174-489: Colonel Kumar Sri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II , (10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933), often known as Ranji or K. S. Ranjitsinhji , was an Indian cricketer who later became ruler of his native Indian princely state of Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933. The main part of his cricket career was from 1893 to 1904 when, as one of the greatest batsmen of his time, he played for Cambridge University , Sussex , London County and, in 15 Test matches , for England . Ranjitsinhji
348-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and
522-482: A batsman playing first-class cricket for Cambridge, Sussex, and England. Ranjitsinhji Jadeja was born on 10 September 1872 in Sadodar, a village in the state of Nawanagar in the western Indian province of Kathiawar in a Hindu Jadeja Rajput family. He was the first son of a farmer, Jiwansinhji, and one of his wives. His name meant "the lion who conquers in battle", although he frequently suffered ill health as
696-658: A big partnership with Fry for Sussex against the Australian team, he scored 40 and 165, with little support from other batsmen, to save the match against Lancashire , the runners up in the County Championship. In the following match against Yorkshire, on 22 August 1896, the County Champions that season, he scored two centuries on the last day of the game as Sussex saved the match after following on; prior to this, only four men had scored two centuries in
870-485: A child. Ranjitsinhji's family were related to the ruling family of the state of Nawanagar through his grandfather, and head of his family, Jhalamsinhji. The latter was a cousin of Vibhaji, the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar ; Ranjitsinhji's biographers later claimed that Jhalamsinhji had shown bravery fighting for Vibhaji in a successful battle, but Simon Wilde suggests that this may be an invention encouraged by Ranjitsinhji. For
1044-565: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of
1218-515: A conversation with an MCC member; the man angrily threatened to have Gordon expelled from the MCC for "having the disgusting degeneracy to praise a dirty black." Gordon also heard other MCC members complaining about "a nigger showing us how to play the game of cricket". Over the next weeks, Ranjitsinhji lost form, and after failing twice in the third Test, missed the last day of the match suffering from asthma, but he scored heavily after this. After sharing
1392-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as
1566-492: A friendship with Pratap Singh , the regent of Jodhpur , whom he later falsely described as his uncle. Ranjitsinhji decided to return to India to further his case, prompted by the decision of Vibhaji's grandson Lakhuba to dispute the succession. Meanwhile, the financial expectations of behaving as a prince pushed Ranjitsinhji even further into debt, and his allowance had been stopped after he had been given an advance on it to cover earlier money owed. He wrote to Willoughby Kennedy,
1740-621: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as
1914-433: A loss to explain what he did: the most disdainful flick of the wrists, and he could exasperate some of England's finest bowlers; the most rapid sweep of the arms, and the ball was charmed to any part of the field he chose, as though he had in his hands not a bat but a wizard's wand." Shortly before the season began, Vibhaji died; his 12-year-old son Jaswantsinhji officially succeeded to the throne on 10 May, while Ranjitsinhji
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#17327914251352088-577: A match against Stoddart's team, for illegally throwing the ball rather than bowling it. He was generally very popular in Australia with crowds, the general public and influential figures in society, although following these comments, the crowds at some matches barracked him while he was batting. At the end of the tour, he wrote an open letter to mend his relations with the Australian public, but in With Stoddart's team in Australia , he wrote of
2262-644: A place in the England team for the first Test match , but although his form merited selection, he was not chosen by the MCC committee which chose the team. Lord Harris was primarily responsible for the decision, possibly under influence from the British Government; Simon Wilde believed they may have feared establishing a precedent that made races interchangeable or wished to curtail the involvement of Indians in British political life. Bateman's assessment
2436-504: A record-breaking fifth double-hundred of the season in his penultimate game; this was his eleventh century of the season, which was also briefly a record. Ranjitsinhji's final aggregate was 3,065 runs, the second highest total after that which he scored the previous year, at an average of 87.57; this placed him at the top of the national averages. In response to Ranjitsinhji's success, opposing captains began to adopt tactics to counter his leg-side shots, placing extra fielders on that side of
2610-402: A two-hour 37 not out in difficult batting conditions during the second innings. His batting made a great impression on spectators, who gave him an ovation at the end of the game. The game appears to be the first occasion in first-class cricket where Ranjitsinhji used the leg glance. Ranjitsinhji was awarded his Blue after the match, and following some more successful but brief innings, he played in
2784-613: A version of the leg glance; Jackson would not alter his tactics and Jardine was able to score easy runs. That winter, Jackson had taken part in a cricket tour of India, where he was impressed by the standard of cricket. When he observed, at the start of the 1893 cricket season, the dedication with which Ranjitsinhji was practising in the nets to increase his concentration against the highly regarded professional bowlers Tom Richardson and Bill Lockwood , Jackson asked Lockwood for his opinion. Lockwood noted how much Ranjitsinhji had improved through practice and told Jackson he believed Ranjitsinhji
2958-612: A viceroy who was already a peer would be granted a peerage of higher rank, as with the granting of a marquessate to Lord Reading and an earldom and later a marquessate to Freeman Freeman-Thomas . Of those viceroys who were not peers, Sir John Shore was a baronet , and Lord William Bentinck was entitled to the courtesy title ' lord ' because he was the son of a duke . Only the first and last governors-general – Warren Hastings and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari – as well as some provisional governors-general, had no honorific titles at all. From around 1885,
3132-462: A vivid impression wherever he played. Crowds were substantially increased at matches in which he appeared and he established a reputation for brilliant batting and shots on the leg side. Although, after his debut, he made a slow start in poor weather, he batted himself into good form in several matches on Brighton's good batting pitch. He scored centuries against Middlesex and Nottinghamshire in very difficult batting conditions, and his batting against
3306-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for
3480-403: Is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from the batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team,
3654-539: Is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in
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#17327914251353828-453: Is certain that cricket was being played c. 1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name
4002-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind
4176-656: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there
