Is This The Most Bizarre Premiership Decider In History?

Tony Goodfellow | January 14, 2024

The 1930-31, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Cricket Association final in Canberra was a match of epic proportions, far greater than any timeless Test match.

The scenario appeared simple. To find a winner, the match had to be played to a finish, meaning the completion of four innings by the two combatants, Ainslie and Northbourne.

The first days play was scheduled to commence on Saturday, March 21, 1931, however, due to heavy rain late in the week, the match did not start till the following Saturday, March 28.

In what was described as excellent conditions, Ainslie on winning the toss and batting first, through some very cautious play, had reached four for 155 when around 5-30pm an appeal against the light was upheld by the umpires and stumps were drawn.

The next Saturday, April 4, landed on the Easter long weekend and due to the unavailability of players from both teams, play was postponed for that day.

Ainslie resumed their innings on Saturday April 11 and through much brighter cricket they were dismissed late in the afternoon for 342, however, after only one delivery in the Northbourne innings the openers appeal against the light was upheld by the umpires and play was abandoned for the day.

On the afternoon of Saturday, April 18, the scheduled fifth weekend of the match, Northbourne scored freely to be five wickets for 234 at stumps, however, the Canberra Times reported that, “serious fears are entertained that the match might interfere with the football season which will commence on May 2.”

To hasten the end of the final the Association proposed that the two clubs should continue play the next day, Sunday April 19, at the Duntroon field, however, as at that time Sunday play in the Territory was not allowed permission had to be obtained from the Minister.

At an informal meeting of the executive committee during the week, a letter from the Council of Churches appealing to the Association not to embark on Sunday play was considered and ultimately, Ainslie refused to comply with any executive orders for play on that day due to the short notice and unavailability of players.

Bearing all the circumstances in mind, on Sunday 19th, Northbourne, hoping to claim a forfeit, attended the match at Duntroon and entered the field, however, Ainslie appealed that the Northbourne clubs' actions were non-constitutional.

The following weekend, Saturday April 25, landed on Anzac Day and at the request of the President of the RSL, an emergency meeting of the FCT executive committee voted to suspend any play.

Before commencement of the next scheduled days play, Saturday May 2, negotiations were unsuccessful for the “termination of the match on the first innings.”

The Canberra Times reported, “The Ainslie Club adopted the attitude that the constitution provided that the final matches must be played to a finish and that it was intended to abide by the constitution in that respect.”

So, on the seventh scheduled weekend of the match, Northbourne resumed their innings and by the end of the days play, at eight wickets for 403, with centuries by Parker and Scott, Northbourne had grabbed the lead.

To avoid conflict with winter sports that had started their seasons, the Association moved the final from Manuka to the Duntroon turf wicket, however, due to heavy rain during the week, no play was possible on Saturday May 9.

On the scheduled ninth day of the match, Saturday May 16, arrangements were put in place that if the Duntroon field was unfit for play, then a concrete wicket in North Canberra would be made available to hasten a result in the final.

Play did commence at Duntroon on time, on a wicket described as, “mud rolled out flat.”, and after Northbourne lost their final two wickets cheaply, Ainslie found themselves on a sticky wicket and in trouble at stumps on five down for 70, a lead of only two runs.

On Saturday May 23, the tenth weekend of the match, no play was possible, as heavy rain the previous night flooded the Duntroon wicket area.

During the week approaching the 11th Saturday of scheduled play, a special meeting of the FCT Executive proposed that the rest of the match would be played on a matting wicket at the North Canberra ground.

Ainslie protested at this course of action, as this would’ve been the third ground on which the two clubs had played the match in the struggle for supremacy of the Douglas Cup.

In an anti-climax on Saturday May 30, the Ainslie side, in a further protest at the change of venue, failed to turn up and in so doing forfeited the match to the Northbourne club.

So eventually, after 11 weekends of scheduled play on three proposed grounds, the epic 1931 FCT Douglas Cup final came to a conclusion, ending one of the most bizarre cricket matches played in Australia.

In the aftermath of the extended match, The Canberra Times reported, “the cricketing enthusiasts in our midst, have watched what should be the best matches of the season, degenerate into a tiresome farce” adding, “there have surely been many strong silent resolutions to prevent in the future a recurrence of an endeavour to make cricket a winter sport.”

The farcical 1931 final prompted the FCT over the next two seasons, to discard finals all together and award the premiership to the team with the highest points after the home and away matches.

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