Uncommon incidents have made cricket more livelier

By A.C. de Silva

CRICKET: The game of cricket at times is a funny game where the batsman captures the spotlight most of the time.

There was England's Peter Richardson who was out caught at the wicket in each of his eight innings against Australia in 1956. Then there was A. J. Richardson, who scored 248 against Australia in 1924-25.

Then there are the odd occurrences where the batsman captures the spotlight. The rival captains, Darling and Jackson at Nottingham in 1905, were both of the same age - born on November 21, 1870.

In the good old days, there has been interesting happenings which may even capture the attention of cricket followers today. No New Zealand player was dismissed without scoring in the 1949 Test series against England.

Kiwis shot out for 26 runs

Low scores in Test matches - it has happened in the mid-fifties and New Zealand has been on the losing side in their clash against England in the 1954-55 series.

It was a sudden crash of the Kiwi batsmen in their second innings after having a not-to-bad performance in the first innings.

Batting first, New Zealand made 200 in their first innings. Though it was not a big total, it was a somewhat satisfying total in those early days.

After the Kiwis made that 200, England forced their forward march and managed to stay in front with a first innings total of 246. Forty six runs in front was nothing to talk about and England seemed to be determined to keep the Kiwi batsmen at by when they batted a second time.

Came New Zealand's second innings, it was a complete disaster and to everyone's dismay, New Zealand crashed in their second innings for just 26 runs. It seems unbelievable! but true.

New Zealand were shot out for that low score and England won the match by an innings and 20 runs.

SCORE BOARD

NEW ZEALAND: 1ST INNINGS - 200

ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS - 246

NEW ZEALAND - 2ND INNINGS
B. Sutcliffe b Wardle 		   	11
J. G. Leggat c Hutton b Tyson 	   	01
M. B. Poore b Tyson 		   	00
J. R. Reid b Statham 		   	01
G. O. Rabone lbw b Statham 	   	07  
S. N. McGreger c May b Appleyard   	01
H. B. Cave c Graveney b Appleyard  	05
A. R. MacGibbon lbw b Appleyard 	00
A. Colquhount c Graveney b Appleyard 	00
A. M. Moir not out 			00
J. A. Mayes b Statham 			00
EXTRAS: 				00
TOTAL: 					26

WICKETS FELL AT: 1-6, 2-8,3-9, 4-14, 5-14, 6-22, 7-22,8-22, 9-26.

BOWLING: F. Tyson 7-2-10-1,J. B. Statham 9-3-9-3, B. Appleyard 6-3-7-4, J. Wardle.

Umpire caught 'napping'

There has been instances where the umpires have been caught 'napping' in the years gone by.

There was that South African player Russell who completed his second century of the match at Durban in 1922 - 23 off the seventh ball of an over. The umpire evidently had forgotten the count.

There was another interesting happening in Durban where England beat South African off the last ball of the match, which South African Tuckett bowled to English batsman Gladwin. It went for a leg-bye.

In the good old days the England vs Australia matches had the same interest as the ones played in present times. In 1890 England beat Australia by 2 wickets, had a very interesting happening. The highest and lowest team totals in the four innings lay between 102 and 92.

In past years rain delayed several games. The most delayed start in Tests was at Lord's in 1954. Play began shortly before tea on the fourth day.

There has been some hitherto unheard of incidents at Tests. There was hold up in the play at Durban in 1922-23 when frogs were discovered to have crept beneath the matting.

One Test that cricket fans in the good old days never forgot was the "timeless" Test at Durban in 1938-39, after all, had time to finish. England left for home after tea on the 10th day and South Africa claimed victory by virtue of desertion.

Hutton 'obstructed' field

There are many ways a batsman can be ruled out in cricket. However, there have not been many instances where the batsman has been given out "obstructing the field." It did happen at the London Oval in 1951, when Hutton was given out for that offence - that is probably the only time a batsman has been given out for that offence.

Then there was the instance in the 1956-57 in South Africa. Where Endean was out "handled the ball" at Capetown - the only time a player has ben given out on account of that.

There has been a lot of interest and there have been many curious followers of the game about low scores in Test matches. Curiously enough, the lowest score at which the first and the second innings have been declared closed, came on one and the same day. At Brisbane, in December, 1950, England declared closed their first innings at 68 for seven wickets and Australia declared closed their second innings at 32 for seven wickets.

