League Cricket in Chennai
In the 1970s when I was a young student the League Matches in Chennai were very famous and there used to be a huge crowd to watch the matches. I used to go and watch all the matches with my brothers. Myself and my second brother Ashok were very keen to watch the League Matches in both Chepauk and Marina Grounds.
We never used to see the Newspaper and there was no news about the League cricket in the radio. TV was non-existent at that time. But still we were fully informed about the matches and all our friends used to go to the ground as one group.
Jolly Rovers, Alwarpet CC, SPIC, MCC, YMA, IOB were some of the popular clubs in the First Division League in Chennai.
It was a real treat to watch matches in the Chepauk Stadium (which later became M.A.Chidambaram Stadium). This was the home ground of MCC (Madras Cricket Club) and I vividly remember the coincidence of Vivid Bharathi (Radio Station) playing the song “Hai Jawani, Hai Diwani, Hut meri raani, rukh javo raani”. Kishore Kumar will sing “Giligili appa” “giligili appa” in that song and the entire crowd will sing in Chorus “Belli appa” Belliappa”. This coincidence has happened several times and if the Radio does not play that song we will any sing that song when M.M.Kumar and Belliappa come out as Openers for MCC.
The Matches used to be played in the true spirit of the game. It was a real “gentlemen game” at that time.
S.Venkataraghavan was the captain of YMA. He used to scold the fielders if there is any dropped catch or mis-fielding. He was the angry young man of the team.
Santhosh Kumar who is the son of the Groundsman in Chepauk used to play for IOB in the First Division League and we used to cheer him a lot. He was also in the School team representing Hindu High School and most of us were anyway students of the same school. It was a big proud moment for us to watch and cheer for one of our school seniors. Santhosh was a good spin bowler. K.Ramesh in my memory was the tallest man in League Cricket in Chennai those days. He used to be known as “Kaka” Ramesh and was a consistent performer for IOB.
V.V.Kumar was the only leg spinner in those days. Very stylish and very successful bowler who was extremely good in domestic cricket but was never selected for the National Team.
Raghavan was another good spin bowler. There was V.Prabhakar who was a good medium pace bowler and his brother V.Chandrasekar was also a very good player and a good captain.
S.Gopalakrishnan was the Gundappa Vishwanath of Madras. Very stylish and elegant player.
We had the dashing P.K.Dharmalingam and the Mr.Consistent K.R.Rajagopal. K.R.Rajagopal was the Captain and Wicket Keeper of Jolly Rovers.
Alwarpet CC had Satwender Singh who was a big hitter of the ball. There were a few consistent batsmen in those days like V.Krishnaswami and Mukund.
Michael Dalvi was the most handsome of the lot and he used to be only player to come in a Car. He used to drive white colour “Beetle” Volkswagen in those days.
Myself and my brother Ashok used to run and pat at the back of the players when they come back for Lunch or Tea. We both enjoyed patting on the back of the Umpires and we used to tell them “well played”. Even now when I think of that I get a laugh and relish much in the same way like in the good old days when we both found it very amusing to go and pat the umpire on his back…
I do not know the status of League Cricket in Chennai today. We have so much of cricket now a days and so many variants but nothing to beat the good old days. League Matches played in one day and then there were three day matches and then the “King of All” – the Test Matches. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the First Division League Matches in Chennai in the 1970s and those remain truly unforgettable “Golden Memories”.
T.P.Anand, Dubai, U.A.E.
9th June 2010
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hi
I can say in all honesty that i too am a huge cricket fan especially of our state matches. I follow the Ranji trophy and Duleep trophy(south zone) matches very keenly(in the paper of course) as it throws potential India players into the lime light. But The way you have followed our city cricket league with so much dedication is unbelievable. Must have been super fun to watch all the matches. I myself have never watched any of the league cricket matches but your description of the players and your experiences while watching these matches has given me a feel of the atmosphere too.
S.Venkataraghavan was the captain of YMA. He used to scold the fielders if there is any dropped catch or mis-fielding. He was the angry young man of the team.
