The X Factor
The wind advisory was in effect this weekend too, but mother nature granted us a reprieve and we were saved from enduring yet another breezy Sunday, where couple of weeks ago we had to turn just to hear what others were saying (I am not kidding, that’s how bad it was two Sundays ago (12/29). We lost count of how many times we had to prop up the stumps and literally had to stop a few times to let a stronger wind gust pass through). But on the flip side that was when we stumbled upon our new venue, which was kind of hiding in plain sight. After couple of unsuccessful trips we finally arrived at our new home, the baseball ground in Cypress Village. It is kind of perfect for us, we can play on either side and if we move the stumps a bit forward can even attempt to hook behind the wickets. The surface is hard which is kind of a treat for fast bowlers. Let’s see how things unfold in the coming weeks. We had a decent turnout this past Sunday and save for couple of players we played to near strength (nine fielders). Today we were bowled (quite literally in the first match) over by one of our returning players. It was as if his absence affected us more than him, where we forgot how to play against him.
Team B started on a disastrous note. They lost 2 early wickets. Senthil and Chetan opened the innings. In the second over Venki breached Chetan's defence and shattered his stumps. Senthil beckoned to me and very hesitantly I came to the middle. The first ball whizzed past me on the off when I tried to slash it going on my back-foot. I quickly realized that I shouldn't do that and made a mental note to play on the front foot. But the next delivery left me completely dumbfounded. I could have sworn the ball was pitched on the off and subsequently assumed that it would continue its journey and not cause much harm. Pretty pleased with myself for having read the ball so early on, I went on the front foot (as per my plan) only to find myself completely out of line and wanting. I couldn’t believe myself when I heard the clicking sound and saw the stumps go down like a sack of potatoes. I didn’t know how to react and found myself completely fooled by the pace and the trajectory. After losing 2 wickets in the same over Team B looked in dire straits, they needed a good partnership and somebody to stay in the middle and just defend and score when the opportunity presented itself. That’s exactly what Senthil and Bala did. They put their heads down and played a sensible knock. They did not hit unnecessarily, but concentrated on pushing and scoring singles and twos. Senthil declared his innings letting Chandru bat. The latter carried on the good work and continued where he left off last week. He too concentrated on playing on the off and placing the ball in the cover region, which is a good area as it almost always helps you get two runs. Bala gave him good company. I think Bala too declared inviting Abhijeet to bat. Venki came in to bowl the penultimate over. Team B was looking good, they needed 12 runs and had couple of wickets in hand. The game was still open and anything could happen. The batsmen were set and three wickets were remaining including the last man. Seeing Venki take the ball, Team B protested, but had to give up after being reminded that even though each bowler had a quota of 2 overs (in a 10 over match), they could bowl a maximum of 3 overs. This meant Venki could not be disbarred from bowling. Team B’s fears were not without a cause. Venki struck twice in the same over. He got Chandru out on a gem of a delivery when it turned and instead of going down the off cut sharply back in taking the stumps down. Senthil replaced Chandru and met with a similar fate. Venki got 4 wickets and all of them clean bowled. Bala was left alone in the middle to fight it out. Venki conceded 3 runs in the over. Team B now needed 9 runs in the last over. Bala tried his best, but Gour looked in great form while trying to resurrect Malinga. He appeared to be generating good pace while maintaining good line and length. He did not give Bala much room to play. Finally 8 runs were needed in 4 balls. Unfortunately Bala nicked one to the wicket-keeper and curtains came down with a thud on Team B’s disastrous campaign.
Team B won the second toss and decided to bat. Senthil played well and was the major scorer. Chetan also played well. In this match too Venki was instrumental in making a dent and set Team B on their back-foot, while claiming 2 wickets. This time around he relied on his spin bowling ability. There was a controversial decision which saw Senthil getting a life. In an effort to entice Senthil, Venki bowled a full toss. He had placed Amit at deep square leg and sure enough Senthil went for the shot. It was a big heave and very good shot, but landed straight into Amit’s hands who took a well judged catch. Team A erupted with joy but somehow got conned into believing that it was a no-ball ('conned' because it appeared more of an after thought). They tried to fight it afterwards, but the train had left the station and Senthil was back at the crease. The two wickets that Venki got, should in fact belong to Partha, well at least one of them. Standing at deep mid-on he took two high risers. In fact one of them mimicked a feat achieved by AB de Villiers in the following video at 3:46 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRbI6LwLz94&index=2&list=PLlwb_0-4zncrSAEZ-rFiA-QkQfja5s-EA) . Unfortunately I was running with my back to him and so couldn’t see it first hand, but saw Chetan gasp and comment on the catch. On the very next delivery or maybe the one after that I got out when I mis-judged Venki’s spin and instead of going for the distance had to settle for height. Partha again committed no mistake and completed a beautiful well judged catch thus rendering my prayers in vain. In the end Team B managed to score a decent 34 runs in 8 overs. Team A began their chase on a winning note when they scored 8 runs in the first over. Of those 8 runs 3 came from an overthrow the stats read ... 1 ball 5 runs, the first 2 were wides). This was the bane of Team B, where they just could not keep up on the field and kept conceding runs. In the very next over though Chetan got them back into the game by claiming Partha and Gour on two consecutive deliveries. He was on a hat-trick. Gour was responsible in getting rid of Partha when he took a great jumping catch at mid-off. Unfortunately for him he was clean bowled on the very next ball. Venki came to bat on the hat-trick delivery which was a rising one. He coolly played it down and went to stay all the way till the end. He was able to rally his team after this initial setback and along with Amit and Rajesh slowly rebuilt the innings. Amit gave him very good company by placing the ball on either side of the stumps and scoring singles and twos. They kept rotating the strike and frustrating Team B’s bowlers. They took quick singles and converted 1s into 2s. They were running excellently between the wickets. There was one particular play when the fielder threw the ball at a leisurely pace thinking they would not go for the second run, but Venki urged Amit and they ran and comfortably finished the second run. This attitude helped them achieve their target with more than 10 balls to spare.
