My Memorable Cricket Moments

Kersi Meher-Homji goes down the memory lane

This piece of nostalgia covers my favourite moments in cricket; exciting matches and catches I have witnessed live at the venue or listening to radio when driving my car, bowling to Test greats at the nets, odd behaviour of persons sitting next to me at a Test… After all, thrill is a many splendored thing. Oh so many memories come flooding to me! I don’t know where to start. OK, let me start with the January 2003 Sydney Test.

Steve Waugh’s last ball century on day 2

It was the last Test of the Ashes series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in January 2003, Australia leading 4-0, Ashes in their pocket. England won the toss and batted. With Mark Butcher hitting 125, England totaled 362.

The climax of the Test was in the final over of day 2. Skipper Steve Waugh, playing his 156th Test and thinking it to be his last, came in to bat with Australia on 3 for 56. In the final over of the second day, he needed five runs for his century. The first three balls from off-spinner Richard Dawson were dot balls. Steve square-drove his fourth ball for three runs.

His batting partner Adam Gilchrist obliging, pushed a single to give Steve an opportunity to reach his hundred. One ball remaining, two runs needed for his ton. Watching this from the press box, I could barely breathe. The experienced journos were just as nervous.

Unflustered, Steve leaned back and hit a flattish delivery through extra cover for four. This sparked a roar I had never heard before. David Frith, the former editor of Wisden, was on my left and he said, “This was the loudest roar I have heard in 52 years’ watching at the SCG.”

To quote Christian Ryan in Wisden 2004, “Pink-skinned revelers at the nearby Captain Cook hotel were still chanting Waugh’s name two hours later.” To many, it was the greatest century in Ashes folklore. Knowing Steve personally along with his twin brother Mark and his parents Rodger and Bev, it was as if I had achieved this rare feat.

Next day Australia made 363, a lead of one run. England declared at 9 for 452, the Man of the Match and of the Series Michael Vaughan scoring 183. Set 452 to win, Australia scored 226 to lose by 225 runs.

It was a bit of an anti-climax after Steve Waugh’s epic last ball century on day-2. This innings prolonged his Test career as he went on to play 12 more Tests.

This Test was witnessed by 174,357 spectators, the second highest crowd at the SCG. A further 2.1 million watched this Test on TV which works out at one in nine Aussies were glued to their TV sets.

Dyson’s catch of the century

Another Sydney Test, another magic moment. Let’s go back to January 1982. West Indies won the toss and batted. With Larry Gomes hitting 126, the tourists scored 384. Australia replied with 267. Set 373 to win Australia could reach only 4 for 200 and the match ended in a draw. Nothing much to write home about.

Except one – the incredible catch taken by Australia’s John Dyson. Off-spinner Bruce Yardley, aged 34, took 7-fer when the Windies batted again. One of his victims was Sylvester Clarke who was caught brilliantly by John Dyson. It was an amazing leaping overhead catch after a dash of some 25 meters.

I was among the 25,000 spectators who shot up to applaud that catch. As I sat down I saw a spectator on my left who appeared in a daze, semi unconscious. Worried, I asked him whether I should call a doctor. He smiled and said, “John is my son. I almost fainted seeing him run and run and leap. It’s the most ecstatic moment of my life.” I shared his joy.

The next day we two clapped in unison as John scored an unbeaten 127 to enable Australia to draw the Test.

Doug Walters’ six appeal

I am really going backwards in my journey of nostalgic moments; going further back to the Perth Test of December 1974. No, I did not watch that Ashes Test live. I was thousands of kilometers away in Sydney listening to the running commentary on my radio as Doug Walters approached his scintillating hundred.

I was bringing home a baby-sitter as we were going out for dinner. My mind was more on the Perth Test than on the traffic as Walters was in his nineties. The WACA ground exploded with applause when Walters completed his century in a session. I was ecstatic.

Just then I heard the baby-sitter cry from the back seat. “I did not know you are a Doug Walters fan”, I said.

“What Doug Walters fan”, she screamed. “You nearly killed me, going through two red lights and avoided a three car pile-up by inches!”

Back to my narrative. Walters was 3 not out at tea and was blazing away. Now to the final ball of the day; he was 97 not out facing England’s fast bowler Bob Willis. He needed three runs for his century and a six to get to his hundred in a session.

