It was a night of nostalgia as members of Aurora Cricket Club gathered at the Victoria Country Club on Saturday to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary.

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Founded in 1973, Aurora is one of Pietermaritzburg’s oldest cricket clubs, known for its bold stance against apartheid by promoting mixed-race cricket in defiance of the government’s racial segregation laws.

It was also the first mixed-race club to force the racially segregated Maritzburg Cricket Union (MCU) to accept them as an affiliate.

The celebration brought together the club’s founders, former players, administrators, officials, and supporters.

Key figures who played significant roles in the club’s formation and its fight against racial segregation, including Farouk Ally, Viddy Naidoo, Rishi Ramharak, Sagaran Naidoo, Mike Hickson, and Mike Hart, were among those in attendance.

The event also honoured late members such as Andrew Fisher, Andrew Randal, Erick Daniels, Azad Latiff, Benjy Ramphal, Bigs Chetty, Vis Naicker, Glen Lawson, and Roy Bunwarie, whose names appeared on the programme’s back page.

Former civil rights lawyer and retired High Court Judge Christopher Robert Nicholson, one of Aurora’s founders, was a special guest at the event.

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In 1973, Nicholson helped establish the club and served as its first vice-captain. The mixed-race team applied for affiliation with the MCU and inclusion in the then all-white local cricket league.

Speaking to The Witness, Nicholson recalled the challenges Aurora faced.

Our only sin was to apply to join the MCU so we could play cricket with other racial groups.

“It was absurd. We were told it was against the law … Aurora challenged that, and naturally, we became enemies of the government at the time.”

Although the club was eventually accepted as an affiliate of the MCU, their matches were closely monitored by the police.

All our games were attended by the police. After every match, they would take our names and tell us we would be charged.

Farouk Ally, a former captain, secretary, treasurer, and ex-president of the club, said the club was formed to prove the apartheid government wrong.

“We wanted to show that we could play mixed-race cricket without issues, and we did. Despite their attempts, they failed to stop us because we just wanted to play cricket with all races,” Ally said, expressing pride in seeing Aurora’s legacy continue.

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Viddy Naidoo, another key figure, shared how joining Aurora changed his perspective on race relations.

I had very few white friends due to a bad experience at a park where my family was almost knocked over by a group of white youngsters. But after joining Aurora, thanks to Mike Hart, my view changed.

Former player Patrick Naidoo highlighted the challenges the club faced from the government but praised its resilience.

“The club stood against all odds,” he said.

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Mike Hickson, another founder, reflected on the club’s journey.

“Looking back at how we started and moved forward is just amazing. We all played different roles in achieving our vision.”

Rishi Ramharak noted that Aurora not only challenged apartheid but also educated its members about the political landscape of the time.

“Aurora’s vision made me stronger as an activist. It taught us a lot about the old political system,” he said.