The Impossible Finish of 1951
Even the boldest writer of sports fiction would not have
dared to invent such an implausible finish to a cricket match. With half an
hour to go, a side chasing 191 runs has reached 154 for 3. 25 minutes later,
7 wickets have fallen for 23 runs, and the other side has won. Impossible!
But it happened in the Royal-Thomian of 1951, which saw the most
nerve-racking Big Match finish in living memory and the second closest of
the series.
It began
quietly. Royal batted first and made a disappointing 146, relieved by
attractive driving by Unamboowe (31), and Ubhaya de Silva (31), a few
strokes by Jayawickrama (24) and a sound 34 by Wignarajah. Barrow (5 for 18)
and Samarasinghe (3 for 28) did the damage. Not good enough at all on a good
wicket with the powerful Thomian batting to follow. But the Thomians had
batted only a couple of overs when rain washed out any further play on the
Friday. With playing hours those days being from noon to 6.15, this left an
effective playing time of only 5 1/2 hours for three innings on the
Saturday. There would have to be some sensational cricket for a result to
emerge.
Play
started on Saturday on a wicket which was damp and lively, but not "sticky".
Royal skipper Vairavanathan sized up the behaviour of the pitch after a few
overs. He brought on Wille, a medium-pace bowler with an unusually low arm
action, who used to bowl a nagging length outside the off stump and move the
ball into the batsman. Normally he was steady but not particularly
difficult. On the moist turf he turned out to be deadly, pitching on a
length and skidding through. For a time Jayalingam looked as if he might
break free, but a shrewd piece of captaincy claimed him. Jayalingam was a
belligerently aggressive batsman, accustomed to seeing fielders retreat
respectfully into the distance. Vairavanathan did the unexpected by himself
moving up to silly mid-off. Wille was not the bowler to produce catches to
silly mid-off. The move was provocation pure and simple. An outraged
Jayalingam, determined to punish this affront, lashed out at Wille and was
bowled for 16. Wickets fell steadily, and we began to see the spectacular
fielding by Royal that was to be a feature of this match. Inman hooked
Unamboowe hard and clean, and Nirmalingam at short leg, six yards from the
bat, stood his ground and held the catch. Most fielders would have taken
evasive action. Inman sportingly shook him by the hand before he turned for
the pavilion. The Thomians had slumped to 28 for 5 when Samarasinghe and
Titus made the only stand of the innings. It ended when Samarasinghe pushed
the ball uppishly towards the vacant short square leg region. While the
batsmen set off for a single, Jayawickrama from short mid-wicket came in
very fast over 20 yards and scooped up the ball inches off the ground, a
thrilling catch. When Wille bowled Titus next ball Inman declared at 61 for
7. It was a good declaration, because the remaining batsmen would probaly
have been shot out anyway, and it made sense to get Royal in while the
wicket was still lively. Also, it was a challenge. How would Royal respond?
The crowd did not have to wait long for an answer. There
was a buzz of excitement when Vairavanathan came in himself with Unamboowe
to open Royal's second innings. Neither of them had ever been an opening
batsman, but Vairavanathan could never refuse a challenge. The gauntlet had been thrown
down, and he was letting it known that it was being unhestatingly picked up.
Royal were going for a win. The match was alight.
Then came
disaster. Titus produced two beautiful outswingers to dispose of Unamboowe
and de Silva, and Jayawickrama was walking out with the scorebord reading 4
for 2.
Vairavanathan and Jayawickrama, cricketing colleagues throughout their
school careers, set about the most important rescue operation of their lives
with the assurance of professionals skilled in their craft. There were no
time-wasting mid-wicket conferences. The Thomians tried desperately for the
additional wicket that might have ripped the innings apart. Titus and
Bandaranayake moved the ball sharply in the air, and Barrow's off-breaks bit
and spun over a foot, but in this vital half hour the batsmen tamed the
attack with impressive confidence and technique, Vairavanathan playing
strokes, Jayawickrama defending, both clearly in control.