4350-516: Is less sympathetic to Harris: "the high-minded imperialist Lord Harris, who had just returned from a spell of colonial duty in India, opposed his qualification for England on the grounds of race". Even so, the decision to omit Ranjitsinhji took a long time, proved unpopular when it was made and led to discussion in the press. The Times correspondent commented during the first Test: "There was some feeling about K. S. Ranjitsinhji's absence, but although
4524-570: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,
4698-464: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It
4872-402: Is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and the "cricket group", in which "the ball
5046-662: The Wisden Cricketers of the Year for his performances in 1896, Ranjitsinhji began the 1897 season strongly, scoring 260 for Sussex against the MCC then, playing for MCC against Lancashire hit 157. A succession of low scores on a series of difficult pitches ended when he scored three centuries in July, but in the remainder of the season he only once passed fifty. He scored 1,940 runs at 45.12, figures which matched other leading batsmen, but his relative loss of form, noted by critics,
5220-579: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on
5394-702: The British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas, and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what
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5568-465: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with
5742-627: The Viceroy , Lord Ripon , believed that Ranjitsinhji should be compensated for losing his position. Even though Ranjitsinhji was no longer heir, Vibhaji increased his financial allowance but passed the responsibility for his education to the Bombay Presidency . With his fees coming from the allowance, Ranjitsinhji continued his education at the Rajkumar College . Although his material position remained unchanged, comments made at
5916-472: The West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been the top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in
6090-572: The monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the emperor/empress of India and after Indian independence in 1947, the representative of the monarch of India . The office was created in 1773, with the title of governor-general of the Presidency of Fort William . The officer had direct control only over his presidency but supervised other East India Company officials in India. Complete authority over all of British territory in
6264-591: The president of India . Throughout the British administration, governors-general retreated to the Viceregal Lodge (now Rashtrapati Niwas) at Shimla each summer to escape the heat, and the government of India moved with them. The Viceregal Lodge now houses the Indian Institute of Advanced Study . The Peterhoff building in Shimla was also used by several viceroys, although the original building
6438-471: The "Father of Indian Cricket", as he was the earliest top-class Indian cricketer, but he has been criticised for his refusal to aid and encourage the development of cricket in India itself. The annual first-class championship of India, the Ranji Trophy , was named in his honour by Bhupinder Singh of Patiala who inaugurated the competition in 1935. Ranjitsinhji's nephew Duleepsinhji followed his path as
6612-401: The "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case, a key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it
6786-481: The "regrettable" incident of "merciless", "uncomplimentary and insulting" barracking. In April 1898, Stoddart's cricket team returned to England via Colombo . On arrival there, Ranjitsinhji left the team to return to India with the intention of pursuing his claim to the throne of Nawanagar. He spent the remainder of the year in India and did not return to England until March 1899. Initially, he tried to establish support for his claim, including his argument that Jassaji
6960-502: The 1895 season, practising in the nets at Cambridge with Tom Hayward and scoring heavily in club matches. Although Sussex were not a strong team, Ranjitsinhji was not certain of a place in the side. His debut came in a match against the MCC; after scoring 77 not out in his first innings and then taking six wickets, he scored his maiden first-class century in the second. In 155 minutes, he scored 150 runs and took his team close to an improbable victory; he became increasingly attacking throughout
7134-708: The 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules, the Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and
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7308-596: The Act, there were to be four members of the Council appointed by the Court of Directors. The first three members were permitted to participate on all occasions, but the fourth member was only allowed to sit and vote when legislation was being debated. In 1858, the Court of Directors ceased to have the power to appoint members of the council. Instead, the one member who had a vote only on legislative questions came to be appointed by
7482-432: The Australian bowlers in a style that, up to that period of the season, no other English batsman had approached. He repeatedly brought off his wonderful strokes on the leg side, and for a while had the Australian bowlers quite at his mercy". Although Australia won the match, the players were astonished by the way Ranjitsinhji batted. Not everyone was pleased at his success. Home Gordon , a journalist, praised Ranjitsinhji in
7656-480: The Australian team had no objections, but the Australian captain was pleased that the Indian would be included. Discussion continued in the press over how appropriate it was that he should play for England, but from that point, Ranjitsinhji was considered eligible to play for England. The controversy may have upset Ranjitsinhji as his form wavered while the first Test was played and on his next appearance at Lord's, before
7830-537: The Borrisow home and, with monetary assistance from relations, moved into his own rooms in the city of Cambridge. He lived in luxury and frequently entertained guests lavishly. According to writer Alan Ross , Ranjitsinhji may have been lonely in his first years at Cambridge and probably encountered racism and prejudice. Ross believes that his generosity may have partly arisen from trying to overcome these barriers. However, Ranjitsinhji increasingly lived beyond his means to
8004-498: The British Government or the United Kingdom, but rather one of homage directly with the British monarch as sovereign successor to the Mughal emperors . From 1858, to reflect the governor-general's new additional role as the monarch's representative in response to the fealty relationships vis the princely states, the additional title of viceroy was granted, such that the new office was entitled "Viceroy and Governor-General of India". This
8178-676: The British in India and Vibhaji was persuaded to advance a loan to cover Ranjitsinhji's expenses before his expected return to India. Simon Wilde believes this incident encouraged a belief in Ranjitsinhji that someone else would always cover his debts. Even so, he was not called to the Bar in 1894, or at any point afterwards. Nor did he make any attempt to return to India, despite his assurances to Vibhaji. Instead, his developing friendship with Billy Murdoch and C. B. Fry led to Ranjitsinhji becoming interested in playing cricket for Sussex . Murdoch,
