The Kanga League fixture book is the most important publication for a city cricketer. It’s got a new look, but it can get better
Without doubt, the most important book for Mumbai cricketers across all levels is the Dr HD Kanga Cricket League fixture book, given to clubs before every edition of the monsoon league. Players are either given a copy in their pre-season club meeting or at the start of the first match and this book found a special place in the kit bag.
This year, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) decided to decorate their fixture book with a photograph of a Kanga match in progress as against the staid cover design of previous years. Certain things are changing for the better in Mumbai cricket. This must count as an example.
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Dr HD Kanga League fixture book over the years. Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi
Madhav Apte, who played the League for more than half a century, believed that the fixture book concept, which began in the late 1950s, has shown Mumbai cricket in good light. “The Kanga League is a fantastically-organised tournament. To ensure the smooth running of so many matches is no joke. The fixture book told you where your games were and even the umpires who would officiate (a practise discontinued a decade ago). I remember going to Pune to participate in their league and it was poorly organised,” Apte recalled.
What is probably most appealing about the fixture book is the ‘A’ division records section. For a local cricket fanatic, the statistics conjure up images of dedicated, determined and disciplined players, making full use of their ability and competitive nerves for their club. Mumbai cricketers take great pride in the fact that they are mentioned in the records section. Vikram Dutt, the fast bowler, is better known in city cricketing circles for his 10 for 20 for Dadar Union against Rajasthan Sports Club in 1982 than for being an Uttar Pradesh Ranji Trophy player. Dutt’s mentor at Dadar Union, Vithal Patil cannot be missed in the records section for his 759 wickets, ditto BR Irani’s 743 for Parsee Cyclists and Baronet.
It would’ve been nice had there been a list of centurions in the Kanga League considering how difficult it is to score on the wet and drying pitches, but it would be a long list. The records section tells us that Ramnath Kenny scored 183 for Dadar Union vs PJ Hindu Gymkhana in 1954. Eighteen years later, New Hind’s Gopal Koli scored 188 against United Cricketers. These are the top individual scorers in the monsoon tournament, but other century efforts find mention in the Jasdenwalla Trophy winners for fast-scoring. Going by the records in the latest fixture book, YP Sidhaye has scored the quickest century – in 59 minutes – for PJ Hindu Gymkhana vs Khar Gymkhana in 1972.
Those cricketers coached by Ramakant Achrekar would notice that their guru was the 10th batsman to carry his bat through a completed innings. He stayed unbeaten on 21 while representing New Hind against Dadar Union in 1969. The last opening batsman to stay not out in a completed innings was Victory CC’s Mahesh Gharat against Cricket Club of India in 1995. Is that an indicator of the decline in gritty, adhesive batting at the top of the order? Probably.
In the 1990s, strangely Karsan Ghavri’s name started figuring in the list of hat-tricks when the feat should be attributed to his late brother Dhanji, a left-arm pacer like Karsan. “I have requested the MCA several times to make the change, but somehow it has not been done,” Karsan told me earlier this week. Dhanji performed the feat for Sunder CC whose then captain Kiran Ashar recalled with a chuckle: “Dhanji claimed the first three Dadar Union wickets and went to field at third man. When it was his turn to bowl again, I was looking out for him but he was not on the field. He returned after visiting the nearby paanwalla. We dismissed Dadar Union for a low score, but rain ruined our chase.” The League’s organisers ought to literally set the record straight in this case and credit Dhanji for his 1977 hat-trick.
Talking of hat-tricks, Anup Sabnis is another Sunder CC player who bagged three wickets in three balls – during the 1987 Kanga League against Dadar Parsi Zorastrians. While his victims were Anil Joshi, Dhananjay Ketkar and Prakash Karkera, their teammate Sameer Samant would often proudly tell his friends that he was at the other end when Sabnis wrecked havoc. Two years later, Samant scored the first century of the 1989 Kanga League. When he opened the newspapers the following morning, he discovered to his dismay that a ‘Sawant’ had scored a ton.
While putting together a piece on Rajasthan SC’s 1979 Kanga League ‘A’ division victory for this newspaper’s anniversary issue a few months ago, their former batsman Pradeep Raut recalled how his team dismissed National CC for 12 en route their team triumph, but this feat is missing from recent editions. Raut produced a 1982 copy of the book to prove that his side had indeed dismissed National for a dozen and the feat must be recorded in the next edition.
mid-day’s group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
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