Cricket and me

Sunday, June 19, 2022

Funny, memorable incidents

1981, NIE, innings of 70, one shot I hit through mid wicket. Saw the ball, just short of a good length, I think it was a medium pacer. Just put it away 'on the rise' to mid wicket with a last instant turn of the wrists. What a fine shot I enjoyed at that time!

1980. Another pull shot - same ground, Subbi's "Bradman" bat, plastered all over the blade. Flat six to mid wicket.

1986, BUCC, innings of 64. Sharad Rao - Karnataka fast bowler (10 Ranji Trophy matches, 16 wickets). I hit 5 fours in one over. The slips cordon were shouting 'get him', 'kill him'. Next over he bowled, first ball, I saw it pitch on a length, just short, on the off stump, just hit it back over his head for four, straight bat... the ball rolling into the sight screen near the pavilion. KSCA stadium. One of my most memorable shots.

1985. Coffee Board ground. K.Jeshwanth (68 Ranji Trophy matches, captain, coach, 3,905 runs, 105 wickets) batting-left handed. I bowled him off stump. He went away cursing traffic on the road that a bus had distracted him - no sight boards. Nobody believed it!

1983. KSCA (M), Left hand batsman, later Karnataka. Rajesh Kamath. I took his off bail from a ball that he could not get any clue at all. More satisfying is that he was a very good defensive player difficult to get the ball past him.

1986. My 'on drive' at Poona Club. Long-on fielder had no chance of stopping even before he could take 5-6 steps. The ball raced past him. Enjoyed the timing and power that came in that shot! Bowler was Subhash Ranjane, Maharashtra fast bowler, son of India fast bowler Vasanth Ranjane (29 Ranji Trophy games, 57 wickets).

78 not out, Jai Hind, MCG, Semi final - last wicket partnership of 105 with Vedraj. 16 fours. Wearing helmet for first time in life while batting. Umashankar, fast bowler with good pace. A pull to mid wicket to the neem tree, several punches and drives... I do not know where the timing came from! It was a dream innings. On some days, we have the 'feel of the bat' much better!

Another 78, Lucknow, CSIR team. Team was in trouble. I said I will go in next. Went there, hammered the bowlers all over, a few sixes and many fours. Running between wickets with Sridhar from Hyderabad was another element in this partnership. Team got good score, but lost the match. Pitambar Dutt hammered Lawrence for 14 in one over that turned the tables in their favour.

2013, League match. Gangotri Glades, fine wicket. Do or die. I was #11. Wily fast bowler Sharath Babu - my former partner for Mys Gymk - bowling the penultimate over to this 55 year old. We were required to just survive to ensure a draw. I hit Babu for a six over long on that surprised everyone, half volley, reflex shot! Never planned, it just was a very good feeling. About 8 balls to survive. Next ball Babu bowls a bouncer. It was coming to my head, no helmet. I turned and got a glove to it. The ball lobbed up for an easy catch. We lost the match. When I went back, I was removing my cricket gear. And when it was the turn of the 'abdomen guard', there was a shock. I had forgotten to put it on when a wicket had fallen!

JSS Medical College Ground. I had taken a wicket. The umpire took the ball as is the practice when that happens. The next batsman came in and got ready, our team was clapping, encouraging me to get another wicket. All was ready. I was ready, polishing the ball, before I started my run up. I ran in normally and did my bowling action, sans the ball, the batsman was flabbergasted. I knew I had no ball and wanted to have some fun. Umpire Ananth was noting down something as he put the ball in his pocket but forgot to give me back. Everyone was surprised at this 'nothing ball'! Every one had a good laugh. Ananth "Oh".... then remembered to hand me the ball from his pocket! I repeated this at Gangotri Glades in 2010 in another game, similar situation. The umpire was Suresh 'Robin'.
And then a third time as well in another match.
In the late 70s and into the 80s our team suffered the most from umpires getting bad decisions. Once in a Mysore Zone match in 1980, I had been caught off my own boot. I knew I was out and the umpire had raised his finger, rightly. Yet, I did not look at the umpire in spite of the players celebrating my dismissal. I pretended not knowing it, but after many seconds, I walked off.

In 1994, our team was playing an important match at the Nirvana Cup at National College Ground, Bengaluru. I was fielding in the shade of the trees on the edge of the boundary close to the roadside fence. I was deep on the off side to a right handed batsman. One ball was played by the batsman and it did not come to me. I went back a few steps to take position again to get ready for the next ball. When I was ready, I was in a shock!! The next over's first ball had been bowled from the other end and I was now in an awkward fielding position! The field had changed over and I was nowhere. I suddenly realized I had slept for a few seconds and then went to the proper place. No one noticed my silly act. Luckily the ball was not hit in my direction that first ball!

Inter-office tournament is held once in two years at different places. In 2002 or so, we were playing at Hyderabad. A reputation among opponents of how good my bowling was and how difficult it was to handle my bowling was all over the sister teams of different labs around the country. One particular opening batsman from a team from Delhi was facing me in the match. A new jute mat was being used and new ones tended to produce more bounce. I bowled a really nippy delivery to him that went through the grill of his helmet and struck below the eye, left 'reetired hurt' bleeding and swollen. I was extremely worried. I saw him return after some while, face in plaster, left eye nearly closed by swelling. We won the match and later as the players were relaxing in the evening, I saw him with his mates and inquired about his pain. I was surprised by his answer "It's nothing bhaiya..... I just wanted to face your bowling". I said "You not only faced my bowling but gave your face to my bowling!" He managed to laugh with his mates and continued the walk.

Club cricket is competetive, but 'official cricket' - meaning representing the employer - is more for fun than for serious rivalry. But it can become serious and hard oftentimes - the players know it why! In my case employer means our Institute [CFTRI] and HQ [CSIR]. I try to list a few musings that have happened, briefly. ~~~~~~

CSIR Cricket team was to take part in the Silver Jubilee tournament at RRL, Jammu in 1983. Our team manager, Sri. R. Narayanan sent us letters well before the journey asking us to practice so that "success we may attain will be a stepping stone for further laurels…". After he closed his letter with 'yours friendly' there was a unique postscript hinting that it was a knock-out tournament: "Your stay in Jammu very much depends on your stay at the wicket." Neither our batsmen stayed long enough on that Azad Stadium wicket, nor our wicket-keeper held on to easy catches (esp. 3 in 3 balls from my bowling - some record in itself!) and our stay in Jammu really depended on that!

