1961-06-09 — Page 9

THE CHINA MAIL,

FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1961.

PRINCES OF SPORT

A day in the life of sport's

greatest Prince —

three

matches, three centuries

The Indian Prince slipped out of his bedroom window, descended

a ladder, and disappeared into the darkness. Only that evening he had been lectured by his county cricket captain on the benefits of sleep. But the warm moonlit night was perfect for the task in hand. After a full night's fishing, he slipped back unnoticed in time for breakfast.

A few houUTE lotet, the slim, England from defent by the slightly-larit batman was Australone. In 2000, he start walking onl

to the Tauntoned with G01 for three completed wicket with his characteristic 1mins and Anished with 3,035 swinging wait IL

the ruts from 40 innings. WIN second day's play and Sunsex faced a formidable Somerel total.

Prince When the sleepless returned to

pavilion, the Sussex were well placed for vlciory. He had scored 285 not out and only rain, ending play forty minutes early, had prevented him from topping 300.

All-round sportsman "See what 1171 curly night does for you. sold skipper

W. 1. Murduch.

"Yes, indeed," the sporting Price gravely agreed.

Such

The drama-packed story of Ranji began in 1878, when Vibhaji, Maharaja Jam Sabied of Newanagar kanded over a silm, frail, seven-year-old boy to Col. Barton, Political Arent to

the Government, and whis- pered: "Take him. Here there Is danger."

Those six words told Barton at the young Hanif, born the village of Sarodar, 503 of

sporting squire, W

was The Jabest youth to be chosen ng beir to th throne of Nawabogar.

Adopted

a

Fourteen wives had falled to Col man was

His provide the Maharaja with Jighness Shri Sir Ranjisbjį natural male huir. Now Ranji Jani Saheb was the third boy to be legally Vibb. Maharaja of Nawanagar, greatest of all adopted as his son, the previous porting princ A glant her having been murdered by omong cricketers, an all round supporters of a rival claimant. sportsman far ehrlowed by na- ture that he could defy the rules by which

he contemporaries practisest their crafts.

The war adopted in secrecy, guided night and day, installed in a remote bungalow with a staff of 15 servants, and late admitted 10 the Rajkumar Cambridge. eoliennes College. There, while court siruply called hiri "Smith,"

cheat him intrigue worked to "Puncte dubbed him “Ru-#- sinhji Cricket Tovers knew hem only as "Ranji," And name translatedi read: The

لالمانية

of his inheritance, the His young Prince was learning the

ways of cricket.

In spurt, eagle-eyed Ranji į ethication and cricket

lium tha conquers in battle,

might have conquered at any

u. game. He beat Wimblr-

don champion Ernest Renshaw

In a lawn tennis tournament.

AL Cambridge. he showed whlity at Rugby, soccer, race kets and billiards,

47 runs in 12 balls

on

land.

In 188, Ranji continued his in Eng-

He had no special regard! for the fine arts of batamun- for hitting ship; his runs. never for defending hin wicket. And his all-out aggression met with astonish- ing success.

Own, om the vast ground at Cambridge known be Parker's Instead, he concentrated Piece, he slammed 132 runs be-

marking his erickel,

fore counly debut in 1895 by scoring 77 not out and 150 for Sussex vs MCC. I am the pace for the rest v his career in which he besede the game like a Colorais.

In 1896-he slammed 82 ant 154 muut out

Australians en his Test match

debut... hit two separate con-

Mon. After lunch, strolled over to another match, found the basting side was one man short, And innde another century, this the carrying his bit.

A new stroke

Back at his original

game,

turi day fur Sussex vz Ranji four hir te still bat- Yorkshire.

thrashed 47 rusting.

So he went over to

or 12 bala during ten minutes third match between incomplete of the Gentlemen: V Player de-and made 120 for

„passed Greer's preord | third century of the day. mutah.

On for the hughest aggregate in a another occasion he ran 12 off senson with 2,570 1uns, and

one hit. But the purists nodded topped

their heads in despair.

