This could be described as a game of no shows with 4 of the 11 players picked not turning up to the game, including the captain! But in this case notice was given the day before but trying to find players at the last minute is hard, Thanks to Vivek, Guarav, Raj and Mahesh B for coming in at the last minute and to Rammy for organising players even though he was injured.
The newly appointed captain arrived at 12.50pm, after a long day and night at SCC stumps bar, and duly won the toss and batted. 30 overs, no retirements and normal fielding restrictions were the rules of the day. Vivek and Glen opened the batting but they seemed to be playing a 50 over game than a 30 over game with the score of 0-41 after 11 overs. With a few choice words from the crowd and captain 29 runs were scored off the next 3 overs as Glen went out for 33 off 45 balls and at drinks we were 70/1 off 14.1. Vivek was given 6 balls before he would retire and went out on the sixth ball but added 11 runs and was caught for 42 off 47 balls – 86/2. To be fair the HP bowling was very tight and only 13 wides for the innings, including a 5 wide, testifies their accuracy. Raj and Guarav were in and put on 24 off 4 overs when Guarav went (7 off 14). Mahesh Menon got a golden duck last game and lasted three balls when he hit one straight to point and called yes. Raj was at the other end think about the Honolulu match report and didn’t respond and Mahesh went for a duck. Ashok came in and leg glanced a 4 first ball but the next 8 were dot balls before he went out to a great catch at short backward short leg 116/5 off 23 overs. Satish was next in and picked up the run rate with Raj who departed for 19 off 30 balls 137/6 off 26.3 overs. Satish made a quick for 14 off 17 and John’s hangover had abated a little and made 19no off 11 balls. Logu, with his new bat hit a four first ball and ended up with 5 of 5. Total score was 164 off 30 overs, not bad considering the morning game was 89 and 91 off 30 overs.
With the guarantee to give everyone a bowl we opened with Raj and Glen. Raj was swinging the ball like a banana but the umpire was giving wides based on where the keeper took the ball, the first of 30 wides for the game! We were able to get two overs in before the rain came. In the previous history the IA game would have being washed out but the curator at IA is keen to play and we were able to get out there after an hour. We decided to bowl from one end, the bouncy one, and keep it to a 30 over game. The ball was chasing Satish a little in the first two overs and he was misfielding it so Guarav went to his spot and Glen got the first wicket with a catch to Guarav at mid off. Raj finished with 15/0 off 3 overs including 5 wides and a plumb lbw not given... Glen got his second wicket and was granted another over by bowling the opening batsman. Gurav came on to bowl and has discovered a new delivery – full toss on the stumps and the captain put the ball straight down the throat of Mahesh B, and he caught it! Glen liked the idea of an extra over with a wicket, not so Logu who was warming up for a while. Another swinging delivery and another wicket for Glen and HP were 31/4 off 8. Guarav went around the wicket for the last ball and bowled the batsman and earned another over, bad luck Logu 38/5. Glen finally didn’t get a wicket but was very close and finished with 3/15 of 5 overs and 7 wides. Guarav also failed to get a wicket (2/15 off 3) so it was finally a warmed up Logu and Andy Covel’s turn, and it went like this - 2 overs, 11wides, 1 leg bye, 11 off the bat, 23 runs – now 68/5 off 13. Logu was better the second over and tried to claim a run out to get another over but to no avail (0/11 off 2 overs – 7 wides). Andy Covel did get a wicket (20/1 off 2) with the Guarav ball, full toss on the stumps, well caught by Satish, but was not granted another over as we still had 5 bowlers to bowl and the score was 77/7 off 15 overs. Satish and Mahesh B came on and were unsuccessful in their two overs (14/0 and 9/0) and Satish tried to get an extra over due to a dropped catch by the captain – no go Satish. Mahesh H and Ashok were the next two bowlers with Mahesh opening with two wides in his first over but finished with two wickets ct Mahesh B b Mahesh M, luckily the umpire had the ipad on the ground so he couldn’t mix them up, 9/106 off 20. Ashok opened with a maiden over and Mahesh M missed the hatrick with a wide and went for 12 in the next over. He had the cheek to ask for another over because he got two wickets in the first over (15/2 off 2)! Ashok bowled 3 overs for 9 with a missed stumping and ct behind, a few fines for John as the panadol was wearing off! Vivek was able to apply the full toss at the stumps rule and Ashok took a good catch and they were all out for 130. Good team effort with 10 bowlers used and 9 batsmen.
Man of the match Glen with 33 and 3/15, no worst player as everyone did their bit but there was a case for the captain/keeper but he won the toss, made runs and did the match report so bad luck!
HP were heard saying how did we lose that game and want a rematch on 21 April!
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