Cricket 2nds Match Report vs Ware
2nd XI vs Ware (a)
The 2nd XI faced top of the table Ware who had only experienced their first defeat of the season last week, having won 10 straight victories before that, including a rather comfortable win against us earlier in the season bowling us out for a mere 54! Double West India's last Test cricket innings but not exactly Bazball! With the season's outstanding batsman Usman having received his deserved call up to the 1s, yours truly was a little nervous how his first match as captain this season would go! Could he muster a result, or at least a respectable performance, or would those supporting Asif's relentless attempt at a coup be giving the eye’s?
On an excellently prepared if somewhat damp pitch, I was surprised by Ware's decision to have a bat. Perhaps he thought they'd at least get a decent afternoon's cricket instead of it being all over within a couple of hours like last time?
Their opening batsman, who had scored 117 a couple of weeks ago made his intentions clear early on with some sweetly carved blows over the bowlers' heads but after some brilliant work on the boundary by Zaigham Manan, their other opener was run out stranded at the wrong end, and then he fell holing out to me at long on. An excellent catch by Jamie Wilder (HG 2013) who was smart enough to know he's not the best with easy dolly catches but is excellent at difficult catches when he has no time to think, so he misjudged it completely and then ran back to take a far more difficult diving catch. Crazy for most players, this was genius thinking from Jamie. More excellent bowling from Abdul Munam (who would finish on 8-1-26-2) and the skipper was on his way for a duck, clean bowled. Ware were suddenly 45-4 in the 11th over and knew they had a game on their hands. Perhaps their skipper was questioning his decision to bat first as variable bounce in the wicket had caused issues.
....and then it would seem that normal service resumed as Ware's 5th wicket partnership put on 96. However, it took them 21 overs to get there, a testament to good bowling, and excellent energy and effort in the field epitomised by a diving one handed catch attempt by Richard Burton which he was unlucky not to hold.
It was Jamie who would make the eventual breakthrough. Clearly learning from his catch and knowing he had to make it difficult for himself, he made the intelligent decision to bowl a load of pies for two overs going for 18 and then switch up to bowling absolute pearlers and clean bowling their dangerous no.3 for 55. This wicket opened the gates, with the other set batsman holing out to long on specialist fielder, me(!), Jamie taking another wicket (6-2-25-2) and Abdul Rehman (7.4-1-27-3) mopping up the tail with his excellent off spin. All out for 161 in the 38th over, the OCs had held them to 4 an over consistently right the way through. An excellent bowling and fielding performance.
At tea, I wondered if I should bother given previous 2s batting performances, but nonetheless I attempted the Zani-esque team talk "Take it easy, you've seen the wicket and the variable bounce and speed, take your time, build your innings". Would they listen to me? .....of course not! Facing very useful quick bowlers, openers Khalil Ahmed and Abdul R attempted to smash 13 of the first 18 balls over long on. They connected with 2 of them, missed most and were both caught in the slips attempting the same. Sigh!
Munir Ahmed played more sensibly before he too was out caught for 18. The OCs were 38-3. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Muhammad Ahmed (Nadeem) had entered the fray. He proved more adept at choosing the right ball to slay with twelve dots and five 4s from his first 17 deliveries. Abs Bhattacharya (KG 2006) had joined him and saw what was needed. Nadeem was capable of taking the match to the oppo, he just needed someone to stick around with him. They would put on 62 in an excellent partnership before Abs fell for 15. Enter yours truly in the 23rd over. 62 needed from 17 overs, less than 4 an over. After taking my own advice a little too literally and taking 31 balls to score 5, I departed, leaving a slightly more nervous Nadeem who had been desperate to take the strike off me, in the 33rd over. 7.2 overs to score 34. He had no reason to worry. He, Asif and Zaigham polished off the remaining runs with over 2 overs to spare. The OCs had won! Nadeem finished on 93no, a truly brilliant innings. The OCs victory puts them 6th in the table but only 22 points behind 2nd place. Is promotion possible? Has Asif's coup been put back in the hutch? Only time will tell! 5 huge matches remain!