Venki and Partha stole the show with their all-round performance. As Venki pointed out Partha has been generating good pace lately. Senthil has a theory for this sudden change of profile, but its better you ask him personally when you meet him next time (hint ... it has something to do with the internet and starts with 'P'). He was absolutely outstanding in the field taking 3 (or maybe 4) catches and one of them an absolute stunner. Venki played a lion’s share in his team’s victory both with the bat and the ball (and that's where we get our title, if you haven't already figured it out). Amit and Rajesh gave him good company. The former playing a very patient innings in the second match fending off overtures from the opposite team and thus blunting their attack. Chandru batted very well in both the innings and was responsible in adding valuable runs to help his team net a respectable score and keep it in the reckoning. He was able to place the ball very well and carrying on from last weekend he showed great 'running between the wicket' skills. Bala and Senthil played good knocks and followed it up in the bowling department too. Chetan bowled well and showed his flair with the bat in the second innings. Gour must have been practicing at home as it showed on the field when he bowled accurately while generating decent pace with his sling action. If he can control the release of the ball he can give nightmares to the batsmen. A perfect testimony to this was when his captain gave him the ball to bowl the final over of the second match. It will be great to see him perform in the coming weeks. A big 'Thank-you' to Pankaj for paying us a visit on the field and getting 'pedhas' from India ... that was really nice of him! Overall we had a great outing. The new ground looks good, let’s see what it has in store for us next Sunday. Hopefully you will be there to check it out personally.
You guys have a nice rest of the week.
Bye.
Anand
Team A: Venki, Rajesh, Partha, Gour and AmitTeam A won the toss and decided to bat. I think Partha opened the innings. He played well but couldn’t stay long. He got out in the second over. If I am not mistaken Rajesh stayed all the way till the end and even pulled a small coup with Amit, on the last ball by running 3 where even one was non-existent. Venki got out a bit early but not before playing some great shots. I remember one particular delivery which was a full toss above his shoulder. He quickly got into position and comfortably directed the ball in the square leg region. There weren't too many big hits but Team A was running excellently between the wickets and keeping the score board ticking. They were putting pressure on the fielders and converting singles into twos and were quite good at it. In the end after 10 overs they had made 44 runs.
Team B: Chandru, Bala, Senthil, Chetan and Anand
Common Player: Abhijeet
Team B started on a disastrous note. They lost 2 early wickets. Senthil and Chetan opened the innings. In the second over Venki breached Chetan's defence and shattered his stumps. Senthil beckoned to me and very hesitantly I came to the middle. The first ball whizzed past me on the off when I tried to slash it going on my back-foot. I quickly realized that I shouldn't do that and made a mental note to play on the front foot. But the next delivery left me completely dumbfounded. I could have sworn the ball was pitched on the off and subsequently assumed that it would continue its journey and not cause much harm. Pretty pleased with myself for having read the ball so early on, I went on the front foot (as per my plan) only to find myself completely out of line and wanting. I couldn’t believe myself when I heard the clicking sound and saw the stumps go down like a sack of potatoes. I didn’t know how to react and found myself completely fooled by the pace and the trajectory. After losing 2 wickets in the same over Team B looked in dire straits, they needed a good partnership and somebody to stay in the middle and just defend and score when the opportunity presented itself. That’s exactly what Senthil and Bala did. They put their heads down and played a sensible knock. They did not hit unnecessarily, but concentrated on pushing and scoring singles and twos. Senthil declared his innings letting Chandru bat. The latter carried on the good work and continued where he left off last week. He too concentrated on playing on the off and placing the ball in the cover region, which is a good area as it almost always helps you get two runs. Bala gave him good company. I think Bala too declared inviting Abhijeet to bat. Venki came in to bowl the penultimate over. Team B was looking good, they needed 12 runs and had couple of wickets in hand. The game was still open and anything could happen. The batsmen were set and three wickets were remaining including the last man. Seeing Venki take the ball, Team B protested, but had to give up after being reminded that even though each bowler had a quota of 2 overs (in a 10 over match), they could bowl a maximum of 3 overs. This meant Venki could not be disbarred from bowling. Team B’s fears were not without a cause. Venki struck twice in the same over. He got Chandru out on a gem of a delivery when it turned and instead of going down the off cut sharply back in taking the stumps down. Senthil replaced Chandru and met with a similar fate. Venki got 4 wickets and all of them clean bowled. Bala was left alone in the middle to fight it out. Venki conceded 3 runs in the over. Team B now needed 9 runs in the last over. Bala tried his best, but Gour looked in great form while trying to resurrect Malinga. He appeared to be generating good pace while maintaining good line and length. He did not give Bala much room to play. Finally 8 runs were needed in 4 balls. Unfortunately Bala nicked one to the wicket-keeper and curtains came down with a thud on Team B’s disastrous campaign.