8352-601: The Council of State was appointed by the viceroy; the Legislative Assembly elected its president, but the election required the viceroy's approval. Until 1833, the title of the position was "governor-general of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal". The Government of India Act 1833 converted the title into "governor-general of India", effective from 22 April 1834. The title "viceroy and governor-general"
8526-592: The East India Company, to whom he was responsible. Thereafter, he was appointed by the sovereign on the advice of the British Government; the Secretary of State for India , a member of the British Cabinet , was responsible for instructing him on the exercise of their powers. After 1947, the sovereign continued to appoint the governor-general but thereafter did so on the advice of the government of
8700-511: The English Administrator of Nawanagar, asking for money but none was forthcoming. His financial situation eased when a serious illness confined him to the house of an acquaintance. He took the opportunity to begin work on a cricket book which a publisher had invited him to write; Ranjitsinhji contributed seven chapters and other writers contributed the rest, then he and Fry revised the book together while travelling through Europe in
8874-580: The Indian Prince has learnt all his cricket in England he could scarcely, if the title of the match were to be adhered to, have been included in the English eleven", but The Field supported his inclusion. Meanwhile, Ranjitsinhji's good form continued. The team for the second Test was chosen by a different committee, and Ranjitsinhji was included, probably for financial reasons to attract more spectators. The batsman insisted that he would only play if
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#17327914251359048-601: The Indian subcontinent was granted in 1833, and the official came to be known as the governor-general of India. In 1858, because of the Indian Rebellion the previous year, the territories and assets of the East India Company came under the direct control of the British Crown ; as a consequence, company rule in India was succeeded by the British Raj . The governor-general (now also the Viceroy ) headed
9222-476: The Legislature's consent for "ecclesiastical, political [and] defence" purposes, and for any purpose during "emergencies." He was permitted to veto, or even stop debate on, any bill. If he recommended the passage of a bill, but only one chamber cooperated, he could declare the bill passed over the objections of the other chamber. The legislature had no authority over foreign affairs and defence. The president of
9396-421: The MCC committee, he made a pointed attack on the bowling in a rapid innings of 47. Ranjitsinhji made his Test debut on 16 July 1896. After a cautious 62 in his first innings, he batted again when England followed on , 181 runs behind. After the second day, he had scored 42 and on the final morning, he scored 113 runs before the lunch interval , surviving a fast, hostile spell from Jones and playing many shots on
9570-584: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball
9744-705: The Players at the Oval and for a team combining past and present players for both Oxford and Cambridge Universities against the Australians, scoring a total of 50 runs in three innings. Following his success at cricket, Ranjitsinhji was more widely accepted within Trinity. His new-found popularity led to the creation by his friends of a nickname; finding his name difficult, they initially dubbed him "Smith", then shortened his full name to "Ranji", which remained with him for
9918-772: The Sovereign was in India. However, the only British sovereign to visit India during the period of British rule was George V , who attended the Delhi Durbar in 1911 with his wife, Mary . When the Order of the Star of India was founded in 1861, the viceroy was made its grand master ex officio . The viceroy was also made the ex officio grand master of the Order of the Indian Empire upon its foundation in 1877. Most governors-general and viceroys were peers . Frequently,
10092-575: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of
10266-436: The Sussex captain, wished to increase his team's playing strength. It is likely that, although he would play as an amateur , the club offered Ranjitsinhji a financial inducement, as was common for leading amateurs; given his monetary difficulties and unwillingness to return home, he was unlikely to refuse the offer. However, these arrangements came too late for Ranjitsinhji to play for the county in 1894, and his cricket that year
10440-504: The adoption of Ranjitsinhji and continued trying to produce his own heir. The prospect of Ranjitsinhji's accession seemed to vanish in August 1882 when one of the women of Vibhaji's court gave birth to a son, Jaswantsinhji. Ranjitisinhji's later version of events, reported by his biographer Roland Wild, was that his adoption had been carried out in secret, for fear of Vibhaji's wives. According to Wild, "The boy's father and grandfather watched
10614-636: The allowance further increased was unsuccessful. However, the increase was dependent upon him no longer pursuing his claim to the throne and not becoming involved in any plots in Nawanagar, and Ranjitsinhji was reluctant to have any conditions imposed on him. Then on 28 September, Ranjitsinhji wrote to the Secretary of State for India , Lord George Hamilton , through the Government of Bombay, stating his claim. He argued that he had been adopted as heir before being set aside without an enquiry, and that Jassaji
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#173279142513510788-454: The ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to
10962-474: The ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing a cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of
11136-422: The ball; in this case, it moved to his right, towards point . He found he could then flick the ball behind his legs, a highly unorthodox shot and likely, for most players, to result in their dismissal. Although other players had probably played this shot before, Ranjitsinhji was able to play it with unprecedented effectiveness. Ranjitsinhji probably developed his leg glance with Hayward around spring 1892, for during
11310-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with
11484-429: The better players in general. Ranjitsinhji was one of the few successes on the tour and scored 1,157 runs in first-class matches at an average of 60.89. He quickly acclimatised to the unfamiliar conditions and scored 189 in the first game, followed by scores of 64 and 112 in the following two matches. However, shortly before the Test series was due to begin, Ranjitsinhji fell ill with quinsy and would have been unfit for
11658-529: The bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when
11832-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict
12006-470: The capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi in 1912. Thereafter, the lieutenant governor of Bengal, who had hitherto resided in Belvedere House, was upgraded to a full governor and transferred to Government House. Now, it serves as the residence of the governor of the Indian state of West Bengal , and is referred to by its Bengali name Raj Bhavan . After the capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi,
12180-466: The central government of India, which administered the provinces of British India , including Bengal , Bombay , Madras , Punjab , the United Provinces , and others. However, much of India was not ruled directly by the British Government; outside the provinces of British India, there were hundreds of nominally independent princely states or "native states", whose relationship was not with
