Game Report - June 15, 2008
MCC verses BCC
Teams from:Shuaib Mohammed (c)
Zafar Khan
Brett Windsor
Roshan Bellavara
Chris Jones
Nishant Chadha
Pratik Sawana
George Mukalel
Khan Barech
Paresh Daharwal
Sanjay Dhar
ScorecardMatch DetailsMCC opened their regular
season (30 overs) out at North Plains with a win against NWCC but not without
few hiccups. MCC
was barely able to put together a team of 11 as most of the regular members are
still in hibernation and the wielding of a couple wife/girlfriend veto cards.
NWCC had similar problems and showed up with only 7 players
with 2 more arriving late. Shuaib
graciously offered to let thembat first which they readily accepted. Opening the bowling Nishant took time finding
his line and length after a couple of short pitched deliveries which were
dispatched over the fence by Andaleeb.
At the end of 6th over score was ~40 for no loss with MCC's
bowling looking pretty benign. NWCC was cruising along nicely with Andaleed
looking dangerous. A change was due so
on came Paresh to replace the juicy apples that Shuaib had been serving up. The change was effective as Paresh quickly
found his rhythm and was able to move the ball with good control.
At the other end Nishant who had settled into his groove by
now provided the much needed breakthrough in the 7th over by re-arranging the
furniture behind Naveed with a straight delivery which pitched on the off stump
and kept a bit low.
With his allocation up Brett replaced Nishant and struck
with his 3rd delivery to remove one of NWCC's best player- that’s according to
Brett at any rate!! Both Parash and
Brett bowled beautifully and they reduced NWCC from ~45/1 to ~60/5. The fielding was typical MCC
standard Chris managing to play headers
and volleys with ball instead of
catching it while Shuaib chose to watch a skyier drop in front of him while
Khan desperately tried to also get close.
There was a Champaign moment as George roaming in
the covers swooped for a pushed single his way by belly flopping next to the
ball and flicking a pea roller back to the bowler’s end and hurrying the
batsman home.
NWCC added another 46 runs before Brett took a beauty
standing up off Pratik to end the innings.
The final target set was 107.
Looking to finish the game off quickly Zafar and Chris
opened the innings for MCC, and
Zafar duly sent two crisp drive/cut for fours in the first
over. Shuaib joined Zafar in the middle
in the 3rd over after Chris was bowled by an over-pitched/yorker length
delivery( 21/1 ).
The loss did not stop Zafar from playing his usual game. Anything that was either pitched up or short
was driven, pulled or flicked fiercely by Zafar. At the other end a more circumspect Shuaib
kept the strike rotating by playing defensively.
Zafar completed yet another 50 with a massive six off of
Wajahat, however the very next delivery he
needlessly came out of his crease to try to hit another six and was stumped. At
92/2 and needing only 15 runs to win the game, MCC
decided to provide some excitement to an otherwise one-sided affair thus far by
losing 4 wickets for less than 10 runs to some good bowling and bad shot
selection. Roshan finally brought the
game home by cutting the ball between point and gully for four.
