The Last Crusade....
Sonics CC Vs Jaguars - A Sonics Cricket Club Column
It is with a heavy heart that I write this final blog. I am sad that the 2004 season has finally come to an end, and even more sad, that I may not be around to play for Sonics next season.
Playing club cricket, has not been just a pastime for me, but an opportunity to bring my fantasy to real life.
Having said all this, I wish, I had attended more cricket coaching classes during my school days. I attended one, while I was in my 6th grade I think, and I was so young, that all the techniques, the coach tried to teach us, never went into my head. When the coach would say, that the body weight should transfer forward while playing a forward defense and the head should be still, the question in my mind was 'Why?'.
The match started with Jaguars batting first, and my good friend Amit Jain of Jaguars, opened the innings with R.P Singh. Amit and R.P, started confidently, and were scoring quite fluently. Amit, in a short while, went on to score 24. R.P Singh, stood rock solid, and was feeding off our bowlers.
In the end, our bowlers ended up with slightly expensive figures. Hasan ended up with 4 wickets, Adnan- 1, Shakir - 2, and Vinay with 1 respectively. Considering it was our last match of the season, Rehan Khan, who has never bowled in his life, got a chance to roll his arm in the last over. And he did a pretty decent job for a final over.
We had a bad day at the field, dropped quite a few catches. All the dropped chances, helped Jaguars post a healthy 209, which for a 40 overs game, is a fighting total.
During lunch, I was harboring thoughts of opening our innings. This was a role, that I had failed miserably this season, save for one or two matches, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do the job required of me at this tough position. Atif, seemed to read my thoughts, and suggested that I open with Ashok, without even me asking for it.
I, knew what my role was, and was playing my game, and Ashok, was playing confidently, striking hard. But hardly into the 3rd over, I placed the ball, between mid on and mid wicket, called Ashok for a run, and started running hard, as I was running to the danger end. Ashok apparently (which I learned much later), was asking me to stay, but I didnt hear him. Eventually, he started late, and was run out. Sorry Ashok, I didnt hear you, nor see you. My eye was on the ball, when I went for the run.
Shakti came in and joined me at the crease, and we played well, and sensibly, not losing a wicket, until break. Shakti played a very good innings, running hard, and smacking a few boundaries. By the 14th over, I was beginning to get exhausted, and my left hamstring started giving me trouble, after a sliding crash trying to make my crease for a run. Ashok, came on as my by- runner, and he was my by- runner, until break time.
After break, Shakti was beginning to cut loose and swung at every ball, and I was trying to give him as much strike as possible. Finally, he perished, to a well made 36.
Qadeer came in next, and since I was the set batsman, decided to attack, and let Qadeer rotate the strike. But sadly, Qadeer, couldnt last long. Atif came in next, but he was unlucky, given caught behind, when the ball didnt even touch his bat.
Rehan came in next, and I decided to give him the strike, and play the sheet anchor role. But a few balls later, I realised that I needed to attack as well, as our required rate was climbing.
I got out, trying to attack, to a ball that shouldnt have gotten my wicket. That's what makes me feel even more lousy. Getting out to a good ball is one thing, but trying to pull a ball, that was pitched short, and outside the offside, to midwicket, is asking for trouble, and I paid for it, with a top edge. I ended with 30 runs,my highest ever in my short two year cricket life.
Rehan was joined by Vinay, and they both played well. Rehan, by now was beginning to tire out, yet played some great shots.
Vinay, perished to a ball that kept surprisingly low that knocked his stumps. Adnan, joined Rehan, and Rehna got out soon after, caught in the deep. Muzzafar joined Adnan, and our hopes went high when he knocked a brilliant six. But, it was just pure bad luck, when Adnan called Muzzafar for a run that wasnt there, and Muzaffar was out, for 12.
After that it was, just playing to delay the inevitable without losing any wickets, which Adnan and Hasan saw through.
We lost our final match of the season.
But post-match, we had our own small awards ceremony, Sonics CC management deciding to give away awards, for both the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Here are the awards.....
Best Batsman - Muzaffar Ahmed
Best Bowler - Shakeir
Best Fielder - Yours Truly.
Catch of the Season - Adnan Khan for a catch he took against Suburban CC, running in from mid off, and finally diving forward to take it.
All round excellence awards
Hassan Khan
Atif Ahmed
Kush Shah
Vinay Cherian.
Sonics Man of the Match against Jaguars- Rehan Khan for a hard hitting 41.
Management Excellence - Musheer Ahmed, who was been absolutely great in arranging our practice sessions, and also bringing us a lot of food and snacks when we needed 'em :)
and finally, the Sonics Player of Season 2004 - Mohammed Shakeir, for his excellent bowling this season.
This season seems surprisingly short, and atleast a few of us feel like we are good for another few games, but the season has ended. We have performed much better than last season, having won twice as many matches, and coming close to winning a few more.
Hopefully, next season, our performance will be much better, and we will make it to the playoffs.