12354-643: The ceremony which was officially recorded by the India Office, the Government of India, and the Bombay Government." However, there is no record of any such event, which Simon Wilde says, "suggests, fairly conclusively, it never happened." Roland Wild and Charles Kincaid , who wrote a book in 1931 which also put forward Ranjitsinhji's perspective, also said that Jaswantsinhji was not a legitimate heir, either through not being Vibhaji's son or through his mother not being legally married to Vibhaji. However,
12528-768: The claim, but Simon Wilde believes the support he received from the princes and British officials, and the failure of anyone to point out that his adoption by Vibhaji was never carried out, must have encouraged Ranjitsinhji that his claim was viable. Having done all he could in India for the moment, he returned to England in March 1899. Returning to England at the beginning of the 1899 cricket season, Ranjitsinhji immediately resumed playing cricket. However, his approach to batting had changed during his absence, and he showed greater determination to succeed. His health seemed improved and financial assistance from his supporters in India gave him respite from monetary worries. Having gained weight, he
12702-420: The claims are either demonstrably wrong or not corroborated by the records. The British authorities, unhappy to discover Ranjitsinhji was never adopted and impressed by his potential at the college, initially tried to persuade Vibhaji to retain Ranjitsinhji as his heir but the Jam Sahib insisted Jaswantsinhji should succeed him. In October 1884, the Government of India recognised Jaswantsinhji as Vibhaji's heir, but
12876-489: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be
13050-528: The company, the British government assumed partial control over the governance of India with the passage of the Regulating Act of 1773 . A governor-general and Supreme Council of Bengal were appointed to rule over the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal . The first governor-general and Council were named in the Act. The Charter Act 1833 replaced the governor-general and Council of Fort William with
13224-401: The conditions and bowling; despite being labelled a poor starter by the press, Ranjitsinhji batted cautiously in each match, possibly attempting to emulate the Australian approach of accumulating runs carefully. The only Test in which Ranjitsinhji failed to reach fifty was the fifth, when England were defeated for the fourth time in succession. Even so, he scored 457 runs at an average of 50.77 in
13398-583: The conventions in English public schools. In one match, he was observed by the captain of the Cambridge University cricket team and future England captain Stanley Jackson , who found his batting and probably his appearance unusual but was not impressed. At least one Cambridge University cricketer believed that Ranjitsinhji should have played for the team in 1892; he played in two trial games with moderate success, but Jackson believed he
13572-511: The cost of the Bar examination, he was forced to leave Cambridge University, without graduating, in spring 1894. At first, Ranjitsinhji had hoped to be awarded a Blue at tennis, but, possibly inspired by his visit to see the Australians play in 1888, he decided to concentrate on cricket. In 1889 and 1890, he played local cricket of a low standard, but following his stay in Bournemouth, he set out to improve his cricket. In June 1891 he joined
13746-561: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of
13920-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as
14094-645: The early nineteenth century, when Government House was constructed. In 1854, the lieutenant governor of Bengal took up residence there. Now, the Belvedere Estate houses the National Library of India . Lord Wellesley , who is reputed to have said that 'India should be governed from a palace , not from a country house ', constructed a grand mansion , known as Government House in Calcutta, between 1799 and 1803. The mansion remained in use until
14268-456: The events to which Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji was a cricket match between Surrey County Cricket Club and the touring Australian team . Ranjitsinhji was enthralled by the standard of cricket, and Charles Turner , an Australian known more as a bowler, scored a century in front of a large crowd; Ranjitsinhji later said he did not see a better innings for ten years. Macnaghten returned to India that September but arranged for Ranjitsinhji and one of
14442-463: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the " Golden Age of cricket ". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from
14616-419: The first Test but for heavy rain which postponed the start for three days. When the match began, Ranjitsinhji batted towards the end of the first day and, still weak from his illness, played carefully; he was exhausted after scoring 39 not out. The next morning, as England lost wickets, he attacked the bowlers and took his score to 175, scoring mainly from cuts and leg glances. He batted for 215 minutes and reached
14790-597: The first governor general of India. After 1858, the governor-general (now usually known as the viceroy) functioned as the chief administrator of India and as the sovereign's representative. India was divided into numerous provinces , each under the head of a governor, lieutenant governor or chief commissioner or administrator . Governors were appointed by the British government , to whom they were directly responsible; lieutenant governors, chief commissioners, and administrators, however, were appointed by and were subordinate to
14964-646: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became
15138-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by
15312-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease
15486-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative, and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged
15660-571: The good treatment of Indians in England were reported in the press as being in support of Indian federation and suggested the public were eager to hear his words. However, Ranjitsinhji was unable to continue his cricket with Cambridge as he had to leave before the start of the 1894 season. Following his failure to take the Bar examinations and return to India, Ranjitsinhji's allowance was stopped by Vibhaji. Ranjitsinhji, owing money to many creditors in Cambridge who included personal friends, appealed to
15834-551: The governor-general and Council of India. The power to elect the governor-general was retained by the Court of Directors, but the choice became subject to the sovereign's approval via the India Board . After the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , the British East India Company's territories in India were put under the direct control of the sovereign. The Government of India Act 1858 vested the power to appoint
16008-410: The governor-general continued to have both an ordinary vote and a casting vote. In 1786, the power of the governor-general was increased even further, as Council decisions ceased to be binding. The Charter Act 1833 made further changes to the structure of the council. The Act was the first law to distinguish between the executive and legislative responsibilities of the governor-general. As provided under
16182-454: The governor-general in the sovereign. The governor-general, in turn, had the power to appoint all lieutenant governors in India, subject to the sovereign's approval. India and Pakistan acquired independence in 1947, but governors-general continued to be appointed over each nation until republican constitutions were written. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma , remained governor-general of India for ten months after independence, but