The commentators went berserk with excitement. So did I, driving my Toyota car nonchalantly, avoiding horns from other motorists. Willis bowled a short ball and Walters coolly skied it for a spectacular six. “Hooray”, I screamed as Dougie lifted his bat in glee.

Both I and the baby-sitter reached home safely.

Walters enjoyed this story and happily wrote a Foreword to my book Six Appeal.

Bishan, Prasanna and me

I was watching the Indian cricket team doing net practice at the SCG a day before their match against NSW in November 1977. To my surprise Bishan Bedi (who I had befriended in 1971-72 during the World XI tour) threw the ball to me saying: “Bowl, Kersi.”

“What me, bowling to Test cricketers?” I asked in shock. “Yes, bowl Kersi,” he repeated, a man of few words. Bowling my slow, slow off spinners and half-volleys to Ashok Mankad and left-handed Surinder Amarnath was an experience I’ll never forget. To bowl alongside spin wizards Bishan and Prasanna was an additional thrill. Awesome!

Feeling 10 feet tall after my seven minutes of ‘glory’ I was emboldened enough to ask Prasanna as to how I had bowled. Prasanna did not know what to say – to be honest and say “awfully” or be polite and say “not badly”? He chose diplomacy instead: “Stick to your writing.”

I had my revenge two months later. After the net practice session he gave me his autobiography One More Over to read. When he asked me, prior to the Sydney Test in January 1978, how I liked his book, I replied: “Pras, stick to your off spin.”

He was not amused.

Hughes, ‘Pup’ Clarke, Bollinger and me

Was it a midsummer night’s dream? No, it was winter and certainly daytime. But was it a dream, me bowling to Michael Clarke, beating him twice with my slow off-spin?

This was at the launch of Vodafone Ashes 2010-11sponsorship at the SCG in 2010. Present at the function were captain Ricky Ponting, vice-captain Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Nathan Hauritz, Doug Bollinger and hundreds of photographers.

The cricketers were pleased with the Vodafone sponsorship and wore their Test whites showing the new logo with pride. “I love the Vodafone logo”, Ponting said. “We are all excited about the new partnership.”

Then about the forthcoming Ashes series in Australia, he added, “We are focusing on it ever since the last ball was bowled in the Oval Test last August. We want to be in the best physical and mental state.”

Michael Clarke seemed equally excited about the upcoming Ashes. 

Then there was time for interviewing and photographing players. I chose to speak with my favourite, Phillip Hughes. Looking smaller than he does on the TV screen, his left hand was heavily bandaged. “I was operated on few weeks ago. I hope to be fit soon”, he said.

Then I told him something he did not know; about amazing similarities between him (seven Tests between 2008 and now) and former Australian Test cricketer John Moroney (seven Tests between 1949 and 1951). Both Moroney and Hughes were born in Macksville, NSW, first played for Australia on a tour of South Africa (in 1949-50 and in 2008-09, respectively), made ducks on Test debut in a Test in Johannesburg followed by a century in each innings later in the series. Both were subsequently dropped against England after a poor series.

The year 2014 is among the saddest years in cricket history. We all recall the tragic death of Phil Hughes in November 2014 when hit by a bouncer while batting in a Sheffield Shield match for South Australia against New South Wales on the Sydney Cricket Ground.

It came as a shock to me that more than five years have passed since that tragedy! It seemed it happened only last year. He was only 25 years old, three days short of his 26th birthday.

Now to my personal highlight; bowling to Michael ‘Pup’ Clarke at the SCG indoor nets in tandem with Bollinger and beating the ‘Pup’ twice. Of course it was a soft red ball and he was toying with me. But not many get an opportunity to bowl to a Test star.

The thrilling Bombay Test

The Second Test between Australia and India in Bombay was a nail-biter, the result in doubt till the final ball. To quote Vijay Merchant – the doyen of Indian cricket – from Indian Cricket 1965: “What a thriller we had at Brabourne Stadium! Not for a long time has it been my privilege to witness a match in which fortunes fluctuated not merely from day to day but from session to session … Nor shall we forget the match – perhaps the greatest at Brabourne Stadium.”

