Dadabhoy Havewala

{{short description|Indian cricketer (1908–1982)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Dady Havewala

| image =

| country = India

| fullname = Dadabhoy Rustomji Havewala

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1908|11|27|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Nargol, Gujarat, British India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|7|21|1908|11|27|df=yes}}

| death_place = Mumbai, India

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Left-arm medium-pace, slow left-arm orthodox

| role =

| club1 = Bombay

| year1 = 1934–35 to 1941–42

| club2 = Parsees

| year2 = 1934–35 to 1941–42

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 31

| runs1 = 1293

| bat avg1 = 26.93

| 100s/50s1 = 2/8

| top score1 = 106

| deliveries1 = 3824

| wickets1 = 51

| bowl avg1 = 36.39

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 4/46

| catches/stumpings1 = 12/–

| date = 29 July

| year = 2014

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11462/11462.html CricketArchive

}}

Dadabhoy Rustomji "Dady" Havewala (sometimes spelt Havewalla) (27 November 1908 – 21 July 1982) was an Indian cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1934 to 1941.

Havewala became famous in India before he played first-class cricket. In the final of the Times of India Shield in Bombay in December 1933, he scored 515 (with 32 sixes and 56 fours)Wisden 1983, pp. 1245–46. as well as taking 11 wickets.{{cite web |title=Bombay Baroda & Central India Railways v St Xavier's College, Mumbai 1933-34 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/168/168078.html |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=17 January 2025}} It was the highest score in Indian cricket until 2013, when Prithvi Shaw made 546.{{Cite web |url=http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-news/prithvi-shaws-546-lights-harris-shield/86608 |title=Prithvi Shaw's 546 lights up Harris Shield |access-date=30 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811172720/http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-news/prithvi-shaws-546-lights-harris-shield/86608 |archive-date=11 August 2014 |url-status=dead }} When Havewala was around 120, a ball bowled by the opposing captain G. N. Lalljee hit the stumps and deflected without dislodging the bails. After reaching 200 he wanted to retire but was asked by his captain to slog and get out. Havewala started to hit out and some of his sixes landed among railway wagons in the Marine Drive yards. He reached his 300 after around a further twenty minutes, and ended the day at 453 not out. A large crowd attended the match on the next day, when Havewala was caught at deep mid off from a mishit.G. N. Lalljee, "Dady Havewalla's Monumental Innings", Anka, journal of the Association of Statisticians and Scorers of India, July–September 1996.

Havewala made his first first-class century in 1935–36, playing for Bombay against Western India in the Ranji Trophy.{{cite web |title=Bombay v Western India 1935-36 |url=http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1935-36/IND_LOCAL/RANJI/BOM_W-IND_RJI_20-22DEC1935.html |publisher=Cricinfo |access-date=17 January 2025}} Earlier in the season he had scored 71 against the touring Australian side, prompting Charlie Macartney to write, "I have seldom seen finer hitting than that by Havewalla."

Havewala made another century in 1937-38 for Maharaja of Patiala's XI against the strong touring English team Lord Tennyson's XI,{{cite web |title=Maharaja of Patiala's XI Lord Tennyson's XI 1937-38 |url=http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1937-38/TENNYSON_IN_IND/TENNYSON-XI_PATIALA_11-13JAN1938.html |publisher=Cricinfo|access-date=17 January 2025}} and was selected to play for India in the last two matches of the series India played against Lord Tennyson's XI. He made 44 in the first match, India's second-top score in an innings victory.{{cite web|title=India v Lord Tennyson's XI 1937-38|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/16/16500.html|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=18 April 2017}} In later seasons Havewala's batting form declined and he played as a pace bowler.{{cite web|title=Bombay v Sind 1941-42|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/17/17343.html|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=18 April 2017}}