Team B won the second toss and decided to bat. Senthil played well and was the major scorer. Chetan also played well. In this match too Venki was instrumental in making a dent and set Team B on their back-foot, while claiming 2 wickets. This time around he relied on his spin bowling ability. There was a controversial decision which saw Senthil getting a life. In an effort to entice Senthil, Venki bowled a full toss. He had placed Amit at deep square leg and sure enough Senthil went for the shot. It was a big heave and very good shot, but landed straight into Amit’s hands who took a well judged catch. Team A erupted with joy but somehow got conned into believing that it was a no-ball ('conned' because it appeared more of an after thought). They tried to fight it afterwards, but the train had left the station and Senthil was back at the crease. The two wickets that Venki got, should in fact belong to Partha, well at least one of them. Standing at deep mid-on he took two high risers. In fact one of them mimicked a feat achieved by AB de Villiers in the following video at 3:46 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRbI6LwLz94&index=2&list=PLlwb_0-4zncrSAEZ-rFiA-QkQfja5s-EA) . Unfortunately I was running with my back to him and so couldn’t see it first hand, but saw Chetan gasp and comment on the catch. On the very next delivery or maybe the one after that I got out when I mis-judged Venki’s spin and instead of going for the distance had to settle for height. Partha again committed no mistake and completed a beautiful well judged catch thus rendering my prayers in vain. In the end Team B managed to score a decent 34 runs in 8 overs. Team A began their chase on a winning note when they scored 8 runs in the first over. Of those 8 runs 3 came from an overthrow the stats read ... 1 ball 5 runs, the first 2 were wides). This was the bane of Team B, where they just could not keep up on the field and kept conceding runs. In the very next over though Chetan got them back into the game by claiming Partha and Gour on two consecutive deliveries. He was on a hat-trick. Gour was responsible in getting rid of Partha when he took a great jumping catch at mid-off. Unfortunately for him he was clean bowled on the very next ball. Venki came to bat on the hat-trick delivery which was a rising one. He coolly played it down and went to stay all the way till the end. He was able to rally his team after this initial setback and along with Amit and Rajesh slowly rebuilt the innings. Amit gave him very good company by placing the ball on either side of the stumps and scoring singles and twos. They kept rotating the strike and frustrating Team B’s bowlers. They took quick singles and converted 1s into 2s. They were running excellently between the wickets. There was one particular play when the fielder threw the ball at a leisurely pace thinking they would not go for the second run, but Venki urged Amit and they ran and comfortably finished the second run. This attitude helped them achieve their target with more than 10 balls to spare.
Venki and Partha stole the show with their all-round performance. As Venki pointed out Partha has been generating good pace lately. Senthil has a theory for this sudden change of profile, but its better you ask him personally when you meet him next time (hint ... it has something to do with the internet and starts with 'P'). He was absolutely outstanding in the field taking 3 (or maybe 4) catches and one of them an absolute stunner. Venki played a lion’s share in his team’s victory both with the bat and the ball (and that's where we get our title, if you haven't already figured it out). Amit and Rajesh gave him good company. The former playing a very patient innings in the second match fending off overtures from the opposite team and thus blunting their attack. Chandru batted very well in both the innings and was responsible in adding valuable runs to help his team net a respectable score and keep it in the reckoning. He was able to place the ball very well and carrying on from last weekend he showed great 'running between the wicket' skills. Bala and Senthil played good knocks and followed it up in the bowling department too. Chetan bowled well and showed his flair with the bat in the second innings. Gour must have been practicing at home as it showed on the field when he bowled accurately while generating decent pace with his sling action. If he can control the release of the ball he can give nightmares to the batsmen. A perfect testimony to this was when his captain gave him the ball to bowl the final over of the second match. It will be great to see him perform in the coming weeks. A big 'Thank-you' to Pankaj for paying us a visit on the field and getting 'pedhas' from India ... that was really nice of him! Overall we had a great outing. The new ground looks good, let’s see what it has in store for us next Sunday. Hopefully you will be there to check it out personally.
You guys have a nice rest of the week.
Bye.
Anand
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