Action Cricket Chronicles - fit the tenth

Looking at our record you would be forgiven for thinking I could start this piece with: “Another game, another loss.” But this team won’t kowtow for such nonsense! Far from it, we remain eternally competitive.

The team took to the field first up, whilst our opponents walked in, confident, swaggering. When Ruaan sent the ball way down leg three times in the opening over – that confidence seemed well placed. Russell made his debut, and bowled with raw pace. And, after some athletic commitment in the field yielded a run out, his final ball scorched through the gap to leave smoking piles of melted plastic where stumps used to reside; and the attitude had been well and truly adjusted.

Wayne, managed to create a run out, and two balls later a catch; before conceding two fours off the final two deliveries; and with it – the confidence returned. The final over bowled by Kevin was bunted to numerous nets, and the partnership ended with 26 on the board.

The second pair walked in; to face the limping menace that is Darren. The perils of underestimating your opponent showed immediately with a run out first ball; two dots followed before the fourth sneaked past the bat and clattered into the stumps; and Darren was on fire. Wayne picked up the pieces and smoked two clean bowled wickets in a row before the pressure of the hat-trick proved too much and he sprayed it wide. Final ball got smoked for 4, and he finished his spell with very credible figures. Danie took up the ball, and dragged the bat out of the crease first ball to set up a sharp stumping which Colin took full advantage of. Three dots later, and the over was up; only for Ross to get a run out first up. He kept it tight, and the partnership limped off – battered, bruised and only 3 runs richer …

Things started to slip slightly in the third partnership. Danie was smoked repeatedly to the far net for 3 maximums in a row. Kevin bowled a tighter line, but still didn’t manage a break through. It was up to Darren to bring back some respectability to the bowling. He did in fine style, with the final two deliveries bringing catches – the last one a group effort; with Danie fluffing the first grab, Ruaan backing it up and squirting it up too, before clutching it on the second take, with Danie wrapping his hands around it at the same time. Now that’s teamwork. Colin was punished in the last over for 2 maximums, and the partnership had restored some pride to the score line – adding 48.

The final pair walked in, and immediately Ross brought about some damage – a run out first ball, clean through to bowl him on the second, before keeping it fairly tight in the final four deliveries. Colin made amends by setting up a catch off his second, and then spoiling it by getting smashed for four off his last ball. Athletic fielding brought a run out from Ruaan first up, before Russ was smashed for max in the final over; and the team finished on 104.

So – over a hundred to get; and big Kevin and Dazzler to open. A mockery was made of the first ball – sent straight back to the bowler with interest for maximum runs; before Dazzler was run out on the last delivery. Some solid, no-risk batting followed, with Kevin stroking some violent 4’s and the partnership ended on 36 to take an early lead.

Next up, Colin and Wayne strode to the crease, moving things along slowly, but steadily until the final over was gifted to them with 4 extras and a few runs along the way to set us up beautifully, adding 38 to put us on 74.

Ross and Danie came together to continue the assault; and immediately there was trouble. Ross was repeatedly run out, whilst Danie succumbed to a stumping and a catch. Without any big nets being pinged, the wickets were hard to make up; and the partnership mercifully ended with the score just 7 runs to the better. So 24 needed to win, and the final pairing walking in. When Russ was run out off his first delivery, some nerves were clear; before Ruaan rectified the natural order of things by lacing a ball almost through the back net for 6. Runs flowed steadily after that; and the final over approached – with 7 needed from it. The first ball was smashed by Russ for 4; the second gift of a no ball. The third and fourth found the small nets, and with the game in the bag – Ruaan was left with the final delivery. It pitched enough outside of off to allow a Kallisesque leave; and we had done it. Scoreboard flashing 110 behind us.

Congrats to the team. You pushed it close to the wire – but pulled through again; thanks in no small part to some fantastic commitment in the field. Job well done.

Man of the match was Darren for his top score of 23, and unbelievable bowling of 4 for -3 …