So, it seems, by a strange quirk of fate, that we can add TV interviewer training to the list of Cricket Canada’s needs And we can thank those who put together the new TV studio during the course of Day Two of the Etihad Cricket Festival for providing a focal point for activities between matches.
It came upon a visitor from New South Wales, Australia, to provide a basic fact that a Canadian side had beaten the Australians in 1975. A visitor whose cricketing activities in setting up a cricketing High Performance program or two down under has involved cricket coaching. The phrasing of questions can be important, but, I was drawn by the less than stellar question like a fish to bait on a hook, and listened to a bit more of the interview live at the ground, rather than somewhere in internet land.

So, the fisherman then cooked and ate me, the poor little fisth that I had become, but I can at least help rebuild a couple of facts from Eastern Canada’s five wicket win over the 1975 Aussies on May 24, 1995, details of which sit out there on the internet.

The Australians made 159 all out as Robert Callendar took four wickets for 36 runs and Jitendra Patel four wickets for 58 runs. Wicketkeeper Rod Marsh topped the Aussie batting, from his position seventh in the batting order, with 55. Bruce Laird made 32, Greg Chappell 20 and Doug Walters 25 in the top order.

Eastern Canada responded with 161 for five wickets. Brian Hale, still known in Canadian cricket circles for his Toronto Cricket Academy activities, made 32, and there is a vacancy for someone to complete the name of the Canadian top-scorer. F. Denes made 57 not out.

Mr. Denes fame is limited to this one game in the extensive listings on “Cricket Archive”. Denes was, seemingly not born, and other basic information, such as whether he batted right-handed, left-handed or brought some ambidextrous batting to cricket in trying to create a revolution (without the use of an aluminum bat).

Patel and Callendar were in Canada’s 1979 Cricket World Cup squad. Ugandan-born Patel played against Pakistan, England and Australia. Callendar played against England and Australia. Australia beat Canada by seven wickets in that first edition of the World Cup.

So, some body is added to the fish’s previously devoured body, but the re-building process from the skeleton back to life is not quire complete. Somebody will know the answer to F. Denes name*. It may even be in some historic copies of Canadian cricket magazines that were passed on to me. So, perhaps I should stay out of the sun today and sort out my home. Or, put on contact lenses and make a trek to the outback of Maple Leaf Cricket Club for Afghanistan against the United States of America.

* Chris Redford has contacted us to indicate that this was Franklyn Dennis who played for Canada in the World Cup.