Howard Petrook, Chairman of cricket of the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club (TCSCC), says the team boasting the Chappell brothers, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh to name a few, were made to party the whole night on the eve of the match in the summer of 1975.
"We convinced them they should not stay in a hotel and and instead they were put up in an adjacent house and brought mattresses. We kept on giving them refreshments the whole night as the party continued till morning," Petrook told PTI, fondly remembering the incident.
The trick was quite successful as the next morning the Aussies, who had stopped by in Toronto on their way to the first Prudential World Cup in 1975 in England, were bundled out for 159 with Jitu Patel and Roy Callender taking four wickets each.
Wicketkeeper Rod Marsh topped the Aussie batting with 55 while Greg Chappell scored 20.
"(Ian) Chappell still talks about it when he comes here. He was a commentator during the Sahara Cup and he comes and visit here often. He has friends here. It was a famous day in Canadian cricket when we beat Australia," Petrook added.
Incidentally cricket used to be the national sport of Canada in mid 1800s, while the Toronto Cricket Club in was founded in 1827 by George Barber, a master at Upper Canada College and an editor.