I've had so much fun playing cricket with my team, that playing cricket elsewhere will just not feel the same. Hopefully, I will still be around next season. :)
It is with a heavy heart that I write this final blog. I am sad that the 2004 season has finally come to an end, and even more sad, that I may not be around to play for Sonics next season.
Playing club cricket, has not been just a pastime for me, but an opportunity to bring my fantasy to real life.
Having said all this, I wish, I had attended more cricket coaching classes during my school days. I attended one, while I was in my 6th grade I think, and I was so young, that all the techniques, the coach tried to teach us, never went into my head. When the coach would say, that the body weight should transfer forward while playing a forward defense and the head should be still, the question in my mind was 'Why?'.
The match started with Jaguars batting first, and my good friend Amit Jain of Jaguars, opened the innings with R.P Singh. Amit and R.P, started confidently, and were scoring quite fluently. Amit, in a short while, went on to score 24. R.P Singh, stood rock solid, and was feeding off our bowlers.
In the end, our bowlers ended up with slightly expensive figures. Hasan ended up with 4 wickets, Adnan- 1, Shakir - 2, and Vinay with 1 respectively. Considering it was our last match of the season, Rehan Khan, who has never bowled in his life, got a chance to roll his arm in the last over. And he did a pretty decent job for a final over.
We had a bad day at the field, dropped quite a few catches. All the dropped chances, helped Jaguars post a healthy 209, which for a 40 overs game, is a fighting total.
During lunch, I was harboring thoughts of opening our innings. This was a role, that I had failed miserably this season, save for one or two matches, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do the job required of me at this tough position. Atif, seemed to read my thoughts, and suggested that I open with Ashok, without even me asking for it.
I, knew what my role was, and was playing my game, and Ashok, was playing confidently, striking hard. But hardly into the 3rd over, I placed the ball, between mid on and mid wicket, called Ashok for a run, and started running hard, as I was running to the danger end. Ashok apparently (which I learned much later), was asking me to stay, but I didnt hear him. Eventually, he started late, and was run out. Sorry Ashok, I didnt hear you, nor see you. My eye was on the ball, when I went for the run.
Shakti came in and joined me at the crease, and we played well, and sensibly, not losing a wicket, until break. Shakti played a very good innings, running hard, and smacking a few boundaries. By the 14th over, I was beginning to get exhausted, and my left hamstring started giving me trouble, after a sliding crash trying to make my crease for a run. Ashok, came on as my by- runner, and he was my by- runner, until break time.
After break, Shakti was beginning to cut loose and swung at every ball, and I was trying to give him as much strike as possible. Finally, he perished, to a well made 36.
Qadeer came in next, and since I was the set batsman, decided to attack, and let Qadeer rotate the strike. But sadly, Qadeer, couldnt last long. Atif came in next, but he was unlucky, given caught behind, when the ball didnt even touch his bat.
Rehan came in next, and I decided to give him the strike, and play the sheet anchor role. But a few balls later, I realised that I needed to attack as well, as our required rate was climbing.
I got out, trying to attack, to a ball that shouldnt have gotten my wicket. That's what makes me feel even more lousy. Getting out to a good ball is one thing, but trying to pull a ball, that was pitched short, and outside the offside, to midwicket, is asking for trouble, and I paid for it, with a top edge. I ended with 30 runs,my highest ever in my short two year cricket life.
Rehan was joined by Vinay, and they both played well. Rehan, by now was beginning to tire out, yet played some great shots.
Vinay, perished to a ball that kept surprisingly low that knocked his stumps. Adnan, joined Rehan, and Rehna got out soon after, caught in the deep. Muzzafar joined Adnan, and our hopes went high when he knocked a brilliant six. But, it was just pure bad luck, when Adnan called Muzzafar for a run that wasnt there, and Muzaffar was out, for 12.
After that it was, just playing to delay the inevitable without losing any wickets, which Adnan and Hasan saw through.
We lost our final match of the season.
But post-match, we had our own small awards ceremony, Sonics CC management deciding to give away awards, for both the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Here are the awards.....
Best Batsman - Muzaffar Ahmed
Best Bowler - Shakeir
Best Fielder - Yours Truly.
Catch of the Season - Adnan Khan for a catch he took against Suburban CC, running in from mid off, and finally diving forward to take it.
All round excellence awards
Hassan Khan
Atif Ahmed
Kush Shah
Vinay Cherian.
Sonics Man of the Match against Jaguars- Rehan Khan for a hard hitting 41.
Management Excellence - Musheer Ahmed, who was been absolutely great in arranging our practice sessions, and also bringing us a lot of food and snacks when we needed 'em :)
and finally, the Sonics Player of Season 2004 - Mohammed Shakeir, for his excellent bowling this season.
This season seems surprisingly short, and atleast a few of us feel like we are good for another few games, but the season has ended. We have performed much better than last season, having won twice as many matches, and coming close to winning a few more.
Hopefully, next season, our performance will be much better, and we will make it to the playoffs.
I've had so much fun playing cricket with my team, that playing cricket elsewhere will just not feel the same. Hopefully, I will still be around next season. :)
posted by Hifzur at
7:34 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home