Match1 - From My Perspective

Match1: NewCity2 versus Eaton Socon
Date: April 21, 07
Venue: Eaton Socon Cricket Ground [Away]
Mode: 45 overs a side. Same leather ball for both innings.

It was a long drive to Eaton Socon from Milton Keynes. Was not in a very energetic mood with the persistent headache. But an enthused PA and Kailash brought the spirits soaring. The team composition was difficult since we were not even getting 11 club members to play initially. We did not know how Paul Patel would be playing who was included as the 11th man, who, I had never seen to turn up last season or net sessions for this season. I just wanted to have a nice game and try and see whether my new action on bowling which yielded phenomenal bounce during the indoor net sessions and kept some [at least someJ] batsmen afraid!
I was honoured to know that I will be opening the bowling. Was confident unlike the last season bowling where I opened bowling in only two 45 over games. Though both went fine, I still think I am better off as a first change bowler for my style of bowling [a revelation little too late J].
We chose to bowl first after winning the toss. I opted to bowl from an end where there was a tilt of the pitch down towards the right handed batsman. Though the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, I thought I would be able to cut the ball in and get some early wickets.

Dreams! Ah….

I started bowling taking thirteen steps from the bowling crease as usual. [ This was not usual in the last season, first few games, I did not opt for 13 steps considering it a bad omen.. I lost my run up at 12 steps and at 14 steps :)]
First ball, bowled at full vigour, though with control… ball pitched at right length marginally on the widish region and beautifully shaped away from the batsman.
AWAY????? I wanted the ball to cut in..not out.. that is called a WIDE and rightly so. I thought the tilt is fooling me and if I keep the line a little closer to offstump, it would be alright. After all, I was playing the first game of the season and first over….
The next ball also shaped beautifully out, was within limits, but was called a WIDE. And the next ball.. well, I was losing the fight there. First match of the season, captain believes in me and is allowed to open the bowling and I give him THIS? I resorted to good old holding back technique and reduced my pace and bowled on the middle stump line. There we go.. the ball is pitching in fine. Not much bounce, but the line and length makes the batsman stay at crease and defend the ball. Five balls went unceremoniously when I decided to pitch my pace in. Bounced well and to waist high wide of off stump, batsman cut it to the square[well-timed there] right into the hands of Sabareesan.
:) Renowned as a very good fielder, everyone else and me expected him to hold on to it. Naah… he puts it down. Eventful over :( though not in our favour. Three runs from it, but nothing off the bat!

The second over was bowled by Burjor Bugli. He wasn’t in touch to say the least and some byes, wides and full length balls driven beautifully to the boundary was the result. I came in again and then on was lucky in bowling medium pace right on the stumps for the next 5 overs. A couple of wides which were definitely debatable. An LBW shout turned down and a few singles. NO WICKETS, though.
The other end saw the first change in Jay Singadia, the left arm swing bowler and he found three preys to his good swing bowling.

Though we were bowling considerably well, the extra runs in the form of byes, leg byes and wides and odd loose balls put to boundary cost us dearly. Sabareesan was also bowling with good pace and bounce, but lacked the penetration.
Paul Patel, the senior New city club player came in soon with his accurate off-spin and I was brought back again from the other end.
The wickets were falling from one end and I chose it as the right time to experiment with offcutters. One ball of my eighth over cut in from offstump line and took the leg stump of one of the middle order Eaton Socon batsman.
I howled :) as usual and was teased by the team mates for my way of celebrating the wicket !

10th over got me another leg stump out of the ground when the ball kept straight after pitching and the left hander who was staying long at the crease got out. That over was a maiden as well JJ. My figures were 10 overs- 21 runs-1 maiden and 2 wickets. Only one ball of mine was hit for a boundary. Not bad in containing the runs, considering the total by the end of 45 overs was 199.

Chasing 200 in 45 overs was not a big task, given the batting line up we had.
Sabareesan started brilliantly and scored boundaries with ease. A straight SIX was the highlight of his innings. But the senior players and Sabareesan, unfit, turned the threes to twos and twos to singles and singles to dots. Paul Patel chipped in with a clean 29 and Sabareesan was done with a 63 which was the backbone of NewCity’s innings. Kailash disappointed by getting bowled for 2 runs.
We were still in command of the game.
Then Arun went in.. the usual traps on the leg side pads made me think he is gonna play the usual wide-open-get-me-out stances and will come back to pavilion soon.
Well, surprise-surprise. He flicked, drove, pulled, chipped and ran into a useful knock. When Jay Singadia went in at around 140, we were still comfortable only a 60 to win in 20 overs or so. Jay got out fast and I had to go in. I considered myself in good touch from the net sessions and just wanted to play some overs off and give chances to well-set Arun.
Hiya, there we go--- two new bowlers were brought in, who were bowling wicket-to-wicket and were able to maintain the line and length beautifully. I was defending them off but not taking singles myself. Arun wanted me to run, but I just wasn’t in the groove :(. I scored a single and ran like crazy whenever Arun called for a single to convert it to a two. :)

Finally, the time came. I defended a good length delivery and played it on to my own pads. I could not believe myself seeing Sharad Dave, the umpire, raise the finger for that appeal!!!!!!!!!! Good lord. I play off all these balls and am done in with a ball played onto the pads???
I walked back heart-wrenched but still had faith in Arun. He was pushing in a little too much and two shots which was in the air brought my heart half way up the throat.
The rest of them were not in a mood to play, I think. Wickets tumbled even before I had a chance to remove my pads.Arun also joined me in the pavilion soon by scooping one down the legside but by then had scored a fabulous 43. We were all out at 188 - a shame, 12 runs shy.
Well, not a bad start. We have a long way to go.
Will be back soon with the report on second game.

{only my perspective - retarded}