It is the Lord’s of Chennai, a venue popular with both the players and fans. With its scenic surroundings — a dash of green all around, sea in the vicinity and a gentle wind blowing right through — it provides the perfect setting, on and off the field.
Marina Cricket Ground holds a special place in the hearts of cricketers, many of whom craved to mark their guard and run-up there. S. Kedarnath, former State cricketer, was one of them.
“After watching players like Sunil Gavaskar and V.V. Kumar during the Buchi Babu tournament in my younger days, I too wanted to play at Marina,” said the founder of Kedar’s Cricket Academy.
He loved the ground so much, the former State Bank of India opener scored eight hundreds there. “It was challenging to play at Marina as the breeze aided the fast bowlers. Doing well in front of the knowledgeable crowd which used to assemble there made it even more special,” said Kedarnath.
Another player who relished the conditions was left-arm spinner S. Srikrishna, who played nearly 60 games at the ‘by-the-beachside’ venue. “It has the best environment to play cricket. You become a superstar when you perform at Marina as people line up to cheer good cricket. It used to be a 50-50 wicket as the curator used to roll the pitch well before a match,” he said.
Belonging to Presidency College and maintained by Simpson & Co., it is all set to continue the tradition, thanks to the latter’s efforts in re-laying the pitch and refurbishing the ground. “We had a practice game recently and the bouncy strip came in for praise from both sides,” said Ravi Sarma, senior manager (PR & HR), Simpson, who played a big role in the renovation process.
Legend has it that Krishnamachari Srikkanth, playing for his club side, was beaten by an outswinger during a game at Marina. The bowler, in his moment of ‘triumph’, walked up to the batsman and gave him a stare. ‘Cheeka’ duly sent the next delivery out of the ground and almost into the beach! Such fascinating contests between bat and ball are all set to be witnessed again at the Marina, rekindling memories for many and renewing links for many others.
