A game of many firsts in Yavatmal

Praveen Hinganikar completed his maiden First-Class hundred with a six.

By Anupam Soni :

Hinganikar slams maiden ton as Vidarbha pile record total

NAGPUR is among those rare cricketing venues across the world that has seen international cricket being played at two grounds. Before the state-of-the-art Jamtha Stadium came up, international matches were played at Civil Lines ground. Both the grounds have distinction of holding World Cup matches. But even when VCA’s Civil Lines was a reputed centre, Vidarbha (team) played many First-Class matches at different venues in Vidarbha. In its effort to spread the sport to smaller centres, VCA conducted Ranji Trophy matches at places like Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal and Hinganghat.

Sunil Hedaoo made a well-compiled 95.

The first match played at Yavatmal’s Postal Ground on a matting wicket in December 1985 turned out to be an eventful one. Vidarbha had a good measure of Railways in the Central Zone Ranji Trophy match. The three-day game will also be remembered for Manohar Agasti’s rare feat. Making his debut as an opener, Agasti took wicket on his very first ball in FC cricket. Vidarbha opener and wicketkeeper Praveen Hinganikar registered his maiden First-Class hundred while Railways’ opener Alfred Burrows got his FC top-score of 193 in second innings. Vidarbha skipper Vijay Telang, who made a comeback to the side after missing a couple of seasons, invited Railways to bat first.

Vidarbha pacers Bharat Thakre (4-41) and Satish Takle (3-31) wreaked havoc on new mat to rattle Railways. Captain Pradeep Banerjee declared the first innings at 154-8 in 48.4 overs. “In those days, points were allotted considering the number of wickets taken (and runs scored). In order to save one point that Vidarbha would have earned had they taken the ninth wicket, Railways made the declaration,” said Hinganikar while recalling the match. Vidarbha lost debutant Agasti (4) early but Hinganikar (100) and Raju Pankule (76) added 139 runs before the latter was dismissed. The hosts were sitting pretty at 164-2 at the end of the first day. On the next day, Hinganikar, who entertained the partisan crowd with some brilliant batting, completed his hundred with a six.

“I was stuck at 94 for quite a while. But when leg-spinner Harsh Mathur was introduced, I took my chance. I hit him over the long on fence for a six to complete the hundred. It was a very pleasing moment. I will always remember that knock as after end of the match, somebody patted me on back and said ‘well played Praveen’.

I turned to see and it was (Mr VR) Senior Manohar and was overjoyed,” Hinganikar said recollecting his memories of the maiden ton. Going for an encore, he was caught in the deep on the next ball. Sunil Hedaoo (95) played a sensible knock and with decent contributions from Suhas Phadkar (34) and Prakash Sahasrabudhe (46), Vidarbha piled 460 in 95.1 overs bettering their all-time high aggregate of 394-6 scored against Madhya Pradesh at Nagpur in 1983. By end of the second day, the visitors, starting with 306 in arrears, were 89-2 and the hosts were smelling a big win. But Burrows came up with his best performance in life to deny Vidarbha a victory. Agasti picking wicket on his only ball signalled end of the match. Vidarbha got eight points while Railways seven in the drawn match.

Agasti in elite club DEBUTANT Manohar Agasti became member of a unique club in the match. On his very first ball of the First-Class career, Agasti picked a wicket. He never bowled again in his entire career. He is one among three (actually the second one) players in the world to have achieved the feat — bowling just one ball in life (read FC cricket) and picking a wicket. New Zealand’s Richard Jones, who was a one-Test wonder, picked a wicket for Wellington against Northern Districts in Wellington 2000-01. The first player to take a wicket with his only delivery in FC cricket was Basheshar Khanna. Playing for Punjab Governor’s XII (12-a-side one-off match played at Lawrence Gardens, Lahore), he took a Northern India wicket in 1927-28. (Source: espncricinfo) Agasti still cherishes his lone victim as he had taken a sweet revenge. “It was my debut First-Class match. As an opener I could score just four runs and was out to Ashok Sharma. When the match reached a dead end, my skipper Vijay Telang asked me whether I would like to bowl. I told him that I can even get him a wicket. Incidentally, it was Sharma on the strike. I bowled, he stepped out to go for big heave, missed the line and was clean bowled on the first ball. With last man (Rajkumar) unwell, the match ended there only and I never got a chance to bowl again in my career later on,” said Agasti.

