Pavilion Tales
Cricket Stories
Australian cricket team is known for their toughness. They are fierce competitors and play the game hard. It is also debated many times who was the toughest among them. Brett Lee had mentioned in BwC that by far the toughest cricketer in the world was Simon Katich. Katich’s ability to cope with pain was amazing. …
Trivia: Sachin played the 200th Test match at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai against West Indies in November, 2013. It was the last Test match for the batting maestro. He finally packed his boots after serving India for 24 years. Surprisingly It was the last Test match for left-arm orthodox spinner Pragyan Ojha as well. Ojha took …
Trivia: MSD, one of the best cricketing minds in the world, packed his boots finally. Under his leadership India reached a new cricketing heights. India won T20 World Cup in 2007, ODI World Cup in 2011 and Champions Trophy in 2013 under Dhoni’s captaincy. He led India to top of the ICC Test rankings for …
The stage was set at Oval, on Aug 14, 1948. The ground was packed, after all it was the last Test match of Sir Donald George Bradman. Bradman got a huge reception when he reached the middle in front of a crowd of 20,000 spectators. English players took off the caps and gave him three …
Anderson Cummins made his ODI debut for West Indies in 1991. He was a medium-pace bowler and played 63 ODIs for the West Indies from 1991 to 1995. During Benson & Hedges World Series in 1991, he was declared player of the match for his match-winning 5/31 spell against India at Brisbane. He also played …
Kane Williamson is one of the most complete batsmen of the modern era. He showed great potential since the early days. Ken scored 40 centuries before he left school. Williamson made his first-class debut at the age of 17 for Northern Districts. He also led the New Zealand team at the under-19 World Cup in …
Dominic Cork stormed into the international cricket arena after his dream debut in Test cricket against West Indies. It was said that the search for a proper all-rounder finally came to an end, as England found a new star. Cork became the crisis man for England. His out-swingers and in-duckers were lethal. His contributions in …
Trivia: Kris Srikkanth was known for his aggressive stroke plays and flamboyant batting style. He played for India from 1981 to 1992. Once Kapil said on ‘Cricket Diaries’ that Srikkanth can’t walk straight. His teammates used to call him ‘Dadpadango’. Embed from Getty Images The Bet: In the Adelaide Oval dressing room, the lobby and …
Trivia: Viv Richards was the darling of West Indies cricket. He is still one of the most loved cricketers in Caribbean islands and admired by the entire cricketing world. During his playing days, he used to wear a tricolor wristband to support Rastafari movement. The Rastafari movement originated from Jamaica in the 1930s and later …
James Anderson is the all-time leading wicket-taker among pace bowlers in the world. Arguably the best right arm swing bowler the world has ever produced. He also took most five-wicket hauls for England in Test cricket. Learning the Art of Swing: Jimmy Anderson started as a quick bowler. He tried to bowl as quick as …
Trivia: Allan Border was known for his strange comments in the cricket field. Some got offended and some just ignored it. He played the game as hard as it can be. The passion was unquestionable. Here we discuss three instances of his interesting choices of words. Embed from Getty Images Don’t touch the ball: This …
Trivia: Andy Roberts was the first Antiguan to play Test cricket for the West Indies. He was part of the deadly 4 pace attacks of West Indies along with Holding, Garner and Colin Croft. Marshall later joined the troop and became one of the greatest fast bowlers ever. Roberts played 47 Test and 56 ODI …
Kent cricket ground is always special. They had a supporter who always appreciated the glowing drives, wristy flicks or an outstanding catch from the deep. Never missed a single match at St Lawrence Ground since the inception in 1847 till 2005. It was a 27-metre-high lime tree (90 ft) which was located within the boundary …
Trivia: Gavin Rolf Larsen was best known for his economical bowling in ODI. He was part of the ‘dibbly-dobbly-wibbly-wobbly’ quartet along with Chris Harris, Willy Watson and Rod Latham. Larsen was born on September 27, 1962 at Wellington, New Zealand. He made his first-class debut for Wellington in the 1984 season and represented New Zealand …
Trivia: A sudden knock on the hotel door took Michael Vaughan by surprise. It was the day before the first Test match at Hamilton in 2008. Vaughany was at his zone and preparing for the match. He opened the door reluctantly. Steve Harmison was standing there. Steve never knocked on his door before, something must …
England played their first ODI match in 1971 and they won the first ODI world cup in 2019. The 48 years of ODI journey had seen the agony, disappointment, sacrifice, dedication, hard work and fight back. However, the only thing that remains constant is believe. It’s the belief which turned the tables finally. England lifted …
The stage was all set for the final of the NatWest series at Lord’s on July 13, 2002. It was a big occasion for both England and India. The atmosphere was electrifying. The Indian skipper was hoping to turn the table as they lost the previous 3 to 4 finals and Team India was determined …
“It was Gavaskar, The real master, Just like a wall, We couldn’t out Gavaskar at all, Not at all, You know the West Indies couldn’t out Gavaskar at all.” – Lord Relator Birth Mishap: Sunil Manohar Gavaskar was born on July 10, 1949. His uncle Narayan Masurekar came to visit the baby at the hospital …
India ‘A’ was touring to Kenya to play the triangular tournament in 2004 under the captaincy of Sairaj Bahutule. Pakistan and Kenya were the other two teams in the tournament. India was highly dependent on two young players – The dynamic opener from Delhi, Gautam Gambhir and the flamboyant wicket-keeper batsman from Ranchi, MS Dhoni. …
