TNCA League Match Fixing from the 1980s

How the fate of a cricket match was turned around during a Luncheon Discussion at Chepauk

If you thought match fixing in cricket was a phenomenon of the Azhar and Hansie Cronje era, here’s a glimpse into what took place in the decade prior to that in the renowned first division TNCA league here in Madras. This is neither a one-off event nor one of the most significant episodes on this front to warrant a separate stand alone story. In fact, this was a very 'soft way' to turn around a match.

And yet this match involving two of the biggest clubs in 1^st division history and two of the biggest names in TN cricket at that time gives an indication of the goings-on in the club circuit at that time. And may probably also be one of the many reasons why we have constantly struggled at higher levels of cricket.

It was a match in the mid 1980s at Chepauk between two several decades old clubs, both supported by leading, large corporate groups.

The first team were in the top half of the table but had no intention of going after the coveted title. The team scored 250+ in their first innings. The team batting 2^nd (one of the most popular teams in the first division league with a long list of India stars in its fold during its period of existence) had been promised an all inclusive all paid trip to Singapore and Hongkong if they won the Palayampatti shield that year.

At lunch on day two, the team batting second were struggling at 160/7 when the captain of their team, a former India player and a well known ‘deal maker’ walked into the opposition dressing room at Chepauk. Prior to the lunch break, two seasoned spinners, both of whom narrowly missed playing for the country, were turning the ball square, had tied the opposition down and bagged wickets in pairs.

Two Top Bowlers don't bowl through the 2nd session!!!

Post this ‘secretive’ luncheon discussion, things changed dramatically as the two star bowlers gave way and did not bowl. Two part time bowlers (one of whom also bowled part time for India and took wickets for the country!!!) bowled 'ordinary stuff' to give away the first innings lead. Both the teams comprised of international players as well as top Ranji stars of that decade.

The 2^nd team went on to win the Palayampatti shield that year and the entire squad went on that promised fully all paid for overseas trip (the flight ticket itself would have cost around Rs. 80000 in those days).

When the sponsor of the first team, one from a renowned traditional corporate family of Tamil Nadu came to know of this much later, he was utterly shocked and expressed his unhappiness to the team management and was disappointed till the very end of his life that this kind of a ‘deal’ had happened with his team.

The youngsters in the 1st team who saw this were totally disillusioned by the happenings inside the dressing room and the subsequent turn of events that it disturbed them mentally in that phase of life - the fact that something like this could happen in cricket, a game that they had taken up as a passion and to exhibit their talent.

(also read: http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2014/03/league-cricket-in-madras.html)