Game Played @ VOA Park,
After a real bad loss to Columbus CC Titans were down as it was a real heartbreaker. I don’t think none of us really slept well Sunday night after that loss. All the bad things kept coming to my mind, bad fielding, and bad execution by middle order, bad bowling but nonetheless Columbus Cricket Club deserves a big applause for a gutsy chase.
This put Titans in a must win situation for the game against Kentucky CC. We were on a brink on elimination for the playoffs and ending 2006 season. This was a Do or Die situation for us, I couldn’t wait for this game to begin as the pressure was killing me on top of that I was hallucinating the cricket game in my mind over and over again.
Finally Saturday arrived and our rejuvenated team arrived well on time for the game. We all knew this time that if we commit fewer mistakes and not repeat what we did badly last time; we should be through. Titans added more dept to their bowling and batting line up. We added Ahmed Butt stylist right hand bat and leg spinner to our team.
It was going to be a really hot day with temperature forecasted to be in higher 90’s. KCC team members came in almost an hour late, till then we were basking in the morning sun. Some of us thought it was good for KCC as we were almost a little tired due to heat, but no could have predicted what would happened at the end of the day.
Ravneet our might captain had practiced all night tossing the coin he was confident that law of averages would soon catch him and he would be able to win he toss, but he was again wrong, He did lose the toss again ,nah I should say KCC won the toss and decided to bat first. I think law of averages will soon catch up, but looks like Ravneet will have to wait for some time.
KCC sent Praveen and Nitin to open their innings, Nitin fresh off his good know of 80 and 92 for last games looked ready and confident. Ravneet and Dinesh opened the bowling for us. Ravneet was really bowling good line and length getting the deliveries t rise a bit while Dinesh working his out swingers. This kept KCC in check but before KCC batsmen started to get a little comfortable Ravneet Struck, Nitin was caught at gully by Ragin on a rising delivery and in a matter of a few balls he struck again. With a ball slightly pitching on off and outside with a little last minute swing took an edge of Aditya Mohite’s bat and our able keeper Anil did the rest.
Titans looked really in a great position with two quick wickets, but extras were soon piling up we were giving a lot of wides. I guess the breeze contributed to that fact. This brought Dr.Mallik to the crease; known for his Swashbuckling batting style as always looked confident at the crease punishing the bad deliveries.
After some quick bowling from Rashid, Ravneet brought on slow bowlers to curb the run rate and the slow bowlers Venkat, Ahmed and myself. Our bowling looked exactly as advertised. We had our share of wides but did frustrate the batmen. With the very first ball of my over, I got Praveen to commit early to the shot with the ball coming in later and knocking his middle stumps. Praveen looked very embarrassed but that’s what my bowling will do to a good looking batsmen. Venkat on the other hand was bowling really good troubling Mallik at the other end, I struck once again bowled over Shezad’s stumps and at this time KCC was in trouble with the top order batsmen gone.Venkat struck quickly getting Pitesh on beautiful delivery. Then came some sort of stand from Hammad Bokhari and Mallik. Ahmed did a great job with his spin bowling to frustrate the batsmen maintaining a good line.
Mallik playing his shots freely finally had to bow to an amazing delivery off of Venkat was caught behind try to step out to drive. I guess he was unnerved by the comments made by our fielders who were praising his batting. KCC were in trouble but their best batsmen gone but runrate was till in mid 5 thanks to our wides.Naveed new batsmen in quickly got settled with 2 quick fours only to be trapped leg before on a straight low full toss from Venkat.Next two wickets fell quickly with Hitesh brilliantly run out by Dinesh and Baby Shaq Ram caught and bowled by Ahmed.KCC were reeling at 137 from 9 wickets then came a mighty partnership of over 50 runs from Bokhari and Swami. Bokhari has clean hits over the fence hitting all the balls. KCC were finding the gaps like a pin in a haystack. He completed his fifty and brought KCC from the dead back into the reckoning. Finally his innings came to an end when Dinesh bowled a good ball taking an edge of his bat on to Anil.KCC innings finally came to an end on 195 runs. This was a great score considering dire states they were in; was also a big moral victory for them as we were really disappointed. We were thinking of chasing 130 odd runs and now we were facing a big target of 195 runs.
Titans soon shrugged our bowling disappointment off, I guess 20 minutes break was good and we had to move on as there was no tomorrow for us and start concentrating on chasing the total.
But everything was dependent on our able opening pair. They needed to give us a good start to make this chase happen. Stavan and Thiag did some thinking before they went in and then they set the tone right from the first few overs. Looked Thiag was playing without any pressure as if we were bating first. Thiag wash hitting the ball all around the field with KCC fielders running helter skelter. Bowlers had no idea what and where to bowl to Thiag. Stavan on the other end was doing his job, while Thiag was accelerating, he was playing with a level head rotating strikes and supporting and building the partnership.
Some of Thiag’s sixes were fell like 20-30 yards beyond the boundary line, It was like You can take a bowler out of Thiag’s full tosses but you cannot take a tiger punch out of his batting. It was a pleasure to watch, seemed like it was the one bating at both the ends. Mallik and Aditya seemed very frustrated as we were scoring runs at will and they were not getting a breakthrough. Runs were flowing like the fare in Indian taxi.
