Bradman Puzzled!

Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties. Indian Test team presently playing in England was a bit unlucky to miss winning the first Test, but were humiliated in the second.  But they have bounced back in the third by way of a huge win!  Many now believe that they may go on to win the series too! If they win, it will only be second time in cricket history to win a series after being down by 0-2.  Only Sir Donald Bradman had done it for Australia in Australia against England during 1936-37!

Seniors like me are now clearly in the 'Test mood'.  They have got every reason to tell their juniors that 'Test cricket is the best'! No discussion on Test cricket will be complete, without recalling the memory of the greatest Cricketer of all times, Sir Donald Bradman popularly called 'Don'.  What better time to remember this great man than today, whose birthday falls tomorrow (27th August)?

Living legend Sunil Gavaskar was the first cricketer to cross  

Brandman's invincible record of 29 Test centuries.  When interviewed on that occasion, Gavaskar in all humility had said that  'no cricketer can be greater than Bradman unless he scores 30 centuries in just 52 Tests'! Don's Test career average of '99.94' has been cited as the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport.

During 1932-33 when England toured Australia, they had brought a special battery of fast bowlers (remember Harold Larwood?) led by their infamous Captain Douglas Jardine! (During 1985, DD had telecast a serial named BODYLINE covering the entire series). The pre-planned strategy 'bodyline' was only meant to intimidate and contain Bradman! Although the 'bodyline' attack consumed him for a 'famous duck' at MCG in the first innings, he bounced back with a fine century in the second innings to win that Test. Thus 'bodyline' was no puzzle to Bradman, the great.  

But during 1930, 'something about cricket' puzzled Bradman, for which he took 18 long years to find an answer! During those 18 years, while bowlers all across the world were busy finding an answer to Bradman, the Don himself was scratching his head to find the answer to that 'puzzle'.

It was a 'cricket puzzle', created by Arthur Eddington, a well known Physicist.  

It is as follows:

An Imaginary Scoreboard

Atkins.......6
Bodkine... 8
Dawkins...6
Hawkins...6
Jenkins.....5
Larkins.... 4
Meatkins..7
Perkins....11
Simkins....6
Tomkins...0
Willkins...1

Extras..... 0

Total......60

Bowling:
Pitchwell:  12.1-2-14-8
Speedwell:  6-0-15-1
Tosswell:    7-5-31-1

Hints:
-The batsmen have scored only in singles and 4s.
-All batsmen were 'out' clean bowled. There were no 'no balls' or  
   'short' runs.
-Speedwell and Tosswell bowled 6 and 7 overs respectively at a 
   stretch.
-Pitchwell opened the bowling, with Speedwell coming in at the 
   other end for the next over.
-The overs were of 6 balls each.

Questions:
1.Which bowler dismissed which batsmen?
2.Who was not out?
3.What were the fall of wickets?

Don finally solved it while sailing for his last tour to England in 1948. Thus he took 18 long years to solve it.

During 1958 when Bradman published his famous book 'The Art of Cricket', he had included this puzzle too, to give others a chance to try it out.

Come to 2016, Mumbai.  74-year-old Dattatraya Pulekar, a cricket enthusiast and a mathematics teacher, while searching his cupboard,  found a very old letter!

Reading it, he could recollect an old story.  The letter dated 22nd Feb 1965, was written by Bradman to Pulekar, congratulating him for successfully solving the puzzle. Earlier Pulekar had written to Bradman submitting the solution. Pulekar had done it in 3 days when compared to Don who had taken 18 long years. However there was no further correspondence between the 'two' in the subsequent days.

It has come to light that humble and unassuming Bradman kept writing congratulatory replies to all those who solved the puzzle and wrote to him. Had Bradman been alive today, and if you were to write to him with the correct solution, you too would have received such a congratulatory letter from the greatest sportsman on earth!

Now do you want to give it a try? Here are some clues.....

-You have to apply the theory of elimination.

-Find out who bowled which over by using the number of maiden overs and individual scores of the batsmen.

