WCC Match Review – Season 3 Match 2 – 19-FEB-2011

Senseless batting leaves WCC short of victory

Feb 19 2011: This was the day when all eyes of the cricketing world were focussed upon the Indian cricket team wondering if they would take a sweet revenge on their eastern neighbours having lost to them 4 years ago in the Carribean. There was 6 hours to go for the ICC world cup 2011 to start-off while we were at Sindhi college preparing for Match 2 of the season against EDS. This time our team was more depleted than the first, but a good enough team to win a match. With Venkat, Murali and Ashwin unavailable for the match due to various reasons, we had a debutant playing for WCC – Niranjan. Vinod and Sridhar were the other replacements. And this time it was home ground – much different from the conditions of our previous match. It was a good outfield, a better wicket and short boundary on one side – all good for the batsmen.

Toss happened at 8:05 AM and I had no hesitation opting to chase after winning the toss. The absence of Venkat was a major factor for that decision because I always felt comfotable planning a chase than setting up a score. Kartik opened the bowling as usual – the first over was decent. Niranjan operated nervously from the other end. After a couple of overs, the openers started smashing the ball around and soon we realised that their plan and skill was only to hit the ball hard. They ignored all possible opportunities for single and went hard-hitting for everything. After the end of 6 overs that contained some bad bowling and some lucky edges, I immediately spread the field (a unanimous decision involving other team members as well) and introduced Vijay as the first bowling change. They continued the same batting and I replaced Niranjan with Sridhar who immediately bowled a batsman. The forthcoming batters were no different – and it looked like they were fresh out of tennis-ball cricket. They were scoring runs and I had to stop that somehow. The spread-out field really helped us by getting wickets at regular intervals even though runs were made. Karthi bowled the last over before drinks and by the end of that over, the scoreboard read something like 88/5 in 15 overs. Sunil made the breakthough with his first ball after drinks with a good return diving catch. We had the momentum going in, but the batsmen at the crease were more cautious not to throw away their wickets and started to build the innings rotating singles. One or two hits went for boundaries, but that was understandable. After another ten overs, their innings was over with 142 on the board. 143 was our target and at that point it looked easily acheivable.

Vinod and Prashanth made it to the crease with my words in their ears. The start was very good and confident from both of them and we raced to 22/0 in 4 overs. This was the start we expected and it was given. We needed them to continue, but Prashanth went for a heave to see his stumps on the ground. Shyam was totally out of place as he never found his rhythm of stroke-making ultimately edging behind. Kartik joined Vinod and they both carried along pretty decently when Vinod walked on a delivery outside offstump to get himself stumped. The moment I entered, I had the confidence of finishing off this match with Kartik and played out the first 5 balls. The first ball of the next over was something that I never wished to happen. A bouncer directed to the body and Kartik gloved it to the keeper. I was watching helplessly from the other end but that moment injected a high sense of responsibility on my shoulders to take the team though. Sunil and I played out couple of overs accumulating few runs and at drinks break we required 90 to win off 90 balls with 6 wickets in hand – still an easy proposition.

I unusually remained silent during drinks break to avoid diturbing my concentration. I felt the need and desire to win this match – it was my stage and I wanted to win it for us. I walked back with Sunil telling him to focus from the beginning and it was easy to achieve this if we stayed on. CRASHHHHHHHH – he played the first ball to his stumps and i was left stunned. I felt this match was slipping away until Jagan demonstrated his strokeplay. He was successfull in pushing the fielders back in order to fetch easy singles. Everything was going well when he suddenly repeated Vinod’s act to get himself stumped. I still kept on holding to my confidence and I could see that I was the one who could turn this match on in our direction. Niranjan provided vital support and during this partnership I had the pleasure of toying with the opponent captain’s bowling as we garnered 14 off his 3rd over with me hitting a 6 over mid-wicket and immediately followed by a boundary through extra-cover. Niranjan supported me very well but walked across his stumps to a delivery that hit him plumb in front. Karthi started off sensibly with little bit of luck when his defensive stroke guided the ball to the fine leg fence – thanks to the inside edge. We reached a point when we needed 39 off 6 overs and I was the only potential striker. A rush of blood prompted me to strike a ball hard due to the tiredness and the lack of concentration – and what i heard behind me was the sound of timber. I never bothered to turn around and that was virtually the end of it. Vijay lasted for a couple of balls and Sridhar for a couple of overs leaving sensible Karthi stranded at the other end. We lost by 30 runs – the primary culprit of the result being our senseless batting.

Lets improve our batting by increasing our patience to stay at the wicket and we will automatically run into a winning habit.

The match moments still haunt me – it will continue to stay there until the next time I take the field.

Aditya Ravindran, Captain – WCC.

