Action Cricket Chronicles - fit the 4th

Once more into the breach dear friends!

The third league game, and fourth overall and we still search for our maiden victory. Fear not! South Africa took 12 test matches for their first victory (9 for their first draw). Hope springs eternal!

The one thing we haven’t lost yet is the toss. Once more Ruaan called correctly; and this time chose to field first. The decision seemed an excellent one to begin with. Ettiene steamed in and conceded very few runs, and even managed to pick up a wicket via run out. 1/1 at the end of the first. Good times. Ross took up the mantle, and immediately sent the ball miles outside the off to concede a wide. Three balls later, he overstepped, and so spoiled what was a good looking over, with again only 4 runs coming from the bat. Jeff took the yellowish leatherish ball and proceeded to show Ross exactly what he thought of that overstep, by doing it on his first delivery. He repeated it for good measure with his second, before knuckling down to finish the over with no wickets for 10. Darren limped up to the plate, and bowled a reasonable line, but conceded 13 runs in the over without reward.

Time for a partnership change, and Jeff took up the challenge. This time, the overstepping was not an issue, but 8 runs ensued. The ship was leaking very slowly … Darren limped up again, but this time his line was impeccable, conceding just 2 runs before inducing two catches with his last two deliveries. So 4 runs from the first 2 overs of this partnership … an excellent time to introduce Dano into the attack. 7 runs and one no-ball later, it was the turn of the inimitable JC to restore the spirits. He immediately brought rewards, inducing a catch of his first delivery. 4 balls later, he had his second – stumped. Two partnerships down, and the score on only 46.

The tension was almost palpable, and the captain stepped up to the mark. 14 runs later, including a heave for 4 off the last ball, and the pressure was building on us. Dano stepped up to his mark, and despite a reasonable couple of balls, peppered the leg side twice to end up with none down for 11. The partnership was gaining momentum, and it was left to Danie to try and slow it down. His first ball was smote for a mighty six, and his final delivery smashed for 4, and things were looking black. Ross came back to finish it off, and immediately stifled the flow of runs, his first 3 balls went for just the 1 run. A minor pressure valve opened with a wide, before some attempted sneaky running led to the first and only wicket to fall in the partnership. A leg side delivery opened up the door for an extra ball to be bowled, and it was duly smashed for another boundary, spoiling an otherwise brilliant final over.

The final pair swaggered on, buoyed by the success of the partnership before them. Danie stood at his mark, visualizing the ball hitting stumps. The air crackled with energy. The delivery sizzled into the turf, the bat flashed down, and the ball looped up to be safely pouched. Two balls later, and the memory of that first ball wicket was erased with a smashed four. Not to be outdone, Danie took a wicket with his fourth, before the fifth found the boundary. Despite the two fours, the over cost only a measly 4.

Ruaan stepped up to the plate, and some brilliant fielding earned him his first wicket in the match, off the second ball of the over. The third was smashed straight back for a violent six, before Ruaan found the stumps and sent them flying. His final ball was dismissively sent to the boundary, and young JC walked to his mark. But the magic of his first over was gone. A overstep first up, and thereafter every ball found the netting, and runs leaked. The final over was left to the strike bowler, Ettiene. But once again, the second over of a spell failed the high mark of the first, as a leg side wide, a smashed 4, and a straight six could hardly be erased by the single run out …

A respectable effort despite the third partnership, and a target of 136 greeted the team on their arrival at the crease. JC and Ruaan, leading from the front, took up the first deliveries. The ball was poked into corners, runs taken on a whim, singles flowing like wine; but the boundaries seemed a bridge too far. A solitary four from the blade of Ruaan, and an uncharacteristic double wicket in the last over for JC saw the partnership put on 18. A better start than had come before for us, but hardly the 32 they made first up …

Jeff and Ross took up the reins … The first over saw some electric fielding, and some sloppy running give 3 run outs and a catch for good measure. When the second over saw a run out first ball, lesser teams would have slumped their shoulders and possibly curled up and cried on the floor. But no! a few pushed singles, and a straight driven 4 was the response, and the momentum was back up. One more run out, and one last catch restricted the partnership to 11, 3 shy of their second partnership, and almost 20 runs adrift.

In came the double D’s, Darren and Danie. Great things were expected, and a run out first ball did much to damage the reputation. A catch off the second last ball of the first over erased what little pride had been restored with the imperious four struck by young Dazzler third ball up, and the game was truly on. The feat was replicated in the next over, and, even more impressive, no wickets fell. Runs steadily flowed through the third, and even when the final over produced back to back catches, the partnership was still the best of the innings, and still hugely shy of their massive third partnership, and we were reeling – needing 80 odd from the last pair.

Ettiene and Dano strode to the crease, knowing that a win was near impossible from here. When Dano was bowled off the second delivery he faced, the task became monumental, and when he was bowled again – two balls later, well … The runs flowed slowly, but steadily from the one end, and wickets flowed just as steadily from the other. The big D was stumped off the last ball of the second last over, and Ettiene decided that he better hit some boundaries. He managed just the one, before the final delivery was sent down to Dano, and fittingly shattered the stumps for the third time. 11 had been added, and the game was theirs by 73 runs.

It was, despite being yet another defeat, a great game. And the scoreboard doesn’t do justice to the fight shown by all on the field. It was also immensely enjoyed, and played in excellent spirit. Hang tight – that win is surely just around the corner.