This week’s game was against the ESPN media players and Spirits, Sandeep was captain for this game. This game was a special format with a one day test format with two 15 over innings per side but with scores carrying over, so the sides who makes the most runs over two innings wins the game. There was a catch, the second innings was in reverse batting order, no wonder Sandeep batted down the order in the first innings...
Not sure who won the toss but we were in the field. Sandeep gave a pep talk before the game, as captains do, he said something to the effect that I know the Spirits can’t take catches but at least stop the boundaries. Media Players lent us a fielder as we only had 10 players, despite some frantic phone calls. It is amazing that no one picks up the phone on Sunday mornings. I assume Daniel would have rather played than watch the Kiwis lose to the Aussies in the Netball world championships, following the Kiwi’s loss to the Australians in the Super 15, not a good omen for the Rugby world cup in the near future. Logu opened the bowling and soon went for six with his half trackers but got the edge and a good catch behind and the Media players had lost their first wicket, not so according to the umpire! The echo was still vibrating around the CSC clubhouse from the edge of the bat, before the umpire check if his hearing aid was turned on. No wicket and 8 off the first. David bowled the next over with some outies and got a well deserved wicket and finished with 1/9 off 3. Logu’s next over was again half trackers but the second ball went to Sandeep at mid off and took a good catch. Three catches in a row, only two counted! Two balls later, another long hop, and a skied ball going to Graeme at mid on. Not that Sandeep didn’t trust Graeme catching, but he ran from mid off to mid on to take the catch out of Graeme’s hands. 3/25 after 3 so not too bad. YiQi came on to bowl his googley, Chinaman and wronguns and got two wickets in his first two over’s, The captain gave him one too many and went for 26 off his last over to finish with 2/40 off 3. Sandeep was rattled at this stage and he bowled Josh 0-24 off 1, and Rajesh 0-10 off 1. Graeme held up the other end with 0-15 off 3. Media Players has a procession of 30 retired towards the end and finished with 9/126 off the 15 over’s.
John opened the batting with Josh and the first ball went for 4. John was first out hitting the ball on the up in the 4th over for 23 and the score was 1/30 off 4. Madu and Rajesh both went for ducks in the next over. Josh and Akash got the score to 50 off 8 when both were out for 12 and 11 respectively. Graeme came and went for 4 and Dave did a small cameo for 14. Sandeep was at the other end and with 13 over’s gone we were 7 for 88 (deficit of 38) and the media players went to Sandeep and said the spirits didn’t have to carry over the deficit into the next innings as it was too large. Sandeep said lets continue and then hit 18 off the next over when he was retired for 32. YiQi and Logu did some cheeky runs in the last over and got the score to 111, a deficit of 15. YiQi smile when he makes a run lights up the ground.
The rain came right at the change of innings and a short delay and the Spirits were out in the field with only 10 men this time. Sandeep again gave a pep talk and with his 50+ year of experience invoked “rule 33”. Rule 33 is a well known term in Dutch company 20/20 cricket in when there is a batsman who can’t bat is in then under no circumstances should you get them out. The bating orders were reversed so the “not so good players” were opening the batting. John handed the gloves to Rajesh and opening the bowling with a maiden, keeping the ball outside off so no chance of getting a wicket. Dave was up the other end and went for 8 off his first over bowling too close to the stumps. John bowled the next over and it seems Rajesh was taken Rule 33 too literally as a regulation catch went to his right as he was keeping and he watch it going to the boundary. Not to be outdone the next ball Rajesh thought he would stand a bit wider as wicketkeeper and other edge went to the keeper, but Rajesh wasn’t there. Sandeep then took John off and bowled Akash. Akash got the first wicket when the batsman charged him and kept on walking and Rajesh had to stump him as the batman was halfway to the grandstand. Rule 33 has cost 45 runs off 6 over’s with the lesser batsman.... Dave has 24/1 off 3 and Akash had the same figures and Media players were 2/60 off 8 over’s. With John taking the gloves back Rajesh and Graeme bowled the next few over’s. The big hitters from Media players were in now so Sandeep decided to have 8 on the boundary! Rajesh got 3/15 off his two over’s and Graeme got 1/14 off 3 to bring the game back our way but with Sandeep bowling himself and getting hit for 24 off 2 he was the most expensive bowler and the Media boys got the score to 114, would have been less if John and Rajesh had bowled their full quota...
We needed to score 130 in the second innings with reverse batting order. Sandeep’s rules were simple to Logu and YiQi “don’t take too long to get out! Logu hit the first ball for 4 and went out second ball, following the captain’s rule perfectly. YiQi was run out for 2 with a direct hit – obviously Media players didn’t know about “Rule 33”. Dave went out for a hard hitting 23 and we were 3/32 off 4 over’s. Sandeep and Graeme were in and they got 17 off the 6th over and we were 61 off 6 over’s. Graeme retired with 30 and the score was 76 off 7 over’s with Sandeep on 10 not out holding up the other end. Akash and Sandeep kept the run rate going and got the score to 116 when Sandeep retired with 31 and 12 over’s were bowled. 14 needed off 18 balls with Rajesh coming into bat. A run a ball was all that was needed but Rajesh wanted to win the game with boundaries. Akash went out for 17 from pressure as the other end was not scoring 6/122 off 13 over’s. Madu hit a four off the last ball of the 14th over to relieve the pressure. We needed 3 off the last over. With 12 wild swings and only 1 connection Rajesh was out for 7 off the first ball of the last over and Madu was run out two balls later. Our last two batmen were in with the scores tied and two balls left. Josh hit the ball into covers and John completed the single to win the match by one run 241 runs to 240 runs. Media players had the better players but the better team won!
There were some good performances for man of the match. Dave with 14 and 23 with the bat and 1/24 and 1/9 off 3 over’s. Sandeep retired with 32 and 31 but spoilt with bowling 2/24 off two over’s and leaving the most economical bowlers’ one short. The use the “underarm” tactics of having 8 fielders on the boundary left him out of contention for the fair play cup. Graeme bowled 0/15 and 1/14 off his two bowling spells and made 4 and 30 with the bat. John made 23 with the bat, two catches and a maiden over from limited opportunities. There was some talk that Raj, who was playing for the opposition, should win player of the match for his misfielding in the last few over’s to give us a chance. Overall it was the man who played a 30 over game in the morning and still turned up for the Spirits, Graeme was man of the match.
The wooden spoon award contenders were Madu with getting injured in the first few over’s, Josh with 24 off one over, but it was decided that the person who nearly turned a winning game to a loss. With a duck and 7 from a league player, two missed catches whilst keeping, not packing the kit after the game, Rajesh was deserved winner of the wooden spoon.
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