Scotland v India 23, 25 & 26 July 1932 by Cricket Scotland

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Ground:	Forthill, Dundee
Scorecard:	Scotland v Indians
Event:	India in British Isles 1932

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DateLine: 2nd February 2013

 

 

Day 1:
Wickets were got very cheaply in the first day of the match between Scotland and All India at Forthill, Broughty Ferry. During just over five hours' play no fewer than 22 fell for an aggregate of 240 runs, and the rate was rather less than 11 per man dismissed.

 

Both sides completed an innings, and as two of the touring team were got out for 13 on batting a second time, the Indians finished up 78 ahead with eight wickets in hand. Thus the match is still in an interesting state, though from what was seen of the Indian's bowling, the Scots will find it very hard to make up the first innings leeway of 65.

 

It was obvious that the wicket was assisting the bowlers. Heavy rain had fallen in the district on Friday, and the pitch had not recovered from the soaking it had received.

 

It was an extraordinary thing that the highest scores of the game were two 28's. There was nothing distinctive about any of the batting, but the Indians all over showed better form in that department, and they had the three biggest totals at their credit.

 

They displayed greater confidence than the Scots, and Lall Singh's innings was the brightest of all. He did not get very far, but he put plenty of power behind the strokes, and he had most 4's, four. There were few boundary hits in the match.

 

The Scotsmen were scraping for runs all the time, and the 22 contribution of W. Nicholson was a very valuable one. He batted quite well, though, like others, he was never too comfortable, and he was missed at the wicket when in the teens.

 

The best stand of the Scottish innings was made by A.R. Simpson and A.D. Baxter, who put on 17 runs for the eighth wicket, and Nicholson and W. Anderson added 16 when they were together. L. Singh and J. Khan had a partnership of 45 for the Indians. It was not a batsman's day, and when five of the leading Indians, all of whom have made a century during the tour, were out for 50 odds, it was quite clear that the wicket was not helping the batsmen.

 

Everything seemed to be going well for Scotland then, and it was reckoned to be an excellent performance to have dismissed the whole Indian side for what appeared to be a paltry 146. But it proved too much for the Scots, and they found trouble with all the Indian bowlers.

 

M. Nissar's pace bothered them, and C.K. Nayudu, who was breaking both ways, gave them a lot of trouble, and so did the other two, who came on later. Nissar was no faster than Baxter, but he was more accurate. The Scottish fast bowler did not hit the stumps at all in the first innings, but it was a fine ball which got him his wicket for 10 runs in the second. He got rid of Khan, who had just before been missed by T. Spowart in the slips off the Grange man.

 

An extraordinary over it was with which Baxter opened the match. The first ball was an ordinary wide, the second was tossed full over the batsman's head, the third soared high into the air, and was at least a dozen yards outwith the reach of the wicketkeeper. It went to the boundary for 4, so that the over, though a maiden, produced five wides.

 

There was a tendency on the part of the captain to over-bowl Baxter and to under-bowl himself. Anderson got his wicket in the second innings at a cost of three runs.

 

The outstanding bowling success of the match went to J.H. Melville, who on his own club ground did so well that he captured six wickets for 32 runs. With his slow left-handers he claimed the last five men as victims. It was a pity that he dropped two catches, one off his own bowling and the other off J.S. Farquhar. These, however, did not prove expensive. Not one in the Indians first innings was a batsman bowled.

 

The fielding on both sides was good, and that of the Indians particularly so. They were very alert and active. Navle, the Indian wicketkeeper, was smart, but he was outshone by A.R. Simpson, who kept remarkably well, and assisted in the dismissal of three men, two by stumpings and one by a catch.

 

His stumpings were exceedingly well done. Simpson stood up to the fast bowling, whereas Navle was yards behind the wicket to Nissar, and Navle missed two catches. The Indian, however, conceded no byes, and Simpson gave away eleven. Captain Alexander was the outstanding fielder, and he had the best catch of the day. He was frequently cheered for his fine work.

 

The game was played in brilliant weather, and there was an attendance of fully 3000.

 

Day 2:
Scotland had a bad day yesterday in the match with All India at Forthill, Broughty Ferry, and at the close of play there was little prospect that even a draw would be secured.

 

Up to a point, the Scots found the game going quite favourably for them, but it was a case of being flattered to be deceived, and in the end they had lost four of their best men in the second innings, and were still 249 runs in arrears.

 

Remarkable things happen in cricket, that was demonstrated in the match yesterday, but it seems almost a forlorn hope Scotland has to face. When players such as J. Kerr, G.W.A. Alexander, J.F. Jones, and W. Nicholson are out there is left a fairly long "tail" for Scotland.

 

Some remarkable play was seen, and its outstanding features were the great century innings played by S. Wazir Ali, and the last wicket partnership he had with J.G. Navle. And yet there was nothing so very wonderful about the stand these two made, though it did realise 144 runs.

 

Navle, though he went in last yesterday, is the Indians' No. 1 man, and Wazir Ali always goes in first wicket down. These were their places in the recent Test match with England, and that being so, something good was to be expected from them.

 

It was a magnificent and faultless innings Wazir Ali played, and his last wicket partner, for most of the time, was content to keep up his end. They gained a complete mastery over the Scottish attack and in the later stages of their stay did pretty much as they pleased and scored very freely.

