MCC wins a thriller against Worcester Cricket Club
One-off T20 Match played on: Sunday, October 11th 2009 9:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. @ Greenwood Park, Worcester.
MCC Playing XI : Priyank (c) , Mayank (vc) , Sidhu (wk) , Mukesh, Anish, Ankit, Adai, Sandeep, Hari, Ashish and Ramesh
Worcester team won the toss and opted to Bat first and the game started at 9:30 A.M.
Mukesh and Hari started the bowling for our team and bowled an excellent opening spell. After 4 overs Worcester team were 3 wickets down with 8 runs on scoreboard. We got 2 run outs early in the inning and of the run out was amazing as Adai picked the ball one handed and shattered the stumps with a direct throw. At one time their team was 16/4 in some 7 overs and it looked like we will be able to get them all out under a score of 50 runs.
As the match progressed we dropped at least 3 catches before the 10th over and their team was placed at 28/5 after 10 overs. Worcester cricket team had a very good partnership with the help of us as we kept dropping catches and interestingly the guy named Ali got around 5 chances which were all dropped catches. I wished Raghu was there who could have applied some glue to our hands. Mayank bowled very well and he invented the parabola flight delivery which looped so much in the air that their batsman got bamboozled and were not sure how to handle that. Anish was in great form and bowled a really good spell of 4 overs. At the end of 20 overs they scored 70 runs with the loss of 9 wickets as we took 4 catches in the next half of their inning.
With a small ground and strong batting line up we fancied our chances, although the pitch had variable pace and bounce. Our team’s strategy was to preserve the wickets and pounce on the loose deliveries. Adai and Ashish opened the innings and they played cautiously the first 4 overs as Worcester opening bowlers bowled a fiery spell. We scored 6 runs in first 4 overs. Ashish with his flamboyant style of batting tried to break the shackles but could not connect the ball and was caught on the leg side boundary.
Sandeep, a natural striker of the ball, was sent next to increase the run rate. He started well by hitting a six a short pitched ball and was looking good. Unfortunately, Sandeep’s knock came to end soon as he was run out with a direct throw. Mayank joined Adai on the pitch and they slowly moved the score and at that time Worcester bowlers were suffocating us as were 18 runs at the end of 7 or 8 overs.
Adai hit a six in the 9th over and with that we moved forward and were placed at 32/2 at the end of 10 overs. Adai looked all set to take our team to the victory target. Again unexpected happened and Adai was out in the 11th over the inning when the ball bounced unevenly and hit the top handle of the bat and then looped in the air. It was an amazing catch by their captain.
With 3 wickets down I joined Mayank and we kept rotating the strike to get 3 or 4 runs per over. Mayank was lucky to get a dropped catch chance in the 14th over. Slowly but steadily we reached to a point where we needed 13 runs of 24 balls with 7 wickets. At this point we were about to win the game easily and comprehensibly. But there was a big twist to the match at this point of time. Mayank played a great knock and got out clean bowled while trying to hit a off drive.
Mukesh joined me and we needed 10 runs from 18 balls. I made a blunder by calling Mukesh to run when the run was nonexistent. So we were 61 for 5 and needed 10 runs in 15 balls. I was on strike and was trying to remain calm and not think about the run out. As I faced the next ball I tried to place the ball to long off but instead of that gave a simple catch to the bowler and was out. Scorecard read 61/6 and 10 runs were needed in 13 balls.
18th over (maiden with 1 run out and 1 wicket) was an excellent over from the Worcester’s team point of view; it brought them back into the game. So we need 10 runs of 12 balls. Ankit tried to hit the ball for a four but was caught and it looked as if we were giving the match to Worcester team as a Diwali gift.
But, Anish had different plans he rotated the strike for few runs with Sidhu and then hit a great shot for 4 which left us needing 4 runs of 6 balls. Sidhu was on strike in the last over, he got a heck of a delivery which just passed below his nose and he was in total surprise (4 needed of 5 balls). Sidhu took a single and then Anish did the same thing to make it 2 needed of 3 balls. Sidhu got a great yorker to damage the woodwork behind him and we were 69 for 8 with 2 runs needed of 2 balls.
Hari was sent next and thinking it was a wide ball on the off side he left the ball with arms high and bat nowhere near the ball which is exactly the way it is written in text book. We needed 2 runs of last ball to with the game. There was pin drop silence in the MCC pavilion as everyone was focused to watch the last ball. Hari hit the last ball in air on the off side and it went few inches above the fielders hand and Hari and Anish just kept running to even take 3 runs although only 2 runs were needed.
It was a great game of cricket. Overall, Good Job team for putting more than 100% on the field.
Few things which we did well :
- Great bowling by all the bowlers
- Good Sensible batting at the start and in the middle overs.
- Good ground fielding
- Kept our cool towards the end to win the match.
Things which we should improve and learn from the match :
- Catching should improve as catches win the matches.
- Do not lose/throw away wickets although if we are very near the target.
- Need to improve on running between wickets
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