Coming closer home, it sounds really fantastic! Each of the four players of Indian origin to have appeared in Tests for England - Ranjitsinhji, Duleepsinhji, Iftikhar Alikhan (Pataudi) and Raman Subba Row - scored a century on debut against Australia.

Sanjay emulates father Vijay

Sanjay Manjrekar is a familiar figure on the Test cricket scene at the present moment as a TV Commentator whenever the Indian cricket team is playing. He was a cricketer himself and on April 8th 1989, he completed his maiden Test century for India against West Indies at Bridgetown on his third Test appearance, thus-emulating the feat of his illustrious father Vijay Manjrekar who had also scored the first of his seven Test 'tons' on his third Test appearance vs England at Headingley, June 1952.

Manjrekar's performance feat furnishes the seventh instance of a father and son combination both scoring a hundred in their respective Test careers. The Manjrekar's thus followed in the footsteps of the Amarnaths, the Pataudis, Nazar Mohammad and Mudassar Nazar, Hanif and Shoaib, the Nourses of South Africa and the Hadlees of New Zealand.

"There is either good or bad but thinking makes it so," said Hamlet. Yet one wonders if one could apply this axiom to superstitions and dismiss them as fantasy of the brain." For, superstitions, across the ages, have come to acquire the significance of unwritten laws or conventions in sports.

Superstitions prevailed in cricket and this was evident when Kardar's Pakistan team toured India in 1952. Hanif Mohammed, the Little Master, before facing a bowler touched his belly, thumped his chest and adjusted his cap as if he was going through a whole process of short silent prayer. If and when he missed doing this, his skipper missed a few heart beats and the next man was seen walking to the wicket.

There was Hemu Adhikari who had a habit which will satisfy the moderns while not letting down the superstitious folk. While walking in to bat the first thing on which he would set his eye on is the sun which, the scientifically - minded tell us, immediately helps one in getting adjusted to the light. Others maintain that Hemu, being a worshipper of the sun, looks at it in a prayerful mood.

Cricket, modern in outlook and democratic in character, has its roots deep in the past. It has no use for reason or logic or else it would lose its glory of being a game of uncertainties. Even in the present age it retains like old wine some of its prized characteristics. One of them is faithful in superstitions. Have we not been advised by Trevor Bailey: "Cricketers are notoriously superstitious. If you ever ask one to dinner before a big match make sure that duck is not in the menu; while your guest has failed to score in either innings, pears for the dessert are most unwelcome."

Hutton's coin

Then there was the Great Master - Sir Leonard Hutton, was not free from superstitions. He would sooner be reconciled to scoring a duck than past with a five-shilling coin given to him by his grandfather's friend with the advice never to part with it. He got this coin when he scored his first 50 for Pudsey. He has told that on one occasion when the coin was not with him, he broke his arm in an army gymnasium. The coin was used for the toss.

The West Indians have been a fine bunch of cricketers over the years but their batsmen have some queer beliefs. Take for example Everton Weekes who thinks his favourite Barbados cap is more responsible for big scores than his prowess in wielding the willow. Once in England, he wore the national (West Indies) red cap and was out to a low score and in the next innings he was seen wearing his favourite cap and he scored a century!

Some say that Englishmen on the whole do not believe in superstitions. However, "Bill" Edrich and Sir Jack Hobbs put on the left pad first; Insola wore a particular shirt, Warr on the 1951 Australian tour ran into the pavilion and stroked a wooly-koala bear (presented to the team) when in need of a wicket; Dennis Compton carried a silver four-leaf clover: Hugh Tayfield kissed the Springbok in his cap when he felt the need of luck to get a wicket and A. H. Kardar carried a King George VI penny which was minted in 1945, the year he entered first class cricket.

Belief in superstitions is perhaps like snoring, which we all vehemently deny when awake but beats the band loudest when we are asleep! In cricket, the hardest worked player is the wicketkeeper. Bowlers and fielders all have periods of rest, but the man with the gloves on, has to be active almost the whole time.

Bert Oldfield, the famous Australian 'keeper' says that after a Test match it was not his hands that caused him the most concern. The chief aches and pains were in his calves and thighs, on which even considerable massage for hours did not quite help.