Professionals were horrified

averages

uational batting

Ranji's right foot to the turf. Still refusing to be forced on defensive, the sharp-eye the

Tzed bowlers by Prince twisting his body, flicking his wrists at the moment of impact, and steering the ball round to 1rg.

Thus a new stroke was born. Tanji called

it "the leg

glide,"

By

| JOHN COTTRELL

Statisties can never fully re-

the capture

glory that WOR Ranji. This god-like tigure of cricket, once the despair of purists, developed a beautiful yle that prompted C.B.. Fry 10 write: "He had no technical faults whatsoever."

As a statesman

His

and Immaculate cyc instinctive sense of timing marked him above all other me and he never reached greater heights than in 1900 when he exceeded 3,000 runs for the second sucerssive sea- son, averaging 17.57 for 40 Innings and scoring five double-centuries.

07

Playing for Sussex against Middlesex,

a nightmarish pitch at Hove, he made 202 while the rest of his side fotal-

In the same spirit, Ranjiled only 31, stood his ground against bum- pets and hooked to leg in a Inshion that inspired the ex- pression: "He alcked fours off his eyebrows."

Despite

When the usurper Jasaji died of typhoid in 1905, Ilanji row covered his stolen heritage and began to spend more and more time in India where he achieved

colour certain prejudice, fun-loving, poker-equal greatness as a progressive playing Itaoji. extravagant but always generous, won over all his contemporaries at

lateman and President of the Chamber of Princes. When World War I began, he remen- bered his old country by pter- Viceroy every horse and moter enr in his state.

Tragically, in 1915, a shooting Yorkshire robbed accident in

Cambridge with his engaginging, the personality, quiet confidence and supreme talent,

He would be seen practising in the nets from eleven in the morning to four in the after- noon. Always he sought out the most hostile bowlers and later he had the habit of balancing a sovereign on top of the balls as encouraging bait.

Playing for Cambridge, Ranji was rutstanding as both felder ard batsman. His magical qualities were best demonstral-

the Yorkshire match when "Long John" Tunnicliffe drove the ball with all his power a

in the deep.

Run

Test debut

F. S. Jackson belluwed: "Hun after it, Smith. What are you standing there for?" In reply, the Indian maglelan produced the ball

from his pocket. He had caught and pocketed it quicker than the Bye could! follow.

Ranji had to leave Cambridge for inancln! reasons in 1894. The Maharaja had died and his successor. the usurper had promptly cut his £800-3- year allowance,

him of one of his greatest assets 28 sportsman-lits right eye. But he continued to hunt, and in 1920 he made a sentimental journey to England to captai Sussex again.

Tears

The first of his last three matches wan against Eyrex, and as he led Sussex out of the pavilion, 5,000 people rose and cheered him all the way.

It was one of the rare occn- sions when the impassive Indian was overcome by emotion. Later, when Ranji the Great took up his stund at the wicket, fears welled up in his eyes almost blinding him to the bowling.

His innings of 16 dues not merit mention in the record books. But for many spectators it provided one of the greatest moments of their cricketing fives.

Ever after they were able to Jassali, say i saw Ranji play."

He stayed in Britain to play county cricket for Sussex.

A howl of protesis went up i when in 1896 Lord Harris, President of MCG, refused, on principle, to play an Indian for England in the First Test against Australia. But in those days the local elob had the right to choose the Test team, and for the Second Test at Old Trafford, the Lancashire xvlectors nominated Ranji on the provision that the Assira- lians had no objection.

So Ran the Great made his Test debut-with 42 and 151

In 1807, he made 260 in jest by his lack of style — above feur hours for Sussex at its jail. by the way he retreated In 1899, he became the first. from a ball aimed at the body. ever cricketer 1 s 8,009 Tom Hayward of Surrey onully

in a season,

and Saved cured this fault; he pegged | skipper the

11018

RUSSIA WINS FIVE WORLD

AMATEUR GRECO-ROMAN

WRESTLING GOLD MEDALS

Yokohama, June 8. Soviet Russia captured five World Amateur Greco- Roman Wrestling titles out of eight at stake today.

not out. Afterwards, Sussex Hon Arthur Somerset commented: "All ather batsmen are labourers in comparison."

