Lautoka Cricket Association

1890s – 1920s The Colonial master’s game

Cricket in Fiji islands in 1874 quickly become an integral part of Queen Victoria’s colonial rule in the islands and it is not surprising that Cricket was the first game introduced into the colony. The game became as common as English tea and English laws introduced in the colony. However the 19^th century racist thinking of the time ensured that English colonial masters treated cricket as their exclusive past time and did not introduce the game to the natives for benevolent purpose. The game was mainly played between visiting English merchant ships on route to United States in the 1880s which provided amusement and fielding opportunities for the curious Fijian natives. However, very early on, the egalitarian influence of Fijian Wesley and Methodist churches, anti-slavery movement and some Australian and New Zealand traders persuaded administrators to allow natives across the Fiji islands take up the game in the similar ways when the game was first introduced in the islands of the West Indies in 1800s.

The transfer of Fiji’s capital from Levuka to Suva in late 1890s meant that iconic Albert Park would play a pivotal host to all forms of organised cricket for the next 30 years honoured by first class English, New Zealand and New South Wales cricket teams from 1905 to 1920s.

 In Lautoka district English and Australian colonial administrators played most of their social cricket near CSR sugar Mill from 1905 to 1920s just overlooking the Lautoka harbour and its islets and these matches paved the way for community cricket around old Lautoka town near Namoli.

1930s- Move to establish multiracial cricket

Since 1890s Lautoka’s cricket like its other minor European sports cousin, ‘field hockey’ was also organised on racial lines regulated by colonial Europeans but real change was brought in by 1930 when messers John Snow, AD Patel, Rahmantullah Khan JP, Charan brothers and J S Udal, the Attorney General (who played county cricket for Dorset, MCC and Somerset- during Oxford years). These pioneers advocated and toiled to amalgamate the Europeans colonisers, part- Europeans, native Fijians and Indo Fijians into one national cricket association with its respective district cricket associations.

In 1938 Lautoka Cricket Association was officially created by these inspirational subjects of the British crown with good support from Colonial Sugar Refinery (CSR) that looked towards a unified multiracial and cohesive workforce that help create a national cricket association in 1948.

Lautoka’s sugar industry in 1930s faced economic strains due to global depression and for capitalism reasons CSR lobbied for a united multiracial workforce and establishment of amateur community cricket. It may be considered that this gesture played a constructive role in bringing diverse races together in a game of cricket. The English game of cricket remained popular despite its decline in some parts of Fiji when war broke out in the Pacific.

Lautoka cricket’s strength is still found in cricketing clubs and high schools system just as colonial administrator late John Snow formulated in 1938. This formula is still applicable in 2013.  The dominance of rugby union cannot be overstated as it is Fiji’s national game but cricket is without doubt a game of the Islander gentlemen played under its spicy and humid tropical heat cooled by southerly sea breeze from the deep blue Pacific Ocean. While cricket is king in the eastern part of the Fiji islands of Lau group, Tubou in Lakemba, Oneata, Komo, or capital Suva, Lautoka district in the Western division of the Viti Levu has equally rich cricketing history that makes Fiji’s cricket so fascinating.

1940s- 1950s Rise of Fiji cricket- the Golden era.

Outbreak of Second World War in the Pacific did not put cricket to a hold because cricket records show that on 4 April 1942 first class cricket was played on a sunbaked grass turf at Churchill Park between a New Zealand Forces XI and Fiji national team in a two day drawn match.  Club cricket organised by Burns Philips Company (BP) fielded teams such as United Cricket Club, Army and Namoli Sports Cricket Club at the popular old cricket ground near present day Lautoka Bus station from 1940s to 1950s. The era of 1940s-50s marked the end of racial exclusion from the game of all non-Europeans. Fiji Cricket Association by 1948 established more organised district cricket in Nadi, Levuka, Ba, Labasa and in Oni- Lau islands when Lautoka cricket association already had regular domestic cricket on the weekends managed by a multicultural community of colonial administrators, visiting merchant ships, navies and locals.