Match: Vidarbha vs Railways Ranji Trophy Central Zone match played at Postal Ground, Yavatmal in December 1985 (3-day match on matting wicket).

Result: IVidarbha got eight points while Railways seven in the drawn match.

Highlights

n Manohar Agasti, making his debut, entered record books taking wicket on the first ball.

n Vidarbha opener and stumper Praveen Hinganikar scored his first First-Class hundred.

n Railways opener Alfred Burrows (193) recorded his best FC score in this match. Burrows, who played for Railways between 1978 and 1986, later moved to Australia and breathed his last on August 16, 2015 in Perth.

The Hitavada Scoreboard

RAILWAYS 1ST INNINGS: A Burrows b Thakre 15, P Karkera c Hinganikar b Thakre 16, S Chavan c Hedaoo b Thakre 12, K Fernandes c Telang b Thakre 0, H Mathur c Hinganikar b Takle 1, G Tank c Hinganikar b Takle 46, V Chauhan b Takle 8, H Joshi c Hedaoo b Wasu 2, P Banerjee Not Out 27, A Sharma Not Out 6. Extras: (nb 11, b 4, lb 2, pen 4) 21. TOTAL: (8 wkts decl, 48.4 overs) 154.

FoW: 1-35, 2-35, 3-43, 4-57, 5-57, 6-83, 7-98, 8-120. Bowling: Gawate 4-0-29-0, Takle 16-4-31-3, Thakre 13-3-41-4, Pankule 3-1-10-0, Wasu 12-2-33-1. VIDARBHA 1ST INNINGS: P Hinganikar c Joshi b Mathur 100, M Agasti c Burrows b Sharma 4, P Pankule c Fernandes b Tank 76, S Hedaoo c Chavan b Joshi 95, S Phadkar c Fernandes b Rajkumar 34, V Telang c Sharma b Rajkumar 12, P Sahasrabudhe run out 46, S Takle lbw b Joshi 0, V Gawate Not Out 23, H Wasu run out 9, B Thakre run out 2. Extras: (nb 10, b 12, lb 9, pen 28) 59. TOTAL: (All out, 95.1 overs) 460. FoW: 1-9, 2-143, 3-225, 4-304, 5-323, 6-366, 7-366, 8-404, 9-430. Bowling: Rajkumar 15-1-61-2, Sharma 16-0-70-1, Banerjee 13-0-66-0, Joshi 20-2-83-2, Tank 12.1-2-41-1, Mathur 19-0-90-1. RAILWAYS 2ND INNINGS: A Burrows st Hinganikar b Wasu 193, P Karkera b Takle 13, S Chavan lbw b Thakre 30, K Fernandes lbw b Wasu 42, H Mathur c Hinganikar b Pankule 2, G Tank b Wasu 31, V Chauhan c Gawate b Takle 38, H Joshi c Agasti b Wasu 5, P Banerjee Not Out 46, A Sharma b Agasti 4. Extras: (w 2, nb 2, b 9, lb 5) 18. TOTAL (9 wkts, 115.1 overs) 422. FoW: 1-22, 2-69, 3-177, 4-182, 5-266, 6-319, 7-330, 8-392, 9-422. Bowling: Gawate 10-0-41-0, Takle 24-2-102-2, Thakre 21-4-95-1, Pankule 27-7-68-1, Wasu 30-4-92-4, Phadkar 2-0-5-0, Telang 1-0-5-0, Agasti 0.1-0-0-1. n