A practice match was part of a 10-day coaching camp for our CSIR cricket team at NCL, Pune in 1987. The opponents did not turn up. Team manager Sri Narayanan held a meeting in the pavilion. The players agreed to play a double wicket tournament among ourselves. Teams were drawn and to even out the odd number, Sri Narayanan was made to play with Lawrence of NCL. None of us had seen Narayanan, a contemporary of S.Venkataraghavan, play. When our teams clashed [I was partnering R.Sreedhar of CSIR Complex, Chennai] in the quarter-final or so, I was surprised to see Narayanan bowl a tight line and length of off-spin right away (without practice!), though I managed a sixer off him! But he could boast of remaining 'not out' with the bat. In the end, Sreedhar and I won the final and the prize of Rs.25/- [I duly got my share of Rs.12.50] which Sri Narayanan had sponsored before start.

During the Nayudamma Memorial tournament at Nagpur in 1988, our CSIR team was short of one player. To make up the eleven, Sri Narayanan suggested that we borrowed the player from the opponent team's surplus - they were two. How to choose was the problem. Sri Narayanan decided to go for a 'toss of coin' after allotting 'heads' to one player and 'tails' to the other. Up went the spinning coin, down it came with a clink, rolled and rolled around only to settle nicely on its edge! They had to be given equal chances!

Disbursing TA/DA was a real pain in the neck esp. to the manager of our CSIR Cricket team as it was to be drawn from the host Institute. In the Inter-Agency tournament for the SSBMT at Lucknow in 1993, the Valedictory function had begun, yet, our payments had not been settled. Sri Narayanan had to fight the 'fight of his life' to make it happen! I had to actually run straight from the Cash Section to the dais (being captain of CSIR) to receive the prize as our team name was called. Handing over the trophy to my teammate I ran into the waiting car that took me to the Railway Station. The train left in two minutes after I boarded it. I was 'runner-up' all the way!

CFTRI was playing the SSBMTournament at Roorkee in 1986. Anti-inflammatory sprays had just been made available in first-aid kits and provided at the ground. It was new to us and everybody. My veteran team-mate K.Srinivasa held a difficult catch at slip from my bowling and his immediate reaction was not the usual joy! He was holding his hand up and calling 'spray, spray'. His finger was injured, but found joy getting it 'sprayed' with the new fizzing medication! We had forgotten for a moment how terrifically good that catch was.

During the II Nayudamma Memorial Tournament at New Delhi in 1987, I hit Ravi Khanna's (CSIR) pad with an in-swinging delivery. A lone, loud and excited "Howzzaat?" (for LBW) was heard, as if from distant heaven. It was from deep third-man! International Umpire Ram Babu Gupta, standing at the bowler's end, was taken aback by the appeal - from that far! He called the appealer [Rajendra Prasad]. He walked all the way up to be asked "Can you see anything from there, young man?" The poor fellow hung his head low but shut his mouth for the rest of the innings! ~~~~~

Friday, March 11, 2022

Thrills of watching a Test Match, first time

Cricket has always topped the list of popular pastimes. In fact, for more than a century. One of my great grandfather's preserved testimonials, handwritten and signed by J.Cook, M.A, Principal, Central College Bangalore in 1888, praising my ancestor as an 'ardent cricketer' is ample proof. Even before 1888, in all probabilities, he would have played the game during his days in Maharaja's College and was talented enough to earn such a praise from the Principal.

Besides their own fun-cricket, Test Matches [not as many as now], provided cricket's joy mostly through newspapers, much later, the radio. But very few had the good fortune to watch a Test Match in person because they were only in the big cities. It took the yeoman efforts of a certain M.Chinnaswamy, the man who dreamt and actually brought such a wonderful privilege and status to Bangalore. Our joy soared skywards when the honey-sweet news broke out. West Indies who were to tour India in 1974-75, were to play the first Test of the series in Bangalore. It also meant that we Mysoreans were close to getting a fine opportunity to be part of it.

Excitement was building up as the day neared. My uncle wrote that he had booked one of the eighty-rupee-season tickets for me as well as for a few relatives. I was on cloud nine. I persuaded my grandfather and bought an eighty-rupee binocular. The dream of watching a Test Match and the players in flesh and blood was nearing fruition.

Collecting cricket pictures was a hobby and I used to buy the sports weekly magazine from the saved pocket-money, merely for the sake of cutting and pasting the pictures in albums. I do not remember having read even a single article! I used to imagine and imitate the styles from those action pictures. The binocular was to help me take a closer-look at the heroes.

Special buses had been arranged from Mysore for the thousands who thronged Bangalore for the historic occasion. We went in one of them, leaving behind my old grandfather, himself a great all-round sportsman, which was rather sadly ironic. But my fit and cricket-ignoramus grandmother was accompanying us in expectation of seeing her nephew, B.S.Chandrasekhar, in action. None of us had seen him play and we had longed for that occasion.

The day had arrived. The 80,000-capacity stadium (then, the MSCA) was a marvel of labour. Except for the players' pavilion, all of the 'stands' were erected entirely of wooden poles, planks and jute ropes with thatched shelters over some parts. The foldable plywood chairs had been serially numbered. The scene was set. That the precarious looking stands stood the 'test' for five days was a feat in itself!

Our 'gang', equipped with food and water for the day, reached the stadium and stood in the long queue. We had missed the toss by the time we entered. Pataudi, back at the helm, had asked Clive Lloyd to bat first. Our seats were somewhere in the 10th row, reasonably close to the boundary. A satisfaction in itself. Never before had I seen such a congregation. The noise created by the crowd was deafening and excitement was running haywire! I was to find that it was a reasonably sporting crowd, though at times a bit pranky, applauding the good cricket from either team.

I was making my debut as a test match spectator, RS Krishnaswamy was making his, behind the microphone alongside stalwarts Anant Setalwad and Tony Cozier. My uncle had his 'biggish' transistor radio to follow the commentary and to know who is who on the field. M.V. Nagendra and Jack Reuben were the umpires. For India, Hemant Kanitkar was making his debut while one Gordon Greenidge and a certain Viv Richards were making theirs for the West Indies. India had no Bedi due to some controversy but the rest of the famed spin-team were in. The oldest man in the match was 42-year old great West Indian off-spinner, Lance Gibbs.

