Empire Cricket Booklet

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INDIAN CRICKET IN NATAL

N. Sullaphen, DDICU's secretary, was optimistic when he wrote in his Annual Report for 1913 that with new grounds and a coach, 'I sincerely hope, we will have a better and more successful time next year and that the day may yet dawn to show, if you persevere, that you are not unworthy followers in the footsteps of "Ranji'", in reference to Prince K. S. Ranjitsinhji, the great Indian batsman who played for England from 1896 after coming to study at Cambridge. Together with the Englishman W. G.Grace and Australian Victor Trumper, Ranji was part of the golden age of cricket, 'men who changed the game and defined an era'. Sullaphen was certainly not short of ambition. Indian flirtation with non-racialism was short-lived. DDICU sent a letter of affiliation and £1.ls fees to SACCB in January 1914. Sigamoney and Christopher were elected as delegates, while Mr Lavita of 46 Railway Cottage in Kimberley was appointed as proxy to represent DDICU at SACCB meetings. The SACCB meeting scheduled for November 1915, however, was cancelled because of the First World War. In this way, the brief flirtation of Durban's Indians with black cricketers ended. According to Surendra Bhana, who has written extensively on Indians in South Africa, in the 'unique circumstances in which the notion of "Indianness" became crystallised in South Africa, it became racialised in the creation of white supremacist rule'. 83 The social structure in Natal militated against class organisation. The racialisation of class made race a point of reference in personal and group behaviour, and made race boundaries meaningful for members. Thus, when coloured clubs Congella United, Union and Comets requested permission to use its ground in December 1912, DDICU's president R. Bughwan felt that although coloureds had treated Indians 'very poorly' in sport, the Union should accede to the request to show them that 'we are not the same kind of sportsman as they are'. 84 From October 1914, coloureds were barred from participating in the DDICU as members; in fact, all 'applications for registration from those not of Indian parentage as recognised by the law of the country be refused'. 85 In 1919, the DDICU 'resolved that under no circumstances Coloureds be allowed to umpire matches'. 86

Crown Studios, which was one of the leading firms of photographers in Durban. A leading cyclist who captained the Durban Indian Amateur Cycling Club in 1893, he took part in the first Indian cycling race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in 1903. He played football and cricket for Pirates and was an administrator for several bodies. Bughwan was a leader of one of the Durban contingents during the 1913 passive resistance struggle and served time in prison. He was also president of the Natal Hindustani Association in 1916. A senior sportsman in Durban at the time of the tournament, Bughwan was almost 40, vastly experienced and filled a multitude of roles. Western Province, Eastern Province, Natal and Griqualand West participated in the tournament, which was won by Western Province. Natal's players impressed off the field. Tsala Ea Batho, Tswana for The Friend of the People, a Kimberley newspaper started in September 1912 by Sol Plaatje, 79 reported that the tournament 'brought from Natal the finest type of British Indians, natives of Natal who ever graced any company with their presence. Sociable, refined, gentlemanly, scholarly, they seemed to combine these qualities in a manner which captivated all who came in contact with them, and could scarcely have had a more enthusiastic reception than was accorded these modest sons of tea and sugar planters.' 80 It was a different matter on the field. Natal lost by huge margins. Griquas scored 482/6 in the tournament opener. Natal replied with 96 and 94 all out. According to Latest, Natal players 'lost their equilibrium of mind with the forceful cricket of Griquas ... every one of the Natal men missed catches, easy and otherwise ... their ideas of physical fitness have been clean bowled . .. Natal men returned sooner to the pavilion that they entered the field .. .' 81 Natal next lost by an innings and 66 runs against Western Province and by 220 runs to Eastern Province. For 'Forward Drive', the tournament was an 'eye-opener to almost all the Natal men who, because of an occasional score put together by them, have plumed themselves as cricketers of knowledge and experience. Nothing could have taught them a more salutary lesson than the defeats sustained, and nothing could have quicker knocked their self conceit into a cocked hat.' 82