Playing cricket in the courtyards, roadsides, or small playgrounds is quite an exciting recreation to most people who love to 'watch and try' cricket. A plastic ball, a wooden bat, a few kids, shouting, running are the general characteristics. As we grew up, we noticed that such a scene was prevalent widespread during the period 1992-94 (I don't know of the present case though). That was the time, when any small ground with a hurriedly prepared pitch in the middle tried to attract the cricket fever by holding plastic/tennis ball cricket tournament with cash prize awards. Tournaments were stormed by teams with very weird names such as Apollo 11, World 11, Strikers, Bizarre, Rolling Stone etc. Every youngster in the Imphal area, perhaps in other parts of the state as well, was bowled over by this fever. I was not different. After coming back from college, I used to hurry myself from tiffin/nasta (charawanba) to hit a few knocks or rotate my arms for a 'good spin'. In the process, we broke a few window glass panes, received a few harsh words from elders…. so what!!! It didn't really bother us too much. We carried on!

During such a fertile period of cricket fever, once there was a cricket (plastic ball) cricket tourney held at our local ground, with an attractive cash prize of 2000/- bucks. I had a few words regarding this with similar crazy guys during the off-period classes in our colleges. Sure enough, everybody was enthusiastic of participating such a tourney. “Never mind a win or loss, but we must participate” was the general agreement amongst us. No sooner did we register, we started going for ‘match practice’ at Pishum Hao Ground every morning. Friends who could afford would bring ‘beautiful’ bats. We contributed some money for the running cost of the practice (ball, refreshments etc). We realised soon that we were not that good to last long enough in the tourney, for we were good neither in batting nor bowling. But good thing was, we were from the same batch, the same college, and hence we were quite accommodating in sharing thoughts and adjustments.“Straight ball then front foot, and defend; loose ball then go for a four/six according to the situation; keep cool; protect wickets” such were the words ofwisdom and the ‘game plan’ strategically generated by the ‘star’ players. In addition to this, we also took extra management by hiring some ‘regular’ players (regular means those who used to play leather ball cricket J), who could bowl good length and line. So was formed our team! We called it ‘Challenger’ – good idea, can challenge any team regardless of the result! We chose our‘Mamang Sangoi’ as the pre and post match camp. My mother could not protest anymore much by then. Rather she herself offered the service of giving tea during such camp sessions. Then the fixture came! It was a bouncer! I had to protest to the organisers. Because, we were given a tough opponent on the first inauguration match. How could they? I cursed the local organisers by bringing down all their ancestors. “We have invested so much effort, time and money. But at least allow us to play a few games. But by George, they had put us against a strong team with many regular players. This is not done!” But our protest did not work. It was the fixture made by a lottery system. “Okay, guys, relax! So what? Our team is known as ‘Challenger’”, a very courageous reply from a friend who played behind the wickets.

That cricket is such an uncertain game was proved then and there, in front of the local crowd and the chief guest. We beat the ‘regular’ opponent by 16 runs in an exciting match. We could not believe ourselves. We bowled well, fielded well and our hired ‘regulars’ bowled good length and line. I was the vice captain, believe it or not. So ‘had to play with a cool head’ was my resolution ‘and to protect wickets when they start falling’. I think I did that job, and with-not-so-bad 16 additional runs on the board. I got out cleaned bowled through front foot! – the only good lesson I learned. But I had an embarrassment on such a wonderful match. I broke the etiquette. I was very naïve to chew gums, killing time opening the package and putting it my mouth, preparing myself in front of the wicket in the crease. Later I was warned for such an awkward time killing behavior in front of the crowd and decent opponents. I of course apologised later to the organisers as well as to the rival captain who happened to be my friend. As a matter of fact, I wrote a formal letter to him for an apology regarding that matter (I was told recently that he still keeps that letter). We got motivation and a lot of encouragement from that match onwards. We won the following match quite comfortably. Later we had two thrilling matches awaiting us, with lady luck on our side. One with a single run over a team thought by pundits as minnows in terms of age and game plan, and the other team by a wicket. The later came off with a great performance from one of our regular bowlers.

Believe it or not, we won the tournament. Interestingly we beat the opponent team in the final quite convincingly.

However, a few intricate emotional issues could not be avoided much. For instance, choosing the eleven players was such a difficulty. Because we were actually more than 11, thirteen to be precise and were therefore in a dilemma whether to test a new one or keep the winning combination – because as the game progressed, we felt like leaving no chance for any crisis, and the 12th and 13th players were really bad to be tested, though their involvement and encouragement were as much as anyone else in the team.

We somehow solved that problem by holding a grand feast in typical Manipuri ishtyle at our very own mamang sangoi with contributions from the members and the winning cash prize. We also invited the rival captain of the first match. The regulars must have been familiar with such occasion, I guess. They smelt ‘Shekmai’ when they came back from a‘pre-lunch disappearance’.

It was a great moment in most of our lives. Whenever we happen meet we keep talking about it. We love to cherish that moment.