After a few overs from Abid Ali and Solkar, the crowd noticed Chandra warming up and there was a big roar, a roar we had heard 'on the air' but now we were part of it. Greenidge (93) showed his power and southpaw Kallicharran (124), his grace and technique. Rain on the second morning tried to dampen the spirits but that was luckily short-lived. Wickets were not covered those days. Play continued after a brief stoppage and Kallicharran showed batsmanship of the highest class, playing the Indian spinners on a rain-affected wicket with masterly ease with 124. One late-cut off Prasanna stands out in my memory. Abid Ali, Solkar and Venkataraghavan displayed their close-in fielding skills. Chandra's 4-wicket haul gave us a glimpse of why he was feared by the batsmen. Richards had no clue whatsoever. Venkat's accuracy and Pras' guiles were mastered in this match.

India conceded a big lead and only Hemant Kanitkar cut his way to a top-score 65. We saw what Andy Roberts' hot pace was like and the effect of Vanburn Holder's deadly accuracy. The way Gibbs trapped Viswanath soon after he had hoisted a six was top class bowling. [There was no way I could have imagined then, that 14 years later, I was to bowl my best ever ball, a leg-cutter, to have this great man bowled off-stump for a duck in a league match.] Solkar was run out by a direct hit from long leg by Keith Boyce. It was customary that the Indian tail did not wag. Chandra getting bat on ball was duly applauded.

Greenidge again blazed with a hard hit 107. But it was Lloyd's 143-ball 163 that stunned Pataudi's Indians. The clonks were heard in spite of the crowd's noise. It was explosive power. He often swept the Indian spinners out of line. Poor, fat-tummied Kanitkar at deep square-leg was bamboozled by the accurate placement of the shots, which brought laughter to the crowd more than once. Those were days when only the slip fielders dived to make catches or saves. Lloyd's innings ended when Solkar, diving forward, made a skier at long-off look easy. They set India a big target.

Gavaskar and Engineer [of Brylcreem fame] opened again, but soon were back in the room, dismissed through breathtaking catches by Viv Richards at short-leg. Nobody who has seen these catches will ever forget for the sheer alacrity he made them. Both were 'hits' from the meat of the blade! Nearly everyone rose from their seats in utter awe! All the heroes succumbed to the pace of Roberts and Holder and the West Indies had won by 267 runs. The angry crowd broke the chairs and threw them onto the field. Luckily there was no fire. If there was one, it would have been calamitous. There were no presentation ceremonies after the match in those days and so all of us left the stadium making our way in a forest of people. What we had seen was to be the beginning of a most enthralling series that India won. The filmed highlights [no TVs in those days] were shown in theatres later on. Those were still the days when cricket was played mostly for its sake and money had not yet adulterated it.

The report on the match was read by people in the next day's paper while my attention was on the action pictures. That went on for five full days, of absolute thrill. It was exciting fun, being able to watch the heroes through my binocular and sometimes borrowing a fellow-spectator's more powerful ones to look at the faces of them, to compare with those in my cricket album. My hero was Andy Roberts, whose action I memorized and tried to imitate in my tennis-ball-cricket ventures. Venture I did, to good effect!

I returned home, proud and fully satisfied with the enjoyment of witnessing a Test Match. I was richer with the numerous brochures and sun-shades that were offered at the ground. Leave alone those wonderful memories to top them. But we envied our grandmother who was the luckiest among us all - she had the privilege of watching the second day's play from the pavilion using Chandra's pass with his sister and parents. Tall, well built, dark, bespectacled with huge lips - was how she described a West Indian whom she had seen at close range. She was referring Clive Lloyd!

The way Cricket is played, watched and followed these days has changed. Hasn't it?

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

An Athletic Body is a Gift

My father, grandfather and great grandfather, all had admirable sporting abilities. [Click to read my separate blogpost]. Those who have 'sports in the blood' and gifted with 'natural ability/talent' start with an advantage. Playing cricket HAS BEEN a common factor all along my entire life from as long back as my memory can take. Simultaneously, I have also set foot sporadically on the tennis court and took part in the 100m sprint and long jump competitions only once or twice. The lion's share has been cricket.

My bowling and action have been praised all through. Initially, I was not trying to analyse the praises because my bowling run-up and action had come naturally to me. In my 'peak years', my pace, they say, was pretty sharp. It was coming from a 'smooth, easy, slightly front-on, quick arm action'. But they were noticing 'something' that stood out from the others. I look back now after having opened the bowling throughout the 38 years [starting at age 20] of my cricket [serious league games and other tournaments] trying to search 'that something'. No physical sport is without its share of injuries, but have not bothered me much, barring only minor ones. How and why?

Capt. P.Alasingachar, a disciplined gentleman, my father's childhood classmate and former captain of our club The Mysore Gymkhana, had high praise for my bowling/action with these words: "Your bowling action is one of the best in the country!" The word 'country', I thought appeared like overestimation, but he was not the 'people pleaser' type. He had a good knowledge of the game and was renown for his straightforwardness. Such an observation coming from him could not be pushed aside easily. His knowledge about the dynamics of the human body in sport came from his stint at the prestigious National Institute of Sports and long experience as Sports Director from a renown institution where he retired. As my cricket career continued, I was learning about the stuff in Capt. Char's observation when veterans, opponents and team mates were also in praise. What was so special in the action they saw?

Capt. Char [seated]. Picture taken at the inauguration of the new pavilion at Gangotri Glades, 2013. Age, a heart condition and dementia had affected him.

Picture taken in 2003. Capt. Char extreme left.

Others: S.Vijayprakash, M.Ananthaswami Rau and me.

Capt. Char [then 18-19] is standing 3rd from left [cap] first row. My grandfather [46] is seated 5th from right.

In 1983 our employer's team was sent for a coaching camp in Pune. P.G.'Nana' Joshi who was an India wicket-keeper [12 Tests] in the 1950s was our coach. He had great admiration and praise for my talent. Asked for his suggestion, he replied 'Your bowling and action just perfect, just keep doing what you are doing'. After our second camp in 1986, 'Nana' Joshi wrote a letter reaffirming his view with more valuable tips. In my 'peak years', my pace they say, was pretty sharp.

What do I do when some lanky stranger, walks up to me in some gathering and asks directly "Do you play any sport?" My jaw dropped! I said "Yes, cricket, what made you ask?" I was astonished when he answered "I was able to guess from your gait... I also played cricket in Ballari." He had spotted 'that something' even when I was not bowling!

