Dec 13th 2008 – Every now and then I was looking at my watch. Meanwhile at the centre, our team required 89 runs for a victory. We knew that if we survived the entire stretch of the 20 overs we could make it. However, the heavy outfield and the wickets at regular intervals made the match tantalizingly poised. Despite all the action and tension at the centre my mind was still on the watch and the ticking of the time. It was already 13:00 and this match still not over and I might even be required to bat. Here I am stuck up in my office match and not in a position to drive in time to the YMCA grounds at Saidapet where the Cric-cruisers team is supposed to play their second game of the 20-20 tournament at 14:00 hrs. With just a dozen runs required for victory I had to walk-in to bat. The time was already nearing 13:30. Just then I got a SMS from Ranga conveying the glad news that the match will be delayed and I don’t need to rush in. Feeling happy about it I walked into the field and within minutes the winning runs were scored for our office and I was driving my way towards YMCA……..
By the time I walked in to the ground almost the entire team had reached there. Soon it was time for toss, not with the opponents, but between Prakash and Nithyanand. Of the two one person had to sit out as the 12th man. Since I didn’t want to take the political decision of whom to leave out we decided to have a toss. Luck proved to be Nithya’s way as it was in his favour. Prakash had to sit out. He however had company in Prabhu, who had generously offered to be the ‘lone’ spectator for the match. In the field I won the ‘actual’ toss and decided to field. The heavy outfield and the damp wicket was the reason behind the decision.
It was repeat of the previous match. The wicket was a full 28 to 30 yard pitch. It looked absurd but we had no option but to start the game. Rajiv continued from where he left during the previous match. It was once again a good start from the opening bowlers. This time Bala shared the new ball with Rajiv. He bowled an impeccable line and length but managed just a single wicket. The opponents could not boast of a great batting line up. Infact it was a sub-standard batting display from them. Girish utilized their inability very well by bowling a simple wicket to wicket line and purchasing two wickets in the process. Param on the other hand with all his experience would have found this outing a picnic with nothing challenging about. So it was no surprise that he finished up with a good spell. The atmosphere at the centre was kind of very relaxed and to some extent complacent. There were hardly any runs flowing from the opponent’s side. The only runs that where taken were the ones which were ‘too generously’ given away by our own Koushik, who had taken it a bit too easy and just threw lolly pops at them. Overall it didn’t require a great deal of effort from our side to nail the opponents to a meagre total of 95 runs.
The second innings started off with me and Bala walking out to face the music. The first ball I faced was a rank short ball which I happily put away to the square leg boundary. Soon in the next over I fell to a rising delivery. The ball was awfully short and anyother good batsman would have managed to direct that ball to the deep square boundary. But after having got hit in the nose some 7 years back by a bouncer, after that I have never ever managed to face the bouncer with the same guts as before. So it was no surprise that I made a mess out of the short ball and ultimately ballooned it to the cover point fielder. I was replaced by Rajiv who, after scoring a few runs fell to one more short ball while attempting a pull. Next walked in Rajesh who started off in a promising fashion by whacking the ball down to the mid-wicket boundary for a towering one bounce four. However, just like a “Kambi mathaappu” which offers great colours for a few seconds but suddenly goes off, similarly Rajesh after a very very short entertaining innings perished by hoisting one to the deep square leg fielder. All this while Bala, the one who had opened the innings, was carrying on accumulating runs, not bothered by the happenings at the other end.
The target was too short for us to really panic or create a stutter at the dressing room. Soon Bala and Koushik did the job for us and walked back successfully after scoring the winning runs. Bala was adjudged the ‘Man of the Match’ for his unbeaten knock and his efforts with the ball. It was an easy win, despite us making a mess of it by taking it too lightly. The target and the opponent’s standards did not challenge us much. Nevertheless, a win is a win and we are glad to continue the winning streak……..
regards
Sri Kumar J
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