It was a cool and cloudy day in September 1984, when we took the field in Mississauga. I was playing in the Division B Cricket Final between Mississauga Ramblers and the University Of Guelph Cricket Club. As expected, I was psyched up for the game. My team , Univ. of Guelph Cricket Club had a successful season with a blend of youth and experience. A few of our players were undergraduate or graduate students; some were former students of Univ. of Guelph or were associated in some way with the University. For me, this was an exciting occasion because after many years, I was again playing in a cricket final. Ramon, who was 15 at the time, accompanied me.
Fourteen years earlier in 1970, I had played in the Ontario Cricket Championship game for the University of Guelph versus Victoria Park Cricket Club in Toronto. I recall having had to face Tom Dewdney, a retired Test cricketer, who represented the West Indies a few years earlier, and Jerry Mellow, who played for the Windward-Leeward Islands in the West Indies. I joined Mike Horsfall at the wicket when we were 57 runs for 5 wickets in reply to Victoria Park’s score of 120. We were in trouble. I held my end and Mike attacked the bowling. I contributed a valuable 11 runs and we went on to win the game. That was a memorable game for us because we were crowned Ontario Champions. We were later honored by the Premier of Ontario, William Davis.
Cricket, described by one cricket writer as poetry in motion, has had a long history in Canada and in Guelph. The legendary Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman made a double century at The Guelph Reformatory Ground in the 1930’s. When hockey was first played in Kingston, Ontario in 1800’s, goalies wore cricket pads. The year 1985 was an historic one for cricket enthusiasts in Guelph when they celebrated the 150th anniversary of cricket in Guelph. Guelph’s mayor Norm Jary was among those present to celebrate the occasion at the University of Guelph. Summer visitors to the University have, for many years, stopped to observe this strange looking game with players dressed in white. With Johnson Hall, the Arts Building and many trees in the background, a game of cricket on the front campus was an attractive sight. All that ended in 1987, when our team folded.. It was a very sad event for me personally, because that was the last time that cricket was to be played on the beautiful front campus of the Univ. of Guelph , a ground for which I have pleasant memories. Fortunately, this wonderful game still survives in Guelph and is presently played at Marguerite Green Park, on Westwood Road.
As a player in 1984, I had passed my prime and had lost the quick reflexes and sharp skills. However, I was still in the team as an all rounder. During the season, I made a valuable contribution to my team with my defensive batting ability and my experience. From the age of six, when we played in our back yard at Bush Lot, in Guyana, I had taken a liking for the game. The slow sandy pitch had shaped my defensive style of play. When we moved to Georgetown in 1948, I continued to play cricket at Bourda Green, King’s Ground, and the Sea Wall. I became a student of the game and read many cricket books including “Cricket Is My Life”, by Sir Leonard Hutton and several others by the brilliant writer, Neville Cardus. I listened to cricket commentaries by the “ever so smooth “ John Arlott. After I left school, I joined the Post Office Sports’ Club. Subsequently I played for Gandhi Youth Organization and represented that Club in the Wight Cup Division. Once I played in a friendly game against Joe Solomon, the former Test cricketer. Joe was the player who threw the last wicket out in the first tied Test Match between West Indies and Australia in 1960 - 1961. I also witnessed many of the game’s great West Indian players of that era in action at Bourda: players like Sir Frank Worrel, Everton Weeks, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Sonny Ramadhin, Alfred Valentine, Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs and many more. I loved the game.
Mississauga Ramblers had a fairly strong side but our opening bowlers Sheikh Bacchus and Godwin Friday kept the early batsmen in check. Sheikh and Godwin bowled intelligently to a tight field and got a few quick wickets. The early part of the game was definitely in Guelph’s favour. Then Mississauga’s middle order batsmen rallied and they ran up a total of 139 runs. I took two catches. With a relatively strong bowling attack, Mississauga’s score was considered to be good but not out of reach for us.
