Mumbai schoolboys in mammoth partnership
Shishir Tiwari and Sufian Shaikh, two Mumbai schoolboys, put on 531 in a school match, helping their team put up a score of 1121
Cricinfo staff
09-Dec-2004
Shishir Tiwari and Sufian Shaikh, two Mumbai schoolboys, put on 531 for the fifth-wicket in a school match to evoke memories of the world-record 664-run stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli that they made 16 years ago in the same competition, the Harris Shield.
Tiwari, born a week before Tendulkar's Test debut in November 1989, made 318 with 40 fours and four sixes while Shaikh finished with an unbeaten 202. Their towering partnership took less than five hours. Salim Ansari, an opening batsman, also weighed in with 287.
Their side, Anjuman-I-Islam Fort English School, ended on 1121, a total boosted by 132 penalty runs, against the Baptist School from Thane. It is the highest known total for any side, in any form of cricket, beating Victoria's 1107 against New South Wales in 1926-27. The previous record for the highest total in the competition was held by Tendulkar's old school, Sharadashram Vidyamandir, who made 926 in 1992-93 (without him or Kambli). In reply, the Baptist School were dismissed for 46 and 145 to lose by a mammoth innings and 930 runs.
"We had absolutely no idea even as we crossed 500 runs together that we were anywhere near the world record," Tiwari told BBC Sport. "The opposition bowlers were not threatening but we played according to the merit of the ball."
Naushad Khan, Anjuman-I-Islam's coach, was very happy with the performance: "We are hiring a boat and taking the team out to the Gateway of India seafront for a special dinner to celebrate the feat."
Tiwari, who compiled 138 in an earlier round, is not looking too far ahead. "Ranji Trophy [the first-class competition] is too far away. Right now I am just aiming to make it into the Mumbai Under-17 squad."