Legends on Campus: Nasser Hussain
The Chennai-born leg spinner went on to become one of England’s most eminent captains and batsmen.
The difficult start
The third son of Jawad and Shireen Hussain was born in what was then Madras on March 28th, 1968. Nasser was very young when the family migrated to Ilford, UK.
Hussain’s talent as a cricketer was well evident even before he turned fifteen. He was a successful leg-spinner back then, but later became a batsman who went on to play 96 Tests for England.
He was the man who, it can be said, was responsible for the revival of English cricket after the team had a dismal ‘90s decade.
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Legends on Campus: Stanley Jackson
From Cambridge to Yorkshire to Wisden Cricketer of the Year to Governor of Bengal.
Jackson, the man
Stanley Jackson was one of the most important names in the history of English cricket. He was one of the major figures to have graced the field during the so-called ‘Golden Age’.
He led England successfully against Australia and had the rare distinction of winning all five tosses in a series against the arch-rivals.
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Early Days: Geoffrey Boycott
One of England and Yorkshire’s most famous sons had been playing cricket since he was five years old.
The phenomenon
Geoffrey Boycott’s name is etched in cricket’s history due to more reasons than one. He was a great batsman who was the mainstay of the English batting line up for over a decade’s time. The high point in his career came when he scored his 100th first-class century in a Test match against Australia in 1977 and that too in front of his home crowd at Headingley.
Boycott and controversies always walked hand in hand. He was at the centre of the most major controversy that shook Yorkshire cricket since the post-war days. Despite all this, he remained a major figure in the cricketing world, and deservingly so.
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This Month, That Year: October Treasures
From to 1873 to 2010: 2 brilliant Aussie matches, 2 Aussies and a grand old man of cricket.
October 2nd, 1994 - Pakistan v Australia at Karachi
This was an important series for both teams. Pakistan had the chance to show they were one of the two best teams in the world whereas Australia, under new captain Mark Taylor, had to prove they were recovering from the depths of the ‘80s. Taylor himself had a horrendous match as he failed to score in both innings but showed a lot of promise with his captaincy.
Australia batted first. They were struggling at 95/4 when the usual crisis-men resurrected the innings. Michael Bevan and Steve Waugh added 121 for the fifth wicket. After Waugh was bowled by Waqar Younis, the gritty Ian Healy joined Bevan, scoring an important half-century. Australia managed to post a decent total of 337.
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Red Bull Campus Cricket 2016: The number game
The tournament witnessed many wondrous innings, with the best 5 being...
1. Shehan Jayasuriya (BMS, Sri Lanka) – 101 from 42 vs HWU, UAE
Telecasts of T20 games always mention a batsman’s half centuries and centuries. This is because achieving a 50+ score in a T20 is extremely tough, let alone a century, which is what makes the player so special..
Shehan Jayasuriya's brilliant performance against Herriot-Watt University, UAE showed exactly why he received a call up to the Sri Lanka national team. Coming in at number 4, he scored 78 of his 101 runs from boundaries. His tally of 9 fours and 7 sixes gave him the most sixes as well as the second-most fours in an innings. He ended his mammoth innings as the only player in the entire tournament to score a century.
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The 1 2 3 of Red Bull Campus Cricket 2016
A look at some figures & statistics from the meeting of the best college cricket teams in the world.
After a VERY eventful week of cricket, Sri Lanka's Business Management School (BMS) were crowned World Champions of Red Bull Campus Cricket 2016. This was a momentous occasion as it was the first time BMS had won the title, and the first time for a team from any country other than India or South Africa. BMS were dominant for most of the tournament, defeating University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh, and losing only one match in the group stage against the University of Central Punjab, Pakistan.
The tournament saw several impressive performances, both individual and collective. There were several virtuoso performances with the bat, including a century, but the ball was equally dangerous, with a team getting dismissed for less than 80 runs. With plenty of sixes and fours galore, have a look at the stats from an action-packed tournament:
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Legends on Campus: Gilbert Jessop
Among the most scintillating batsmen of cricket in the 19th century, Gilbert Jessop was no slouch.
The legend was born
13th August 1902 gave birth to three legends. Two of them, Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst entered the history books because of the apocryphal “We’ll get ‘em in singles”.
The third came in to bat when the team’s score was 48/5, while chasing 263 for victory. He scored 104 in 77 minutes, with the aid of 17 fours.
Gilbert Laird Jessop was already a popular figure in the country’s cricketing scene. This innings made him a legend.
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This Month, That Year: September's Eras
From 1826 to 2005: Cricket’s bible, a truly great commentator, and the end of an era of the Ashes.
September 2nd, 1980- Arlott's last stint as a commentator
In 1973 Peter Baxter was appointed as the producer of Test Match Special (TMS) on BBC. The biggest name in the TMS team, John Arlott, was nearing the end of his commentary career by then. He had already started to doubt how long he would continue. Baxter tried to convince him for a few years but in 1979, Arlott asked Baxter whether he was intending to employ him for the following season. Peter, visibly surprised, answered in the affirmative. John said, “In that case, it shall be my last.”
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Sri Lanka are World Champions of college cricket
BMS Colombo show all-round skills to win college cricket world championship.
Business Management School (BMS), Colombo - 191 for 9, 20 overs; Liyanarachchi 52 (27), Arifur Rehman 3-20
University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh (ULAB) - 167 for 8, 20 overs; Hasanuzzaman 39 (32), Jayawickrama 4-27
All-rounder Ranitha Liyanarrachchi plucked BMS Colombo from a mid-innings funk, propelled them to an imposing 191 for 9, and then made the first dent in University of Liberal Arts’ chase, putting the Sri Lankan students on track for their first Red Bull Campus Cricket title, in Galle on Sunday.
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Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka – the big final
Red Bull Campus Cricket 2016 World Finals in Sri Lanka.
Final:
Sunday 11 September
Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, 2pm
Neither side topped their group. At times, neither looked like they would survive the semifinal. But on Sunday, hosts BMS Colombo will play underdogs University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh (ULAB) in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Final. With South African or Indian teams having won the first four instalments of the tournament, a new champion is set to be crowned in Galle.