Australia started badly, losing 3 for 53, but Burge played a sterling knock of 80. Then a sixth-wicket stand of 151 between Veivers and wicket-keeper Barry Jarman enabled the visitors to total 320. The unconventional spinner BS Chandrasekhar took 4 for 50.

India lost two wickets cheaply before the graceful ML Jaisimha and veteran Vijay Manjrekar added 112 runs. Skipper Pataudi played an enticing innings of 86 – the top score in the match – and India took a small but vital lead of 21. Australia took control of the match and was 3 for 246 (with fifties from Lawry, Brian Booth and Bob Cowper). I well recall the glorious cover drives by Booth. Just then Chandrasekhar and Nadkarni struck and Australia collapsed from 3 for 246 to 274 all out. The absence of their star batsman Norm O’Neill due to stomach pains was keenly felt.

Needing 254 to win India started disastrously, losing Jaisimha for a duck. Well though Dilip Sardesai batted for a classy 56, wickets kept tumbling at the other end. At 6 for 122, they were 132 short of the winning target. Just then Pataudi played an inspiring and stroke-filled innings of 53 and at tea on the final pulsating day India needed 41 runs for victory with four wickets in hand.

The home team lost two wickets including Pataudi’s soon after tea and at 8 for 224 were still 30 runs short. The match had swung back Australia’s way. However, Borde kept his cool and played a gallant knock. Wicket-keeper KS Indrajitsinhji gave him solid support and with tension at fever pitch, Borde made the winning hit and India won by two wickets with less than half an hour to spare. It was only her second win in 15 Tests.

Remembered Pataudi in Tiger’s Tale: “I regard our victory by two wickets at Bombay as the most satisfying I’ve known as India’s captain. It gave a tremendous boost to our morale, also to cricket as a whole in India and this time I think our team deserved all the praise they received for a great fighting performance.”

I remember the excitement on all five days. I was there. It was a pleasure reminiscing about this exciting Test with Brian Booth in 2014, almost 50 years afterwards. “It was a challenging match,” he recalled. “I fell to spinners in both innings, bowled by Chandrasekhar for one run and was unlucky to be given out stumped to the economical Bapu Nadkarni for 74 in the second. As Australia eventually lost by two wickets I had lost my wicket at a crucial stage.”

“Norm O’Neill developed stomach cramps soon after Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson went out to open the innings. I had to go in at no 3. Bob had no idea why O’Neill didn’t come out at first drop till I told him.” Booth recalled that the pitch had no grass on it and was rolled with crushed bricks underneath. “It was very hot and humid with no breeze and, would you believe, Johnny Martin wore a heavy sweater to avoid sunstroke! The Bombay crowd was very noisy but appreciative of good performances. When fielding in the deep, a smile won them over.”

An Untold Story

There is an untold story behind India’s thrilling two-wicket victory in the October 1964 Bombay Test. Titori Pav was a cricket fanatic but cricketers avoided him because he brought them bad luck. To be wished good luck by him resulted in the cricketer scoring a duck or dropping a sitter. To shake hands with him could result in a broken arm or catching influenza.

A Cricket Club of India (CCI) member saw possibilities, however. He took Titori to CCI, a day before the Test. He was ecstatic to visit the prestigious club and see some of the Australian Test cricketers. His hero was Norm O’Neill who had scored 163 swashbuckling runs in the 1959 Bombay Test. Soon Titori was introduced to him. He warmly shook hands with his hero and wished him best of luck.

Sure enough, O’Neill was jinxed. He developed stomach pains half an hour after the Test started. They were so severe that he took no part in the Test. As India won by two wickets, O’Neill’s absence was keenly felt. Titori died a few years later but not without contributing – in his own unique way – to India’s narrow victory.

My close encounters with cricketing greats

Stories for another time that await CricWriter readers involve my encounters with cricketing greats Bert Oldfield, Harold Larwood, Don Bradman, Ernie Toshack, Neil Harvey, Keith Miller, Doug Walters, Vijay Hazare, Vijay Merchant, Polly Umrigar, Frank Tyson, Jim Laker, Richie Benaud, Alan Davidson, Bob Simpson, Sunil Gavaskar, Farokh Engineer, Bishan Bedi, EAS Prasanna, Mike Whitney, Stuart MacGill, and Bruce Edgar.