How Canadians beat Chappell-led Australia at cricket

Toronto: Australia's shocking loss to Eastern Canada here in 1975 followed a night when the tourists were tricked into partying hard, recalls a senior cricket official.

Howard Petrook, Chairman of cricket of the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club (TCSCC), says the team boasting the Chappell brothers, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh to name a few, were made to party the whole night on the eve of the match in the summer of 1975.

"We convinced them they should not stay in a hotel and and instead they were put up in an adjacent house and brought mattresses. We kept on giving them refreshments the whole night as the party continued till morning," Petrook told PTI, fondly remembering the incident.

"We had the priority for the Aussies and ensured that our guys go to bed early. We partied with the Australians the whole night and the next day we beat them at cricket," he said at the TCSCC which hosted the famous match.

The trick was quite successful as the next morning the Aussies, who had stopped by in Toronto on their way to the first Prudential World Cup in 1975 in England, were bundled out for 159 with Jitu Patel and Roy Callender taking four wickets each.

Wicketkeeper Rod Marsh topped the Aussie batting with 55 while Greg Chappell scored 20. Ontario batsman Franklyn Dennis scored a valiant 57 not out against an Aussie attack of Lillie, Alan Hurst and Max Walker as Eastern Canada responded with 161/5 for the historic win.

"(Ian) Chappell still talks about it when he comes here. He was a commentator during the Sahara Cup and he comes and visit here often. He has friends here. It was a famous day in Canadian cricket when we beat Australia," Petrook added.

Incidentally cricket used to be the national sport of Canada in mid 1800s, while the Toronto Cricket Club in was founded in 1827 by George Barber, a master at Upper Canada College and an editor.

"Cricket has a long history in Canada. It used to be the national sport here (in 1860s) but it's lacrosse now," he said pointing out Canada and the USA's match in 1844, which is considered as the longest international rivalry in cricket.