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Bangladesh in the final after another great escape
Spinners spearhead the stifling of Pakistan.
University of Central Punjab, Lahore (UCP), 152 for 8, 20 overs; Tahir 60 (41), Mahbubur Rahman 3-14
University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh (ULAB), 155 for 8, 19.2 overs; Hasanuzzaman 35 (17), Mohsin 2 for 9
University of Liberal Arts’, Bangladesh scrapped together to complete one of the upsets of the Red Bull Campus Cricket competition’s history – their spirited spinners sucking the air from UCP innings through the middle overs, before their lower order cracked crucial late boundaries to complete a fraught chase of 153, in the semi-final.
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Team Sri Lanka through to the Final
Sarathchandra anchors Sri Lankans to win over South African champions.
Assupol TuksCricket, University of Pretoria - 179-5, 20 overs; Jones 51 (23), Jayasuriya 2-27
Business Management School, Colombo - 181-4, 19 overs; Sarathchandra 47 not out (33), Liyanage 43 (33), Kaber 1-28.
An opening salvo from captain Niroshan Dickwella, and calculated hands from Manoj Sarathchandra and Janith Liyanage saw BMS, Colombo comfortably into a home final in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals. In pursuit of 180, Dickwella smote five fours and a six inside the first three overs to set the chase off apace. While no. 3 Sarathchandra’s 47 not out off 33 balls then formed the spine of BMS’ chase, Janith Liyanage provided a crucial 43 from 33 balls - the pair adding 74 for the fourth wicket following a minor stutter. Dickwella’s contribution had been 31 from 13. The target was achieved with six wickets, and as many balls to spare.
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Early Days: Sir Don Bradman
Cricket’s greatest batsman started out using a stump for a bat to hit a golf ball.
The boy and his methods
Armed with a cricket stump, the little boy used to throw the golf ball at a brick stand and then hit the ball on the rebound. Cricket aficionados all over the world are well aware of this famous story from Don Bradman’s childhood.
This was at a time when little Donald had just started to attend the Bowral Intermediate High School. There was very little organised sport for the children in the primary school. The headmaster was a sports-lover and used to encourage the boys to take up sports, but that was just about it- there was nothing more he could do.
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Legends on Campus: Freddie Brown
Before captaining England in 15 Tests, Freddie honed his skills at Cambridge.
Freddie Brown’s father was a well-known businessman in Lima, the capital of Peru. He was a decent cricketer himself and encouraged his son to become one. The only problem was that Freddie was left-handed. This was met with parental disapproval and the young boy was forced to become a right-hander. Many a talent has been lost due to this illogical prejudice. Fortunately, Freddie adapted well and none of his talents seemed to have suffered due to this change over.
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This Month, That Year: August Glories
From 1882-1976: The Ashes, the Olympics and historic victories.
August 17th, 1976 - Holding’s 14
In the final match of the 1976 series between England and West Indies, Michael Holding produced one of the greatest performances in the history of the game.
The pitch at The Oval in 1976 was as flat as a runway. The weather was not much different from that of Chennai or Mumbai.
Viv Richards and Dennis Amiss scored double centuries and a total of 1507 runs were scored at 54 per wicket. Yet one man took 14 for 145. 12 of them dismissed either bowled or leg before wicket.
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Astonishing Cricket Stats: Ben Stokes’ Bash
In his maiden test match of 2016, Ben Stokes breaks multiple records with his massive double-century.
2016 is already proving to be a pretty decent year for Test cricket. Sri Lanka has now whitewashed the formerly number one Australia. India has done quite well in the West Indies. But the team of the (Northern Hemisphere’s) summer has been Pakistan. They played fantastically against England in England and, inspired by their ‘push-up’ captain, they have now claimed Rank 1 in the ICC Test rankings.
Things were different when the year started though. The year of Test cricket kicked off on a placid pitch at Cape Town. England and South Africa both scored a lot of runs but the man who stole the show was Ben Stokes.
England were 167/4 in the first innings when Stokes came in to bat. Jonny Bairstow joined him when the score was 223/5.
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Howzat! 5 classic Red Bull Campus Cricket moments
Five pictures from the India Finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket that captures the spirit of the game.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Add a little context to the mix, and they can immortalize a moment. The India Finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket 2016 witnessed many emotions, ranging from elation to heartbreak. It’s impossible to condense it into a few words or a few pictures, but some moments were captured that express what it was like to be there, where the players gave it their all, the cricket was exciting & exhilarating, and the love of the game shone above all else.
We’ve put together five moments that showcase what it was like to be there.
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A brief history of the Tuks
The Assupol Tuks have been champions two times in a row. Can they get the hat-trick?
The University of Pretoria is over 100 years old. It was founded as a branch of the Transvaal University College in 1908. Students earned the nickname "Tuks" or "Tukkies" from the abbreviation of the Afrikaans name of the university: Transvaalse Universiteits-Kollege (TUK). In 1930, it expanded and came into its own as the University of Pretoria.
Even before it became the University of Pretoria, the Tuks Cricket Club had been started for Tukkies to play and perfect their game. The University placed a high degree of importance on all sports, including cricket, which stays strong to this very day. It has produced 4 captains of the Springboks, the South African national rugby team, numerous other Springboks, footballers and athletes.
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Early days: Sir Garry Sobers
Cricket’s greatest all-rounder started out playing beach cricket with tennis balls.
Humble beginning
The one and only Sir Garfield Sobers was born at 3:30 am on July 28th, 1936. His father was a seaman in the Canadian Merchant Navy. Garry never spent much time with his father, and eventually lost him when he was five years old - the ship was sunk by the Germans.
Garry’s father was a very strict man who didn’t encourage his children to be out playing in the fields and beaches. When his father died, the family found themselves in trouble and Garry’s elder brother had to leave his studies to help support the family. Garry’s mother was burdened with too many responsibilities but Garry had one advantage with his father not there: he could go out onto the field and express himself fully in sports.
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The Road to the World Finals: MMCC, Pune
This is the end of a long road and the beginning of new one for Pune’s MMCC.
