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Two 99s in a First-Class match: Amay Khurasiya and Wayne James

There are two First-Class cricketers who have gone through two heart-breaking moments in the same First-Class match.

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Amay Khurasiya (left, © Getty Images) and Wayne James (Photo courtesy: eBay) are the only ones to score two 99s in the same First-Class match
Amay Khurasiya (left, © Getty Images) and Wayne James (Photo courtesy: eBay) are the only ones to score two 99s in the same First-Class match

It is stated that there is an old Sicilian proverb to the effect that “misfortunes never come alone”. There are two First-Class cricketers who have gone through two heart-breaking moments in the same First-Class match, and who would vouch whole-heartedly for this sentiment.

Amay Ramsevak Khurasiya, born May 18, 1972 at Jabalpur, was a quick-scoring left-hand bat who had a fairly long innings in First-Class cricket, adorning the domestic scene from 1989-90 to 2006-07. During this time, he played 119 First-Class matches, principally for Madhya Pradesh (MP), scoring 7,304 runs with a highest score of 238, and an average of 40.80. He had 21 centuries and 31 fifties to his credit, and took 90 catches. He also played 12 ODIs for India, scoring 149 runs in 11 innings, with a highest of 57 (his only fifty), and an average of 13.54.

His First-Class figures are those of a better-than-average player, with an air of dependability about his batting. This is the story of the game that should have boosted the number in his centuries column to 23, but, agonisingly, did not.

Khurasiya made his First-Class debut at the rather early age of 17, by which time his obvious talent was already manifest. He scored a good 70 in his 4thmatch, and was gradually building on both his run scoring and his technique with positive intent. His 6thmatch was between MP and Vidarbha, played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur, in November 1991, in only his 3rd year of First-Class cricket. He was 19, and yet to score his maiden century.

The home team, under wicketkeeper Praveen Hingnikar, took first strike. Though the skipper scored 74 opening the innings, his opening partner was dismissed without scoring, and wickets kept going down at regular intervals. The innings folded up for a disappointing 190. For the visitors, right-arm medium-fast bowler Devashish Nilosey was the pick of the bowlers, with 5 for 68. The 2nd wicket of MP fell at 88, and the MP finished Day 1 in 93 for 2 (#3 Khurasiya on 16 and #4 Prashant Dwevedi on 3).

The score mounted gradually for MP when the battle was resumed the next morning. At the team score of 226, the 3rd wicket fell, that of the 19-year-old Khurasiya, agonisingly close to his maiden century, and dismissed for 99 (off 138 balls, with 15 fours), his highest score till date. Dwevedi went on to complete a well-deserved century (114 off 230 balls and 316 minutes, with 14 fours). The innings closed at 476. For the home team, Prashant Vaidya claimed 4 for 130.

Vidarbha put up a vigorous 503, Samir Gujar scoring a 221 off 322 balls with 29 fours, the highest individual score ever for Vidarbha. Batting at 6, Usman Gani scored 140 (off 199 balls with 24 fours. The 5th-wicket partnership between the two centurions realised 253. For MP, Nilosey took his second 5-wicket haul of the match (5 for 152).

Requiring 218 runs to win the game, MP raced to their target for the loss of 3 wickets in a rollicking 22.3 overs, at a run rate of 9.7 runs per over, Khurasiya and captain Sandeep Patil providing the finishing touches.

Amidst all the celebrations for an away win, there was an unfortunate youngster cursing his luck, having remained on 99 not out when the winning runs were hit. Khurasiya was left rueing the fact that he had come so close to his maiden First-Class century twice in the match, having been dismissed once for 99 and again, being stranded on 99 not out at the end of the win.

Brief scores:

Vidarbha 190 (Praveen Hingnikar 74; Devashish Nilosey 5 for 68, Sunil Lahore 4 for 60) and 503 (Samir Gujar 221, Usman Gani 140; Devashish Nilosey 5 for 152) lost to Madhya Pradesh 476 (Amitabh Vijayvargiya 50, Amay Khurasiya 99, Prashant Dwevedi 114, Rajesh Chauhan 40, Atul Prabhakar 57*; Prashant Vaidya 4 for 130) and 218 for 3 (Amay Khurasiya 99*, Sandeep Patil 40*) by 7 wickets.

***

The scene now shifts to the continent of Africa, and to Zimbabwe in particular. We come across one Wayne Robert James, right-hand bat and wicketkeeper, August 27, 1965 at Bulawayo. His cricket career was spread over 4 Tests between 1993-94 and 1994-95, 40 First-Class matches from 1986-87 to 1996-97, and 11 ODIs between 1991-92 and 1996.

For this story, we are concerned with his exploits in the First-Class arena. The archives speak of him having scored a symmetrical total of 2,442 runs with a highest of 215 and an average of 38.15. He had 3 centuries and 16 fifties to his credit. Behind the stumps, he had 101 catches and made 7 stumpings.

For James, his maiden century was to be his highest First-Class score of 215 for Matabeleland against Mashonaland in a Logan Cup match played at Bulawayo in February 1994. He scored his 2 other First-Class centuries (107 and 127) in the same match while captaining Matabeleland Select XI against South Africa A, the game being played at Bulawayo again, in September 1994.

He was, therefore, not a stranger to a hundreds being beside his name in this class of cricket. Nor was he unaccustomed to having a nineties against his name, having been dismissed for 96 for Matabeleland Invitation XI (of which he was the skipper) against a visiting Worcestershire team, the match being played at Bulawayo in April 1994.

The script, however, was to be somewhat different in his 36th First-Class match, as captain of Matabeleland against Mashonaland, in the 1995-96 Logan Cup final, played at Bulawayo in April.

Mashonaland skipper Robin Brown opted for first strike. Their 1stinnings total read 265 in 85 overs. Jason Oates top-scored with 115, Bryan Strang (66) keeping him company in an 8th-wicket stand of 137. While the wickets were shared between 4 of the 6 bowlers used, James made a definite statement, having a hand in the dismissals of 9 of the batsmen (7 catches and 2 stumpings), still the joint record for most dismissals in a First-Class innings.

In the Matabeleland 1st innings of 220, James, the top scorer, was dismissed for an unlucky 99 (off 185 balls). Strang captured 4 for 69 (he was to play another crucial role in the 2nd innings). Mashonaland were then dismissed for 128, wicketkeeper Donald Campbell scoring 35. James had 4 more dismissals behind the stumps, all caught, making a total of 13 dismissals in the match, the then First-Class record (this record has been subsequently bettered by Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil of Hyderabad,  with 14 dismissals, 11 caught, 3 stumped, against Assam at Guwahati in November 2011).

The last act of the drama was yet to be played out, however. Needing 174 to win the game, Matabeleland scored 176 for 4 to win the match by 6 wickets. When James was on 99 not out, the scores were level, all it needed was for him to score the single that would not only take him to a deserving century, but also win him the game. Alas, it was not to be. With the scores level, Strang (that man again!) bowled a wide that yielded 4 extras, finishing off the match.

We have been hearing the proverb, “There is many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip” from our childhood days. How cruel the reality of it proved to be for these two unfortunate batsmen!

Brief scores:

Mashonaland County Districts 265 (Jason Oates 115, Bryan Strang 66; Darshan Vaghmaria 4 for 108; Wayne James 7c 2st) and 128 (John Rennie 6 for 42) lost to Matabeleland 220 (Wayne James 99, Manish Ranchod 40; Bryan Strang 4 for 69) and 176 for 4 (Mark Dekker 57*, Wayne James 99*) by 6 wickets.

(Pradip Dhole is a retired medical practitioner with a life-long interest in cricket history and statistics)

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