Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Of time gone by...

A mail from a friend prompted this post. I thought it deserved to be up here so that everyone else could have a read. It's over to our cricket loving pal in the 'Gelf', Ravi Menon.


The link with the cricket pictures was interesting, I would however like to point you to a book by Emma Levine. Cricket a kind of a pilgrimage. Wonderful pictures! She has traveled over India Pakistan and Sri Lanka and put together a collection of pics. It even includes some of the place you live in, what was that city again? :P

Afghani kids in Peshawar and the Big Game in Sri Lanka, one of these days I shall scan a few for you. Of course it takes me back to the days I played cricket. We shared pads, one on each foot, played barefoot and footwork was evident when the bowler tried to york you! You jumped in the air both feet off the ground blocking the path and supporting yourself with the bat kinda dug into the ground! The gloves were cotton and about as thin as inners today, with a strip of spiky rubber on the fingers. I am kinda amused when I hear of VVS and RD and ST talk of having two rubbers on the handle, if we felt any rubber through the holes in the gloves that was a new bat!! It usually was more twine and wood when we gripped the bat! Of course taking off for a run and if Dean Jones said "ground that bat" only one bat was available, strategy therefore dictated that the field threw the ball to where the non-striker was headed! But I must scan and send you some of these pics cos trust me its wonderful to see some people play the game like I did.



Just wanted to add my two-paisa!!!

We always, always had only 4 stumps. Three were used at the batting end and the 'runners' end had one stump. Which is why the fielders never changed ends when we played, batsmen did.

We NEVER had any bails. Opposing teams would have called us sissies.

For most of our games we had 'cork' balls, proper cricket balls only made an appearance at 'real' school matches.

We almost never ever played in full whites!

Wicket-keeping gloves were made of plastic and would have caps covering your fingers inside the gloves that would always break into little bits.

The team batting always umpired. Which is why little nicks and LBWs never entered score books. Scorebooks were actually the first notebook you found in your bag.

We also had three fascinating concepts. One :- The world reknowned 'Trial Ball' where the bowler always bowled one to you which you could do anything with and still be there to face the 'real' first ball. Second :- 'Last Man Batting' where when you ran out of partners and were the last man left, you would still bat. And run. Third :- 'One tip one hand' of course was not in the maidan but was used in school a hell of a lot, especially when we played with a tennis ball or a rubber ball. Here, the batsman could be dismissed off a bump ball as long as the catch was taken with one hand.

That was a lovely little 'Arjuna Ranatunga-like stroll down the wicket for a single' walk down memory lane. Thanks a whole bunch Ravi.

More later

Da Riggs

4 Comments:

Blogger qwerty said...

You cannot forget sharing pads. Depending on your batting style, you got to wear the pad on the opposite leg.

The concept of left handed gloves and right handed gloves was almost nonexistent.

We also played 'three misses and out', 'touch the ball with the bat and you score a run' and of course the family form of cricket, delectably termed 'french cricket'.

2:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh we also had only leg side runs in case we had fewer players.

Also, the batting side used to be the keeper and no "back runs". Also because of fewer players in the bowling team.

There were times we would involve the bowler into a conversation before he started his spell just to divert him from letting know his guard and immediately call for a no-ball.

Ah man, can remember lots of them.

6:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

heh heh I can remmber those rules @ no legside and no back runs. Did you ever have ' Connection ' ???? Just like baseball! There would sometimes be a brick at the non-strikers wicket instead of (a) or (three) stump(s). The bowler would stand with one leg on the brick and if he caught the ball if you weren't back in your crease, you were run out!

Anymore memories, people??????

6:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How advanced were you!!! At least you all had bats we played cricket with our thongs as a bat. We even named cricket "Chotti Cricket". Was fun then.... no cricket balls to rub...

2:29 AM  

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