Marathwada Mitramandal College of Commerce, better known as MMCC, is located in the Deccan Gymkhana area of Pune, which contains both the Deccan Gymkhana Sports Club and the PYC Hindu Gymkhana. MMCC itself has a good set up for athletes and does what it can to help foster talent in its students. Having won a couple of smaller cricket tournaments in the mid-2000s, they set their sights on larger targets.
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Emerging players: Shubham Dahiya
Impressively adaptable, Shubham shines in whatever role his team needs him to play.
On a bad day, he might be mistaken for taciturn, in the manner of Jimmy Anderson, England’s leading wicket-taker. But Shubham Dahiya simply tends to be a little quiet. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t say much off the field. He lets his on-field performance do the talking for him.
Hailing from Delhi, Shubham’s cricket will leave an impression on you. What that impression is depends on when you happen to watch him. Playing for Swami Shraddhanand College, he was part of the team that represented India in the world finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket 2015. His team made it to the semi finals before being knocked out by the defending and eventual champions, South Africa’s Assupol TUKS.
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Legends on Campus: Jack MacBryan
A brilliant batsman, MacBryan’s life, from early days to end, was blighted by bad luck.
The multi-talented man
John “Jack” MacBryan never wanted to be a cricketer. He was interested in neurology and wanted to get further into that field. His father, however, owned a mental asylum and prevented Jack from pursuing the career of his choice.
And so Jack became a cricketer. He was very good at cricket. As a batsman, he played attractive strokes. His cover drive and late cut were bettered by very few in the history of the game. He played for his county side with distinction and became a Test cricketer as well, albeit a rather unique Test cricketer.
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Emerging players: Deepak Khatri
Delhi’s captain and batting linchpin has been their driving force.
A dynamo from Delhi, playing for Swami Shraddhanand College, Deepak Khatri has been impressing everyone who watches him bat for quite some time. He hails from Uttam Nagar, the same part of Delhi that Virat Kohli grew up in. It’s no surprise, then, that Deepak idolises Virat and aims to play cricket like him.
The similarities can be quite striking. Deepak is also a strong-willed, middle order batsman with a fighting spirit whose aggressive strokeplay and personality help both while batting and while leading his team. Not one to be cowed by tough situations, on more than one occasion, he’s stepped in when his team was struggling and stabilised the ship, sometimes singlehandedly and sometimes by providing more than able support to the batsman on the other end.
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This Month, That Year: Miracles in July
From 1848 to 1981: There’s no shortage of births, chases, wickets and other iconic events.
July 18th, 1848 & 1949 - The doctor and the monster
July 18th, 1948 was the day when William Gilbert Grace was born. If we talk about influence on the game of cricket, he is at the top. If we talk about revolutionising the game, he tops the list. If we look at all sorts of records in First-class cricket, he holds at least one in four of them.
He was a doctor who appeared in a match after doing a surgery throughout the previous night. He was the player who once declared the innings with his score on 93 because that was the score which he had not achieved in the range of 0-100 in first-class cricket. He was THE colossal figure who drew people to the ground.
Just like his beard, he will remain among the most celebrated cricketers in the history of the game.
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Charterhouse School Ground: Surrey’s delight
The grounds of this school has seen more than 150 glorious years of cricket.
The school
Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey is one of the premier independent boarding schools in England. Established in 1611, the school has produced some of England most distinguished personalities, including Robert Jenkinson, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister for 15 years, and Genesis lead singer Peter Gabriel. It had a great infrastructure for athletes over the years and practiced every possible sport played in England. England test captain Peter May as well as legendary cricketer and sports writer Raymond ‘Crusoe’ Robertson-Glasgow were famous cricketers who were also ‘Carthusians’, as the alumni of Charterhouse are known.
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Emerging players: Yash Nahar
A lively spirit, ferocious resolve and a knack for seizing the moment define this Pune all rounder.
A player wins a Man of the Match award at the group stage. And at the semi final. And even at the final. Inevitably, he is Man of the Tournament as well. Is this enough? Yash Nahar wants to keep on going. He has set his sights on the World Championship. And after that? Who knows.
Yash Nahar is a gamechanger. Whether bowling, batting, fielding or by his sheer presence, he has an unmistakable effect on the game. Even off the pitch, he is chatty and sociable, and his good mood seems to buoy the rest of the team. This is, perhaps, something he has consciously cultivated. Considering he idolises the Jamaican master Chris Gayle, Yash manages to be quite similar in some aspects. Raucous in celebration, gregarious off the field and capable of some monster shots at the crease, he even bowls off spin, furthering the resemblance of spirit.
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Legends on Campus: RC Robertson-Glasgow
One of the most joyful players and writers of all time, ‘Crusoe’ could make the ball swing.
All about the man
Raymond Charles Robertson-Glasgow was a respected bowler who played First-class cricket for many years. He played in the Gentlemen v Players match, took 9 wickets in a FC match at Lord’s, and bowled to Jack Hobbs when he equalled W.G. Grace’s total tally of hundreds in FC cricket.
Born on July 15th 1901, he was educated at Charterhouse and then at Oxford. He gained four cricket blues at Oxford.
Once when he was bowling to Charlie McGahey of Essex, the batsmen, unable to pronounce his polysyllabic name, dubbed him ‘Robinson Crusoe’. That second name remained with him forever- he was known as ‘Crusoe’ to one and all.
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Emerging players: Aditya Dhumal
Mumbai’s spin veteran has been essential to their bowling attack.
Rizvi College, in Mumbai, is well known for their cricketing prowess. They won the World Championship in the 2013 edition of Red Bull Campus Cricket, reached the semi final in the 2014 edition and they produce players like Shardul Thakur, who regularly plays First Class cricket for Mumbai and has been included in the Test squad for the tour of the West Indies.
Aditya Dhumal is also a Rizvi College product.
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This Month, That Year: Go forth in July
From 1901-2000: Some of cricket’s great writers, an umpiring debut and a close English win.
July 1st, 2000 - England v West Indies at Lord’s
On June 29th 2000, the second Test between England and West Indies commenced at Lord’s. West Indies had already won the first Test and were looking good to repeat that kind of a performance at Lord’s as well.
