The game of cricket can be dull for some, but for cricketing partisans, there are moments in cricketing history that makes the game unique and interesting. Behold the Bohemian cricket alphabet.
A – Allan Border
It is an exceptional achievement if a cricketer plays 100 Test matches in his whole career. But to play 153 consecutive test matches without missing a single Test match, even through injury, is insane. That is some effort from Captain Grumpy.
B – Bradman/Bodyline
If you do not know about the Bodyline series, then can you really call yourself a cricket fan? English captain Douglas Jardine introduced the tactic of short bowling to curb the brilliance of Don Bradman, the greatest ever batsman in cricketing history.
But the English may have not have needed it as Bradman withdrew from the first Test in Sydney due to a dispute with the board. There were rumours Bradman was disappointed with talk of him having a nervous breakdown.
C – Chepauk, Chennai
This was the venue for the 1986 tied Test between Australia and India. Australian batsman Dean Jones scored an incredible double hundred in sauna-like conditions. Unfortunately, his body could not handle the conditions anymore and Jones involuntary urinated on the pitch with severe vomiting and dehydration. Jones had to spend time in hospital after such an effort.
D – Double hundreds
It is a known fact that getting a double hundred in one-day international cricket is bloody difficult.
Sachin Tendulkar achieved that feat in 2010 and has been followed by Rohit Sharma, who has achieved it twice, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and Martin Guptill.
But move aside gentlemen, the first person to achieve the feat was Australian Belinda Clark from the Australian Women’s cricket team. Clark’s 229 runs came against Denmark in the 1997 World Cup.
E – Eleven-Eleven
Australia were taking on South Africa in a Test match at Newlands. The clock read 11:11 a.m., South Africa needed 111 runs and the date was 11/11/11. Coincidence? I think not.
F – First-ever women’s cricket match
The year was 1745. Bramley Village took on Hambledon Village in the county of Yorkshire. The Bramley maids wore blue ribbons and the maids from Hambledon wore red. Hambledon won the match by 8 runs.
G – George William Gillingham
Reverend Gillingham was a great servant of the Worcestershire Cricket club. Though he was not good enough to play professionally, he was a cricketing zealot and became the secretary of the club.
During a winter in the 1920s when River Severn flooded the county field at Worcester, Gillingham swam across the ground to gain access to the pavilion and returned back with the account books. Such commitment!
H – Hylton
West Indian cricketer Leslie Hylton played six Test matches for the national team between 1933-1936. The great Neville Cardus stated that Hylton was “unmistakenly a good bowler, possibly more than good”.
He also was a very useful lower order batsman. However, Hylton is known for being the only test cricketer to be hanged for the murder of his wife who was having an affair with the notorious adulterer, Roy Francis.
I – International cricket game
The first ever international match was not between any current top tier teams. It was between Canada and the USA in 1844 in Manhattan.
Would you believe if I told you that it was the first official game of any sport? The British Empire’s Canadian Province won the match by 23 runs in front of a packed crowd.
The return fixture was scheduled for 1845. The resulting legacy which is the Auty Cup is still being played, albeit intermittently.
J – James Southerton
Southerton was one of the greatest slow-bowlers of his generation. But he made his debut at a ripe old age of 49 years and 119 days for England against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground achieving the status of being the oldest cricketer to make a Test debut.
He only played two test matches and ten months later he became the first Test cricketer to die when he was diagnosed with pleurisy.
K – King Cole
13 indigenous cricketers toured England in 1868 for what was an astonishing 47-match trip.
This was Australia’s first ever sporting team. All of the team returned home except for one.
Cole was known as Bripumyarramin and after a narrow loss to the Marylebone Cricket Club, he fell ill and died midway through the tour contracting the combined symptoms of tuberculosis and pneumonia. This year marked the 150th anniversary, which was commemorated by the current group of players.
L – Longest Match
If you feel five days is exhausting, spare a thought for the poor fellows who tussled it out for 9 days in a test match in 1939.
South Africa took on England in Durban and the match ended in a draw because the English had to catch their boat back home. They only needed 41 runs to win.
M – Mitcham Cricket Green
Mitcham Cricket Green is a cricket ground that is found in South London in the county of Surrey. It is currently the oldest cricket ground still use having had the first match played in 1685.
Lord Nelson, who was the Admiral from the London Borough of Merton, used to travel to the ground to watch the local team.
During Nelson’s time, the changing rooms were in the nearby Cricketers Inn while the scorer was on the pub balcony. During World War II, the inn was bombed and replaced by the current building.
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