The match wasn't thrown into the tank, but into a pool of fuel on the pan. As we know it can be difficult to light, but this was on a warm summers day, so up it went.
That's as I was told it MG.
There was also the stunt of (quickly) putting out a match in a bucket of AVGAS.....
Allegedly the theory is that the petrol suffocates the flame before the air mix is achieved.
No , I haven't seen it done either.....(but I know a man who claims he did
)