West Indies batted first and scored 267. England were virtually blown away by Ambrose and Walsh, and the West Indies gained a lead of 133 runs. Then the unbelievable happened. The trio of Caddick, Cork and Gough ripped through the West Indies batting order and dismissed them for 54.
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Legends on Campus: Peter Roebuck
This Somerset man and cricket writer showed both grit and smarts in his college days.
The roots of a complex man
Peter Roebuck didn’t lead a very normal life. This might have been because he had seen the pros and cons of not leading such a life before he had to make such choices. The whimsical nature was in his genes, actually.
His father didn’t have much of formal education when he discovered that the trade union awarded an annual scholarship to Ruskin College, Oxford. He took a correspondence course, studied hard, learnt language and grammar, applied for the award and won a place at Oxford University. He was 27 years old at that time.
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Five emerging cricketers to watch out for
Red Bull Campus Cricket India Finals brought to light some of the best young talent in the country.
The Indian round of Red Bull Campus Cricket began with 96 teams from 24 cities. It has ended with one team emerging victorious, which will go on to represent India at the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals in Sri Lanka later this year.
We talked to every player who had won a Man of the Match award during the India finals. This gave us a look at several extremely talented players and the performances that earned them the award.
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The Racecourse, Durham: Cricket by the River Wear
This ground hosted Durham’s 1st County Championship match & was home to a couple of English captains.
The venue
Frank Tyson, Graeme Fowler, Nasser Hussain and Andrew Strauss, among others, were all great servants of English cricket. The other thing that binds them together is their strategic acumen in analysing situations and their gift with words, which makes their observations available all around the world. They all graduated from Durham University, the third oldest of its kind in England.
Durham University was established in 1832. It uses ‘The Racecourse’ for all sporting activities. The Racecourse is an even older arena which was used for horse racing as early as in 1733. It also hosts the Durham Regatta, a series of rowing boat races, which takes place in the second weekend of June every year. Apart from hosting the Regatta from the 1830s, the Racecourse has also been the site of the Durham Miners’ Gala which commenced in the 1870s.
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This Month, That Year: June Upsets
From 1899 to 1999: A couple of important World Cup matches, India’s debut and some happy birthdays.
June 17th, 1999 - Australia face SA again
‘You've just dropped the World Cup’ is what Steve Waugh didn’t say when Herschelle Gibbs dropped his catch in the final super six game of the 1999 World Cup. Waugh went on to win the match for Australia and that ensured his team’s entry into the semi-finals. He did say something, but no one has quite been able to tell what exactly it was.
On June 17th 1999, the same two teams met in the second semi-final. Hansie Cronje won the toss and put Australia in to bat Pollock and Donald were on song and reduced the Aussies to 68/4. Then the usual rescuers got their act together. Waugh and Bevan added 90 crucial runs against some very good bowling from the South African seamers. The end of the innings was rather abrupt- from 207/6 they were all out for 213.
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Red Bull Campus Cricket India Finals in numbers
Some numbers from the exciting India finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket.
What is cricket without numbers?
Sure, there is a winner, and there are intense & exciting moments of competition. But almost no other sport produces as many treasured and varied statistics as cricket. Just try and imagine what cricket would be like without Sir Don Bradman’s iconic average of 99.94, or Brian Lara’s 400*.
As it lasted almost a week, the Red Bull Campus Cricket India Finals produced more than enough intriguing and impressive numbers. From Day 1, through the group stages, to the semi finals and the final, enough cricket was played to keep statisticians happy for a long time.
We can’t possibly reproduce ALL the possible stats in one article, so we’ve just stuck to the most essential stats that, we hope, sum up the series.
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Idols of the match
Every Man of the Match in the Campus Cricket India Finals tells us who their idols are.
“No man is an island,” said John Donne. Everyone is connected to someone else, whether it is by family, friendship, or in this case the admiration of a great person whom one wishes to be like.
This is true for sportspeople, and cricketers as well, perhaps especially so. Virat Kohli worshipped Sachin Tendulkar, and that helped him be the batsman he is today. Now Kohli himself is out there, leading the team and inspiring youngsters to take up the bat and emulate his competitive, aggressive yet sporting attitude towards games.
There is no one as inspiring as the cricketers we witness in our youth.
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Legends on Campus: Ted Dexter
Whatever ‘Lord Ted’ did – whether batting, bowling or wicket keeping – he did impressively.
The enigma
Ted Dexter was born in Italy. He wrote a book on Golf. He was a wicketkeeper during his early days of school and college cricket, and was better known as a bowler rather than a batsman before making his First-class debut. Yet he became a very fine batsman.
And despite all this, he once said that “The rankings idea was my biggest contribution to cricket. Much better than being known for hitting a couple of extra-cover drives.”
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A new format of limited overs cricket emerges
The India finals of RBCC witnessed a novel twist on the T20 format.
As the India finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket come to a close, with Pune’s MMCC being crowned victors, let us take a look at an exciting new take on limited overs cricket that was implemented throughout the duration of the finals. Seeking to innovate while preserving the essence of the game, a twist on the relatively new format of Twenty20 saw 4 innings being played in a match and captains who won the toss allowing their opponents to choose whether to bat or field first.
Here’s how it worked.
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Trent College Cricket Ground: A Derbyshire Idyll
From one of the great cricket commentators to an unlikely 5-fer by a South African batsman.
The famous son
Rex Alston was arguably the first great commentator of the BBC. He was a decent sportsman during his school and college days, and later went on to become a successful teacher. Moreover, he wrote half a dozen books on sports. Rex went to Trent College, located in Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
He was not the only famous person to have emerged out of the college. The college was established in 1868 and it didn’t take much long for them to promote sports in the campus.
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This Month, That Year: In tune with June
From 1899 to 1994: India in trouble, the ball of the century and more.
June 1st, 1899 - The Nottingham Test
The Nottingham Test in 1899 became a part of history as it was the last match of a colossus and the debut of two promising young cricketers, both of whom went on to become all-time greats.
Australia batted first. A debutant by the name of Victor Trumper scored a duck. The visitors scored 252. Another debutant named Wilfred Rhodes opened the bowling for England and picked up four wickets.