Trivia: Indian National team stayed at Lumley Castle, Durham during a match at Chestler-le-Street in 2002. It was a beautiful hotel that overlooked the ground. A suite was given to Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. Sourav finished his training and came back to his suit. It was a lovely suit and he was very pleased. After …
In 1989, Indian National Team traveled to Pakistan under Kris Srikkanth captaincy. Surprisingly, sixteen years old boy ‘Sachin Tendulkar’ also got picked. The name was already popular in India’s first-class circuit. However, no one expected him to be a part of the Indian team at the age of 16. The Discovery of Waqar Younis: Imran wanted …
Trivia: Daryll Cullinan was the South African middle order batsman. He played 70 Test and 138 ODI matches between 1993 and 2001. He had the gift of exquisite timing of cricket ball and scored heavily all over. However, he couldn’t manage to score big in Australia. He was the youngest South African to score a …
The exquisite beaches, the green mountains and the roadside crickets are the hallmarks of the beautiful Sri Lankan island. Cricket is always part of the culture. However, it became the integral part of life, after they won the world cup in 1996. The country takes a pause during a cricket match. The victorious carnival is …
Trivia: Bird was one of the most respected umpires in the world. His international umpiring career spanned from 1973 to 1996. Bird umpired in 66 Test matches and 69 One Day Internationals including 3 World Cup Finals. Nature Calls: Once Bird was umpiring in a test match at Old Trafford between England and West Indies. …
Kapil was utterly disappointed after visiting the pitch at Lord’s on the eve of the 83 world cup final. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was a green-top seaming wicket and the moisture in the pitch would make it a bowler paradise for sure. Kapil was praying to win the toss and wished to field …
Trivia: Jason Gillespie scored 201* in his last Test innings against Bangladesh as a night-watchman. He was the only Test cricketer who scored a double century as a night-watchman. The match was played at Chittagong, Bangladesh on Apr 16-20, 2006. Australia won by an innings and 80 runs. Kudos to Australian think tank to send …
There were quite a few occasions where batsmen hit six sixes in an over. Well, max 36 runs can be scored on 6 legitimate deliveries in an over. However, if we add the extras (Fun Trivia: Extras are also called ‘Sundries’ in Australia) then the limit can be pushed further. This is a story of …
Trivia: Right-handed wicket-keeper batsman Alec Stewart was born on 8-4-63 and surprisingly he scored exact same runs (i.e. 8463) in Test cricket. He was the former captain of the England cricket team and played between 1989 and 2003. Embed from Getty Images References: wikipedia indiatimes Featured Image Credit: Nick Richards – CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized …
Trivia: Indian pace bowler Debashish Mohanty was the inspiration behind the logo of 1999 ICC cricket world cup. The designer studied the follow through of Mohanty and finally constructed it graphically. The multi-color strokes represent 12 playing nations across the globe. The world cup logo was designed by electing the feature of a batsman in …
The 1983 world cup changed the cricketing landscape of India. The world cup win inspired millions of Indians and turned the country into the biggest cricket loving nation on the planet. It all started with one hell of an innings by Kapil Dev Nikhanj. Widely regarded as the best ODI innings ever.This is the story …
Trivia: Freebies excite us always. We all crave for the free stuff. Be that in a shopping mall, online shopping or in the game of cricket. We call it extras in cricket. Extras are always helpful to provide the additional boost in final scores. Embed from Getty Images Sundries Extras are also called ‘Sundries’ in …
Steve Waugh is considered as one of the most successful Test captains in the history of cricket. Born in New South Wales on 2nd June 1965. He played 168 Test matches and 325 One Day Internationals for Australia between 1985 and 2004. He was named Australian of the Year in 2004 and included into the ICC …
Trivia: Test Cricket: Billy Midwinter claimed first ever five wickets (5/78) in Test cricket against England while playing for Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground on 15 March 1877. Embed from Getty Images ODI: Dennis Lillee claimed first ever five wickets (5/34) in ODI against Pakistan while playing for Australia at Leeds on 7 June 1975. …
The squelch becomes more prominent. The shout to extract every bit of energy before the delivery and it’s a cracking cover drive under the dusky sky. Bisecting the flying crisscross, rolling over the wet sand and finally kissing the breaking waves. The silhouette of a raised bat signifies the victory rituals. Everyday’s story of picture …
Trivia: Dion Nash became the first player in the history of Test cricket to take ten wickets and score 50 runs at the Lord’s in 1994. Nash took 93 Test and 64 ODI wickets and played for New Zealand from 1992 to 2002. After cricket, he founded the skincare company ‘Triumph & Disaster’. Nash is currently …
A shy guy from Antigua arrived in England to establish himself as a professional cricketer in 1973. Back in Antigua he used to work at D’Arcy’s Bar and Restaurant in St. John’s. He also joined St. John’s Cricket Club. The sheer talent of his batting mesmerized everyone including the restaurant owner who gave him gloves, …
Oh! how beautiful it is to see the earth from top of the world. Adam Parore is the only test cricketer from the cricket fraternity who can claim that.
Mom called him Willie and Gilbert by father. Downend born, one of the greatest the game has ever produced. W. G., The Doctor, The Champion – the man with a beard had many nicknames. A professional cricketer, qualified medical practitioner, champion hurdler, footballer, golfer and the list goes on. The career: Grace was an opening …