 This sort of ‘democratisation’ demonstrated  a steady growth in cricket teams from a diverse range of mechanic workshops, church groups to even local police service forming clubs to play weekend cricket at Churchill Park, CSR sugar mill Nadovu grounds and Natabua high school ground on either cement or uneven grass turf wickets.

The visiting West Indies test team went down in a historic defeat at Suva’s Albert Park in 1955 to a Suva’s XI District cricket captained by Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. This win by a Fiji district team created great interest in the game all over Fiji making news in Australian and West Indies newspapers. In some way this historic win demonstrated the depth and richness of cricket talent in Fiji in the 1950s.

1960s- International tours and Lautoka cricket

In the Western division districts like Lautoka, Ba and Nadi, it took at least two decades before first class cricket returned in some form. On 4 April 1964 a News Zealand team district team Nelson CC XI played series of first class games with other district teams and Lautoka cricket fielded a formidable side testing the new grass wicket at Churchill Park.  In the same year Air India sent a cricket team boosting with some first class Bombay cricketers in its ranks on November of 1964. Once again a two-day match was organised at Churchill Park with Lautoka XI drawing the match with its fast pace Fijian bowling attack that rattled the visiting Indians.

Post 1970s- Lautoka cricket matures

Fiji’s post-independence era saw Pakistanis show interest in Fiji cricket. In 1973 Lautoka district team and Suva XI hosted a Pakistani first class team called Hyderabad Blues Cricket XI again at Churchill Park grass pitch proving its worth for first class cricket in a 75-over match. Sadly this was also a time when cricket infrastructure in other Fijian districts such as Levuka, Labasa, Nadi, Ba and Lautoka took a hammering from growing popularity of soccer and rugby. Cricket ovals and training nets were dismantled, vandalised and local council’s apathy to deteriorating state cricket infrastructure led to a gradual decline in cricket facilities around the country except in the home of cricket in the islands of Lau. The steady outflow of former British colonists and Australians also meant loss of cricket administrators and planners for the game’s development.

1973 -1977 Pakistan test cricket visit Lautoka

Following on success of Hyderabad Blues in 1973 the Pakistani test team chose to visit Fiji in January 25, 1977. Lautoka cricket Association billeted the test players with local Lautoka families and Churchill Park no.1 field hosted a limited over match which saw Pakistanis captained by Zaheer Abbass easily defeat a Fiji Presidential XI. The Pakistani test players held a coaching clinic and donated surplus cricket gear at Lautoka Churchill Park for young school and bidding club cricketers before departing for Australia for their test series.

1980s- India and England national cricket teams visit Lautoka

On 22 March of 1981, Indian test cricket team captained by Sunil Gavaskar on route to New Zealand visited Fiji and played a one-dayer limited 50-over match at Churchill Park no.1 hosted by Lautoka Cricket Association. The Fiji national team was soundly defeated but Lautoka’s Jack MacGoon took three Indian wickets with his quality googly left arm spin proving his first class standard. The Indian side in the following week very narrowly defeated the national team at Suva’s Albert Park proving again the latent cricket talent in the country. In the 1980s Lautoka cricket association hosted four coveted Crompton Cup tournaments in the district and took up the challenge for Dewar Shield against the formidable Tubou cricket club in island of Lakemba in 1983. Lautoka cricket 1983 campaign failed to defeat Tubou in Lakemba but gained respect of the local Lauan villagers.

1984- Ian Botham clean bowled in Lautoka

On 2 January 1984, Lautoka cricket association was again fortunate to host another international test cricket team. This time it was English test team captained by Bob Willis. It was nearly 51 years late that a quality English team chose to visit Fiji. The last English cricket team to visit Fiji was Douglas Jardine’s Ashes team of 1933. The likes of Ian Botham and Mike Gatting thrilled the locals at Churchill Park with people climbing up colonial jacaranda trees around the park to have a look at the Englishmen.

Fiji all rounder Tiaone Batina originally from Lau islands clean bowled Ian Botham first ball for golden duck at Churchill Park bringing out a mighty roar from the locals.

1985 – Lautoka Cricket defeats Tubou after 23 years!