வெங்கட் ராகவனுடைய ரொம்ப பேமஸ் கமென்ட் ” விவியன் ரிச்சர்ட்சையே மூக்கில வெரல வுட்டு ஆட்டி இருக்கேன் “!
Nice article. It has taken me my twenties, when I used to follow the Madras league matches also with much interest, watching many matches in Marina, coming all the way from Ambattur with friends. All the points mentioned about the players were of the same opiion of mine. We had Parry team also a good one, with Kripal Singh, U Prabhakar and Raghavan in its team. Our Rajagopal nearly missed his chances to Abid ali for the tour of australia and newzeland. Prior to that players like CD Gopinath, M K Balakrishnan and Murugesh were entertaining.
Thanks for taking me 40 years back..
Regards
K Venkataraman
Very Nostalgic…
I too belong to that period and was studying in Pachaiyappas and could brush with Bharat Reddy, SM Krishnakumar, S Vasudevan, Ashok
Thambusamy and all. Even the college cricket use to be so exciting and Madras University for once won the `Rohintan Baria’ cup for Inter University.
The Buchi Babu tourney, bringing in Nirlon with total Mumbai team and SBI with star studded players from Karnataka and Rest of India use to be a good attraction. Even we had the Gopalan Trophy Ceylon Vs Tamil Nadu. So easily TN use to beat them. Now the position is….???!!! Check the score now….
Thanks for the nice article…
Thanks Mr.Venkataraman and Mr.Viswanathan for your comments.
Myself and my brother Ashok fondly remember the 12th Man of State Bank of India – A.M.Srinivasan. He used to do excellent fielding and hence was always out on the field during SBI matches. It was such a strong team that despite being a good fielder and a stylish batsman AMS was always the 12th Man of the team. I met him a few days back in Chennai and he recalled being the 12th Man in a team which had such good players as V.V.Kumar, Raghavan, Jabbar, Gopalakrishnan, Milka Singh, Prabhakar, Chandrasekhar, Ramchand,etc.. He was actually proud that he was part of the team and had no regrets of bieng the permanent 12th Man.
please tel me how i get chance for city league,i am a good allrounder i have played district for salem,,pls res me
Siva,
You have to meet one of the clubs in the I division league and show them your talent. I think if you are good they will lap you up. First division league team details can be had from TNCA office.
my proud movement was when i scored 44 NO for vaishnav college againsr engineering guindy that too against venkatraghavan in 1966
r. ramachandran
That is a super news and this post might have made you nostalgic making you remember all the strokes in that innings.
Can you write about that and send to me? I will publish here with your photo?
satyamurthyji
kindly give ur email id sothat i can send my photograph
one more match i have played for hindu high scool against ps high schoolin1961/62 it was thrilling match we scored 205 in 50 overs and p.s high school all out for 204 in the 50th over for hindu high school m arunachalam j.s.ganshyam kanti chakravarthy t,v.chandru played and for p.s high school r. prabakar 44 vaidyaraman60 p.k,venkatachalam 24 unforgettable match
i never missed league matches in mcc as i was staying in bells rd first div includes alwarpet bunts jollyrovers southern rly bhimanpet sathappan n pk belliappa used to open for mcc followed by mk balakrishnan n cd gopinath joint was most succesful bowler marker kuppan 12th man used to field brillantly
Well there was sushil and sunil haridoss and burrows
i am also a great fan of first division league cricket and i am proud to say that i have studied in The HIndu High School. Finished my SSLC in the year 1975 I studied when Santosh Kumar was playing for School team and he used to all the matches single handed and he used to score centuries and take six, seven, or eight wickets in school cricket and make headlines in the The Hindu sports column. In the late eighties and nineteens W V Raman used to dominate our School cricket and he won many matches on his own performance. I remember my old classmates names VV Kannan, K Ganesh, Sathyamurthy, Kadiresan, Chandramouli, Raghupathi, Ramani,etc. I would like to meet them.
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