A woeful trip to Urbana-Champaign
A Sonics Cricket Club Column - Sonics Vs CCI
It was the last 'away' match, and the third last match of the season for us at Sonics. Every soul in the team, was nursing a grudge/pain/guilt/heartache (or, maybe all of it), from the horrendous defeat we suffered last weekend against Raiders, where we managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The match started at 11.30 am, after a 2-1/2 hour journey from Chicago. We won the toss, and elected to field first.
Kush and Adnan opened the attack, and Kush bowled a great opening spell. His opening spell, resulted in the opener playing an audacious pull shot and holing out to short midwicket. If he always did, I didnt notice, but today, I did notice, that Kush bowled to the field, with catches being induced hardly a few feet away from where the fielders stood. Therein, started our problems, when Muni dropped two catches.
We never gave up, still attacking and being aggressive on the field. This aggressiveness, resulted in the other opener in being run out, who was going in for a second run, that was never there, and he was taking his chances, against Kush's arm, who had in an earlier throw from the deep, exhibited that he can throw straight and flat, right over the stumps. Anyway, he hopefully learned his lesson, to keep his eyes on the fielders who have good arms, and Kush effected his run out.
With two wickets down, within the first 4 overs, we attacked more. Kush, continued his spell, and so did Adnan, who was bowling fine and supporting Kush well.
Shakir, much to our team's loss, had a bad day today, and was hardly effective. He unfortunately ended up with only one wicket, and Raja seemed to have sorted him out, slogging him over deep midwicket for a six or two.
Kush finally picked up a couple of more wickets, and by the end of drinks break, the score read 85/6.
And then it started.
In a fine display of innings building, and controlled agression, Raja of CCI, played a great knock. Nudging singles, converting ones into twos, and punishing the bowlers for anything that was a fraction short, or pitched too full. He was supported very, very well by Atul. At the end of 30 overs, we could feel the match slipping away from us, and these two were frustrating the hell out of us. Somewhere along towards the end of the CCI innings, we dropped two more catches. Naseer, dropped a sitter, and Shakti, who was positioned at short mid wicket, dropped a tough catch. The ball was hit very hard, and it would have been a great catch if he held onto it.
At the end of the innings, having the last batsman runout at the last ball, the score read 195.
Our response to CCI's total, started with a slight change at the top. Rehan opened with Muni, and Rehan seemed to be on a song from the word go. But this being his first time as an opener, and that too on a pitch that was becoming increasingly difficult to bat on, he left early. Captain Muzzie came in first down, and played some brutal shots that are typical of him. My favourite amongst them, is a casual flick in front of the wicket, that sends the ball soaring over midwicket, for a 4. During Muzzie's blitzkrieg, Muni was out to a beauty of a delivery. A ball that pitched just outside off stump, and Muni deciding that he didnt want anything to do with it, attempted to leave it - the ball kissed his offstump on the way to the keeper. The 'kiss' was hot enough to dislodge the bail.
And then the slide started. Samarth, the left arm spinner of CCI, whom we were already warned about, bowled a great spell. Flummoxing out batsmen, completely, and one by one, we fell like nine pins. Or to be politically correct, 7 pins. Thats the number of wickets he claimed by the end.
Yours truly, went down last, the 2nd time this season, and my only claim to fame in this match, was helping avoid Samarth a 3 wicket haul in one single over. When I went in, I had like six fielders in close in positions, hoping to get me out. Funnily enough, it reminded me of Sachin Tendulkar's Boost ad, a long time ago - "I was on 99 and there were 6 fielders around me, trying to break my concentration, yada yada yada..". Only difference was, that was Tendulkar, and he was trying to score a century, and here, it was me, trying to save my ass !!
All in all, (and this one comes specifically upon the Captain's request!!) - catches win matches, and dropped catches, cost us a win. We've been having a horrid time on the field, since the previous match, and unless we pull up our socks in the catching department, the results of the remaining two matches, will not be any different.
Having said that, lets not take the game away from Raja, Atul and Samarth, of CCI. The first two, played an innings that will make any first class cricketer proud - working on the singles, and punishing the balls that were loose, and Samarth, for a fine display of left arm spin bowling.
