Published: Oct 05, 2017, 11:15 AM (IST)
Edited: Oct 05, 2017, 11:14 AM (IST)
A motley group of South Americans had set sail for England for a cricket tour in 1932. They did a decent job throughout the tour, but the one against Sir Julian Cahn’s XI was amazing even by their standards. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at a spectacular match that culminated in an exciting finish on June 28, 1932.
Before we embark upon the story of this unlikely match, let me provide an introduction to Sir Julian Cahn and his team. An eccentric (and that is an understatement), Cahn was one of cricket’s greatest patrons. His single-handed contributions towards keeping Leicestershire County Cricket Club alive in the 1930s deserve special mention.
But more famously, he formed a team of his own — one that included cricketers of the stature of Andy Sandham, Stewie Dempster, Joe Hardstaff Jr, Bob Crisp, Denijs Morkel, Paul Gibb, Arthur Carr, Bev Lyon, Ian Peebles, Lionel Tennyson, and EW Swanton.
Cahn’s team toured North America (including West Indies), New Zealand, South Africa,and Ceylon as well as unlikelier locations like Argentina and Malaya.They had an enviable record, losing only 19 of their 621 matches across an 18-year span. That is just over one defeat a year.
What made their record more spectacular was Cahn’s own participation. He often turned out for the side himself, mostly as a captain who contributed little — and for good reasons. A hypochondriac, he preferred to travel on electric wheelchairs surrounded by nurses.
Cahn’s recorded average of 7.52 flattered him. He wore inflatable pads that could be blown out of proportions (literally) to an extent that they covered the stumps. The umpires turned down all leg-before appeals against him. They also signalled every leg-bye as a run. When, on one occasion, air leaked from his pad, he walked off, sacked the person in charge, and declared the innings.
Only 6 of Cahn’s matches were given First-Class status. This was the fourth, and the first on English soil. The match started on June 25, 1932 — the same day when India played their first ever Test.
The reluctant continent
Despite its initial glory days in Argentina, South America never took to cricket. True, Argentina did beat Plum Warner’s touring MCC in 1926;the Primera División, incepted in 1897-98, still continues; but cricket is far from being a popular sport in the country.
However, cricket had some presence in Argentina at that time when the match was played. The idea of sending a combined South American side on an England tour was the brainchild of one EWS Thomson, Honorary Secretary of Argentine Cricket Association.Thomson also acted as manager of the side.The tour remains the only occasion when South America played First-Class cricket as a continent.
The team was led by Clement Gibson, who had also led them to that famous 1926 win. Gibson is most remembered for his famous 6 for 64 (he bowled unchanged) in 1921 when Archie MacLaren’s England XI famously upset Warwick Armstrong’s unstoppable Australians.
The squad also boasted of two of the Ayling brothers, Dennet and Cyril, the all-rounders of the side. Their father ED Ayling was a regular for the historic Buenos Aires CC. Cecil and Eric, brothers of Dennet and Cyril, also played for Argentina, as did Dennet Ayling Jr and Cecil’s son RE Ayling.
The original side consisted of ten Argentines, four Brazilians, and a Chilean. When the Brazilians OT Cunningham and HC Morriss pulled out, John Naumann, the former Cambridge and Sussex cricketer who had played in Sao Paulo, was named replacement. Unfortunately,Naumann could not make it either, and Alfred Jackson of Chile joined the touring party 15 days after the commencement of the tour.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Jackson, to quote Peter Wynne-Thomas, “proved to be the best batsman and scored his runs in a most attractive manner.†The Ayling brothers did well with both bat and ball, but sloppy fielding let the side down.
They had an average tour, winning 2 and losing 3 First-Class matches. Of their 12 Second-Class matches they lost 2, while the rest were mostly rain-hit draws.As for the First-Class matches, they lost to Leicestershire, the British Army, and Scotland. The Worcestershire match was washed out without a toss, while the rain-hit Sussex match was drawn. However, they thrashed a weak Oxford side, and — remarkably — beat Julian Cahn’s XI.
The match
Sir Cahn won the toss, and his side batted the whole of the first day. They were bowled out for 413, amassed at an excellent 4.37. Denijs Morkel, that hard-hitting batsman (and seam bowler) who had played 16 Tests for South Africa, smashed 251 of these. And of the remaining 141 that came off the bat (there were 21 extras), Frederick Newman got 85.
Oh, and Cahn, batting at No. 11, scored 10 not out in a stand of 59 with Morkel. He was one of the four men of the side to reach double figures. It is not known how much umpiring intervention was involved in his innings.
The South Americans were bowled out for 338 the next day after Jackson (62) and Dennet Ayling (59) added 118 for the opening wicket. Four men crossed 47 (three others got 24 or more) but none of them managed to go past 62. Len Richmond, the Nottinghamshire leg-spinner who played a Test in 1921, took 5 for 126.
Stuart Rhodes and Tom Reddick then batted out till stumps. When play resumed on the third (and final) day, Cahn’s XI led by 99 runs with all 10 wickets in hand. The West Bridgford crowd probably anticipated a sporting declaration, but a draw seemed the likelier option.
Brothers-in-arms
Rhodes (25) and Reddick (44) almost eliminated any possibility of a defeat on that final morning, stretching the lead to 131 before a wicket fell. However, once the partnership broke, the Ayling brothers scythed through the line-up.
Cahn mysteriously promoted himself to 4, and fell for 2. Morkel, hero of the first innings, got 7. Newman, Richmond, and Frederick Seabrook were the only batsmen to reach double-figures. And the mighty XI were bowled out for 150.
Cyril Ayling, the fast-medium bowler, took 5 for 48. Elder brother Dennet did even better, getting 5 for 40 with his off-breaks. Five of them were without a fielder’s intervention, while a sixth (George Heane) was caught by Dennet off Cyril. For only the second time in First-Class cricket did two brothers take five-wicket hauls in the same innings.
Note: Interestingly, the first instance came less than ten days ago. Arthur (5 for 95) and Sam (5 for 68) Staples did this for Nottinghamshire against Gloucestershire at Bristol. It would also remain the last instance till after World War II.
But 226 runs were still to be made, and the hard-hitting Jackson (78) gave them a solid start, adding 112 with Dennet Ayling. Dennet dropped anchor as Robert Stuart and James Paul played cameos. And though the tourists lost 3 wickets in quick succession, Dennet remained unbeaten on 86 to see them through.
Brief scores:
Sir Julian Cahn’s XI 413 (Frederick Newman 85, Denijs Morkel 251; Clement Gibson 4 for 107) and 150 (Dennet Ayling 5 for 40, Cyril Ayling 5 for 48) lost to South Americans 338 (Alfred Jackson 62, Dennet Ayling 59, Clement Gibson 50; Len Richmond 5 for 126) and 227 for 5 (Alfred Jackson 78, Dennet Ayling 86; Gerald Summers 3 for 55) by 5 wickets.