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Legends on Campus: Tony Lewis
Glamorgan’s only Test captain was leading Cambridge before his BBC days.
Early days
Wales can boast of producing some great sportspeople over the years. John Charles and Laura McAllister made them proud in more than one discipline. The same goes for wheelchair racer Tanni Grey-Thompson and Rugby legend Gareth Edwards.
Anthony Robert Lewis was not their greatest sportsman. He had a decent career but nothing more than that. But, according to many, he is up there among the greatest people from Wales.
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Red Bull #CampusCricket India Champion 2016
A rain-wracked end to Red Bull Campus Cricket’s India finals.
The day of the final dawned bright and sunny, which just goes to show you that nature has a sense of humour.
Preparations were fully underway for the match that would decide which college team would be the champion of India in Red Bull Campus Cricket’s India finals, and get the honour of representing India at the world championship. The ground was ready, the pitch was prepared, everything was set.
And then, in a quirk of weather in the hills, rain started lashing Dehradun. Two thunderstorms in quick succession almost flooded the ground, leaving large puddles of water in the outfield, and doubts of whether the final would take place at all.
Thanks to the unceasing efforts of the ground staff and other people working on the project, the match was delayed but still took place.
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The Semi Finals are here
It’s knockout time at Red Bull Campus Cricket’s India finals.
The final beckons.
2 teams from the west, 1 from the north and 1 from the south all made it to the semi finals. Delhi faced Pune and Cochin faced Mumbai. Delhi is so far unbeaten in this tournament. Mumbai have shown their might before. Cochin’s bowling is fearsome. Pune have proved themselves great finishers. Who will make it to the next level?
Will north face south to be the champion?
Or will the final be a western affair?
The teams were ready to duke it out and decide.
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An intense 4th day of #CampusCricket India Finals
With tears and toil, the group stage has ended: Day 4 of Red Bull Campus Cricket’s India finals.
The final day of the group matches arrived with a lot at stake for many teams. Delhi had topped Group A and was through. But the other team from Group A could be whoever won the match between Mumbai and Lucknow at night.
Things were wide open in Group B. All the teams had played 2 matches. Pune had won both. Kolkata had lost both. Cochin and Jalandhar had won one and lost one each. Jalandhar was playing Kolkata in the morning and Pune was playing Cochin in the afternoon. The possibilities were intriguing.
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Carey Grammar School Grounds: A gem in Melbourne
From an Aussie captain to a star all-rounder, these grounds witnessed Australian cricket history.
The Superstar Alumnus
During the 1920s, when the scars of the Great War were still fresh and not fully healed, Carey Grammar school opened in Melbourne. It produced some of the top politicians of the country but never really was able to produce a top class sportsperson, despite having an organised and well-informed sporting infrastructure.
In 1979, it welcomed girls as students and became a co-education school. Exactly thirty years later, a girl named Meg Lanning passed out from the school.
Within half a decade, she started ruling the world of women’s cricket. Lanning is now the captain of the Australian national team and has done exceedingly well over the last couple of years. Carey Grammar School finally has the star sportsperson in their list of notable alumni.
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India’s top college cricket teams compete: Day 3
First 2, then 3, then 4 wickets in an over: Day 3 of Red Bull Campus Cricket’s India finals.
The third day of the India finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket did not witness any hat-tricks, which is quite astonishing, given what actually took place. But there was more than enough action to keep the excitement going. The competition in the groups for qualification to the semi finals heated up. Even the rain in the afternoon couldn’t cool things down.
The first match was between Umesh Chandra College from Kolkata and Sacred Heart College from Cochin. Kolkata won the toss, and chose to reserve their decision for between the innings. Cochin then opted to send Kolkata in to bat first.
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Day two with India’s top college cricket teams
2 direct hits in an over and a 2nd century: Day 2 of Red Bull Campus Cricket’s India Finals.
The second day of the Red Bull Campus Cricket India finals started with a slight delay due to weather and a wet pitch, causing the first game to be reduced to a 16 over match, with each team playing 2 innings of 8 overs. However, the action and excitement that was on display more than made up for the short hold-up.
In the first match, Bhavan’s College from Hyderabad won the toss and chose to field first against Guru Gobind Singh Sports College from Lucknow. Sent in to bat, Lucknow made a cracking start. They reached 44 in the 4th over and lost only 1 wicket. Hyderabad managed to restrict them to 74/2 by the 8th over. The score could have been lower, were it not for a number of misfields. Hyderabad started batting positively but got completely tied up by Lucknow’s spin. Lucknow were disciplined in the field, and unlucky to miss a couple of tough catches. At the end of their 1st innings, Hyderabad were at a disadvantage, with their score at 57/3.
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Finding India’s top college cricket team: Day 1
A ton, a 6-fer and a low scoring thriller: The first day of Red Bull Campus Cricket’s India finals.
The India finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket began on a beautiful May morning. A ring of trees overlooked the ground at Abhimanyu Cricket Academy, as the players shared the field with sparrows and other birds, pecking at the grass. A new day was dawning in more than one way.
This edition of the India finals is witnessing an exciting, experimental innovation: T10 cricket, the meeting and melding of T20 and Test cricket. Each team will play 2 innings of 10 overs each. The 2nd 10 over innings will pick up where the 1st innings left off. Captains can choose whether they want to bat/field at the beginning of the match, or after each team has completed one 10 over innings. This innovation brings a new level of strategy to T20s, and the teams made the most of it!
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The National Finals of RBCC
A preview of the India finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket.
8 cities. 8 colleges. 8 teams.
Red Bull Campus Cricket in India started with 96 teams from around the country. 88 other teams have been eliminated.
From the south, Bengaluru, Cochin, Coimbatore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Vizag each saw 4 teams battle to represent their cities. Of these 6 teams, 2 have emerged, carrying the southern flag at the national level.
From the west, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Goa, Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune put forth champions to represent their cities. Only 2 now remain at the national level.
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This Month, That Year: May Flowers
From 1912 to 1997: a couple of hat tricks, a broken record and a hot cup of coffee.
May 23rd, 1969 - Milburn’s accident
Colin Milburn, at his prime, weighed more than 100 kilograms. He was fittingly nicknamed ‘Ollie’ after Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy fame.
