Editing Ranjitsinhji (section)

==Cambridge University==
===Academic progress===
In March 1888, Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji to London, with two other students who exhibited potential. One of the events to which Macnaghten took Ranjitsinhji was a cricket match between [[Surrey County Cricket Club]] and [[Australian cricket team in England in 1888|the touring Australian team]]. Ranjitsinhji was enthralled by the standard of cricket, and [[Charles Turner (Australian cricketer)|Charles Turner]], an Australian known more as a bowler, scored a century in front of a large crowd; Ranjitsinhji later said he did not see a better innings for ten years.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=25–27}} Macnaghten returned to India that September but arranged for Ranjitsinhji and one of the other students, Ramsinhji, to live in Cambridge. Their second choice of lodgings proved successful, living with the family of Reverend Louis Borrisow, at the time the chaplain of [[Trinity College, Cambridge]], who tutored them for the next year. Ranjitsinhji lived with the Borrisows until 1892 and remained close to them throughout his life.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=27–29}} According to Roland Wild, Borrisow believed Ranjitsinhji was "lazy and irresponsible"{{sfn|Wild|1934|p=29}} and obsessed with leisure activities including cricket, tennis, billiards and photography.{{sfn|Ross|1983|p=38}} Wild also says that he might have struggled to acclimatise to English life and did not settle to academic study.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=29}} Possibly as a consequence, Ranjitsinhji failed the preliminary entrance exam to Trinity College in 1889, but he and Ramsinhji were allowed to enter the college as "youths of position". Nevertheless, Ranjitsinhji concentrated more on sport than study while at Cambridge, being content to work no more than necessary and he never graduated.{{sfn|Ross|1983|p=31}} A Freemason, he was also a member of [[Isaac Newton University Lodge]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://masonicperiodicals.org/periodicals/fvl/issues/fvl_17101896/page/12/articles/ar01200/?highlight=%22Isaac%20Newton%20University%20Lodge%22&from=search |title=Isaac Newton University, Lodge |publisher=Masonic Periodicals |access-date=25 May 2021}}</ref>

During the summer of 1890, Ranjitsinhji and Ramsinhji took a holiday in [[Bournemouth]]. For the trip, Ranjitsinhji adopted the name "K. S. [Kumar Sri] Ranjitsinhji". While in Bournemouth, he took more interest in cricket, achieving success in local matches which suggested he possessed talent, but little refinement of technique. According to Wild, by the time he returned to Trinity in September 1890, he was beginning to realise the benefit of others believing him to be a person of importance, something that was to lead to him adopting the title "Prince Ranjitsinhji", although he had no right to call himself a "Prince". Significantly, the trip planted the seed in his mind that he might find success as a cricketer.{{sfn|Jackson|1982|p=29}}

In June 1892, Ranjitsinhji left the Borrisow home and, with monetary assistance from relations,{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=39}} moved into his own rooms in the city of Cambridge. He lived in luxury and frequently entertained guests lavishly.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=43–44}} According to writer [[Alan Ross]], Ranjitsinhji may have been lonely in his first years at Cambridge and probably encountered racism and prejudice. Ross believes that his generosity may have partly arisen from trying to overcome these barriers.{{sfn|Ross|1983|p=41}} However, Ranjitsinhji increasingly lived beyond his means to the point where he experienced financial difficulty. He intended to pass the examinations to be [[Call to the Bar|called to the Bar]] and wrote to ask Vibhaji to provide more money to cover the costs; Vibhaji sent the money on the condition Ranjitsinhji returned to India once he passed the examination.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=43}} Ranjitsinhji intended to keep to this arrangement, although he did not plan a career as a barrister, but his debts were larger than he had thought and not only could he not afford the cost of the Bar examination, he was forced to leave Cambridge University, without graduating, in spring 1894.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=48}}{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=50}}

