounds. Spotted as First XI material, he moved to Colombo and captained the Royal College team in 1949 and went on to be a part of the powerful SSC side as well as representing the All-Ceylon side.

In a particularly interesting section titled Then and Now, Gunasekara contrasts the exhibitionism and cheap theatrics of current Test cricketers when appealing and celebrating the fall of a wicket.

This book is in part a history of Sri Lanka cricket written simply and honestly. It makes interesting reading and is well placed to be in a cricket enthusiast’s library.