In the lead-up to Mumbai's 500th Ranji Trophy tie on Nov 9, Clayton Murzello gives you a daily dose of trivia
The Mumbai team travelled to Indore by train for their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against MP in March 1973. When Ajit Wadekar's team reached Indore, they couldn't get off the train because cricket crazy fans not only gathered in large numbers on the platform, but also climbed on top of the train to get a better view of their heroes. The players could finally alight after an hour. The match coincided with the festival of Holi and someone from the crowd threw a water balloon at Ramnath Parkar.
Cricket fans at Indore station 'receive' the Mumbai team in March 1973.Pic/Sportsweek
Guyanese Charlie Stayers was one of the four West Indies fast bowlers the BCCI invited to boost Indian cricket during the early 1960s. Stayers was based in the West Zone and played for Mumbai in the 1962-63 final against Rajasthan at Jaipur. After Mumbai amassed 551, Stayers claimed 6 for 36 to dismiss the hosts for 196. Following on, Rajasthan managed 336 thanks to a top score of 108 by Vijay Manjrekar, but Stayers claimed three to take his match tally to nine. Amazingly, Stayers did not play a first-class game again. Some historians say he went to England for higher studies while another set of West Indian experts reckoned his back problems forced him to give up big cricket.
A hundred doesn't guarantee you a place in the side in the next season. That is what one-drop batsman Guru Gupte discovered in the 1981-82 Ranji Trophy season. Gupte got a 170 in the 1980-81 semi-final against Tamil Nadu at Chennai, scored 18 in the final against Delhi which Mumbai won. But he did not play for Mumbai again.
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