On September 1985 during cricket inter-district’s Crompton Cup at Albert Park, Lautoka defeated mighty Tubou after 23 year in one of the semi-final matches. It was a great honourable victory due to the Jeremia Baba’s brothers solid batting against a lively Lauan bowling attack on Suva’s coir matting. In the same year, Lautoka secondary schools cricket team in school grade also outplayed the teams from Ba, much fancied Suva and Lakemba but going down controversially to Nadi at Marist Brothers school ground.

1986- Lautoka’s teenage cricket all rounder makes headlines.

In 1986 Lautoka Cricket hosted the inter-district BP shield with Mohammed Riazullah Khan as a 17 year old Tilak High Student, a club centurion and Lautoka’s youngest district player belted the mighty Tubou team and Suva district pace attacks all over the Churchill park with consecutive 50s giving Lautoka a place in the finals.  Regrettably the teenager was not even selected for the national Fiji team to tour England in that year because of his ‘young age’ as reasoned by the Fiji national selectors. Lautoka cricket association’s protest fell in deaf ears of the national selectors. In some ways it reflected the state of Fiji cricket in the 1980s where no proper mechanism existed to effectively channel youth and talent for the future of cricket in Fiji.

 On Feburary 8, 1987 Lautoka Cricket Association hosted English cricket club Old Camenians Cricket Club. A- 50 over match played at Natabua High School ground. The Lautoka district team defeated the Camenians by 15 runs despite hostile British-Jamaican bowling attack on Natabua high’s cement pitch.

1997- Decline of club cricket in Lautoka

The political instability following military coup of 1987 saw sudden exodus of expatriates, young Fijians and professionals from the islands. Club cricket in late 1980s to early 1990s numbered about ten senior clubs and four high school teams playing regular club level cricket. The four high schools provided the continuity and cricket talent pool for Lautoka’s senior teams and it seems game was picked up in schools through sheer hard work of sports teachers and principals coupled with some ad-hoc coaching clinics from Fiji Cricket Association.

The following clubs and secondary cricket teams were the stalwart conveyer belts that helped produced Lautoka district’s ‘A’ grade cricketers for nearly three decades from the 1960s to 1990s:

·         Lautoka Police Cricket Club (Est.1950)

·         Commercial Cricket Club ( Est. 1975)

·         St Thomas Old Boys Cricket Club  (Est. 1983)

·         Queen Victoria Old Boys (QVS) Cricket Club (Est. 1977)

·         Fiji Pine Cricket (Est. 1982)

·         Public Works Dept Cricket Club (Est. 1983)

·         Nanuku Cricket Club ( Est. 1979)

·         Namoli Sports Cricket Club (Est. 1924)

·         Western Wanderers Cricket Club ( Est. 1982)

·         United Cricket Club ( Est. 1923)

 

School Teams

·         St Thomas High School ( Est. 1981)

·         Natabua High School (Est. 1955)

·         Tilak High School (Est. 1960)

·         Ba Provincial Secondary School (Est. 1985)

 

Lautoka’s first class players from 1960s-90s

While Lau group of islands produced majority of Fiji international and first class cricketers, despite declining cricket playing facilities, Lautoka produced notable district players of first class calibre all rounders from 1960s to 1990s. These were: Jack Macgoon, George Farrell, Yee Kit Sung, Jahangir Khan, Amanullah Khan, Vincent Ayappan, Pakistani- born Azim Khan, Dr Brij Jamnadas, Asmat Khan, Zulifkar Khan, Babu Reddy, Baba Brothers and teenager all rounder Mohammed Riazullah Khan. These talented Lautoka players could have easily played and matched first class cricket in English county divisions or Shield cricket in Australia. The only exception is Neil Maxwell, a Lautoka- born New South Wales and Australian under-19 player of the 1990s. Neil Maxwell prowess is due to the fact his exceptional cricket skills were nurtured and refined in Australia and not in Fiji. Neil Maxwell is the Lautoka-born player to have represented Australia and Fiji in international cricket.