Few people realised then that Ranji was a slek man. Suffor- iny from asthma, hẹ had many sleepless nights and, unable to sland the cold, he almost collapsed when snow once fell drbig a match at Trent Bridge, When Ranji, the national tele. brity, was pickert for the tour of Australia in 1897, the Aus- tralians were so pleased that they passed a special law in the Senate exousing him from be- Ing taxed the customary £100 before a foreigner can enter the

country,

Greatest feat

In the first match at Ade- feather-Jaide, the Indian Prineo made

109.

The pre-tournament Russlan to pick up one bronze medal In favourites swept

Greco-Roman the flyweight, the bantamweight, lightweight, mid- | weight division. dleweight and heavyweight kald The Soviets won gold medals medals. But three other no- in the freestyle flyweight tions won the remaining three 10 featherweight divisions. Flop the Soviets trom dominat- Jug the held.

and

The Russians wound up the week's tournament in bath the freestyle

and Greco-Romani

at Kelo University Memorial Fall with 71 points to lead the 22 participating nations in the team standing.

:

hy

Wa

In the six-day World Amateur Freestyle and Greed- Ruman Wrestling Tourns- iments which concluded to- night in the presence of Prince und Peine Mikusa, and tending Japanese government Turkey, one of the tourŢID- and sports officials, the Ruinent's top favourites, was necond Flans picked up a total of with 53.5 points, followed

medals

49. saven gold

natt Iron with Iran's five and one each by fourth with 20. West Germany, Hungary, the Host country Japan, which United Arab Repabile and won only one bronze medat in Runiania.

the Freestyle competition, and none In the Greco-Rom277, finished seventh in team rating

The winnors

andi Korldze,

Hungury

11is popularity soon turned sour when he alleged that Aus- tralian speed merchant Ernest Jonck was "throwing"-a fault, he said, which was unconscious and general throughout England. Rani was now 11 again, this time with quinsy, and Austra lian critics promptly alleged that:

facing the

he was

of seared Thunderbolis of Jones,

This was too much for the proud Free. He went directly from le sick bed to the crie- ket feld, and there Mienced his critics by making a record Test score for England - 175 FURS, MANr of them at the expense of Jones.

Then he went back to bed.

On the morning of the third with 19.1 paints, behind iht Test ni Sydney, Ranji ad an Russian gold medal winners

operation on his throat. But he United States with 22. In the Greco-Roman competl-

and Prince Mikosa, the youngest made 40 on the first day tion were: Flyweight Armorz

il to 180. He Emperor Hirohito. later Inoreerod Snlodov, bantamweight Oleg brother

ct Keravayev, lightweight Aval personally presented the medals rated this the greatest feat middleweight to the first three place winners his career.

Ranji was the idol of Aus- Vasally Zenine and heavyweight in the flyweight category.

tralians ain. They struck Runner-up Ivan Badgan,

and third

placetani matches", visited "Ranji The

Greco-Roman bars". remaining ree Arst winners of each

int "Nanji hair- United prizes went 10

Arab division were:

medal -

restorer", played with "Ranj] Républic's Huned Musinta, Flyweight; silver

bata." Rumania's welterweight Valeriu Dimitri Pirvulescu (Rumanio): India's first great sportsman Banco and Hungary's light- bronze-Burhan Bozkurt (Pur-finished ton of the four averages heavyweight Gurles.

with 1,157 from 20 matchda Iran, which surprised the Bantamweight: Niver. Ion (average €0,00). He was 60 wrestling world on Sunday by Corner (Rumania); Arònte -- prolide that a Reuter corres-

once "{Czechoslovakia).- |pondent winning five gold medals in the Jiri Svee

cabled home; Freestyle confert, was only abls AP.

*tanj only tade 60."

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