 

The Scottish captain must have been at a loss at times to know what to do, and as a last resort, and late in the afternoon, he gave Alexander a turn with the ball, however, no result. J. H. Melville bowled well, and if he did not get a wicket, was able to keep down the rate of run getting.

 

W. Anderson, the captain, was the most successful bowler, and came out of a trying day well with six wickets for 51 runs. A.D. Baxter again bore the heaviest burden of the trundling work, and if he tired at times that was not surprising, and he had the satisfaction of breaking up the last wicket stand when the men were batting so confidently that there seemed to be no reason why their association should ever have come to an end.

 

It was curious that Baxter's figures, as regards wickets and runs, should have been the same in both innings.

 

The start was delayed owing to the state of the wicket, and, with an early lunch, play was resumed at a quarter past one. A lot of rain had fallen on Sunday, and it was to give the pitch a chance to dry that this arrangement was come to.

 

Matters went well for Scotland at the beginning of play. Before a run had been scored S.R. Godambe was out, nicely taken in the slips. Scotland's fast bowlers, Baxter and Anderson, opened the attack, Melville being kept in reserve until the wicket had dried a bit more, and they continued to meet with success, for at 21 two more men were dismissed, Lall Singh returning the ball to the bowler, and C.K. Nayudu being out for obstruction from the first ball he received.

 

S.H.M. Colah, who had the one 6 of the match, off Anderson's bowling, was missed at the wicket when 14 off Baxter's bowling, but the "life" was not costly, and then a great misfortune befell Scotland.

 

When Colah was bowled six men were out for 47 and the Indians were but 112 runs on, so that there was still a hope for Scotland, but Wazir Ali was let off by A.R. Simpson, off J.S. Farquhar's bowling, and, as events proved, that meant a tremendous lot for Scotland, for the lucky batsman remained at the crease for three hours and twenty minutes, and made more than half the side's aggregate.

 

He was missed when in the 20's, and he had added just about a hundred to his score before he gave another chance, and it too, was not accepted. It was an awkward ball to Alexander at cover-point, and he could not hold it. The seventh wicket, Wazir Ali and J.M. Naoomal, added 40 runs, and then there was another bright interlude for Scotland, two wickets going at 87.

 

Anderson had come on again, and in his first over he got rid of both Naoomal and P.E. Palia, the latter being out to a good catch round square leg way. Nine men were out for 101, and there was still a prospect of a match. But that was the end of Scotland's good time.

 

When the last pair came together the wicket was playing more easily than at any time during the game, and a remarkably fine stand they made. Of the 144 runs made while they were together, Wazir Ali had 87.

 

When the position of the side warranted it, he batted very cautiously, and scored slowly, but with Navle as his partner he roused himself, and runs came quickly. But neither batsman was ever rash, or inclined to take liberties with the bowling, well set though both were. They were together for about two hours, and Wazir Ali was at the wicket altogether for three hours and twenty minutes.

 

It was a very valuable innings. When he went in, fifth man, the score stood at 21, and he remained undefeated while 232 runs were being made. He hit hard at times, and had twelve 4's. The Indians were in none too safe a position when he went to the wicket, and they were in little danger when he left, for Scotland had then to make 311 to win the match.

 

There was an hour and a half left for play, and it was with caution, ultra caution, that the Scots faced their heavy task. The bowling was always good, and runs were difficult to get.

 

Alexander was again unsuccessful. He played too late to a straight ball from Nissar, and was bowled with the total at 5. Jones stayed until the score had been raised laboriously to 17, when his middle stump was uprooted by the fast bowler.

 

Then Nicholson, playing with no little confidence, looked like staying with Kerr to the end, but after they had put on 35 runs the West of Scotland man was disposed of at 52, and four later the Greenock veteran was once again caught napping, and was out lbw for the second time in the match.

 

The dismissal of these two made all the difference. Kerr was at the wicket for an hour and twenty minutes, and stood at 3 for three quarters of an hour.

 

The attendance yesterday came to nearly 3000, and there were about 4000 spectators on Saturday, when the drawings amounted to £158. The weather was again fine, and if dull at times there was no rain, and there were periods of bright sunshine.

 

Day 3:
The third day of the cricket international between Scotland and All India at Forthill, yesterday, saw the tourists win comfortably by 200 runs, after only an hour's play. Three hundred and ten runs were required by Scotland in their second venture, but the batsmen made such a poor show that the whole side were out for 110.

 

On the previous night Scotland lost four of her best batsmen for 61 runs, which made yesterday's result something of a foregone conclusion. C.K. Nayudu, the Indian captain, took two wickets in his second over yesterday, and afterwards the Indians spun out the game for a while in entertaining fashion by utilising their novices at bowling.

 

A.K. McTavish, who was top scorer in Scotland's second innings with 31, was the only batsman to stay at the wicket yesterday.

 

The match was all over before lunch, and the Indians were never stretched to win. Even allowing for the being at sea on the soft wicket for part of the game, their bowling was more than a match for Scotland at the wicket. S. Wazir Ali's not out century on Monday removed all hope of a Scottish victory.

(Article: Copyright © 2013 Cricket Scotland http://cricketscotland.com)