M. E. Pavri

M.E. Pavri
Personal information
Full name Mehallasha Edulji Pavri
Born (1866-10-10)10 October 1866
Navsari, Gujarat, India
Died 19 April 1946(1946-04-19) (aged 79)
Bombay, India
Batting Right-handed
Bowling Right-arm fast
Role Bowler
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1892-1913 Parsees
1892 All-India XI
1893 Middlesex
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 26
Runs scored 589
Batting average 15.50
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 69
Balls bowled 2,014
Wickets 44
Bowling average 20.25
5 wickets in innings 2
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/36
Catches/stumpings 19/0
Source: Cricinfo, 5 November 2012

Mehallasha Edulji Pavri (10 October 1866 – 19 April 1946 in Navsari, Gujarat, India[1]) was an Indian cricketer, who played 26 first-class matches between 1892 and 1913. He was India's earliest genuine fast bowlers in its pre-Test era. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler. Most of his first-class cricket was for the Parsees, but he also represented an All-India XI and Middlesex several times.

Pavri made his debut on the Parsee tour to England in 1888, gaining recognition by taking 170 wickets at an average of 11.66. Performances in other notable matches include the Parsees vs Lord Hawke's XI in 1892 which resulted in a narrow Parsi victory and was also the first-ever first-class match staged in the subcontinent. The match was considered as the Cricket Championship of India at that time, and Pavri took 2 wickets for 3 runs in 3 overs and 7/34 in 13.2 overs. The Parsis won match by 4 wickets.[2] In another match against Lord Hawke's XI and in a 109-run Parsi win, he took figures of 2/18 and 6/36.[3] He also represented an All-India XI against Lord Hawke's XI in 1892.

Pavri was a consistent and prolific wicket-taking attacking bowler, and a decent bat who played in the middle order and had a top first-class score of 69. He was successful in the early years of the Bombay Pentagular Tournament.

Outside cricket, Pavri was a doctor who had studied medicine in London. After retirement from cricket, he not only worked as a doctor but also wrote a book on Indian cricket, which analysed almost every important aspect of Indian cricket at that time with many suggested improvements.

References

  1. ↑ Note that Navsari and Bombay and a few other centres were the main centres of population for the minor Parsi community
  2. ↑ Parsees vs GF Vernon's XI CricketArchive.com. Retrieved 5 November 2012
  3. ↑ Parsees vs Lord Hawke's XI CricketArchive.com. Retrieved 5 November 2012
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