Cricket landmarks on a day of mourning and reflection

Queen Elizabeth II (PC: Twitter)

Rain or no rain (probably rain), I was due be at the Oval today. Alas the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has meant that play has rightly been suspended. Perhaps horses were the Queen’s first sporting love, but let’s not forget that both the she and Prince Philip were Patrons and honorary life members of the MCC, and showed their support by attending games as often as they could over a 50-year period stretching from the early 1960s through to the first day of the second Ashes Test in 2013.

The time now afforded for reflection, is also a good opportunity to recall a few milestones in the Queen’s seventy-year reign and how they have coincided with events in cricket. India should certainly have cause to fondly remember Her Majesty’s accession to the throne. The announcement of King George VI’s death on 6th February 1952 heralded not just the start of the Queen’s reign, but also India's first ever Test victory, twenty years after their first match.

When the win finally came, however, it was a thumping of England’s tourists by an innings and eight runs in Madras (Chennai) to square the five-match series. India’s hero was Vinoo Mankad, who’s left arm wizardry tied England in knots in both innings, particularly the first where his 8 for 55 cut through England’s middle and lower order. Richard Spooner, Tom Graveney and John Robertson had set up what could have been a promising score until Robertson was superbly caught and bowled by the rampant Mankad who went on to take all England wickets from Graveney at three downwards, including the last four for just 22, three stumped, lured by Mankad’s deceptive flight. It was on the first day that news of the King George VI’s death was announced and thus the second day became a rest day. Following the Queen’s accession, Polly Umrigar and Pankaj Roy both made hundreds to leave England with no way back. Four more for Mankad in England’s second innings left the tourists eight short of forcing India to bat a second time. In his thirteen-year career, Vinoo Mankad proved himself to be a great all-rounder and one who deserves to remembered for far more than the method of dismissal that bears his name.

The Coronation of Her Majesty took place on June 2nd 1953, well over a year since she became Queen. Harold Gimblett, although at the tail end of his illustrious Somerset career, was able to strike one of the last of his 265 sixes in her honour.