Want to take a break from my series of serious cartoons, so I jumped to write about cricket, which I haven’t done for a long time. Cricket is always deemed as a gentlemen\women game. Well it is funny sometimes and most bizarre things happen.
The Match
Time Jan-2000, millennium is born, England is touring South Africa, 5 Test series, South Africa won two tests and two drawn. 5th test in Centurion – Sportspark.
- Day 1 – England won the toss and put SA to bat first. SA finished the day 1 on 155/6.
- Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – It rained like a hell and both the teams were polishing the bench with their seat.
- Day 5 – Chances of play. Before the teams took the field. Hansie Cronje approached Nasser Hussain asking him to forfeit England’ 1st innings and they (SA) will also forfeit their 2nd innings. The deal between the two was- SA to make a reasonable score and England got to chase it to win. This is like street cricket. Still more to come, wait.
At that time, forfeiting the 1st innings was not in the Law (There are 42). So the match referee – captains agreed England’ 1st innings score as 0-0 with 0 balls bowled. (This is called no-law twisting).
So SA declared their 1st innings for 248/8. The target for England was 249, which they successfully chased by scoring 251/8, with just 5 overs to spare.
- SA 1st Innings – 248/8
- ENG 1st Innings – 0/0 – 0 balls
- SA 2nd Innings – Forfeited
- ENG 2nd Innings – 251/8 – won by 2 wickets.
Good, we got a result. Spirit of the game is held high. Supposed to be dull match, got a very interesting chapter in the cricketing history. Pat on the back for Hussain and Cronje.
May – June 2000 – King Commission
Cronje was caught in match fixing allegation. The above match was probed by Justice King. Cronje disclosed that a bookie approached him 30-mins before the 5th day start of play and suggested this idea to get a result from this match.
PS: Just like in cricket, the above cheer girls picture has nothing do with this post.
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