The taming
accomplished, Vairavanathan switched to full-scale attack, driving, hooking,
cutting until he was out for a fine forcing 38, the score 69 for 3 after a
priceless partnership of 65. The value of the stand was underlined when
wickets began to tumble again, until Van Twest held out while Jayawickrama
gradually opened out. Soon after Jayawickrama got out for 39, Vairavanathan
declared at 105 for 8, leaving the Thomians 191 to win in 140 minutes - a
perfectly timed, sporting declaration which gave both sides a chance to win.
Royal's first objective was to break the opening
partnership before tea. By then the early afternoon moisture had dried out,
the wicket was playing true, and the openers were in no trouble against the
new ball. This time Vairavanathan brought on left-hand spinner Arichandran
and moved up to silly mid-off for a catch. The batsmen only played down the
spin with extra care. The stock response is to move even closer, or
bring up another fielder. Mahes Rodrigo, Royal's charismatic coach, and a
master strategist, had impressed upon Captain and team the need to use
their heads in this kind of deadlock. Crowding a good batsman would often
merely freeze him up without producing a catch. More subtle tactics were
required. Vairavanathan dropped back to extra cover. Sure enough,
Keerthiratne, freed from the inhibition of a close fielder, drove at
Arichandran after a long spell of defence, hit too early, and Vairavanathan
had the satisfaction of taking the catch himself.
After tea
came the unforgettable final session, lan Pieris came in at No. 3 and soon
made it clear that the Thomians in their turn were going flat out for a win.
He led the onslaught with an exhilarating display of powerful strokes, and
Samuel scored fluently. To add to Royal's problems a light shower began to
fall, not enough to affect the wicket but enough to make bowling and
fielding a nightmare. The fifty partnership came up at well over a run a
minute. Sixty, seventy, and then came the first break. Pieris went for a big
hit off Ubhaya de Silva, mistimed, and the ball soared up square on the off,
spinning like a top. Unamboowe, Royal's star fielder, was at cover. Even
under normal conditions it would have been a tricky catch, but one he would
have taken with ease. Now, as he positioned himself under the ball, he had
the presence of mind to recall how greasy the ball was, and, superb fielder
though he was, would not trust himself to take this vital catch the normal way. In a marvel of daring
improvisation, he let the ball hit his chest and simultaneously closed his
hands over it. Out went Pieris for a brilliant 47. This was to be first of
the five successive dismissals, all crucial, in which Unamboowe was to
feature. Jayalingam came in and soon took over where Pieris had left off.
Runs flowed unabated. Then Unamboowe struck again. He was bowling to
Jayalingam when the batsman pushed him to the off and went for a short
single. Faster than the off-side fielders, Unamboowe pounced on the ball.
Jayalingam scampered back. Unamboowe swung round, saw Samuel stranded well
down the wicket, but no one at the bowler's end to take the throw, because
it had all happened so fast. He ran for the bowler's end, found himself
being outpaced by Samuel, and aimed a quick underarm throw which broke the
wicket. Samuel run out 51.
Jayalingam, as if to avenge the run out, unleashed his
dazzling array of strokes. He was the most exciting Thomian batsman, and in
his swashbuckling way, he even began to predict where he was going to hit
the ball. The score roared past 150 for 3; only 41 more to win in half an
hour.
Paradoxically, this was the period that saw
Vairavanathan's captaincy at its best. Even a good captain might at this
stage have despaired and let the game drift out of control, or resorted to
purely defensive tactics. Vairavanathan, by sheer force of personality and
an infectious confidence, held the team together, and, unbelievably, kept
spurring them on, not to save the game, but to win it! The side responded
magnificently. Outstanding were Unamboowe, bowling and fielding with
sustained hostillity; and Hewavitarne out on the boundary, who cut off
several fours with brilliant one-handed pick-ups at top speed.
