MUMBAI: Ms. Megan Ponsford, a historian in Australia, who also happens to be the grand-daughter of late Bill Ponsford, believes that Pranav Dhanavade’s recent record-breaking score is more refreshing than Gayle saga in Australian media.
Speaking exclusveily over her mobile, she says, “Congratulations to the young man for his enormous feat. It’s refreshing to have press attention on this rather than the Gayle saga that has dominated the sports media here in Australia”.
While the focus was more on Pranav Dhanawade’s individual world record of scoring 1009 (not out) runs, his team score of 1465 runs (KC Gandhi English School v Arya Gurukul (CBSE) at the Union Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyan) is not the talk of the town.
The two-day match, which was played earlier this week, broke the 90-year old record of team score of 1107 runs (Victoria v New South Wales at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in December 1926).
Megan’s late grand-father, Bill Ponsford (died in 1991 at the age of 91 years) was the top scorer in (352 runs) the match.
“Back in the 1920’s and 30’s interstate rivalry was intense and the NSW/Victoria antagonism was particularly vitriolic so a feat such as my grandfather’s score of 352 was publicly celebrated and lionized”, she said.
“Good luck to Pranav Dhanawande however as has been observed by many commentators it’s difficult to compare his achievement with that of elite sportsman due to the nature of the competition, the quality of the opposition and the size of the ground etc,” she signed off.
