My previous post was about the victory for the Gillies. The first victory is always sweet. This post is about the first victory I had with HitnRun. Coincidentally, my dear friend Raga was with me that time too. Probably, he is the lucky charm for victories.
A nail-biting finish, a tell-tale last over, slash and misses and a neat push for a single off the last ball ensured Hitnrun their first victory of the season - a confidence booster going into Round II of cricBay. A pivotal 16-run sixth wicket partnership between Raga and I in the end following some good innings from Guna, Suresh and Karthik ensured that the HitnRunners left the field rejoicing.
The picturesque field of Evergreen High served as the perfect background for this thriller. The heat posed a threat with the sun ascending and the thermometer levels rising. After losing the toss, HitnRun bowlers Guna and Suresh had good opening spells. But the day in the field was a bad one. A lot of runs behind the wicket, a lot of shuffling and it seemed the HitnRunners had lost direction. But after the 12th over, the introduction of Karthik changed the game. His four wicket haul told the story. The pace was awesome as the balls seemed to beat the batsmen and uproot the stumps every over. And there was this huge appeal for caught behind (Karthik's third victim) when the umpire took nearly half-a-minute before giving the decision in favor of the bowler. A great support on the other end by Suresh and Guna ensured that the Pokers didn't steal the game altogether. Pokers left the field after posting a seemingly high 91 on the board.
The Hitnrun innings started with the openers showing great mettle and character. They scored 8 runs in the first and followed up with 6 more in the second over with Giri already having hit a boundary. Just when things looked promising, a tight third over from Poker's Dinesh and Giri's wicket off an excellent yorker-length ball in the fourth over seemed to set the lull in HitnRun dressing room. But a responsible knock from Suresh, who joined the skipper, kept the runs coming and well above the required rate. There were quite a few lives for Suresh before his dismissal in the 8th over when he scooped a ball from Lokesh for a simple catch. Eight overs and the score was 40/2 when Karthik joined Guna in the run-making merry. It was difficult to hang in the middle with the scorching sun but Guna did good slowly building his innings further. At drinks, the score was 48/2, and the win seemingly within grasp.
The 50 came in the 11th over, almost the same time taken by the Pokers showing how evenly the contest was matched. Soon Guna's flawless innings came to an end followed by a dip in the scoring rate. Gopa's brief stint ended in the 15th over when he was caught at long-on. I entered the scene when 22 were required off 5 overs, just a little over 4 required every over. The top order had done their job and it was up to Karthik and me to cruise home. Karthik hit a stylish boundary to ease things but walked back to the pavilion the next ball after feeding a lollipop to long-on. The look on his face said it all - It was totally unnecessary.
Even though 16 off 4 overs looked easy with 5 wickets in hand, the unbearable heat, the fact that boundaries were difficult to come by and every run had to be worked for, the time needed for a batsman to settle under these circumstances served as obstacles. Raga was on strike. A quick ball outside off - a sharp slash and a miss. The batsman was beaten three more times in a similar fashion and the tension mounted. The last ball, a single to mid-off and the required became 15 from 3 overs. The Pokers voiced out their strategy - contain by having Raga on strike.
(The account hereon will be in present tense to reproduce the tense situation as it was on field).
The bowler runs up to bowl and attempts to run the non-striker, Sant, out before delivery. But he is inside and safe. So the official first ball again and Raga is beaten. The second he edges behind the keeper for a quick single. The third, a drive but the bat makes no contact with the ball - its Sant this time. A neat nudge for a single off the fourth. The last 2 deliveries and the same story - the bowler attempts to mankad the non-striker even though he is inside the crease; Raga lofts the ball to deep cover for 2.
This 'mankading' is pretty frustrating and the bowler iterates to the umpire that he's only giving a warning. Repeated attempts to run the non-striker out when in fact he is in, showed the Pokers' desperation.
Nine required off 12 balls.
Sant. A quick single from a nudge to point. 8 from 11.
Raga. Beaten outside off. 8 from 10.
Raga. A hard-hit for 2. 6 from 9.
Raga. A beautiful slow ball. No run. 6 from 8.
Raga. A slash and miss. No run. 6 from 7.
Raga. A hit to mid-off for single. 5 from 6.
The last over with 5 runs needed and Raga on strike.
Raga. Attempts to hook over cover. Misses. Called a wide. 4 from 6.
Raga. A slash and miss again. He shouldn't be going on that back foot. 4 from 5.
Raga. This time he connects. 2 runs. Beautiful. 2 from 4.
Raga. Beaten outside off. 2 from 3.
Raga. Hits to cover. No run. 2 from 2.
Raga. Fielders close in. A hard hit but there is a fielder. Batsmen scamper for a single. 1 from 1.
At least a tie is ensured. But Hitnrun sure do need a victory here coming this close in the game. Sant on strike. Wola! A tap to bisect the fielders at short-cover and point for a single. Raga jumps in joy as he runs to rejoice with his charging teammates.
A great game, well-fought and much deserved. The much needed 4 points off this game and HitnRunners enter Round II with 2 points on the cards. A positive stroke going forward, hope they complete this drive in great style.