After a pep talk from our captain Sheikh Bacchus, Ravi Sathasivam, a batting sensation from Sri Lanka, and Winston Roberts, from Trinidad, opened our inning. They played cautiously and runs were difficult to come by. When Winston got out we lost a few quick wickets from bad running--Godwin Friday, our other top batsman and Winslow Phillips. We were in trouble and lost several other wickets in a short time. When I, the No. 11 batsman, joined Ravi, the situation seemed hopeless for us. Twenty eight runs were needed to win, five overs remained and the last two batsmen at the wicket. Mississauga’s bowlers had “their tails up” and Rajkumar and Loach were bowling brilliantly. Earlier, I had been upset with our captain, Sheikh Bacchus for sending me in at No 11. I was nervous but was determined to do well. After some encouraging words from Ravi, I took guard and faced the bowlers. After having survived an l.b.w. appeal to Umpire Wendell Wharton, I slowly gained confidence. At the other end, Ravi displayed his wide repertoire of strokes and mixed defence with offence. He batted sensibly and courageously, picking the gaps in the field. After sheltering me for a while, he allowed me to face the best of Mississauga’s bowlers and our score crept on. With the light quickly fading, Ravi gave a chance in the slips. That was a crucial mistake for the Misissauga”s team because we went on to clinch victory. When the end came Ravi was 98 not out and I was 2 not out. It was a great victory for us. Our team mates and supporters rushed out on the field and carried us off. It was a wonderful feeling. Ramon was there to offer his congratulations. We were on “Cloud Nine.” After the game we were invited to Jeewan Balkisoon’s home for refreshments. The disappointment in the Mississauga’s players was obvious. They had lost a game which was well within their grasp. But this was cricket, a game described by one cricket writer as one of glorious uncertainties.
My emotions were high and I found it difficult to sleep that night. Every time I turned, I relived the game. It was a wonderful experience and I wish that all players could “feel” that moment at least once in their lives. Now, after many years, I still cherish the memory and am happy to have been associated with Ravi in that thrilling match.
Less than two years later, on July 13, 1986, we motored to Churchill Park in Hamilton to play against Hamilton B. Tucked away at the foot of the Hamilton mountain and surrounded by trees and homes, Churchill Park is a beautiful ground. Hamilton Cricket Club has had a very long history having been formed in 1847. It was sad to see the old pavilion torn down a few years earlier. In 1960, when I had my summer job in Hamilton, I had a happy and successful season playing for the Hamilton Cricket Club. Twenty six years later, I was on the opposing team.
Our team had several new faces, having lost Sheikh Bacchus, Godwin Friday and a few others in the previous year. Ramon played in that game. It was a hot day but a great one for cricket. We managed to score 118 runs with valuable contributions from Ravi (48), Shankar (32) and myself (25). I enjoyed the knock and really felt comfortable at the wicket. I remember dancing down the wicket to big Clyde Glasgow, the wily left hand spinner from Guyana. Eventually he got my wicket caught and bowled.
We did not have a strong bowling side but did well to contain the Hamilton side. Shankar and Carl Friday, Godwin’s uncle, bowled well. When Hamilton was 95 for 5, Ravi took the gamble and brought me on to bowl. Hamilton needed 24 runs to win with 5 wickets to go. At that time the pendulum favoured Hamilton. I floated my deliveries and confused the batsmen. They were hesitant in using their feet. Ravi set an attacking field and his strategy worked. In 3.4 overs I had 4 wickets for 11 runs. Hamilton was bowled out for 112 runs, just six behind our score. My team mates mobbed me. I was ecstatic. It was a sensational “come from behind” victory for us. Later, we celebrated at Shankar’s home in Hamilton.
I have since retired from the game I loved, having suffered a heart attack during a game in 1994 in Guyana. Over the years the game has brought me a lot of pleasure and has cemented a lot of friendships. I often meet former players and we always like to reminisce about some of the exciting games we have witnessed or have played in, and some of the fun times we have had playing the game. Cricket has also taken me to a lot of interesting places, two of which are the historic Lords Cricket Ground in England, where I witnessed a Test Match between England and India in 1979, and the Governor General’s Ground in Ottawa, where I played in 1962. These are all happy memories.
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Guelph Cricket Team, Governor General’s Ground, Ottawa (1962) Standing (L to R): Don Beckford, Dr. Nigel Palmer, Alan Westcott, Dr. Hamish Raffan, Glenn Johnson, John Slater. Front (L to R): Frank Pellew, Hector, Mike Darling, Bob Nicholls, Cam Mirza |
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Family Gathering, Front (L to R): Lucy,
Ron, Sandy, Reuben and Rick Back (L to R): Enid, Pauline, Ramon, Sydney |