And now
Royal's persistence began to earn its reward. The untiring Unamboowe bowled
Yatawara. 154 for 4, and only 37 to win in half an hour, which should be
simple with Jayalingam completely dominating the bowling. Vairavanathan was
nothing if not resourceful. If Jayalingam was too good for the bowlers, he
would try something else. He waited until Jayalingam came to the
nonstriker's end with Unamboowe bowling and altered the field, changing his
own position from mid-offto very deep mid-off, and making sure that both
batsmen registered his own new location. Unamboowe pitched up on the off. As
Inman made the anticipated push mid-off, Vairavanathan was racing in. In the
meantime Jayalingam, according to plan, had backed up and set off for the
run without looking round (why should he, when he had noted a moment ago
that Vairavanathan was at deep mid-off, and that a push would yield a quick
single?). Too late Inman noticed that Vairavanathan was fifteen yards closer
than he was supposed to be, and tried to send Jayalingam back. Vairvanathan
picked up, took time to ensure that his throw was exactly over the stumps,
and Unamboowe equally coolly flicked a bail off. Jayalingam was run out by
yards for 33, victim of a match-winning trap.
Hardly had
the applause died down before there was another sensation. Inman hit
Unamboowe straight back overhead, a full-blooded drive that should have hit
the sight screen first hop. Unamboowe, off balance after the delivery,
recovered in a flash to leap into the air and take the red-hot drive cleanly
in his left hand, the arm perfectly vertical and at full stretch at impact.
It was a stunning catch that brought the crowd to its feet. 162 for 6.
Royal supporters breathed easier. With their fastest
scorers out, the Thomians would have to struggle to get 29 more runs in
20-odd minutes. No one seriously considered the possibillity of a Royal win
- except Vairavanathan. In a prodigious fined effort he summoned up all his
resources of skill and leadership towards the task of getting four wickets
in the last 20 minutes. There was an unerring touch now to his bowing
changes. He brought Arichandran back, and Titus snicked a catch to keeper
Dharmaratne. He came on himself for the final spell, and had Samarasinghe
stumped. 173 for 8. 18 to win, 15 minutes left, the sudden realisation that
Royal could win, the crowd roaring encouragement to both sides, the
atmosphere electric. Wignarajah replaces Arichandran and bowls Barrow. 177
for 9, 14 to win, 7 minutes to go, still anybody's match, and the tension
unbearable. This is the time a side can crack, this is the time to keep
calm, this is the time, above all for leadership. Vairavanathan rallied his
team, called for a supreme effort, and took the ball himself. No one was
better equipped for this situation. He was an accurate bowler of slow medium
off-breaks, and, most important at this time, he could outwit any batsman.
A good
length off break, and batsman Jayawardena plays back. As Vairavanathan walks
back he flashes a glance and a smile at the off-side fielders. In the
heightened rapport among the team there is no need for words. Instantly they
get the message. Vaira is going to keep the ball up on the off to find a way
through the batsman's defence. If in the process he is driven to the off,
the offside cordon must take the catch or cut off the four. They nod back at
him. Understood, we're with you. Another off-break, a little further up, and
again the batsman plays back. Vairavanathan continues probing with a ball
flighted higher this time, and Jayawardena just manages to fend if off. The
next one is pitched still further up and flighted even higher. The batsman
has been playing back with increasing difficulty. Back or forward to this
one? He prods hesitantly, misses, the ball is through and heading for middle
and off stumps, the bails go flying, and Royal has won.
Pandemonium breaks loose. Thousands of jubilant, whooping Royalists erupt on
to the field and charge for Vairavanathan. They collar him and hoist him
aloft, then look for the others. The whole team is carried triumphantly back
to the pavilion;
What a finish! At 5.45 the Thomians seemed certain to win
by 6 or 7 wickets. At 6.10, just 25 minutes later, Royal had won by 13 runs!
All honour to both sides and to captains Vairavanathan and Inman for their
datermination to go for a decision and scorn a draw. Royal fought their way
through from adversity to victory. The Thomians played glorious cricket in
that last unforgettable session. Royal thoroughly deserved to win. St.
Thomas' didn't deserve to lose. The margin of victory remains the narrowest
since 1881.
One
final tribute. Cricket is a team game, and every member of the Royal team
pulled his weight, with Unamboowe magnificent in the last session. But if
ever a match was won by inspiring, intelligent captaincy, it was the Royal-Thomian
of 1951. Vairavanathan, take a bow.
COMMENTATOR
(from the Royal - Thomian
Centenary Souvenir)
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