Thilan Walallawita was five years old and being carried in his father’s arms when his family scrambled to safety on Boxing Day 2004.
Walallawita, now 22, made his first-class debut for Middlesex last week and knows how lucky he is to be alive after being caught up in the devastating tsunami that hit south western Sri Lanka 16 years ago.
His family had decided that day to travel from their home in Colombo to visit a Bhuddist temple near Galle. On the way home they stopped for tea in a beachside cafe. Moments later the wave hit…