My friend and tennis ball team mate Krishna liked to see my flip-flops. He used to wonder how they wore out evenly rather than making a depression only at the heel. Long later I could relate this fact to the 'even distribution of weight' on my size 10 feet, medium frame, 5'10" tall. I was weighing 56 kgs. when Krishna was seeing my flip-flops often. Now my weight has hovered steady between 69-71 kgs for 12-15 years, a very gradual rise with age. This may be another pointer to how well the body gets balanced to walk, run or jump 'with smooth fluidity'.

Flip-flops are my all-life favourite. This pair is fairly worn and relegated for garden use.

I recall with great fondness that it was actually my father who was the earliest to spot that 'natural gift' way back when I was 13-14-15. He had remarked with these words: "You have a good athletic body." [ನಿಂದು ಒಳ್ಳೆ ಅತ್ಲೆಟಿಕ್ ಬಾಡಿ ಕಣೊ.] He used to watch us play tennis ball cricket and various street games in front of our house. He had noticed 'that something' in me. He was a talented footballer himself in his younger days. Jovially, he showed his slightly crooked nose as proof. Blows from the football had made it so. Capt. Char vouched my father's talent when I used to meet him years after my father died in 1981. My father, despite his poor eyesight [his all-life defect], managed to play table tennis, billiards and carrom with some skill. He sometimes pillioned me on his bicycle to watch him play too.

Kapil Dev was interviewed soon after he surprassed Sir Richard Hadlee's record of 431 wickets. Asked how he had remained generally injury-free, for so long, he emphatically told "I thank my parents for giving me this beautiful body...". He mentioned 'hard training' next. He was another 'natural' who was made of 'good fibre' [quality of muscles and bones] as it is known! Skills apart, it boils down to the physical make-up of the sportsman to perform efficiently without frequent injuries. Is it not true?

I have remained in 'playing condition' nearly throughout, maintaining only with simple fitness regimens and practice. From more than six hundred league games and other tournaments, hundreds of net sessions and a lot of tennis ball cricket prior to that, I must have bowled several thousands of balls plus serving many aces and double faults in tennis.

Faulty angles, movements or techniques usually manifest themselves through injuries. If and when an injury becomes recurrent despite ticking all boxes including proper training and fitness aspects, then it could be the 'manufacturing shortcoming' what Kapil Dev meant.

Persistent injuries and niggles can shorten one's playing career. To maintain a reasonable level of 'match fitness' [not to forget deserving a place in the team] for decades is tough work, so much so if one is a fast bowler. Batsman Madhav Apte played until he was 70. He played 55 seasons in Bombay's Kanga League! First captain of Indian team Col.C.K.Nayudu played first class cricket till he was 72. There are a few more. How?

Sprinting also fascinated me. In the Athletic Meet in 1987 representing my employer and in spite of poor training prior to the Meet I was content to finish 4th in the 100m heats losing to the eventual gold medallist. I might have timed about 12 seconds. I also finished 4th in the long jump leaping about 16 feet [National record is 25' plus]. In January 2016, I tried to time my '100 metre dash' in a 'solo race'. 15 seconds! Too long! Regular sprinters in the 55-60 veteran category [world record] have timed it at around 12 seconds! There are even world records for the Centenarians! Why and how they accomplish such feats?

Answers to all the above is that such people are all made of 'good quality, long lasting, efficiently functioning, strong fibre', as good as one can find. Another thing. Such people also get over their minor niggles quicker than others! They are all in the gifted category having 'that something'! Ponder!

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This is a 9-minute video of me bowling in a league match. I wanted to see how it looked. The bowling was certainly way sharper 20-30 years before! What you see here is an old, slow, me!

A short trial video at the nets in 2009.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Man of the Match!

Swamy's house was very dear to me. I felt it was like ours! Such was the ambiance and since he was one of my favourite persons, whenever I went to Bangalore, I would never miss paying a visit to him I even chose to stay with him during my short cricket tours to Bangalore. It was a great advantage also to me if [sometimes] our match was at the National College Ground which was actually a stone's throw away! I knew it was a bit of a trouble for his ageing wife Seethamma [daughter of renown litterateur and English-Kannada Professor, S.V.Ranganna] to cook extra food when I stayed. But a deep affection was magnetic. Swamy was the son of my grandfather's grandfather's sister's grandson! [click for a long story] Never mind the confusion! He was a wonderful person.

In 1994, I was instrumental in turning the match around and winning it for our team. It was at the Central College Ground, my only game at that historic ground. A strong Swastic Union Cricket Club needed just 6 runs in 2 overs. They appeared to sail through with 5 wickets in hand. It was a 30-over tournament. I had a poor first spell. Now I was bowling the 29th over. I have never fallen short of self-belief and my captain has always turned to me in crises to 'deliver the goods'. I sometimes get a hunch that I get good rhythm in the run-up. I got, that evening.

Ball 1, no run. Ball 2, clean bowled. Ball 3, new batsman, clean bowled. Ball 4, no run. Ball 5, clean bowled. Ball 6, clean bowled!! Suddenly they had only one wicket left and still 6 to get. I had shocked the opponents with four strikes that crashed through the defenses of hapless batsmen! 4 wickets in 6 balls [no hat-trick]. First ball next over from Guruprasad, they panicked and we won! Run out!
A tornado had stuck a smooth sailing ship! I can tell you, such spells are rare in all of cricket. They just happen when least expected!

It was a dream spell for which I was awarded the 'Man of the Match' [a Cricket Shirt was the prize].

State player and later a National Panel Umpire, A.V.Jayaprakash presented me that shirt.

I came to Swamy's house to stay overnight for the next day's match at National College Ground, 200 feet away.

The next morning, as we were sipping coffee in his verandah, he was reading the Kannada newspaper ಪ್ರಜಾವಾಣಿ. He followed a bit of cricket. Our match result had appeared in the sports page. He turned to me with his happy face "ಪಂದ್ಯದ ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ!" [Man of the Match] he exclaimed. That was the opening sentence in the paper! I was happy too, to see it, but it was unfortunate that the actual spell had not even been mentioned. I asked for the clipping. After I returned from the match that evening, he had written the date and kept the clipping ready. Here it is:

We lost the second match and our team had no further part in the tournament. But I will ever cherish with all the sweetness, that bowling spell and this paper clipping by my dear Swamy.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

My earliest batting video

This is not fun to watch like a Viv Richards or Chris Gayle innings, but this is the earliest batting video I have of me. This was during our employer team's visit to Hyderabad for a tournament with sister organizations. Year was 2003 when digital cameras were yet to arrive, but video cameras were already a fancy and my team mate A.Srinivas was carrying his. I knew he was taking some shots but did not know he was also shooting me in action. So thanks to him, he later gave me a CD with these.

