BLOG 38 - Interlude - an "Ashes" Cricket Match - Fore Peak Renewal in Japan

Second Engineer's Epaulette

Marine Musings 8

Chapter 4 – An Interlude - an "Ashes" Cricket Match

I am writing all incidents from memory recollections and not from files of notes, so I cannot attribute particular dates to events.

But I can actually put dates to this period of problems on our ship due to a quirk of the time. I was, and am still, a cricket enthusiast and England were playing Australia in Brisbane at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, known as Woolloongabba Ground. Now it has been shortened to the ‘Gabba’. (Also known as the ‘Gabbatoir’ as Australia used to thrash all other countries at this venue, till India - with their second string players thrashed them in Dec 2019).

This was the first of the series of 6 test matches and took place from 29th Nov to 4th Dec 1974, with 2nd Dec being the rest day. I remember it well because my ship was there undergoing repairs after the explosion.

I think the ship had come in around the 24th Nov, temporary repairs were completed around 6th or 7th Dec and we sailed out immediately thereafter.

Here I was, a cricket enthusiast, and the “Ashes” were being played right under my nose. The Chief Engineer had seen me fight the fire and also work tirelessly for long periods. When I mentioned to him that the ‘Ashes’ series was starting in Brisbane, he said “Do you want to see the match?”. I jumped at the chance. So, for the first three days I watched the Test match live at the ground.

Engine Room work, by then, had reduced and many got ½ day or full days off. I used to get up early, distribute any work that was to be done, organise the off periods of staff, have breakfast and leave for the Stadium. The Chief Steward ensured I had a bag full of sandwiches, a flask of coffee, some soft drinks and some beers.

I think a fee of A$2 was charged, where I could sit on the grassy slope and watch the match. The next day I brought a bed sheet also, to lay on the ground. I was alone. The other Australian spectators were initially curious, and with cricket being a universal sport in our spheres, all ice melted. For the next 3 days, there was a good ambience off the field between us spectators, especially when they came to know that I was not residing in Australia, that I am a visitor from India whose ship happened to be in Brisbane.

But it was not so on the field. There seemed to be a lot of acrimony between the teams, with the Australians having the upper hand in all facets, the abusive language, sledging, aggressive bowling and the game. I was aghast as, in my childhood, I had been used to gentlemen players like Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, the gentle Wesley Hall who was gentle off the field and a terror, with his speed, for batsmen on the field. Indian cricketers like Polly Umrigar, Abbas Ali Baig, ML Jaisimha, MAK Pataudi, Viswanath, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, who were all role models of yesteryear.

Here was a rowdy team reminiscent of bullying school boys with foul mouths, captained by Ian Chappell who, together with his brother Greg, led the pack of bullies. Today Ian Chappell is an icon of cricket. This was supposed to be "The Australian Way", which they continued with for more than 5 decades now.

In 2022, statistics show that Australian teams have been the most successful in cricket history, with the most test wins, with the most series wins and the most number of consecutive series wins. The Australians may play hard and try to win at all costs, but they lost the fan in me as my respect for them plummeted over the years, the lowest being when they tried to sand paper the ball in South Africa 3 years ago. Another incident was in India when one of their batsmen looked for help from his coach in the dugout, in order to take a 'Review' decision, the coach having access to TV equipment that an replay the previous one minute incidents.

When caught doing so a second time, the player later attributing the incident, and passing it off, as "brain fade". They have no qualms about cheating and they have been doing it for decades and have gotten away with their arrogance.

It reminds me of a few lines written in large letters and framed, hanging on the wall of my 8th Standard Classroom, in Stanes High School, Coimbatore.

“For, when the One Great Scorer comes

To write against your name,

He writes not that you won or lost

But how you played the Game.”

I may be part of the dwindling old school of geriatrics who thought that life was meant to be lived under such adages, in complete contrast to the “Win at all costs” view of today.

You can’t reach such nadirs that the Australians reached even if you try hard. These days, Ian Chappell pontificates on everything cricket and is given an “Oracle” status. But it was the same Chappell that asked his brother Trevor to bowl underarm to a New Zealand batsman, in order to win a close match. Aficionados of cricket will understand my horror.

Just one more comment on cricket and then I will desist. The same Australian players who used to abuse, taunt, torment and sledge the visiting Indian teams, all in the cause of ‘mental disintegration’ in 1990s and 2000s are now in India in some capacity or other, mostly with the Indian Premier League (IPL), now wear haloes around their heads and sainthood on their sleeves.

After 3 days of watching, I did not attend the other two. England lost this one and subsequent ones. Here is a link, thanks to Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974%E2%80%9375_Ashes_series

Chapter 5 – We reach Japan safely for Repairs – What? Repairs?

Fore Portion of Ship - Representation only - no Bulbous Bow on SISCO ships

Internals of Fore Portion of a Ship

Inside a Fore Peak Tank

We sailed out with temporary repairs, enough integrity to reach Japan.

Then we went into a ship yard – I do not recollect which one.

They took off all the machinery in the Forecastle area, the windlass’, the winches, the Emergency Fire Pump, cut pipelines reaching into the fore part of the ship, isolated and cut the electric cables and cut away the entire Forecastle section from top to bottom. The front of the ship was showing its innards. They prepared all surfaces for mating with new surfaces.

Then they brought a completely pre-fabricated new Forecastle and welded away from top to bottom. This included a new Collision Bulkhead. At any given time during the process, there may have been 200 workers wielding gas torches or welding holders and rods.

The alignment was near perfect and welding proceeded apace. The jobs were completed in about 14 days and presto! We had a new Forecastle with overhauled machinery.

All our efforts to clean up the Fore Peak went in vain - they just threw out the old and fitted the new.

I spent at least 4 hours each day, observing what they did and how they were doing it. My respect for the Japanese grew tremendously.

Then we were back to the Charter and the trade. I was about to complete my time for my exams so I applied for leave to go for my exams. Back came a reply that my leave application was noted but they requested me to stay on board for another six months, as they were unable to find a replacement.

I then told them there were, along with exams, some family problems that required my presence. Cunningly, they called my Father and spoke with him, this being the gist.

Our GM: “Sir, we have received a leave letter from your son stating that there are family problems. Can we do anything to help? We have a lot of resources”.

My Father: “Oh, Mr ______, he probably wants to come home as he has been away for some time now. But there is no problem here.”

Our GM: “Thank you Sir. If you have problems, please let me know. Meantime, can we keep him on board for a few more months as we desperately need him?”

My Father: “I fully understand Mr ______. Keep him as long as you like”.

(My Father, by nature, was a very generous person).

I was informed on board that there were no problems at home.

With this, I was condemned to serve on board for another 7 months. I did exactly 24 months of sea time before I got down for my exams. Even galley slaves had better privileges.

===== Continued in Blog 39 =====