The Dewar Shield Challenge - History and Playing Conditions

The Dewar Shield is Fiji's oldest cricketing trophy

ICC Development (East Asia-Pacific) Media Release

25-Sep-2001

COMPETING TEAMS: TUBOU, LAKEBA VERSUS SUVA
VENUE: TUBOU, LAKEBA
DATES: OCTOBER 8TH, 9TH AND 10TH 2001

History of the Shield

The Dewar Shield is Fiji's oldest cricketing trophy. It was presented just before the 1914 war by Sir Thomas R. Dewar, the head of the Scottish firm of whisky distillers. It is made largely of silver, depicting a cricket scene reminiscent of the turn of the last century, with a bowler delivering the ball. It has been mentioned that it looks very like a throw! The shield was given to the Suva Cricket Club, with the right of challenge being given to any team subject to specific rules.

Just after the war in 1918, the shield was won from Suva by the Bau team, but they held it for only a year when the Commercial Cricket Club of Suva obtained it. This team was a composite from commercial houses, mainly Burns Philp and Morris, Hedstrom. In 1924 Bau regained the shield, only to loose it again in to Levuka Native Cricket Club who then held it for 4 years before Bau recaptured it in 1927 and held it until 1932.

In 1932, a remarkable event occurred. A collection of small villages around the then tiny township of Nadi challenged the mighty, Regal Bau. The Nadi team contained two legendary players, Turaga and Tuinaceva, won the shield and held it for the unprecedented length of 12 years. The story has it that the fiery Nadi wicket suited the extreme pace of Turaga, and the fielding side was reported to be almost infallible catchers of edges off his bowling. Sometimes two rows of slips were employed, with no one but the bowler in front of the wicket.

Holding the shield for so long caused the Nadi population to realize that the district had a trophy that was a real demonstration of the Nadi supremacy, and voted money for the training of the team and the entertainment of visitors. They retained the trophy until 1944, when Tuinaceva was away in the Labour Battalion in Suva and by this time Turaga lay buried just out of site of the Nadi ground. Suva took the shield and defended it against Nadi in 1945 and again in 1946. Challenges were also repulsed against Bau and Lautoka.

Lautoka did win the shield later and lost it to Bau in 1950, the first time Bau had held it since 1932. Bau never lost the trophy by challenge, but lost it by default to Suva when a scheduled game could not be played because of the death of Adi Cakobau and the loss of players to the Fiji Infantry Regiment on duty in Malaya. The details are a bit sketchy after that but Lautoka won it from Nadi, lost it to Suva, who lost it again to Lautoka.

In 1963 the Tubou team traveled to Lautoka and took a grip on the Shield that has not been relinquished since that day. Lautoka, Cicia, in 1968/69 and Suva on at least nine occasions - the first in 1970 and the last in 1992 -have challenged without success.

This magnificent shield is a part of Fiji sporting history that deserves tremendous respect, and this challenge is a marvelous event for Fiji Cricket.

Rules of the competition.

The shield belongs to Fiji Cricket and can never be won outright. The Rules of the challenge matches are set out in the Constitution, and are attached, together with the bylaws for competitions, which form part of the rules.

In accordance with those rules, Fiji Cricket hereby makes the following determinations in respect of the challenge by Suva Cricket Association.

a) After consultation with the Tubou and Suva associations, the challenge is to be played on October 8th, 9th and 10th, 2001.
b) The location of the match will be at Tubou, Lakeba.
c) Each day the match shall start at 10.00 a.m. and stumps will be drawn at 5.30 p.m. (subject to clauses d) and e) below). Lunch will be taken from 12.00 to 1.00 p.m., and afternoon tea from 3.00 to 3.30.
d) At least 90 overs must be bowled in the day.
e) In the event of rain or bad light stopping play, time lost may be made up by starting the following day up to half an hour earlier, and/or reducing the lunch break by 15 minutes. The umpires decision on these issues shall be final.
f) Fiji Cricket will provide one new ball during each innings. Teams may use a second new ball (provided by themselves) after 80 overs if they so wish
g) The follow on shall be available if the team batting second is 150 runs or more in arrears on the first innings.
h) The challenger must win the match outright in order to win the shield.
i) Fiji Cricket will decide the Umpires, after consultation with the holding and challenging associations. Neutral and/or qualified umpires will be preferred and the decision of Fiji Cricket will be final.
j) The host association shall be responsible for all ground preparation and marking, and for the provision of lunch and afternoon tea.

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