Here it is on YouTube. Read the description to the video also.

Our team won the match eventually after I got out close to the target score after scoring 45 which was the highest. It was a rather scratchy innings because the ball kept moving around for many overs to cause trouble. I kept playing safe and stuck around with singles and twos while I hit the really loose ball. Free stroke-making was difficult. It was a slow and low pitch too.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Another Video of bowling in match

October 14, 2012, was the last match of the 2012 season. We had just known that our team had secured second place in the IInd Div. and hence got promoted to the I Div., again. This particular match was of academic interest as the opponent's fate was also decided.

Since I posted the previous video which was taken about 40 days prior to this one, I had wanted to see how it feels with a straighter run up instead of the slightly angular one. I had felt that by doing so, the arm would be perpendicular to the ground. I wanted to achieve this. It had gone inside the perpendicular because the body bent at the torso with the angular run. I think I achieved it though not perfectly visible from the angle these few clips were taken [by 12th man Shashank].

I had also now changed the camera setting to 30 frames/sec. I had forgotten to adjust it the previous times. Hence they are grainy. This is better and less than two minutes in all.

Whenever the next set of matches begin, I'll have to start all over again, if I stop attending the practice net sessions for too long. Next time, I'll remember:

~ to measure my run up correctly - count 15 steps from the stumps [stump is zero].

~ to start run up with left foot on the mark.

~ to mark the run up straighter rather than the angled one.

Sometimes I do not know why I forget the order! Now that I got them back, I found the rhythm and felt comfortable. I was landing the left foot just behind the crease which was just fine.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Me bowling in a match - video

It was a long standing dream to see myself in action, bowling in a real match situation. I had got a few clips taken for study during practice sessions. Last September, we were playing our sister team Young Cricketers in our 9th match of the 2012 season. After I returned home that evening, I discovered in my book that it was my 100th match on that ground itself and the career wicket tally at 1290!

Let me tell a bit about the first game I had played on this ground and not counted in the 100. It in 1974 when mostly we played tennis ball cricket on the streets. Yet, word had spread about the possession of a pair of small leg guards [pads] with me. So I was included in the playing eleven when a friendly match for "Gowrishankar team" against one "Paapulli team" was arranged. It was my first ever cricket ball match. Never before I had any opportunity to play with the cricket ball though a cork ball was used despite its dangers in street cricket. Unfortunately, that game was interrupted by rain in the afternoon. The ground became soggy. In spite of it, the match was continued. I was sent in to bat at the end and I faced only a few balls. I think I was given just one over when I bowled some off breaks because the leather ball was heavy compared to my usual skill with the tennis ball! Some consolation for taking my leg guards to the match! Papulli scored a century and his team won the match.

My next match on that ground was for the college team in 1979 from where the ground-count of 100 started. A start had been made in 1978 to my cricket career, which is recorded in my other blog post.

Most of the clips my friend captured that morning are in this. It was after we won the toss and were fielding first. Bright sunny morning. I have stringed together about 15-20 clips spanning over 4 minutes. See.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

My hat-trick and Dennis Lillee

[Click on picture for enlarged view]

Dennis Lillee at his peak was a joy to watch. There was no way I could watch at that time. All I had to be content with were to listen to radio commentary of Test Matches and then to buy Sportsweek magazine merely for its pictures that followed after the Matches. Cricket movies was really something that was unthinkable. So, the magazine pictures filled my appetite for admiration and imitation of players.

The above is a collage of two pictures. The top one is from Sportsweek Annual from 1977. At that time, I was only playing tennis ball cricket, mostly in our locality, street cricket as it could be called. An opportunity to play real cricket, meaning with the cricket ball, arrived in 1978 which I have blogged - you can read 'bragged' also - in an earlier post. Dennis Lillee's achievements in the 1970s need not be told as it is so famous. From what I had read, he was a fantastic bowler having a great fan following and a very popular character. His success reflected it and also his fighting spirit. I had seen a particular picture in that particular issue which I showed there. It had so much impression on me. It was such a thrilling picture, pullover on the shoulder, sweaty scalp and people applauding as he returns to the pavilion after a match winning spell against Pakistan!

Now a bit of the second picture for comparison. Twenty four years later, my moment came at Nagpur. I was returning to the pandal [no pavilion] after a good spell that was to be a match winning one. Our manager, Mr.Rajendra, who was a local there, had a film camera. He was the only one armed with it. It was still the pre-digital camera era or even the 'mobile phone era'. The next day he had already got the pictures printed and when he showed us the few he had taken of our team, I was delighted to see that he had taken this one. Immediately, I recalled that Lillee picture because of its impression in my mind and also that I was also having a pullover on the shoulder here! Looking at the picture, I felt 'Lillee-like', if not for my bowling, yet, my former team mate Srinivas has been callling me "Lillee" even before that and even now.

It gave me some more pleasure now to have successfully found that particular issue of Sportsweek and compare it!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Found my old run-up again!

Long gaps and some little injuries somehow contributed to some changes in the 'feel of my own bowling'. My arm was not coming up straight and there was some glitch. The slight pain and slow arm speed were reasons from it. I found it out in my previous video I got taken because of this, in May/June. Suddenly in July, I discovered that I had something else was amiss. It was the measurement of the run up. The long gap in playing had me forget the way I did it for 30 years! All I did was redo the counting of my 15-pace measurement and it used to end with my left foot for the mark starting from left. I had missed the starting point of the count! When I got this back, automatically, my old run-up perfectly came back and I felt the original rhythm of the action! Now as before I was running faster to get it right. Earlier, I was just ambling casually and getting it wrong! I put alternate clips of June and July in this series. There is a noticeable difference. But on first look, they look the same! For the July clips, my team mate Yeshwanth helped me.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Bowling video clips - update

On 31st May, just before the 2012 season matches began, I thought of looking at my bowling action again. I had made my club mate take a few clips at the nets on 21st June last year. I had not played much cricket last year due to various reasons. Coming back fresh and starting to work on the game and fitness is always a nice feeling.

This time, Raghunandan took the video clips from my FZ8 Panasonic digital camera. It records files in the .mov format. Windows Movie Maker does not support that type of files. So I had to download 'any video converter' and make it to .mpg which is listed with WMM. Extra work! I have stitched together about 12-13 short clips. 2011 set revealed something about the perpendicularity of the bowling arm. Now it is straighter, the way I desired. The landing left foot need to be a bit more facing the second slip rather than gully! I haven't noticed all these pre-digital era [in my case] that spanned 32 years. My 34th season will help me improve on these! Better late than never, for my own satisfaction! The dream of seeing myself bowling in a match is still a dream. New ball swinging, leg cutters, slower ball, etc. In the nets, it is usually the old ball.