But at the time of writing this blog, Atif, has made himself available for the next two matches. So, the incisive bowler that we often find ourselves short of during the 25th - 35th overs, is here. He will make a big difference in us restricting the opposition to a smaller score. Not to mention, we still have to take catches :)
It was the last 'away' match, and the third last match of the season for us at Sonics. Every soul in the team, was nursing a grudge/pain/guilt/heartache (or, maybe all of it), from the horrendous defeat we suffered last weekend against Raiders, where we managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The match started at 11.30 am, after a 2-1/2 hour journey from Chicago. We won the toss, and elected to field first.
Kush and Adnan opened the attack, and Kush bowled a great opening spell. His opening spell, resulted in the opener playing an audacious pull shot and holing out to short midwicket. If he always did, I didnt notice, but today, I did notice, that Kush bowled to the field, with catches being induced hardly a few feet away from where the fielders stood. Therein, started our problems, when Muni dropped two catches.
We never gave up, still attacking and being aggressive on the field. This aggressiveness, resulted in the other opener in being run out, who was going in for a second run, that was never there, and he was taking his chances, against Kush's arm, who had in an earlier throw from the deep, exhibited that he can throw straight and flat, right over the stumps. Anyway, he hopefully learned his lesson, to keep his eyes on the fielders who have good arms, and Kush effected his run out.
With two wickets down, within the first 4 overs, we attacked more. Kush, continued his spell, and so did Adnan, who was bowling fine and supporting Kush well.
Shakir, much to our team's loss, had a bad day today, and was hardly effective. He unfortunately ended up with only one wicket, and Raja seemed to have sorted him out, slogging him over deep midwicket for a six or two.
Kush finally picked up a couple of more wickets, and by the end of drinks break, the score read 85/6.
And then it started.
In a fine display of innings building, and controlled agression, Raja of CCI, played a great knock. Nudging singles, converting ones into twos, and punishing the bowlers for anything that was a fraction short, or pitched too full. He was supported very, very well by Atul. At the end of 30 overs, we could feel the match slipping away from us, and these two were frustrating the hell out of us. Somewhere along towards the end of the CCI innings, we dropped two more catches. Naseer, dropped a sitter, and Shakti, who was positioned at short mid wicket, dropped a tough catch. The ball was hit very hard, and it would have been a great catch if he held onto it.
At the end of the innings, having the last batsman runout at the last ball, the score read 195.
Our response to CCI's total, started with a slight change at the top. Rehan opened with Muni, and Rehan seemed to be on a song from the word go. But this being his first time as an opener, and that too on a pitch that was becoming increasingly difficult to bat on, he left early. Captain Muzzie came in first down, and played some brutal shots that are typical of him. My favourite amongst them, is a casual flick in front of the wicket, that sends the ball soaring over midwicket, for a 4. During Muzzie's blitzkrieg, Muni was out to a beauty of a delivery. A ball that pitched just outside off stump, and Muni deciding that he didnt want anything to do with it, attempted to leave it - the ball kissed his offstump on the way to the keeper. The 'kiss' was hot enough to dislodge the bail.
And then the slide started. Samarth, the left arm spinner of CCI, whom we were already warned about, bowled a great spell. Flummoxing out batsmen, completely, and one by one, we fell like nine pins. Or to be politically correct, 7 pins. Thats the number of wickets he claimed by the end.
Yours truly, went down last, the 2nd time this season, and my only claim to fame in this match, was helping avoid Samarth a 3 wicket haul in one single over. When I went in, I had like six fielders in close in positions, hoping to get me out. Funnily enough, it reminded me of Sachin Tendulkar's Boost ad, a long time ago - "I was on 99 and there were 6 fielders around me, trying to break my concentration, yada yada yada..". Only difference was, that was Tendulkar, and he was trying to score a century, and here, it was me, trying to save my ass !!
All in all, (and this one comes specifically upon the Captain's request!!) - catches win matches, and dropped catches, cost us a win. We've been having a horrid time on the field, since the previous match, and unless we pull up our socks in the catching department, the results of the remaining two matches, will not be any different.
Having said that, lets not take the game away from Raja, Atul and Samarth, of CCI. The first two, played an innings that will make any first class cricketer proud - working on the singles, and punishing the balls that were loose, and Samarth, for a fine display of left arm spin bowling.
But at the time of writing this blog, Atif, has made himself available for the next two matches. So, the incisive bowler that we often find ourselves short of during the 25th - 35th overs, is here. He will make a big difference in us restricting the opposition to a smaller score. Not to mention, we still have to take catches :)
posted by Hifzur at
2:27 PM
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