But being overweight didn’t affect his batting much. He was nimble on his feet and dealt with fast bowling with utmost ease. He played 9 Test matches in his career and often looked good enough to have played many more.
In 1969, he started the season with zeal. He was still looking to make a comeback and things started as per plan.
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Legends on Campus: John Crawley
“Creepy” Crawley, a prolific First-class batsman, attracted attention when playing for Cambridge.
In July 2001, John Crawley, the Lancashire batsman and captain, lost his mother. As a result, he missed a couple of matches. He returned against old rival Yorkshire and scored 73 and 113 in that game.
At the end of that same season, he got engaged in a legal battle with his club. He paid a price for that, but was eventually free to start his career afresh with Hampshire. He struck form immediately, scoring a double century on debut, and made a return to the England Test team after a gap of three years. In the second match after his return, against India at Lord’s, he scored a half century and 100 not out.
Some cricketers have their limitations and do not become greats, but they do earn immense respect because of the way they fight and improve as a cricketer, often amidst unfavourable circumstances.
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The wild, wild West
MMCC and Rizvi beat stiff competition to top the West India Zonals of Red Bull Campus Cricket.
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These teams from Ahmedabad, Baroda, Goa, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Pune have all proved themselves the strongest their cities have to offer. Now, they look onward and upward, facing off against each other before climbing the next rung to the national level of Red Bull Campus Cricket.
The 6 teams were divided into 2 groups. Each team played the others in the group in a round-robin format. In both groups, the team that went through beat both their opponents, though it was occasionally a close thing.
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Cheltenham College Ground: Gloucestershire’s pride
The glorious sons of Gloucestershire have played magnificent cricket on this ground.
The early days
In 1841, two residents of Cheltenham town in Gloucestershire, GS Harcourt and JS Iredell, founded the Cheltenham College. The aim was to give proper education to the children of the gentlemen living in that area. Within a few years it gained prosperity and, in the latter half of the nineteenth century, was widely regarded as one of the best public schools in England.
The college was always one step ahead of most others when it came to sports. The students were encouraged to pursue as many sports as possible, but cricket was the most widely popular.
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The South has chosen
Bhavan’s College and Sacred Heart emerged victorious at Red Bull Campus Cricket South India Zonals.
6 college teams from Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Vizag had proved themselves the best in their respective cities. Now it was time to prove their mettle at a higher level to move into the Red Bull Campus Cricket National Finals.
The 6 teams were divided into 2 groups. Each team played the others in the group in a round-robin format. In both groups, the team that went through beat both their opponents, though it was occasionally a close thing.
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The North remembers
The two teams from Northern India have gone to the next level, one of them with a legacy.
Chandigarh, Dehradun, Delhi, Jaipur, Jalandhar and Jammu had chosen their strongest college teams. But if they wanted to go through to the Red Bull Campus Cricket National Finals, they needed to cement their positions as the best teams of the north. 6 teams enter, 2 teams leave.
The 6 teams were divided into 2 groups. Each team played the others in the group in a round-robin format. In both groups, the team that went through beat both their opponents.
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This Month, That Year: An Eventful May
From 1927 to 2003: An unusual hat-trick and the birth of 3 players and 1 tradition.
May 2nd, 1969 - Lara’s birthday
Brian Charles Lara was born on May 2nd, 1969. Lara, apart from being a genius with the bat, was a treat to the eye. His real achievement lies in the fact that he made people remain awake late at night only because they hoped that he might bat.
When he scored 375, they said this score would be unsurpassable. Hayden took the Zimbabwean bowling to the cleaners and scored 380. People then started to believe that these kind of scores are possible. Prospective names of cricketers who could break that record included the likes of Sehwag, Sangakkara, Ponting, and Smith. The record was broken. 6 months after Hayden’s innings, Lara scored 400 and made this record his, once again. Making such records is tough. Regaining them is nigh impossible. He did it and as always, with ease.
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The Gauntlet of the East
Facing tough competition, 2 teams from Eastern India have excelled.
College teams from Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati, Indore, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Ranchi had risen through the ranks, and were now looking to prove themselves against their Eastern compadres before moving to the Red Bull Campus Cricket National Finals.
The 6 teams were divided into 2 groups. Each team played the others in the group in a round-robin format. In both groups, the team that went through beat both their opponents, though it was occasionally a close thing.
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Legends on Campus: Ranjitsinhji
Ranji played Tests for England and had India’s First-Class series named after him: The Ranji Trophy.
The phenomenon
Mihir Bose, the renowned Indian writer, wrote a much acclaimed biography of Keith Miller in the early days of 1980. A few years later, he decided to write on Ranji, the celebrated Indian prince who was a mighty fine cricketer.
He was into the research when he came to know that Alan Ross, the English poet and journalist, was already undertaking the project. Bose knew that it would not make a lot of sense to write two biographies on the same man around the same time. He moved on with a separate project and published 'The Maidan View'.
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East is East
The East Zone witnessed performances of both excellent bowling and astonishing batting.
In the Eastern reaches of India, Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati, Indore, Kolkata, Lucknowand Ranchi, 24 colleges battled for supremacy of each city. 6 colleges emerged triumphant, who moved ahead to the regional round, fighting for the chance to represent their country in the 2016 edition of Red Bull Campus Cricket.
Despite a couple of curtailed matches, the thrill of the chase and the challenge of batting first were not diminished, as the potential cricketers of tomorrow gave it their all on the field. With willow, leather, or simply their bodies, these young sportsmen have already started making their mark on the cricketing scene.
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This Month, That Year:April is the cruellest month
From April 1872-2008: New beginnings and a father’s sorrow.
April 18th, 2008 - Start of the IPL
The Indian Premier League kicked off on April 18th, 2008. The brainchild of Lalit Modi, this event took off amidst much scepticism and apprehension.
There were many who opposed the idea of ‘auctioning’ cricketers. This feeling of unease was perfectly summed up by Nathan Bracken:
“You want to know what you're worth - and you don't want to know what you're worth."
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Legends on Campus: Imran Khan
He started out as a batsman who could bowl a bit & ended up playing the World Cup during his exams.