===Beginnings as a cricketer===
At first, Ranjitsinhji had hoped to be awarded a [[Blue (university sport)|Blue]] at tennis, but, possibly inspired by his visit to see the Australians play in 1888, he decided to concentrate on cricket. In 1889 and 1890, he played local cricket of a low standard,{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=27}} but following his stay in Bournemouth, he set out to improve his cricket.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=30}} In June 1891 he joined the recently re-formed [[Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club]] and was successful enough in trial matches to represent the county in several games that September. His highest score was just 23 [[not out]],{{sfn|Standing|1903|pp=32–33}} but he was selected for a South of England team to play a local side—which had 19 players to make the match more competitive—and his score of 34 was the highest in the game.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=32–33}} However, Ranjitsinhji had neither the strength nor the range of [[Batting (cricket)#Orthodox technique and strokeplay|batting strokes]] to succeed at this stage.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=33}}

Around this time, Ranjitsinhji began to work with [[Daniel Hayward]], a [[first-class cricket|first-class]] cricketer and the father of future [[England national cricket team|England]] batsman [[Tom Hayward|Thomas Hayward]], on his batting technique. His main fault was a tendency to back away from the ball when facing a [[Fast bowling#Categorisation of fast bowling|fast bowler]], making it more likely he would be [[Dismissal (cricket)|dismissed]]. Possibly prompted by the suggestion of a professional cricketer who was bowling at him in the [[cricket nets|nets]] at Cambridge, he and Hayward began to practise with Ranjitsinhji's right leg tied to the ground. This affected his future batting technique and contributed to his adoption of the [[Batting (cricket)#Leg glance|leg glance]], a shot with which he afterwards became associated.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=33–34}} While practising, he continued to move his left leg, which was not tied, away from the ball; in this case, it moved to his right, towards [[Fielding (cricket)#Fielding position names and locations|point]]. He found he could then flick the ball behind his legs, a highly unorthodox shot and likely, for most players, to result in their dismissal.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=34–35}} Although other players had probably played this shot before, Ranjitsinhji was able to play it with unprecedented effectiveness.{{sfn|Ross|1983|p=40}} Ranjitsinhji probably developed his leg glance with Hayward around spring 1892, for during the remainder of that year, he scored around 2,000 runs in all cricket, far more than he had previously managed, making at least nine [[Century (cricket)|centuries]], a feat he had never previously achieved in England.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=34}}{{sfn|Jackson|1982|p=40}}{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=40}}

Ranjitsinhji began to establish a reputation for unorthodox cricket, and attracted some interest to his play,{{sfn|Jackson|1982|p=119}} but important cricketers did not take him seriously as he played contrary to the accepted way for an amateur or university batsman, established by the conventions in English public schools.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=34–35}} In one match, he was observed by the captain of the Cambridge University [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|cricket team]] and future England captain [[Stanley Jackson (cricketer)|Stanley Jackson]], who found his batting and probably his appearance unusual but was not impressed.{{sfn|Jackson|1982|p=1}}{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=38–39}}

===University cricket===
At least one Cambridge University cricketer believed that Ranjitsinhji should have played for the team in 1892; he played in two trial games with moderate success, but Jackson believed he was not good enough to play [[first-class cricket]]. Jackson was probably also the reason Ranjitisinhji did not play cricket for Trinity College until 1892, despite his success for other teams.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=38}} Jackson himself wrote in 1933 that, at the time, he lacked a "sympathetic interest for Indians",{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=118}} and Simon Wilde has suggested that prejudice lay behind Jackson's attitude.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=38}} Jackson also said in 1893 that underestimating Ranjitsinhji's ability was a big mistake.<ref name="WCY">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154848.html |title=Ranjitsinhji (Cricketer of the Year) |work=Wisden Cricketers' Almanack |publisher=John Wisden & Co. |year=1897 |access-date=11 June 2011}}</ref>