Friday, December 2, 2011

My name on the web

In December 2011, I googled to see if any link shows up with my name with initials "K.R.Dinakar". I thought of listing and saving links here as and when I found. I have found quite a few, besides the ones that linkss my blogposts. There are a few from the cricket reports in the press also. I list a few.

2005 that weekday, but there was a cricket match and I did not want to miss both somehow! Our team lost toss and we were asked to bat. I wanted to finish my quota of 9 overs and attend office late, but then I found myself opening the batting. I could not get out and my stay extended to such a time that I had to apply leave for the day as I had to bowl in the afternoon session! My team mates did not hint me I had crossed 90. I was out for 94 playing a rather loose stroke. :( It could have been the only century by me for The Mysore Gymkhana. But this it remains the highest score by me for our club (besides the 3 centuries scored for my employer). http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/20/stories/2005022003981800.htm

2004 cricket league report still on line.
http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/12/stories/2004091204021600.htm

During a cricket league match, we had this reporter from The Times of India on the ground. As I was with him on the outfield during our team's batting, we saw what is reported here in this link and he (also a former team mate) mentions my name in his write-up the following day.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-10-22/mysore/28267515_1_instruments-cheer-girls-cricketers

Bhopal 2007. Cricket tournament. The organizers still have this on their site. List of players.
http://www.ampri.res.in/rtbm/teams.htm Since the captain did not turn up, I led our side which ended runner-up.

My letter published in Star of Mysore some time ago, but I was surprised that that is added here in this site. This is about garbage burning problem, in our city and esp. close to our house.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/738/922/065/

2005 cricket league match link still on line.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2005020708261800.htm&date=2005/02/07/&prd=th&

There are a few links where I have placed some comments also, but I've not included it, but for this for a sample. http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2006/06/02/pinda-uruliso-is-not-a-cry-from-paschima-vahini/

Look for my name in the second para that is with a bunch of bold letters. Some credit that!!
http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/why-dont-we-hear-of-it-men-excelling-in-sports/

I had contributed on request, a write-up on Katte for Star of Mysore. Somaari Katte. This site has that write-up here: http://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/katte1.htm My name is shown at the end.... it is actually me, this blogger.

My name was showing up in some other links also, Curious, I peeped into them because I thought my name and initials together were rare and not as common as a Smith or Shankar or Salman. I was surprised when I found that 'I am' a doctor http://wikimapia.org/7414740/Dr-K-R-Dinakar-s-Residence and also a leading Corporate Lawyer in Bangalore and living in Basavanagudi also! See this link!
http://bangalore.localtiger.com/bengaluru/bangalore-yellow-pages-address-telephone/legal-services/corporate-lawyers-eop/k.r.-dinakar-106867.html They were not me!

I was boasting that I was the only one with the initials and name put together. I now realize there may still be more and I shall stop boasting from now onward!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

New video update of my bowling action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOlH3d3GPnc

The YouTube link to the video clips taken on 21st June, 2011.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

My first picture with cricket players

I had a wonderful surprise yesterday, 2nd March. It was a phone call - my old team-mate and new ball partner for The Mysore Gymkhana, Prasanna Kumar from Bengaluru. Delighted, we spoke for a while reminiscing some old times. Somehow we never kept touch. Something dragged him to call me after finding my phone number.

He mentioned about an old picture with him. I did not make out what it was. So he sent it by e-mail an hour later. It was this group picture, taken at Maharaja's College Ground.

I could recognize Mysore's famous cricket coach (from the University), the one and only V.P.Mylevaganam (Mylu, as he was known to everyone), BNS Reddy (sitting with white cap) and Prasanna's face. There was another face I could recognize and it was my own! Even now I cannot recollect being grouped for this picture that day. Our further teleconversation brought out a few more names which I could attach to those strange faces like BT Narasimhamurthy, Prakash Honsoge, Ravi and K.S.Balu (with whom I later opened the bowling for our college).

Prasanna, speaking with very clear memories, said it was taken towards the end of 1978 (it could be early 1979) at the Maharaja's College Cricket Ground and that the group was of selected players from a few colleges attending a coaching camp organized by the University. This, in fact, was my first real stint with the cricket ball. Prior to that, it was all 'tennis-ball street cricket'.

This picture session is complete out of my mind, but I have clear memory of the camp which was for about a month, every morning and evening as it was my first real opportunity to play with the cricket ball. There were 4 of us from our D.Banumaiah's College. The practice sessions used to be on a temporary playing surface on the hockey ground, with cricket mat on it at a corner!

I can vividly remember how I tried to bowl. With the tennis ball I was a 'fast bowler' having a reputation for 'clean bowling the batsboys'! So I tried to do the same with the shiny (new) cricket ball also.

I used to buy Sportsweek from the pocket money (Rs.5/-) just because there was a page dedicated to Sir Donald Bradman's 'Art of Cricket'. It was a very standard manual of that day. I still have the full series that I bound up using my own methods.

(click to enlarge)

I had read in it about 'swing' and wondered.

The tennis ball was lighter and I could hurl it at great pace. This cricket ball weighed 5 3/4 ounces. I felt it quite heavy to hurl it down like that! I was lean and thin - that group picture reveals it. Plenty of effort was required to hurl that 'red cherry' down 20 yards! I knew fast bowlers ran up and delivered the ball and so I had randomly marked a run up that measured ten steps. Ten was an easy figure to remember! With the tennis ball, it required just 3-4 steps!

Now with the new ball in hand, I used to try and bowl straight and try to shatter the stumps of the batsboys. Lo and behold, the ball I hurled would head towards the batsboy and swerve away down behind him and to the wall (there was no stopping net behind). The hapless wicket-keeper could only watch it fly by. This used to happen often and I wondered why. The coach 'Mylu' used to explain that it was 'in swing' and I must try and bowl towards the edge of the mat on the 'off side' so that it would end up at the stumps. It was then I saw what 'swing' was and how others swung in the opposite direction also (out swing). I discovered that when properly directed, it would swerve from left to right a long way, really, and I could still hit the stumps. Often, batsboys thought it was going straight and wider, but much to their surprise, the ball would start dipping in towards them and when they realized, it was usually late! Control and consistency soon improved with some experience in that one month. It was a good beginning.