16356-516: The governor-general of India used a dark blue flag bearing the royal crest (a lion standing on the Crown), beneath which was the word 'India' in gold majuscules . The same design is still used by many other Commonwealth Realm governors-general. This last flag was the personal flag of the governor-general only. The governor-general of Fort William resided in Belvedere House , Calcutta , until
16530-478: The governor-general thus became the controller of foreign policy in India, he was not the explicit head of British India. That status came only with the Charter Act 1833 , which granted him "superintendence, direction and control of the whole civil and military Government" of all of British India. The act also granted legislative powers to the governor-general and council. In 1835, Lord William Bentinck became
16704-501: The governor-general. In 1948, C. Rajagopalachari became the only Indian governor-general. The governor-general's role was almost entirely ceremonial, with power being exercised on a day-to-day basis by the Indian cabinet. After the nation became a republic in 1950, the president of India continued to perform the same functions. The governor-general was always advised by a Council on the exercise of his legislative and executive powers. The governor-general, while exercising many functions,
16878-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over
17052-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes
17226-410: The highest position achieved by the team to that point. As captain, Ranjitsinhji took great care over details such as weather conditions, but some of his innovations, such as the frequent changing of the person bowling or implementing fielding practice, were unpopular with the players. He took the opportunity of leading the side to increase the amount of bowling he did, taking 31 wickets in the season. But
17400-435: The highest score for England in Test matches; the record lasted for six years. England won the match by nine wickets, but this was their only success of the series. Ranjitsinhji's health remained poor, but he played in the rest of the series. He scored a half-century in one innings of each of the next three Tests, each time facing a large Australian total. He and Archie MacLaren were the only two tourists to come to terms with
17574-528: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,
17748-469: The innings and dominated the scoring. At the end, although his team lost, he was given an ovation by the crowd who were impressed by his strokeplay. Yet it is unlikely that he met the qualification rules in force at the time for appearing in the County Championship ; this was hinted at by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack , but no protests were made. For the rest of the season, Ranjitsinhji made
17922-409: The latter was regarded by critics as among the best of the season. He was less effective at the end of the season, possibly suffering from mental and physical fatigue, but his overall record of 1,775 runs at an average of 49.31 placed him fourth in the national averages. Ranjitsinhji was particularly popular at Brighton; Simon Wilde writes: "The crowds would stroll the outfield during intervals in play at
18096-471: The leg side to reach the first century scored that season against the tourists. His final score was 154 not out, and the next highest score for England on the last day was 19. He was given an enthusiastic reception by the crowd and the report in Wisden stated: "[The] famous young Indian fairly rose to the occasion, playing an innings that could, without exaggeration, be fairly described as marvellous. He punished
18270-443: The match after losing early wickets on the last day. His tactics were unorthodox as he took risks to ensure that he faced most of the bowling, even though he was batting with recognised batsmen. However, as the innings progressed, he rediscovered his batting touch. During June, he scored 1,000 runs: he scored four centuries, including a score of 197 which saved the game against Surrey, the eventual County Champions. He scored runs against
18444-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it
18618-552: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from
18792-448: The newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being a set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by
18966-410: The newly independent Dominion of India. The governor-general served at the pleasure of the sovereign , though the practice was to have them serve five-year terms. A governor-general could have their commission rescinded; and if one was removed, or left, a provisional governor-general was sometimes appointed until a new holder of the office could be chosen. The first governor-general in India (of Bengal)
19140-415: The next weeks, making substantial scores in several innings against bowlers with a good reputation. He grew in confidence as the season progressed; critics commented on several occasions on the effectiveness of his cut shot and his fielding was regarded as exceptionally good. His highest and most notable score came during a defeat by the Australian touring team when he made 58 runs in 105 minutes, followed by
19314-479: The orders of Kalubha's mother. The second choice, in October 1878, was Ranjitsinhji. Vibhaji took him to Rajkot to secure the approval of the ruling British and the young boy lived there for the next 18 months before joining the Rajkumar College , supported through this time by an allowance from Vibhaji. Being discouraged by the ambition of Ranjitsinhji's family and the conduct of Jiwansinhji, Vibhaji never completed
19488-459: The other students, Ramsinhji, to live in Cambridge. Their second choice of lodgings proved successful, living with the family of Reverend Louis Borrisow, at the time the chaplain of Trinity College, Cambridge , who tutored them for the next year. Ranjitsinhji lived with the Borrisows until 1892 and remained close to them throughout his life. According to Roland Wild, Borrisow believed Ranjitsinhji
19662-401: The pitch to either block runs or to catch the ball. Consequently, Ranjitsinhji played the drive more frequently. Wisden reported: "[He] became more and more a driving player ... Without abandoning his delightful leg-side strokes or beautifully timed cuts, he probably got the majority of his runs by drives—a notable change from his early years as a great cricketer". His change of technique
19836-465: The point where he experienced financial difficulty. He intended to pass the examinations to be called to the Bar and wrote to ask Vibhaji to provide more money to cover the costs; Vibhaji sent the money on the condition Ranjitsinhji returned to India once he passed the examination. Ranjitsinhji intended to keep to this arrangement, although he did not plan a career as a barrister, but his debts were larger than he had thought and not only could he not afford
20010-603: The princes and local officials, and received an enthusiastic reception from the public wherever he went. He also spent time with his mother and family in Sarador. He played plenty of cricket during his visit, with mixed success. Although he scored 257 in one game, in another he failed to score in either innings, the only time this happened to him in any form of cricket. The British administration in India were concerned by Ranjitsinhji; some individuals suspected that he intended to cause trouble in Nawanagar and wished to keep him out of
20184-492: The prior approval of the governor-general and Council of Fort William. The powers of the governor-general, in respect of foreign affairs, were increased by the India Act 1784 . The act provided that the other governors under the East India Company could not declare war, make peace or conclude a treaty with an Indian prince unless expressly directed to do so by the governor-general or by the company's Court of Directors. While