WCC Match Review – Season 3 Match 1 – 06-FEB-2011

WCC impresses with depleted bowling attack and produces a comfortable chase

It was a nervous night and all reason to be. The first match of a new season and I was back as captain. Back to club cricket after a long gap. And that too having a depleted bowling side in hand, I knew it was going to be difficult. We didn’t get enough bandwidth for fielding practice and that was a worry in the camp. Fitness was another concern at the start of the season – apart from a few who were regularly in touch with the game. It all started when each fast bowler had a reason for his unavailability and we had finally a decent plan in place until another quickie turned down his availability at 11 PM on the eve of the match. All these factors transformed into nervousness on the eve of the match. I had earlier decided to skip down as captain, but my mind did not agree to it. I decided that I was to lead this wonderful team again. I went to bed at midnight and slept at 1:30 AM – all the time thinking of all the strategies with a depleted bowling unit.

We were, as usual, early birds to the ground (Hindu B) and started getting ready for the game. We had 3 debutants for WCC – Prashanth, Jagan and Shyam. We had only eleven members accompanied by Rajesh who we picked up at the last moment as a helper – thanks to Venkat’s network. The ground was a familiar stage as we’ve had earlier experiences during the previous season. This time, I knew it would be tough to make a call if we won the toss. After a long thought process and with the opinions of few team-mates, we planned to chase. Meanwhile, I was praying to lose the toss. Toss happened at 8 AM, and the opponent (PCC) captain rightly called and gave me a relief by deciding to bat first.

Kartik started the proceedings with his gentle swing bowling and with the lack of wind, it was gentler. The batsmen started cautiously and I threw the ball to Ashwin to open on the other end. He was spot on with his length and variations right from the start and very soon had a batsman mistiming a swing to Sunil at mid-on. 1 down. After realizing that the ball is not swinging, Kartik cut himself and I gave Sunil a go. He produced the 2^nd wicket soon when the off-stump was knocked back onto the ground. Meanwhile the batsman at the other end (#3) was starting to play a good game. The next wicket fell when the batsman tried to flick Sunil through the leg-side, missed it completely as the ball hit the pad and rolled onto wicketkeeper Prashanth. Prashanth smartly broke the stumps as the batsman fell over to leave the crease. That was a smart thinking move. I cut Ashwin after his 5^th and introduced Vijay who was as sharp as an eagle. His line and length was spot-on as he gave nothing is his first over. The batsman trying to keep the scoreboard ticking, steered one to the left of Venkat at point and tried to steal a run. Venkat was at his best at the moment as he swooped on the ball and his throw made Prashanth’s job easy. It was almost a replay of an earlier run-out during the second season on the same ground, same end. Close to drinks time, #3 was playing well till he pulled Venkat to midwicket and failed to keep it to the ground. I dived to my left and pouched it comfortably to send him back with his team at 48/5 in 15 overs. We had had a good start.

The 2^nd half of the first innings produced some runs although Vijay continued to impress. Few bad balls were punished severely and I started to feel the lack of bowling. I tried to manage and rotate the bowlers as much as possible when Vijay trapped one in front. Karthik & Shyam bowled few overs along with Venkat to push the over rate. The last few overs produced good catches – 1 from Jagan and 2 from Vijay. Ashwin cleaned up the last man stumped to let us 113 to win.

I was confident about the batting strength, but chose not to be over-confident. We had half-won the match, but we had to finish it off. We had a good batting combination and I was sure it would work out if we applied ourselves properly. Venkat and Prashanth started flamboyantly, but soon Venkat’s pull was caught at square leg and Prashanth lofted one straight to mid-off. Kartik and Shyam consumed the new ball to disallow any more wickets for the opposition. Although they consumed few maidens, that was the period of play which I thought won us the match because it said strongly to the opposition – “We are not letting you take any more wickets”. Shyam unfortunately fell to a usual umpiring blunder and in walked Murali with his favourite job on hand. I wanted these 2 to pair up a partnership like they usually do with tennis-ball cricket and this was a perfect stage for them. Kartik was fighting to find gaps, but was sensible enough not to get impatient. He displayed his temperament to ensure we were on the right track. Murali, on the other hand, was finding singles at ease and felt very comfortable playing his role of a chase-master. At drinks, we were 47/3, but knew the task was going to be easy if we kept those wickets in hand. 66 to get from 90 was easy with both these batsmen settled comfortably.

The opposition bowlers were not deadly, they were easy to negotiate. The outfield was unfriendly as it cut down runs almost at will. Kartik and Murali renewed the chase comfortably and the first 2 overs got us 10 runs. Kartik tried to accelerate slowly but ran himself out needing 36 to win. He played a very very good innings overall. He anchored an end to ensure we got this far. I walked in having one target in mind – to finish things off before returning back. Murali kept going as usual and scored the greater percentage of our partnership. Couple of his boundaries was a treat to watch. With a run needed to win, he fell LBW. He was completely dehydrated at that point. It all boiled down to – one run from 2 overs. I sent the ball over the mid-wicket fielder on the third ball of the penultimate over. Sunil and I crossed over and that was it. It was smiles all around – we had won comfortably. Although it was only 9 balls to spare, it was a comfortable and controlled win. Murali rightly deserved the MOM, but there were others who supported the cause to a great extent.

A BIG thanks to Rajesh, whose religious support as a 12^th man proved most crucial for the team from start to end.

Aditya Ravindran. Captain, WCC.