I too tried,  but could not solve.  One of my former colleagues has given me the solution!

I request my friends to write to me the solution.  If you can't solve also,  please write to me in this blog itself down below or write to me.  I will send you the solution. (My e mail id........... klakshminarayana1956@rediffmail.com)

Wishing you all curious time solving this great puzzle which had puzzled Bradman, the great!

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(I have referred to a few sites and sources while collecting pictures and info for this Blog.  I humbly convey my thanks to all of them).

Krumbiegel's Lalbagh

This blog is for all green-lovers.  Bengaluru Lalbagh's famous biannual flower show starting from today is dedicated to the memory of our armed forces.

Countries iconic botanical garden Lalbagh, Bengaluru was the dream of Hyder Ali, the 18th Century ruler of Mysuru.  His dream was taken forward by his more famous son Tippu Sultan.

The credit of developing Lalbagh into a world-class garden goes to

Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel (1865-1956), a German horticulturist, architect and town planner. His talent was spotted by Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the then King of Mysuru, who appointed him as the chief of his State's Gardens during 1908. Till his last breath, Krumbiegel served the horticulture department of Mysuru. He 

developed Lalbagh, KRS Garden (Pic above), Cubbon Park, Gardens around Mysuru and Bengaluru palaces. In Lalbagh and all over Bengaluru he planted exotic flowering trees to ensure 'serial blossoming'.

Krumbiegel beautified Lalbagh's glass house and gave a formal shape to it. At the ripe age of 90, he designed and developed the Raj Ghat garden in Delhi! 

But we have forgotten this great man!  Krumbiegel Hall inside Lalbagh (Pic above) is in depleted condition today.  The road between Lalbagh and Mavalli is named after him.

Krumbiegel's legacy was later taken over by Karnataka's illustrious 

son Dr. M.H.Marigowda (1916-93), who was a Ph.D. from Harvard! He was appointed Superintendent of Mysuru Gardens during 1951.  While Krumbiegel's loyalty was princely, Marigowda worked towards the dream of 'Lalbagh for every town'. During his tenure, horticulture farms and nurseries rose from mere '2' in 1951 to '394' in 1974, covering nuke and corners of Karnataka.

Marigowda further beautified Lalbagh with many more ornamental and exotic trees.  Further he converted Lalbagh as a laboratory for horticultural experimentation.  This tireless horticulturist 

wrote.....'No man-made rules came in my way.  The law of nature of plants was only the beacon of light and guide'. His birthday on 8th August, is celebrated as the 'Horticulture Day'. 

The nickname of 'garden city' for Bengaluru is also because of its 280 tanks and lakes it had during 1960.  Urbanization has taken its toll and the number is now reduced to a mere 17!  

Sankey Tank (Pic above) is one of the well maintained tanks today which covers about 37 acres.  The tank was constructed by Col. Richard Sankey, of Madras Regiment during 1882.  This tank which is a popular walking spot today has survived many encroachment threats.

Lake on Fire!

Bellandur lake, the biggest and the historic lake of Bengaluru is on fire.  This huge lake has become a victim of urbanization and man's greed.  The lake is polluted by the discharge of industrial and residential wastes and will be ever-frothing causing disturbance to environment around.

Pollutants in the lake are generating methane gas which catches fire often with smoke engulfing more than 3-4 kms area around!

Like our other Metro cities, Bengaluru too is reeling under the pressure of rapid growth and man's brazen loots.  Once called 'garden city', Bengaluru has now become a concrete jungle.  Relentless felling of trees is hardly replaced by new plantings.  Less said the better about garbage, traffic jams, air pollution, shameless display of flexes and banners. We can't blame the Government alone.  We all have become pseudo environmentalists with the stand.....'let there be green trees all over the city, but not one in front of my house'!

The hope lies in drawing lessons from the messages left by 'green greats' like Krumbiegle and Marigowda. We all should start acting before it is too late.
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Acknowledgements: I have drawn pictures and data from many sites and sources.  I sincerely acknowledge my indebtedness to all of them.