Early days:
Imran Khan was born in a family where cricket marked the start and end of every discussion. Eight of his first cousins from his mother’s side played First-class cricket. Two of them, Javed Burki and Majid Khan, captained Pakistan.
During his formative years, Imran was not too interested in cricket. He thought he was not good at it and liked other sports. When he was eleven, the family moved to Zaman Park area of Lahore. This move was crucial, as Zaman Park is renowned for producing First-class cricketers. It was a small area but some extraordinarily talented cricketers played there.
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This Month, That Year: The Ides of April
From 1889 to 2011: Including a World Cup win, a great cricketer and a great writer.
2nd April, 2011 - India win their 2nd World Cup
Before starting their campaign in 1983, no one expected anything out of the Indian team. Kapil Dev and his men were just about filling in the numbers. Wisden Cricket Monthly’s editor David Frith said that another failure was on the cards. The determined lot turned it around and emerged victorious.
Since then the Indian team had been favourites to win a World Cup on multiple occasions, but they did not manage to make it all the way in the next six editions.
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Harrow-on-the-Hill: A most English cricket ground
In the school’s 444th year, we take a look at the cricket ground of a perfect English school.
In 2013, Harrow School featured in a Sky TV documentary entitled “Harrow: A Very British School”. The title was apt.
Harrow epitomises the essence of everything that is British. Small wonder, then, that their cricket is not an exception to their Britishness.
Harrow School’s annual match against Eton College at Lord’s is the longest running annual fixture in the history of the game. It got started in 1805 and still goes on even today.
Soon after, Harrow School started to play most of their home matches on their home ground on Harrow-on-the-Hill.
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Legends on Campus: Lord Harris
Largely remembered as an administrator who took cricket to new heights.
The beginning
George Robert Canning Harris was born on 3rd February, 1851 at St. Anne’s, Trinidad. His father was a Governor there. He lost his mother when he was two years old and was brought up by an Indian bearer. The kindness and affection of the bearer was something which Harris never forgot.
In 1859, the family returned to Belmont and on the way back home, he and his sister developed smallpox but escaped the major effects the dreaded disease usually had on its victims.
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The bowling kings of the North
The bowlers won this round, though there were a few memorable knocks with the bat.
Chandigarh. Dehradun. Delhi. Jaipur. Jallandhar. Jammu. In each area, 4 colleges fought to defeat their peers, and tried their best to advance to the next level. 6 were victorious, and advanced. Next, they will fight for the chance to represent their country in the 2016 edition of Red Bull Campus Cricket.
The bowlers had a much better time of it than the batsmen. There were almost no run fests. Multiple teams were routed for double digit scores. Several batsmen got ducks. It was a bowler’s delight.
As the old saying goes: the batting team may need any number of balls to win, but the bowling team just need 10.
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Cricket from the Western wing of India
Whether low scoring or high, these matches had some truly wonderful cricket on display.
From Ahmedabad, Baroda, Goa, Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune, 24 colleges sought to advance to the national level, of which 6 succeeded.
Some excellent cricket was on show, with both individual efforts and teamwork playing their part in the gentleman’s game. These young lads are the future of Indian cricket, and their combined potential is enormous.
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This Month, That Year: The March of Time
From March 1830-2001: Including a vintage Lara innings and the Centenary Test.
March 17th, 1977 - The Centenary Test
Hans Ebeling, the Vice President of the Victorian Cricket Association, had the brilliant idea of commemorating the 100th year of Test cricket with a match between the sides who started things back in 1877.
English cricketers were summoned to the MCG for the grand occasion and they turned up gleefully. Invitations were sent to 244 cricketers who took part in Australia v England Test matches. Most of them attended, overcoming obstacles. 87-year-old Jack Ryder attended, as did a blind 84-year-old Percy Fender.
The Centenary Test was a thriller, which Australia won by 45 runs – the exact number of runs by which they won the very first Test in 1877.
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FP Fenner’s Ground, Cambridge: 168 years of cricket
From the Lion of Kent in the 1850s to Mike Brearley, Majid Khan, Fenner’s has seen everything.
Francis Phillips Fenner was born in 1811. He would go on to become a cricketer on growing up, and a decent one at that. But no one could have ever gauged the lasting impact he was going to leave on the world of cricket just by leasing some land which he later lent to Cambridge University.
Fenner was not a great batsman and was chosen for the Cambridge Town Club team primarily due to his bowling skills. He played one season of cricket for the University team and then played some First-class cricket for Hampshire.
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Indian cricket’s Southern stars
From a score of 156, to a 5 wicket haul, and conceding just 1 run in 4 overs.
In 6 cities of South India, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Vizag, 4 colleges fought to be the champion of each city. 6 colleges emerged victorious to move ahead to the next level, to fight for the chance to represent their country in the 2016 edition of Red Bull Campus Cricket.
There have been some spectacular performances with the bat, the ball and in the field. There has been both tragedy and comedy. These college students played with enormous promise, showing that they are fit to be the professional cricketers of tomorrow, and work their way up to glory.
Let us start with the home of Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and KL Rahul.
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Legends on Campus: Tiger Pataudi
Before and after his accident, Mansoor Ali Khan wreaked havoc with the bat & inspired as captain.
Iftikhar Ali Khan died on his son Mansur Ali Khan’s 11th birthday.
Iftikhar had already represented England and India in Test cricket, and had captained the latter.
For Mansur, it was tough to match his father’s exploits. He was a gifted young man who preferred sports over studies, but there is always a bridge between having promise and converting that into something substantial.
During his early days at school, Mansur was interested in many sports. He was particularly good at cricket, football, squash and cycle polo.
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#FirstInnings with KL Rahul
The Banglore-lad talks about his journey from gully cricket to the national team.
KL Rahul has three things going for him: 1. He hails from Bangalore. 2. He plays Cricket. 3. His name is ‘Rahul’. But it’s not just this coincidence that has put him in direct comparison with one of the greatest batsmen to have walked the planet – Rahul Dravid. The 23-year-old has worked his way up the ranks grabbing every opportunity that came his way and scoring runs at the right moment in order to deserve a place in the national side.