Scorecard - http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1667
A nail-biting finish, a tell-tale last over, slash and misses and a neat push for a single off the last ball ensured Hitnrun their first victory of the season - a confidence booster going into Round II of cricBay. A pivotal 16-run sixth wicket partnership between Raga and I in the end following some good innings from Guna, Suresh and Karthik ensured that the HitnRunners left the field rejoicing.
The picturesque field of Evergreen High served as the perfect background for this thriller. The heat posed a threat with the sun ascending and the thermometer levels rising. After losing the toss, HitnRun bowlers Guna and Suresh had good opening spells. But the day in the field was a bad one. A lot of runs behind the wicket, a lot of shuffling and it seemed the HitnRunners had lost direction. But after the 12th over, the introduction of Karthik changed the game. His four wicket haul told the story. The pace was awesome as the balls seemed to beat the batsmen and uproot the stumps every over. And there was this huge appeal for caught behind (Karthik's third victim) when the umpire took nearly half-a-minute before giving the decision in favor of the bowler. A great support on the other end by Suresh and Guna ensured that the Pokers didn't steal the game altogether. Pokers left the field after posting a seemingly high 91 on the board.
The Hitnrun innings started with the openers showing great mettle and character. They scored 8 runs in the first and followed up with 6 more in the second over with Giri already having hit a boundary. Just when things looked promising, a tight third over from Poker's Dinesh and Giri's wicket off an excellent yorker-length ball in the fourth over seemed to set the lull in HitnRun dressing room. But a responsible knock from Suresh, who joined the skipper, kept the runs coming and well above the required rate. There were quite a few lives for Suresh before his dismissal in the 8th over when he scooped a ball from Lokesh for a simple catch. Eight overs and the score was 40/2 when Karthik joined Guna in the run-making merry. It was difficult to hang in the middle with the scorching sun but Guna did good slowly building his innings further. At drinks, the score was 48/2, and the win seemingly within grasp.
The 50 came in the 11th over, almost the same time taken by the Pokers showing how evenly the contest was matched. Soon Guna's flawless innings came to an end followed by a dip in the scoring rate. Gopa's brief stint ended in the 15th over when he was caught at long-on. I entered the scene when 22 were required off 5 overs, just a little over 4 required every over. The top order had done their job and it was up to Karthik and me to cruise home. Karthik hit a stylish boundary to ease things but walked back to the pavilion the next ball after feeding a lollipop to long-on. The look on his face said it all - It was totally unnecessary.
Even though 16 off 4 overs looked easy with 5 wickets in hand, the unbearable heat, the fact that boundaries were difficult to come by and every run had to be worked for, the time needed for a batsman to settle under these circumstances served as obstacles. Raga was on strike. A quick ball outside off - a sharp slash and a miss. The batsman was beaten three more times in a similar fashion and the tension mounted. The last ball, a single to mid-off and the required became 15 from 3 overs. The Pokers voiced out their strategy - contain by having Raga on strike.
(The account hereon will be in present tense to reproduce the tense situation as it was on field).
The bowler runs up to bowl and attempts to run the non-striker, Sant, out before delivery. But he is inside and safe. So the official first ball again and Raga is beaten. The second he edges behind the keeper for a quick single. The third, a drive but the bat makes no contact with the ball - its Sant this time. A neat nudge for a single off the fourth. The last 2 deliveries and the same story - the bowler attempts to mankad the non-striker even though he is inside the crease; Raga lofts the ball to deep cover for 2.
This 'mankading' is pretty frustrating and the bowler iterates to the umpire that he's only giving a warning. Repeated attempts to run the non-striker out when in fact he is in, showed the Pokers' desperation.
Nine required off 12 balls.
Sant. A quick single from a nudge to point. 8 from 11.
Raga. Beaten outside off. 8 from 10.
Raga. A hard-hit for 2. 6 from 9.
Raga. A beautiful slow ball. No run. 6 from 8.
Raga. A slash and miss. No run. 6 from 7.
Raga. A hit to mid-off for single. 5 from 6.
The last over with 5 runs needed and Raga on strike.
Raga. Attempts to hook over cover. Misses. Called a wide. 4 from 6.
Raga. A slash and miss again. He shouldn't be going on that back foot. 4 from 5.
Raga. This time he connects. 2 runs. Beautiful. 2 from 4.
Raga. Beaten outside off. 2 from 3.
Raga. Hits to cover. No run. 2 from 2.
Raga. Fielders close in. A hard hit but there is a fielder. Batsmen scamper for a single. 1 from 1.
At least a tie is ensured. But Hitnrun sure do need a victory here coming this close in the game. Sant on strike. Wola! A tap to bisect the fielders at short-cover and point for a single. Raga jumps in joy as he runs to rejoice with his charging teammates.
A great game, well-fought and much deserved. The much needed 4 points off this game and HitnRunners enter Round II with 2 points on the cards. A positive stroke going forward, hope they complete this drive in great style.
Scorecard - http://www.cricbay.com/scoresheet.asp?matchid=1667