KCC captain at that stage after the first drinks break had to go with slow bowlers to curb the runrate and that what happened. Nitin Shere and Naveed took over the bowling reins. Thiag hoisted Nitin for a hug six. But stavan was not that fortunate he tried to glide the bowl to thirdman and he was beaten by the pace and was clean bowled. A great partnership had come to an end. I think it yielded more than 80 runs. Dinesh was the next batsmen in but before he could settle in a partnership; Thiag who seemed very tired played lazily to Nitin’s delivery and was bowled too. Two quick wickets had fallen which is what KCC wanted.Presure suddenly started to mount up on us although we had runrate on our side thank to Thiag and Stavan who had giving us a flying start. Misfortune struck again with Prabhjeet stretching forward on Nitin’s delivery and was adjudged LBW, Questionable call indeed! So we were down three quick wickets.Ahmad joined Dinesh next and now pressure was slowing inching up, Dinesh and Ahmad played cautiously and responsibly next few overs without taking any risks. Naveed and Nitin were slowing down the runrate, I guess making up for the open flood gates that the opening bowlers had delivered.
But Dinesh soon was the next victim to be trapped LBW on Naveed’s low delivery. 4 down! Ragin joined Ahmad at the crease, what a great combinations. Two child prodigies one from
Initial KCC bowlers were very unnerved by this combination, but before Ragin could settle in he tried to drive Naveed’s ball and it seemed like he turned the bat up that caused the ball to go in air easily caught at deep covers by Shezad. Down 5 wickets it was up to the middle and tailenders to get eth job done. We still required to score at the rate of 6.5 runs per over at that stage. Our might captain Ravneet was determined from the get go playing his natural game but had a huge responsibility on his shoulders.
Just when it looked like everything was going smooth there was a slight misunderstanding while taking a quick runs and Ahmad was stranded and was run out.KCC now had an upper hand with 6 wickets down it looked like we had a daunting task ahead of us. I was the next batsmen in and I had decided what may happen I was going to stay on the wicket and not play any rash shots. I knew if this battle went till the last over us would come out victorious. I joined Ravneet when there were 44 runs required in 6 overs.Ravneet started to play his shots and accumulating runs, we were getting occasional wides so we had around 8 runs per over easily. Bokhari entrusted Mallik and Naveed to bowl his slog overs, Ravneet picked a short ball and hit is over the midwicket for a huge six. Just when things were looking ok, Mallik bowled a short rising delivery which Ravneet tried to hit it over midwicket again but instead lofted it in midwicket area where KCC captain took a nice catch depriving Ram of it for his earlier dropped catches.
KCC was on top again, Rashid was the next batsmen in, but he too tried to hoist one over long on but was stumped off the bowling of Naveed Zaman. When you fall on your back side the only place you can look is up as Sidhu says it. Now with 8 wickets down it was up to me and Venkat to see us through with 4 overs and 23 run still needed. It was very hot and humid and I knew that Venkat would run, it was the question whether I could keep up with him. We took some quick singles and maintained the run rate. Pressure was mounting on both the teams. KCC needed wickets and we needed runs, although KCC was in a much better position, but just when everything looked right for KCC, I hoisted one huge six of Naveed’s bowling to deep midwicket to bring us closer to the target. Thus came decision time for KCC captain. Last over and we need 8 runs. Bokhari entrusted Pritesh to bowl the last over. I took the strike and scored a quick single, now it was 5 balls 7 runs and Venkat guided one on to deep fine leg and I started to run hard, I knew Venkat would easily make it but granted by fitness level I had to try extra hard, but we both made it and situation was 4 balls 4 runs required. Out team mates in the stands were tensed, everyone was quite and the game could have turned either way. Next delivery from Pritesh was a straight one which I tried to nudge it was a quick single but was straight in the hands on Bokhari.3 balls 4 runs, lot of things were going on in my mind. This was it; no tomorrow after a heartbreaker loss the week before it we were not ready to take one more loss. Hammad brought in some fielder to stop the single but like a God send, Pritesh bowled a short straight delivery which I rocket on the back foot and slashed it straight over bowlers head. As I hit the ball I stood there imagining why did u play that lofted shot when I saw the long on and long off fielder converging on the ball, I thought I would be caught but then I saw my teammates cheering and ecstatic and ball pierced the two deep fielder and fell over the boundary line. It was SIX!! A huge SIX!! I couldn’t believe it; we had won with 2 balls to spare. KCC was disappointed and we were overjoyed may be Columbus Cricket Club might have gotten the same feeling the week before.
We were through to the playoff with this victory. What an exciting game and even more dramatic finish. This felt like the movie Lagaan where Aamir Khan lofts the last ball for match wining six. Although I no Aamir and Venkat no Kachra but one thing was common in both games, Teamwork! Teamwork by which we played the game, we struck together in all situations and rallied our team to victory and instead of a Lagaan our prize was a berth in the Super Six of the playoffs.
Hat’s off to Thiag who deserved the MOM, fielder and bowlers who bowled extremely well.
I couldn’t sleep the whole night and the whole game still is recorded in my memory and goes in as one of the best games that I ever played. What teamwork! Hats off to CCC-Titans. Thanks to a few Sidhuisms from Navjot Singh Sidhu which were apt for this game.
For everything there is Master card but Teamwork, CCC-Titans are priceless!!
Regards,
Jayesh Shanbhag
Official Reporter for