20358-408: The recently re-formed Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club and was successful enough in trial matches to represent the county in several games that September. His highest score was just 23 not out , but he was selected for a South of England team to play a local side—which had 19 players to make the match more competitive—and his score of 34 was the highest in the game. However, Ranjitsinhji had neither
20532-544: The region. Others supported him, believing he had been treated unfairly. Kennedy, the Administrator of Nawanagar, successfully lobbied the Government of Bombay and the India Office in London to have Ranjitsinhji's allowance doubled. But concerns among senior figures in the Government of Bombay about whether this was appropriate and over any potential agitation in Nawanagar by Ranjitsinhji meant that Kennedy's appeal to have
20706-647: The remainder of his life, Ranjitsinhji was sensitive about his family and deliberately presented a positive image of his parents. In 1856, Vibhaji's son, Kalubha, was born, becoming heir to Vibhaji's throne. However, as Kalubha grew, he established a reputation for violence and terror. Among his actions were an attempt to poison his father and a multiple rape. Consequently, Vibhaji disinherited his son in 1877 and, having no other suitable heir, followed custom by adopting an heir from another branch of his family, that of Jhalamsinhji. The first selected heir died within six months of being adopted, either through fever or poisoning on
20880-457: The remainder of that year, he scored around 2,000 runs in all cricket, far more than he had previously managed, making at least nine centuries , a feat he had never previously achieved in England. Ranjitsinhji began to establish a reputation for unorthodox cricket, and attracted some interest to his play, but important cricketers did not take him seriously as he played contrary to the accepted way for an amateur or university batsman, established by
21054-451: The rest of his life. At this time, Ranjitsinhji may have furthered rumours of his royal background or great wealth, and he was further encouraged to spend money to entertain others and reinforce the impression of his status. Several English first-class counties made enquiries over his availability to play for them, and he was invited to make a speech at a Cambridge club dinner, attended by prominent figures in Cambridge; his general remarks about
21228-416: The same first-class game, and as of 2011, no one else has scored two on the same day. By the end of the season, he had scored 2,780 runs, beating the record aggregate for a season held by W. G. Grace, and hit 10 centuries, equalling another record of Grace. His average of 57.92 was the highest of the season. Even so, Sussex finished bottom of the County Championship as Ranjitsinhji had little batting support and
21402-465: The school, the cricket was low standard, and very different from that played in England. Ranjitsinhji did not take it particularly seriously and preferred tennis at the time. No one was certain what would become of him once he left the college, but his academic prowess presented the solution of moving to England to study at Cambridge University . In March 1888, Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji to London, with two other students who exhibited potential. One of
21576-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of
21750-405: The season; in his final 19 innings, he failed to reach 40 only three times. He was successful in a variety of conditions and match situations, and after some criticism of his ability to play on difficult pitches for batting, scored 89 against Somerset and 202 against Middlesex on rain affected pitches . Against Leicestershire, he achieved his highest score until then, making 275 in five hours. He hit
21924-430: The second batsman, and first amateur, to reach 1,000 runs in the season. Innings of 79 and 42 against the touring Australian team underlined his status as one of the few batsmen to cope with the visitors' bowling spearhead, the highly regarded Ernie Jones ; he concentrated on the leg-glance and cut shot, which the Australians were unable to counter through altered tactics. These performances brought him into contention for
22098-469: The series. Ranjitsinhji's tour was controversial in one aspect only: a series of articles he wrote for an Australian magazine. Although highly self-critical in the articles, he criticised, among other things, the behaviour of the crowds, the refusal of Australian critics to accept that England had to bat in poor conditions in the second Test, and some opposing players. He also supported the decision of an umpire to no-ball some deliveries from Ernie Jones, in
22272-475: The sovereign or the Indian secretary headed the executive departments, while those appointed by the viceroy debated and voted on legislation. In 1919, an Indian legislature, consisting of a Council of State and a Legislative Assembly, took over the legislative functions of the Viceroy's Council. The viceroy nonetheless retained significant power over legislation. He could authorise the expenditure of money without
22446-611: The sovereign, and the other three members by the secretary of state for India . The Indian Councils Act 1861 made several changes to the council's composition. Three members were to be appointed by the Secretary of State for India, and two by the Sovereign. The power to appoint all five members passed to the Crown in 1869. The viceroy was empowered to appoint an additional 'six to twelve' members (changed to 'ten to sixteen' in 1892, and to 'sixty' in 1909). The five individuals appointed by
22620-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club
22794-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and
22968-479: The spring of 1897. The book was released in August 1897 under the title The Jubilee Book of Cricket , and was a success, both commercially and with the critics: the review by Francis Thompson was entitled, "A Prince of India on the Prince of Games". Nevertheless, he was approaching bankruptcy by the end of 1897 and there are indications, such as an increased temper, that he felt the pressure. Having been named one of
23142-410: The strength nor the range of batting strokes to succeed at this stage. Around this time, Ranjitsinhji began to work with Daniel Hayward , a first-class cricketer and the father of future England batsman Thomas Hayward , on his batting technique. His main fault was a tendency to back away from the ball when facing a fast bowler , making it more likely he would be dismissed . Possibly prompted by
23316-427: The strong bowling of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and in August embarked on a sequence of 12 innings in which his lowest scores were 42 and 48 which enabled him to score 1,000 runs in August; no one had previously scored 1,000 runs in two separate months of the same season. In total, he scored 3,159 runs at an average of 63.18, becoming the first batsman to pass 3,000 first-class runs in a season, and made eight centuries. He
23490-406: The suggestion of a professional cricketer who was bowling at him in the nets at Cambridge, he and Hayward began to practise with Ranjitsinhji's right leg tied to the ground. This affected his future batting technique and contributed to his adoption of the leg glance , a shot with which he afterwards became associated. While practising, he continued to move his left leg, which was not tied, away from