 

 

1997-2007 Lautoka cricket hosts Marylebone Cricket Club

It took a decade after the disastrous military coups of 1987 to bring back some degree of normalcy for the cricket community in Lautoka. The 1997 historic visit of world oldest club Marylebone Cricket Club (est.1787) to play three cricket matches was just outstanding achievement and great aid for development of the game for the Lautoka Cricket Association. Once again our Churchill Park No.1 pitch hosted the English county first class players. Fiji national team played two games and a Fiji Western Districts XI played a limited over match against the English with great passion despite going down in all three matches. In keeping with past tradition, MCC players donated club kits and held coaching clinics for local schools before departing on route to USA. It was a great privilege for Lautoka cricket to host MCC that was up until 1993 the governing body of world cricket.

Lautoka cricket fortune for this decade (1997-2007) has fluctuated considerably from becoming a ad hoc organisation undermined by lack of corporate sponsorship and rising cost of grounds hire or cricket equipment. Cricket Fiji (Formerly Fiji Cricket Association) a member of International Cricket Council since 1964 has created good cricket development programmes to revive the game all over Fiji islands. Lautoka district cricket has been a beneficiary of such development programs but Lautoka cricket clubs are not as stable as they used to be in the past decades.  Old cement pitches are now covered with synthetic mats and training practice nets have been re-erected in grounds with local council approval.

The cost of playing cricket in the Fiji islands is still a luxury for many youngsters. Today cricket equipment costs and hiring of grounds are major detriments for developing the game. Without committed corporate sponsors and dedicated coaching cricket with so much talent in Fiji, sadly the game cannot develop much further. Much more needs to be done to reduce costs by cricket suppliers, reduction in government duties on imported sports goods and more sports development public funds should be directed towards cricket into Fiji schools.

2008-2012 Revival of Cricket and Development of the game

Crickets Fiji has benefited greatly from coaching and technical support from AusAID, International Cricket Council (ICC) and Australian volunteers that have tirelessly offered quality coaching and game development programmes but this is not consistent. The popularity of Indian Cricket Premier League and advertising power of Indian cricket over in the last 10 years means international cricket fever has also reached into the South Pacific. Indo Fijians have traditional historical roots with India and names like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kolhi among others are considered household names in Lautoka’s cricketing households just as West Indians, Vivan Richards, Courtney Walsh and late Malcolm Marshall were in the 1980s or Dennis Lillee and Ian Chappell were famous in the 1970s.

Lautoka Cricket Association hosted East Asia Pacific under-17 Championship at Churchill Park with Fiji cricket showing great promising talent which again boosted cricket in the district.  In 2012 club cricket competition consist of limited over cricket that was revived with four senior Lautoka teams namely:

·         UniFiji Cricket Club

·         Kings XI Cricket Club

·         Moce Cricket Club

·         Naseqalau Cricket Club

 

 Lautoka has four secondary schools that have a structured cricket programme in their Secondary School Cricket League and schools play 20 over matches during the school year.

It may be said that coaching and equipment funding are badly needed to help re-establish the game at junior levels to ensure the senior clubs have a talent pool for the future. Support from school administration, parents and teachers Ministry of Education is always appreciated by the cricket association and Lautoka cricket hopes to build on this relationship to keep the game alive in Lautoka.

 

• Tilak High School

• Natabua High School

• Central High School

• Vishnu Deo Memorial High School

 

Lautoka Cricket Association aims to re-establish regular cricket in the district and for this reason it is currently looking for a corporate or individual sponsor help get its district league going for the 2013-14 season. Cricket administrators in the Western district hope to bring back the same passion and intensity of the 1950s when Fiji cricket was at its peak and capable of defeating the best teams in the world.  

 

Cricket Historian

Lautoka Cricket Association

Aziz Khan BA Hist, LLB.

 

 

References:

 

Barclays World of Cricket: The Game from A to Z. E.W Swanton OBE. Willow Books. London. (1986)

 

Camdenians Cricket Club New Zealand and Fiji Tour 1987

 

 Cricket in the Fiji Islands, Philip Snow (1948)

 

Fiji Cricket Association Souvenir Programme, England Cricket Team Tour

31^st December 1983- 4 January 1984

 

An Ocean of Cricket: Pictures from the Pacific. Adam and Barrie Cassidy (2013). Victory Books. Melbourne University Press.

 

http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/292/2928800.html

 

 

World Cricketers: A Biographical Dictionary. Christopher Martin-Jenkins. Oxford University Press. (1996)