Lot of protective equipment is involved in cricket esp. while batting - leg guards, gloves, thigh pad and the 'box' to name only those that existed in the 1970s and in our access. I remember when Mylu had arranged a practice match between ourselves, I had gone out to bat without the 'box' completely unaware of its potential dangers of any possible hit that 'most crucial anatomical part'. How would I wear it in front of all the boys there? I was that shy then! In practice also I had batted like that on one or two occasions (and nobody knew it!!) and I wonder now, where all that courage or carelessness came from! Those were times when these cricket gear was common to the team as well.

In a few months, my bowling had improved to such a level that I was opening the bowling. Our college practise sessions mingled with that of The Mysore Gymkhana's (TMG) as 2 key players also played for TMG. I found myself playing for TMG very soon in the 4th division league (took 5 in my debut match) in 1979. In 1980, I opened the bowling for our college in the inter-collegiate tournament at Suratkal and reached up to the final.

The launch pad (Mylu's coaching camp) was of immense help. Our coach's oft repeated words "aim straight at the edge of the mat" (bowling) and "lean into the drive and follow through" (batting) still ring in the ears. Mylu retired and settled in Bengaluru. There was nothing that Mylu did not know about Mysore cricketers then as he was also involved in team selections. He was a talented hockey player also, but was more renown among people for his great gastronomic abilities!

Thanks to Prasanna for sending that e-photo which brought back all those memories from the initial years.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

My fourth hat-trick

I've posted the content in my main blog in this link:
http://mysoreanmusings.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-fourth-hat-trick.html
Please visit.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Some videos - vintage

Gary Sobers 150 at Lord's 1973, vs England

Gary Sobers 6 sixes in an over.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Some of my bowling videos for study

Situations and reasons beyond control had put me off cricket for many months for the first time ever, in the meanwhile, there was a fracture of the little toe following a freak accident at home when a crowbar came crashing down on it! So unable to wear shoes for 2 months. That is just one of them.

When I resumed playing again in late August, I thought of studying how my bowling action was - a long time dream! Even these little pocket digital cameras can do the videos now! Spotted some minor things that asked for being bettered. The shoot helped, which a teammate did.

After nearly two months, another short session was done but by this time the feeling was the old usual thing and the little nit had been sharpened out because I was aware. My other dream still stays as a dream.. that of watching myself bowling during an actual match. Because the effort that goes in during a match situation is probably one gear higher. That is the real thing. So let's see when that will be happening. I've seen people shooting videos at one or two tournament matches out of Mysore, but since I know they were for some 'record purposes' I have never bothered to procure a copy.

Now even under-19 state and zone teams are having a 'video analyst' traveling with them. This I learnt from my good friend from North Zone, Pitambar Dutt who introduced me to his colleague who was one, when their team was here in Mysore some months back. This is how technology can help a player improve further and further.

*****

This is Sharath Babu, a youngster with lots of talent.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

At the receiving end

Our team, The Mysore Gymkhana is used to be at the 'receiving end' - happily receiving trophies after winning matches! But we members (barring a few) are not that accustomed to be at the 'receiving end' of this sort - receiving honours on stage. Click on the above "print screen image". I was forced into that situation. Was feeling as uncomfortable as facing Joel Garner bouncers... because.... people that know me for a long time know why. I was prepared to face and take bouncers on the shoulders but not a garland landing softly and affectionately on the shoulders! I was hearing the applause from the small gathering, as it landed.

No doubt it is an honour to be at such 'receiving end' situations sometimes. That was another feather in the cap... not mine... but our team's. But for the team, this would not have come by. Also, on that day we were winning the first ever T20 tournament in Mysore, to follow up the fine show this season and having won the Mysore Zone league and the Gopalswami Tournament final in a 3-day game. That amounts to winning all three versions in cricket equivalent of 100m, 200m and the 800m races! That was a good feeling, better than the garland!

Here are a few pictures my friend Gokul Swamy took and sent them over to me. I'm thankful for him being so thoughtful.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Bizzare incidents in cricket

Reading about cricket is a favourite passion to millions of cricketers, cricket followers and cricket lovers. Numerous unusual incidents have happened ever since the game has been played. Though not exactly fun, they have made the game more interesting. So here are some of those bizzare incidents recorded in various places and here I bring them all what I have collected together. Christopher Martin-Jenkins, the famous BBC commentator has written a book with a fine collection of such incidents, but I have not laid my hands on it. But am able to collect just a handful of them published in a sports magazine and a majority are from my cricket reading/following. Most of the listed incidents are from the bygone era, quite obviously. Titles to each one have been given by me.

Here we go!

Big hit:

The youngest of the Grace brothers, Fred, caught Australian big-hitter George Bonnor at point off a skier so high that the batsmen were well into their third run when the ball lodged in his hands. Bonnor said afterwards that he ‘ought to have it!’.

Spare balls

E.M.Grace, in his appearances for Thornbury, struck so many balls so hard and so far, many of them never to be seen again, that one umpire, took to keeping up to nine spare balls. This worked well enough to preserve the continuity of play until the day ‘EM’ hit an earth-shaking double century and used up the entire quota in the umpire’s pocket! (With no buildings as obstacles, sprawling grounds In those days were common in England).

Biggest palms

Pat Morfee, who played for Kent between 1910-12 has been credited with possessing the largest pair of hands in first class cricket. It is said that he could hold six cricket balls in one hand, though the records do not say whether his ‘mitts’ were renowned for their safety (while fielding)!

Change of hands

L.O.B Fleetwood-Smith of Australia began his career as a right arm medium pacer but earned fame as a left arm wrist spinner!

One leg

A.D.Denton of Northamptonshire had only one leg and played county cricket in 1919.

Twin talents

C.A.Aubrey Smith Captain of England that toured South Africa in 1888-89, later became a Hollywood film star.

Double Champion

J.W.H.T.Douglas, the England Captain was also an Olympic Boxing Champion (middleweight)!

Consecutive overs

Warwick Armstong of Australia bowled 2 consecutive overs (unintentionally from the same end) in a Test against England at Manchester in 1920-21. A.M.Moir of New Zealand for NSW and Australia repeated the feat at Wellington in 1950-51!

Better grip

C.B.Turner, who often opened the bowling for NSW and Australia with his medium paced off-spinners rubbed the ball in the dust so that he could grip it better.