23664-474: The team's bowling was ineffective. Ranjitsinhji's fame increased after 1896, and among the praise for his cricket were hints in the press that he intended to pursue a political career, following other Indians in England. Instead he began to turn his attention to the Nawanagar succession, beginning to make enquiries in India as to his position. Meanwhile, he began to cultivate potentially beneficial connections; at Queen Victoria's jubilee celebrations, he established
23838-399: The team's lack of effective bowlers was a problem before Ranjitsinhji took over. Ranjitsinhji continued to score heavily throughout the 1900 season. After a slow start in cold weather, in the space of nine days, he hit scores of 97, 127, 222 and 215 not out, followed by 192 a week later. After a brief sequence of low scores, he scored 1,000 runs in July and maintained his form until the end of
24012-449: The time by the principal of the college, Chester Macnaghten, suggest that Ranjitsinhji was bitterly disappointed by his disinheritance. The college was organised and run like an English public school , and Ranjitsinhji began to excel. Ranjitsinhji was introduced to cricket aged 10 or 11, and first represented the school in 1883. He was appointed captain in 1884 and maintained this position until 1888. While he may have scored centuries for
24186-460: The time he returned to Trinity in September 1890, he was beginning to realise the benefit of others believing him to be a person of importance, something that was to lead to him adopting the title "Prince Ranjitsinhji", although he had no right to call himself a "Prince". Significantly, the trip planted the seed in his mind that he might find success as a cricketer. In June 1892, Ranjitsinhji left
24360-401: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). Governor-General of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India , commonly shortened to viceroy of India ) was the representative of
24534-537: The two nations were otherwise headed by native governors-general. India became a secular republic in 1950; Pakistan became an Islamic one in 1956. The governor-general originally had power only over the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal . The Regulating Act, however, granted the governor-general additional powers relating to foreign affairs and defence. The other presidencies of the East India Company ( Madras , Bombay and Bencoolen ) were not allowed to declare war on or make peace with an Indian prince without receiving
24708-471: The university match. He was given a good reception by the crowd but scored only 9 and 0 in the game, which his team won. With the Cambridge season over, Ranjitsinhji's batting average of 29.90 placed him third in the side's averages, with five scores over 40. He took nineteen catches, mainly at slip . Such was his impact that Ranjitsinhji was selected in representative games, playing for the Gentlemen against
24882-516: The viceroy occupied the newly built Viceroy's House, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens . Though construction began in 1912, it did not conclude until 1929; the palace was not formally inaugurated until 1931. The final cost exceeded £877,000 (over £35 million in modern terms)—more than twice the figure originally allocated. Today the residence, now known by the Hindi name of ' Rashtrapati Bhavan ', is used by
25056-421: The viceroy of India was allowed to fly a Union Jack Flag augmented in the centre with the 'Star of India' surmounted by a crown. This flag was not the viceroy's personal flag; it was also used by governors, lieutenant governors, chief commissioners and other British officers in India. When at sea, only the viceroy flew the flag from the mainmast, while other officials flew it from the foremast. From 1947 to 1950,
25230-748: The viceroy. The viceroy also oversaw the most powerful princely rulers : the Nizam of Hyderabad , the Maharaja of Mysore , the Maharaja ( Scindia ) of Gwalior , the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and the Gaekwad (Gaekwar) Maharaja of Baroda . The remaining princely rulers were overseen either by the Rajputana Agency and Central India Agency , which were headed by representatives of the viceroy or by provincial authorities. The Chamber of Princes
25404-535: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,
25578-663: Was Warren Hastings , the first official governor-general of British India was Lord William Bentinck , and the first governor-general of the Dominion of India was Lord Mountbatten . Many parts of the Indian subcontinent were governed by the British East India Company (founded in 1600), which nominally acted as the agent of the Mughal emperor . Early British administrators were presidents or governors of Bengal Presidency . In 1773, motivated by corruption in
25752-655: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This
25926-587: Was "lazy and irresponsible" and obsessed with leisure activities including cricket, tennis, billiards and photography. Wild also says that he might have struggled to acclimatise to English life and did not settle to academic study. Possibly as a consequence, Ranjitsinhji failed the preliminary entrance exam to Trinity College in 1889, but he and Ramsinhji were allowed to enter the college as "youths of position". Nevertheless, Ranjitsinhji concentrated more on sport than study while at Cambridge, being content to work no more than necessary and he never graduated. A Freemason, he
26100-544: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket
26274-550: Was a big mistake. However, Ranjitsinhji made his debut for Trinity in 1892 after injury ruled out another player and his subsequent form, including a century, kept him in the college team, achieving a batting average of 44, only Jackson averaging more. However, the other players ignored Ranjitsinhji in these matches. That June, watched by Ranjitsinhji, Cambridge were defeated by Oxford in the University Match ; Malcolm Jardine , an Oxford batsman, hit 140 runs, many with
26448-465: Was also a member of Isaac Newton University Lodge . During the summer of 1890, Ranjitsinhji and Ramsinhji took a holiday in Bournemouth . For the trip, Ranjitsinhji adopted the name "K. S. [Kumar Sri] Ranjitsinhji". While in Bournemouth, he took more interest in cricket, achieving success in local matches which suggested he possessed talent, but little refinement of technique. According to Wild, by
26622-487: Was an institution established in 1920 by a royal proclamation of King-Emperor George V to provide a forum in which the princely rulers could voice their needs and aspirations to the government. The chamber usually met only once a year, with the viceroy presiding, but it appointed a standing committee, which met more often. Upon independence in August 1947, the title of viceroy was abolished. The representative of India's sovereign , King George VI , became known once again as
26796-449: Was an unorthodox batsman whose fast reactions and individual style were to revolutionise the game. Previously, batsmen had generally played forward and made shots to the off side; Ranjitsinhji took advantage of the improving quality of pitches in his era and played more on the back foot , both in defence and attack. He is particularly associated with one shot, the leg glance , which he popularised and may have invented. He has been called
26970-423: Was appointed Sussex captain after Murdoch retired, ahead of other amateur cricketers. George Brann captained the county's first match after Murdoch stood down but he may have found the position to be too difficult, and Ranjitsinhji led the team for the remainder of the season. The press regarded his first season as a success as a late sequence of matches without defeat took Sussex to fifth in the County Championship,
