Down the lanes of Chinatown.......

Cricket and China rarely find themselves on the same table. But despite this fact Chinaman, the legspinner bowled but a left hander, is a known term in the cricket world. But how did this term come up, referring to the loosest bonds of Cricket and a Nation?

It all dates to 1933. Born to parents of Chinese descent, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, 29-year-old Edgar "Puss" Echong not only did become the first player of Chinese descent to play International Cricket, but also brought about a revolution in the world of Cricket!

It was the summer of 1933, when the Windies had visited the European giants not only to win an away series but also to prove a point against apartheid. After being 1-0 down in the series, the Indians of the West were able to make a comeback at the Old Trafford. 

It had required a rescue act by captain Douglas Jardine and all-rounder Walter Robins to steady England — so surprising and spirited had been the West Indian show at Old Trafford. First George Headley had posted his magnificent 169, adding 200 with wicketkeeper Ivan Barrow. Following that, Manny Martindale had rocked the vaunted England top order.

Robins, whose leg-breaks had destroyed the visitors at Lord’s, had joined his skipper at 234 for 6 in reply to 375, and the two had scripted a superb rescue act adding 140 in two hours.

Now, as Ellis Edgar “Puss” Achong ran in to send down his slow left arm spin, the Middlesex amateur was in a belligerent mood. He stepped down the wicket, his intentions aggressive. Strangely, however, the ball came back into him after landing, went through his legs, and Barrow whipped off the bails. Robins was out for 55.

As he walked back, he turned to umpire Joe Hardstaff Sr and blurted out in the earshot of Learie Constantine, “Fancy getting out to a bloody Chinaman”.

Constantine, for long settled in England turning out for Nelson in the Lancashire League, had painstakingly peeled his way past the various layers of racial restrictions in the Caribbeans. Was he surprised at this rather ethnic comment by an Englishman, or was he just upset? Legend has it he turned towards the departing batsman and asked, “You mean the bowler or the ball?”

Only due to this was the delivery by Puss was coined as the Chinaman bowling!

After this tour Achong married and settled in England. Here he continued to play in the Lancashire League. While playing here, he took 10 wickets in an innings against the Todmorden team in 1945.

Achong used to play football before becoming a cricketer. He used to play as a left winger in a local team in Port of Spain until the age of 15. Achong became an umpire after leaving cricket. In 1953-54 he was the umpire in the Test between the West Indies and England. He then became the sports coach of Trinidad and Tobago. Here he had the responsibility of choosing the cricket team of Trinidad and Tobago.

Lately we have seen many spot-on Chinaman bowlers in the highest level of cricket, though none being from the Mainland of China, like Brad Hogg and Kuldeep Yadav. But over a century or so, the world has seen only handful of such talent perform at this level. This is how unique Chinaman bowling is!

-Shounak Kulkarni