However, Ranjitsinhji made his debut for Trinity in 1892 after injury ruled out another player and his subsequent form, including a century, kept him in the college team, achieving a [[Batting average (cricket)|batting average]] of 44, only Jackson averaging more.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=39}}{{sfn|Ross|1983|p=42}} However, the other players ignored Ranjitsinhji in these matches.{{sfn|Jackson|1982|p=38}} That June, watched by Ranjitsinhji, Cambridge were defeated by [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford]] in the [[University Match (cricket)|University Match]]; [[Malcolm Jardine]], an Oxford batsman, hit 140 runs, many with a version of the leg glance; Jackson would not alter his tactics and Jardine was able to score easy runs.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=39}}

That winter, Jackson had taken part in a cricket tour of India, where he was impressed by the standard of cricket.{{sfn|Jackson|1982|pp=118–119}}{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=41}} When he observed, at the start of the 1893 cricket season, the dedication with which Ranjitsinhji was practising in the nets to increase his concentration against the highly regarded professional bowlers [[Tom Richardson (cricketer)|Tom Richardson]] and [[William Lockwood (cricketer)|Bill Lockwood]],{{sfn|Jackson|1982|p=120}} Jackson asked Lockwood for his opinion. Lockwood noted how much Ranjitsinhji had improved through practice and told Jackson he believed Ranjitsinhji was better than several players in the university team.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=42}} Then, Ranjitsinhji's early form in 1893, scoring heavily for Trinity and performing reasonably well in a trial match, convinced Jackson. He made his first-class debut for Cambridge on 8 May 1893 against a team selected by [[Charles Thornton (cricketer)|Charles Thornton]]; he batted at [[Batting order (cricket)#Lower order or tail|number nine in the batting order]] and scored 18.{{sfn|Wild|1934|p=42}} He maintained his place in the side over the next weeks, making substantial scores in several innings against bowlers with a good reputation. He grew in confidence as the season progressed; critics commented on several occasions on the effectiveness of his [[Batting (cricket)#Cut|cut shot]] and his fielding was regarded as exceptionally good.{{sfn|Kincaid|1931|pp=42–43}} His highest and most notable score came during a defeat by the Australian touring team when he made 58 runs in 105 minutes, followed by a two-hour 37 not out in difficult batting conditions during the second innings. His batting made a great impression on spectators, who gave him an ovation at the end of the game. The game appears to be the first occasion in first-class cricket where Ranjitsinhji used the leg glance.{{sfn|Ross|1983|p=43}}{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=45–46}} Ranjitsinhji was awarded his Blue after the match, and following some more successful but brief innings, he played in the university match. He was given a good reception by the crowd but scored only 9 and 0 in the game, which his team won.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=47-48}} With the Cambridge season over, Ranjitsinhji's batting average of 29.90 placed him third in the side's averages, with five scores over 40. He took nineteen catches, mainly at [[Slip (cricket)|slip]]. Such was his impact that Ranjitsinhji was selected in representative games, playing for the [[Gentlemen v Players|Gentlemen against the Players]] at the Oval and for a team combining past and present players for both Oxford and Cambridge Universities against the Australians, scoring a total of 50 runs in three innings.{{sfn|Ross|1983|pp=44–45}}{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=47}}

Following his success at cricket, Ranjitsinhji was more widely accepted within Trinity.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=43–44}} His new-found popularity led to the creation by his friends of a nickname; finding his name difficult, they initially dubbed him "Smith", then shortened his full name to "Ranji", which remained with him for the rest of his life.{{sfn|Ross|1983|p=44}}{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=44}} At this time, Ranjitsinhji may have furthered rumours of his royal background or great wealth, and he was further encouraged to spend money to entertain others and reinforce the impression of his status.{{sfn|Ross|1983|pp=44–45}} Several English first-class counties made enquiries over his availability to play for them, and he was invited to make a speech at a Cambridge club dinner, attended by prominent figures in Cambridge; his general remarks about the good treatment of Indians in England were reported in the press as being in support of Indian federation and suggested the public were eager to hear his words.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|pp=48–49}} However, Ranjitsinhji was unable to continue his cricket with Cambridge as he had to leave before the start of the 1894 season.{{sfn|Wilde|1999|p=50}}