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Guru Nanak College Ground: Tamil Nadu
Guru Nanak College Ground has seen the peaks & depths of national and international cricket teams.
Guru Nanak College is located in Velachery in South Chennai. The college ground was inaugurated in 1971 and has been in use since 1978. Twenty years ago, India Cements acquired the ground around the time when it started hosting Ranji Trophy matches for Tamil Nadu.
The struggle to get noticed
Schools cricket and Under-16 cricket made the ground what it is today. These matches were played every year and helped the ground prosper. The first major match hosted by this ground was the Cooch Behar Trophy semi-final of 1978/79, which featured 2 future Indian Test players in the West Zone line-up: a 16 year old Kiran More opening the batting and keeping, and a 17 year old Chandrakant Pandit batting at number 6..
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This Month, That year: March Past
From March 1939-2015: including the birth of a legend in Antigua, a record-breaking World Cup.
March 3rd, 1970 & March 1st, 1980 - A pair of Pakistani giants
Shahid Afridi was born on March 1st, 1980. Some people may not believe this, but it is, for now, considered to be true.
He hits the cricket ball a million miles, spins it wickedly and tries to eat the same cricket ball. He wins hearts with his celebrations after picking up a wicket and occasionally makes some silly statements in front of the press.
But there is only one Shahid Afridi, and there will never be another one like him.
On March 3rd, 1970 Inzamam-ul-Haq was born. He is candid and laid-back, unless someone calls him ‘Aloo’. He is undoubtedly one of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers, a powerful batsman whose strokeplay convinced Imran Khan to select him for Pakistan, a decision which paid off as he won them the crucial semi final against New Zealand in 1992, leading to their first World Cup win.
The significant features of his cricket are playing the ball late and being late to start off for every possible short run. In ODIs, he is a batting partner’s nightmare, but to be fair, he makes the game livelier by keeping all the fielders interested.
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Legends on Campus: Peter May
One of England’s most successful batsmen and one of the greatest captains of all time.
The all –time great
Peter Barker Howard May played in sixty-six Test matches for England and was the captain of the team in forty-one of them. Most of these forty-one were between 1951 and 1957, a period during which England had not lost a series, home or away.
Till Michael Vaughan’s England beat the West Indies at Old Trafford in 2007, 46 years after May’s last match as captain, no other English captain could match May’s record of 20 Test victories as captain.
He was a key member of the Surrey side which won the Championship seven consecutive years (1952-1958). He was the captain on two occasions.
He is undoubtedly one of the most successful English cricketers of all-time.
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India's best young players compete for glory
96 teams, 23 days, 1 winner. Who will represent India at the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals?
It is time for old rivalries to resurface.
One team must represent the nation. North, South, West and East Zones will face off for that honour. Before that, six cities from each zone will battle to decide who will get the honour of facing the best teams from the rest of the country. From each city, four college teams will vie for the chance to emerge as the leading college cricket team in their neighbourhood.
96 teams enter. 1 team leaves, victorious.
It is time for the 5th edition of Red Bull Campus Cricket (RBCC) India to begin.
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Mike Atherton: The man who would not budge
The early cricketing life of the well-educated Future England Captain.
When comparing himself and his captain Mike Atherton, Graeme Hick once said, “Mike said that he’d read Wilbur Smith when he was eight. That’s why he went to Cambridge and I didn’t.”
People born in the 1990s and later won’t remember much of Atherton – the cricketer. To them, he is one of those rare commentators who speaks well and makes sense. For the more interested fan, he is the one who writes well too. Check out some of his work here & here.
People well acquainted with cricket in the 1990s know the gritty opening batsman named Mike Atherton. They are well aware of his duels with the likes of Ambrose and McGrath. He was the technician who always made a valiant attempt to get the better of these bowlers.
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The Road to the Trophy
The consistent powerhouse were finally toppled in the final by the explosive game changers.
The odds seem to be ever in India's favour.
They were undefeated in the tournament. They always scored over 250 when batting first. They looked, acted and played like they knew they were going to win.
In the group stage, they comfortably beat Ireland by 79 runs, New Zealand by 120 runs and Nepal by 7 wickets with 31.5 overs to spare. What might have been had Australia played? Would they have even been in the same group? Who knows. What is certain is that they showed little to no intention of stopping.
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Clifton College Close Ground: No shortage of Grace
This iconic college cricket ground has an incomparable place in cricket history and literature.
Clifton College Close Ground was used by Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. They played 96 First-class matches on this ground, over a span of more than sixty years. The likes of W.G. Grace, Wally Hammond, Gilbert Jessop, Charlie Parker and Tom Goddard displayed their skills on this very ground, year after year.
Serious cricket on this ground started way before the Gloucestershire First Class team was formed. In 1860, a team from Clifton hosted the South Wales Cricket Club. There was a Grace and Hammond in the Clifton team; the Hammond was unrelated to Walter Reginald; Henry Grace was the grandfather of William Gilbert. Henry scored a pair in this match.
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Legends on Campus: Trevor Bailey
Before he became one of the world’s best all-rounders, he sparkled on college and university pitches.
Trevor Bailey is often considered one of the best all-rounders ever produced by England. He was not as flamboyant as the Greigs, Bothams and Flintoffs, but he was mighty effective. Perhaps more than most others.
Trevor was the younger son of Bertram and Muriel Bailey. His brother Basil was eleven years his senior. By virtue of staying on Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex, Trevor learned to play cricket on the beach. He was good at sports and pretty ordinary at studies. He summarised his childhood fairly well through this line, “The simplest arithmetical problem baffled me but I was never bored as there was simply no time; I adored all ball games.”
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The importance of starting young
A look at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the importance of young cricketers.
In 2011, India won the Cricket World Cup for the second time. Yuvraj Singh was the Man of the Tournament for his 362 runs and 15 wickets. A nation rejoiced. It was a historic moment.
11 years before that, in 2000, India won the Under-19 Cricket World Cup for the first time. Yuvraj Singh was the Man of the Tournament for his 203 runs and 5 wickets. Even though fewer people were aware of the victory, it was a historic moment, and a sign of triumphs to come.
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