Of upset tummies & opium prescriptions

The New Zealand cricket museum in the old grandstand is as big as a modest three-room house but it provides a crash course in the nations proud history of the game.

A flight of 10 steps separates the past from the present at Basin Reserve. Such is the convenience that if one gets bored by the modern-day game,$5 is all it takes to turn back the clock and explore a different era. The New Zealand cricket museum in the old grandstand is as big as a modest three-room house but it provides a crash course in the nations proud history of the game. And there are several displays which might interest any visitor regardless of the nationality.

The curator,David Mealing,points to a crude,curving club with a 1743 written on it and announces the august presence of the third-oldest cricket bat that was bought by a patron for 1600 pounds in 1987. Close to the ancient wood piece is Dennis Lillees aluminum bat with dents,peeping from the showcase. For the Indian audience,however,the must-watch display happens to be a section where a DVD about the travel tales of New Zealand old-timers is being played. Its a documentary with some rare black-and-white footage of the tour of 1955-56 and shows men with grey hair recalling,in a lighter vein,the hardships of New Zealand cricketers first-ever trip to the sub-continent.

Snake charmers,maharajas and a fresh-looking Brabourne Stadium flash in front of the eyes as narrators give first-person accounts of a white mans woes while discovering the exotic land. Giving the sub-continent visual from the 50s a perfect ambience is a tiger-skin sprawled on the floor inside a glass enclosure. A neatly-typed note informs that the furry rug happens to be a gift from the Maharaja of Vizianagaram to one of the 1955-56 tour members,John Reid.

Story continues below this ad

It also shows the former Kiwi players talking about drinking champagne from golden goblets at a Christmas party. With the highs,there are the lows too tales of upset tummies,unhygienic toilets and roofless dressing rooms. But the tone isnt complaining but a pleasant recollection laced with humour.

John Poore,the leggie in the class of 1955-56,reminisces about players with uncomfortable stomach rumblings using dressing room towels as nappies and returning to pavilion after an effort shot. Theres a story of a bowler who started his run-up and kept running till he reached the toilet seat. Adding more masala to the tale is the prescription that the locals gave to the players during the Pakistan leg of this tour. They were asked to consume opium to choke up the system and there were a few who went for a second opinion inquiring if the substance should be smoked.

Another player recalls an outdoor party where vultures sat on trees dangerously close to the gathering,waiting for their time to feast. But the funniest story concerns the CCI which proves that some things never quite change. The New Zealand players express their disbelief at how minutes after the days play,chairs and tables would miraculously appear on the field and the members would enjoy a meal there.

As the credits roll by,it is clear that the unwashed hands of waiters were seen as bigger threat for the tourists of 1955-56 than the fingers of the Indian spinners.

Trump vows to keep ‘massive’ tariffs on India until Russian oil imports cease

World4 hr ago

President Trump spoke with Prime Minister Modi about India's continued purchases of Russian oil, warning that if they don't stop, tariffs on Indian goods will remain high. However, India denies any conversation took place and defends its energy policy. While the US claims India has halved its Russian oil purchases, Indian sources say there has been no immediate reduction.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS