Bombay Pentangular

The Bombay Quadrangular was an influential cricket tournament held in Bombay, India (now known as Mumbai) from 1912 to 1936. At other times it was known variously as the Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, and the Bombay Pentangular.

The Quadrangular tournament had its origins in an annual match played between the European members of the Bombay Gymkhana and the Parsis of the Zoroastrian Cricket Club. The first such game was played in 1877, when the Bombay Gymkhana accepted a request for a two-day match from the Parsis. The game was played in good spirit, with the Parsis surprising the Europeans by taking a first innings lead. The Gymkhana recovered, but the match was drawn with the sides evenly poised. The challenge was played again in 1878 and looked set to become an annual event, but racial discontent intervened. From 1879 to 1883, the Parsis and Hindus of Bombay were locked in a struggle against the governing Europeans over the use of the playing fields known as the Bombay Maidan. Gymkhana members would play polo on the field, rendering much of it useless for cricket because of the large divots left by the horses, while sparing their own European-only cricket ground. With this dispute settled in favour of the natives, the Europeans versus Parsis matches resumed in 1884.

The 1889 game was memorable as a thrilling victory to the Parsis, with the Gymkhana being set a low target of 53 runs in the final innings. Parsi captain M.E. Pavri bowled well to help dismiss the Europeans for 50, just 3 runs short of victory. Matches from 1892–93 are given first class status. The match that began at Bombay Gymkhana on 26 August 1892 is considered the earliest first class match in India. By 1900, the Presidency Match — as the Europeans versus Parsis game had come to be called — was the highlight of the Bombay cricket season. In the 19 matches to this year, the teams had won eight each and drawn three.

While the Europeans and Parsis were regularly playing against each other, the Hindu Gymkhana had been amassing its own quality players. In 1906, the Hindus challenged the Parsis to a match, but the communal differences between the clubs led the Parsis to decline. The Bombay Gymkhana stepped in and accepted the challenge, leading to the first Europeans versus Hindus match, played that February. The Hindu side ended up recording a stunning 110-run victory over the Europeans. The Hindus boasted Palwankar Baloo, who is regarded as India's first great spin bowler, and perhaps the first person from the lower Dalit caste to make an impact in an Indian sporting arena. He was not allowed the captaincy of the team because of his caste, but his younger brother Palwankar Vithal, a batsman, would go on to captain the Hindus in 1923, following a campaign to accord recognition to the Palwankar brothers in the wake of the anti-casteism advocated during the Indian Independence Movement.

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