Courageous best

In 1904, left hander Gilbert Jessop batting for Gloustershire against MCC scored 61 runs with only one hand (his little finger of his left hand broken) with 13 fours. The MCC attack was spearheaded by the fastest bowler of the day, Charles Kortright!

The Steepest Delivery

The steepest delivery was bowled by Charles Kortright, playing at Wallingford in a club match. The ball rose so steeply that is passed over the batsman and ‘keeper and cleared the boundary without bouncing again. He thus registered the only known instance of six byes.

Unlucky

When S.M.J.Woods of Brighton College in 1880’s he bowled an over in which he hit the stumps 8 times but got only 3 wickets. The first 3 deliveries were no-balls, the 4th bowled a man, 5th touched the leg stump and went for byes, 6th an 7th bowled men and the 8th hit the stumps but failed to remove the bails and went for 4 more byes!

Bowled

At Sleaford on August 20, 1892, a Mr.Aitken for the local side clean bowled 3 men with successive balls, each time breaking a stump in halves – the leg, middle and off stumps respectively!

Bowled from behind the wicket

In 1948, a ball from Jack Young of Midlesex hit Warwickshire’s M.Donnelly on the foot, bounced over his head, landed behind the wicket, spun back and removed the bails!

Lucky

In the Harrow V/s Winchester match in 1965, R.N.Burchnall was struck on the head by a bumper which knocked his cap off his head onto the wicket where it hung without dislodging a bail!

The most exhausted batsman

T.A.Fison, batting for Hendon against Highgate School in 1879 hit 264 not out in 3½ hours and ran every one of them. He then left the wicket and the scorebook records his departure as “retired to catch train to continent”!

Unusual

Harold Charlwood, playing at the oval, gave a dolly catch in the deep and was dropped. He had already taken two runs and was run out when on his third. Meanwhile the second run had been signaled ‘one short’. He went down in the score book as “dropped made one run, ran one short and was run out - all in one hit!”

Wind trouble

During a Test in South Africa, there was such a strong wind that the ball bowled by slow bowlers against the wind often failed to reach the batsman! The bails were stuck on the stumps with chewed gum to prevent them from failing off too often!

Breathtaking sight

One of the most breathtaking sights ever in cricket was Gregor McGregor’s wicket-keeping to fast bowler S.M.J.Woods for Cambridge when the Scot stood up for his bowler’s fizzing Yorkers and kickers. Only once was he hit on the big toe.

The big toe

Sammy Woods was considered to be among the fastest bowlers in the world even though he bowled off only two paces. His confidence depended upon his being able to ‘feel de pitch wid de toe’ and unless he could sense the big toe of his right foot against the turf he was lost. He was pursued by his captain to wear shoes. He would tear off the toe portion secretly, so that he could feel the turf.

Fast bowling

‘Stringy Bark’ Woods, amused himself by bowling at the English team visiting Australia in the nets. The first ball cracked a post in an adjoining net. The next two hit the backnetting on the full. The batsman then retired, saying he had a letter to write to his insurance company. The story goes that when England lost the test series, ‘Stringy Bark’ said to his brother Sammy Woods “I told you they would. They don’t know the first bloody thing about fast bowling”.

Haircut

Sunil Gavaskar batting capless on a windy day in the Manchester test of 1974 had his hair cut on the field by Umpire ‘Dickie’ Bird. The wind was blowing the hair into his eyes.

Quickest pair

The record for the quickest ‘pair’ was achieved by Glamorgan’s Peter Judge, last man in against India at Cardiff. He was bowled first ball by Chandu Sarwate and to save time when the county followed on, Judge and Clay stayed on the field to open the second innings. Sarwate bowled Judge again, first ball!

Bad light

The only occasion when a fielding side appealed for bad light was during the South Africa V/s Australia Test in 1935-36 at Johannesburg. The appealer was Herbie Wade, the South African Captain. His reasoning was that his fieldsmen could get hurt!

The Timeless Test

The timeless test dragged on for 10 days, without a result at Durban from March 3 to 14, 1939. The touring England team had to catch the next boat home with the threat of World War II looming large!

For the Ashes

The bodyline tour of 1932-33 has been discussed threadbare. It is, however, not widely known that because Larwood of the devastating speed has successfully used the most deadly and shameful weapon ever used in Test Cricket, Jardine, his captain under whose instruction he had done it, had presented him an ashtray, inscribed simply “For the Ashes – from a grateful skipper”!

The Finger

The third test at Edgbaston in 1974 between India and England, was supervised by the most senior and most junior Test umpires – Charlie Elliott (43 tests) and Bill Alley making his Test debut, respectively. Alley gave Gavaskar out caught behind off the first ball of the match and he raised his finger again to uphold an ‘lbw’ appeal against Engineer to terminate the Test and the series!

Coincidence

By a splendid of coincidence, the Centenary Test at Melbourne in 1977 produced a result exactly identical to that in the first ever test match on the same ground exactly a hundred years before on March 17, 1877, Australia won by 45 runs after gaining a first innings lead of 49 runs. On March 17, 1977, Australia won once again by 45 runs after securing a first innings lead of 43 runs, against all odds!

Most Dreadful Delivery

When ‘Punter’ Humphreys played in a trial at Tonbridge, he bowled a no ball and was immediately sent off by Lord Harris. Later his lordship explained: “I did that for your own good, Humphreys. A fast bowler can be excused a no ball occasionally, but not a slow bowler like you”!

Caught not with hands

When fielding at shortleg for Surrey at Kingston in 1946, Alf Gover ‘took’ an unusual catch between his thighs while in the act of pulling on his sweater and dismissed R.N.Exton. He could see nothing as his sweater was over his head. It was Jim Laker’s first wicket in first class cricket!

Bowled, Off and Leg

In the first Test between England and India at Old Trafford in 1974, Mike Hendrick bowled Madal Lal for 2 and had his off and leg stumps knocked out with the middle stump left intact!

Sportsmanship at its best

Jubilee Test 1980, Bombay – G.R.Vishwanath, the Indian skipper calling back Bob Taylor of England at a crucial stage, when he was declared caught. He went onto make a century which helped them win the match!

The famous bouncer

Ernest Jones, the Australian fast bowler is credited to have bowled one of cricket history’s most famous balls – a bouncer that went through Dr.W.G.Grace’s beard in 1896.

Two Matches a Day

Graham Gooch once played two first class matched on August 30, 1988. He fielded for Essex V/s Surrey at the Oval after batting for England in the Test Match at Lord’s against Sri Lanka.