27144-401: Was better than several players in the university team. Then, Ranjitsinhji's early form in 1893, scoring heavily for Trinity and performing reasonably well in a trial match, convinced Jackson. He made his first-class debut for Cambridge on 8 May 1893 against a team selected by Charles Thornton ; he batted at number nine in the batting order and scored 18. He maintained his place in the side over
27318-731: Was effective statistically; he scored 2,468 runs at 70.51 and was third in the national averages. However, he was less consistent than in the previous two seasons, never hitting more than three successive scores above 40. He suffered from ill-health early in the season and struggled in the first months. His later form was better and he made the highest score of his career, 285 against Somerset, but several leg break bowlers took his wicket and some of his innings were played in easier batting conditions or during less competitive circumstances. Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket
27492-400: Was first used in the queen's proclamation appointing Viscount Canning in 1858. It was never conferred by an act of parliament but was used in warrants of precedence and in the statutes of knightly orders. In usage, "viceroy" is employed where the governor-general's position as the monarch's representative is in view. The viceregal title was not used when the sovereign was present in India. It
27666-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket . New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of
27840-536: Was illegitimate, among the Indian princes. Later, he met Pratap Singh, who had arranged for Ranjitsinhji to receive an honorary state appointment with an associated income. Pratap Singh also introduced him to Rajinder Singh , the Maharaja of Patiala, a very wealthy individual. Rajinder was very pro-British and an enthusiastic cricketer and soon became friends with Ranjitsinhji; he subsequently provided Ranjitsinhji with another source of income. Ranjitsinhji travelled extensively throughout India, trying to build support among
28014-403: Was illegitimate. The Government of Bombay rejected the appeal but Ranjitsinhji was able to use his contact with Rajinder Singh to meet the Viceroy, Lord Elgin . Consequently, the Government of India began to investigate and under Elgin's successor, Lord Curzon , Ranjitsinhji's application was sent to Hamilton in London. Eventually, after Ranjitsinhji had returned to England, Hamilton also rejected
28188-429: Was less successful against the Australians after the first Test, possibly through over-anxiety to replicate his form for Sussex. He was dismissed for low scores in the second and third games, but was slightly more successful with 21 and 49 not out in the fourth and he hit 54 in the final match. In a low-scoring series, Ranjitsinhji scored 278 runs at 46.33, the second highest average for England. In June 1899, Ranjitsinhji
28362-500: Was limited to matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), festival games and benefit matches. Consequently, he could neither find any batting form nor build on his achievements of the previous year. Although struggling to bat against off spin in one game, he scored 94 while sharing a partnership of 200 runs with W. G. Grace in another. In eight first-class games, he scored 387 runs at an average of 32.25. Despite debts which continued to mount, Ranjitsinhji prepared thoroughly before
28536-616: Was meant to indicate new responsibilities, especially ritualistic ones, but it conferred no new statutory authority. The governor-general regularly used the title in communications with the Imperial Legislative Council , but all legislation was made only in the name of the Governor-General-in-Council (or the Government of India). The governor-general was styled Excellency and enjoyed precedence over all other government officials in India. He
28710-400: Was more noticeably muscular and could drive more effectively than previously. After an uncertain start on a series of difficult pitches for batting, he informed the selectors he would not play in the first Test against the Australians, who were touring England once again. He was selected anyway and after scoring 42 in the first innings, he hit 93 not out in the second which ensured England drew
28884-512: Was not correct, it is likely that Ranjitsinhji was the source of these stories. It is possible he began planning to contest the position, prompted by the enquiries of the press and his claim to be a prince. Ranjitsinhji played several large innings at the start of the 1896 season, scoring faster and impressing critics with more daring shots. Before June, he had hit hundreds against the highly regarded Yorkshire bowlers and in match-saving performances against Gloucestershire and Somerset and became
29058-434: Was not good enough to play first-class cricket . Jackson was probably also the reason Ranjitisinhji did not play cricket for Trinity College until 1892, despite his success for other teams. Jackson himself wrote in 1933 that, at the time, he lacked a "sympathetic interest for Indians", and Simon Wilde has suggested that prejudice lay behind Jackson's attitude. Jackson also said in 1893 that underestimating Ranjitsinhji's ability
29232-466: Was owed partly to ill health. He suffered from asthma throughout the season, and some commentators blamed the stress of producing his book. However, he may also have been distracted by his interest in the Nawanagar succession. Ranjitsinhji was chosen to tour Australia with Andrew Stoddart 's team during the winter of 1897–98. The team was defeated 4–1 by Australia, who were superior tactically and had
29406-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",
29580-489: Was playing for Sussex against the MCC, taking the new name Jassaji. The British appointed an Administrator to rule until he reached an appropriate age to assume the responsibility of a ruler. As Ranjitsinhji's fame increased throughout 1895, journalists pressed for more information on his background. Some stories circulated that his father was the ruler of an Indian state and that he had been deprived of his rightful position as ruler of Nawanagar; despite his protestations that this
29754-458: Was referred to as 'His Excellency' and addressed as 'Your Excellency'. From 1858 to 1947, the governor-general was known as the viceroy of India (from the French roi , meaning 'king'), and wives of Viceroys were known as Vicereines (from the French reine , meaning 'queen'). The Vicereine was referred to as 'Her Excellency' and was also addressed as 'Your Excellency'. Neither title was employed while
29928-415: Was referred to as the "Governor-General in Council." The Regulating Act 1773 provided for the election of four counsellors by the East India Company's Court of Directors. The governor-general was to be assisted by an executive council of four members and was given a casting vote but no veto. The decision of the council was binding on the governor-general. In 1784, the council was reduced to three members;
30102-481: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically
30276-416: Was usually shortened to "Viceroy of India". The title of viceroy was abandoned when British India was partitioned into the two independent dominions of India and Pakistan , but the office of governor-general continued to exist in each country separately until they adopted republican constitutions in 1950 and 1956, respectively. Until 1858, the governor-general was selected by the Court of Directors of
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