Cricket followers in Negombo and Katunayake gave New Zealand captain Kane Williamson a pleasant surprise on his 29th birthday in the form of a chocolate cake during his team’s three-day match against a second string Sri Lanka team in Katunayake on Thursday.
It all happened at an interval break during the match when Williamson ran up to the waiting crowd of mostly young men who wished him, sang the Happy Birthday song and served him a piece of cake that he bit into. But before going back to play the affable Williamson obliged his Sri Lankan admirers with handshakes and selfie photos.
A young fan in the crowd told the Sunday Observer it was also a fitting way to say “thank you” to the Kiwis for touring Sri Lanka at a time there was uncertainty over foreign visitors after local Jihadists exploded bombs in churches and five-star hotels that killed over 250 people on Easter Sunday.
Williamson and the New Zealand team also endeared themselves to cricket followers the world over and Sri Lanka after they took up defeat in a most gentlemanly way in the World Cup final against England after the match went into a ‘super over’ and England won thanks to the help of an “unlawful” extra run from an overthrow.