Our game against Olympia wasn't what you call the greatest battle of the league. Obviously, we approached the game as it was.
It was a good game and won convincingly.
As seen before (Bloemendaal showing up with a complete new team) Olympia too had mostly a different team.
Usually that either means that they really want to win or they just needed eleven so picked up whoever was available.


Batting first, Zahid a.k.a. Zeddy opened the batting with our guest Shahid. They played along nicely until Shahid got LBW playing a cross on a full delivery.
First wicket gone after 29. Saqib batting at three didn't stay long and got bowled 2 runs later on a delivery that would get many batsman out: bowled in the Corridor of Uncertainty cutting in and hitting top of offstump. Atif in at four lifted the score still with Zeddy from 31 to 76 in 18 overs. Both kept the score board ticking with good running between the wickets an occasional boundary.
Atif too had to play a cross and another LBW was given and that put an end to their 44 runs partnership.
Usman (an ACC3-player) having scored good runs for ACC5, got in and right after facing his first delivery, was given LBW. This is the first time I've been part of match with that many LBW's actually given, by our own team. Don't get me wrong, the umpires were more than capable for given them out.
76 for 4 in 18 looked fine, although we lost wickets but with Zeddy still at the crease, we were heading towards a good defendable total.
This time I took a more supportive role as Zeddy was already set and it resulted into his second welcome half century.
Only his words of encouragement to me "don't get out, stay in as I want to go for my century" didn't do well as I played a half shot into cover.
From a total of, I don't know, 10 drops, they managed to hold on to mine. We lifted the score from 76 to a now healthy 137 (with still 5 wickets left).
The opposition finally got 'soft hands' as they also catched Zeddy's skier (4 runs after my departure).
After that Guy, Frank, Khurram, Zahid Shah & Omar added another 16 from which Omar scored 10 (two boundaries included) to bring up the 157 runs.

Run getters:
Zeddy: 63
Abid: 25
Atif: 20

As much as Zeddy's 63 runs meant for the total of our score, even so much meant the bowling of our other Zahid (Shahjee). With the running crease wet, we had to alter our run-up and I struggled with that.
Not really used to bowling from three paces. On the other hand, Shahjee didn't care about it and had only one thing in mind: get home quickly. Not to watch the match but to put up wallpaper in his new house.
The first wicket came in the 3rd over and was Shahjee's first scalp with 5 runs on the board. I finally got a bit of my line & length back, for that I too got a wicket in the 5th over and still the same 5 runs on the same board.
Shahjee kept bowling a very tight line and because of that, they tried hitting me but instead, handed over their wickets. Within 10 overs, they had 17 on the board and 4 wickets down.
Excellent to see for a captain and can give other bowlers the chance to finish it of. The change worked, Omar grabbed his first wicket since playing clubcricket (this year). It was great delivery, short of a length outside off but swing back in and the batsman couldn't do much than getting a leading edge to the safe hands of Guy in cover.
Shahjee now looking at the time and tried to force the process and he did it in style, he got two wickets on the last two balls of his 8th over. That meant a hattrick chance on his next over.
I knew it but I kept the field the same and I guess that's why the batsman wasn't aware of it or would have just left the ball as he was already set. The batsman tried driving Shahjee, instead found his wickets all over the place and a huge scream came from Shahjee and then the rest also realized it: Shahjee got his hattrick! He was jumping around, doing Bhangra (not really but must have been thinking of it).
Last wicket needed and like before, Khurram likes to take the last wicket and so he did, in his 3rd ball. Over and out in the 22nd over and 86 on the board. Easy win.

Wickettakers:
Zahid Shahjee: 10-3-35-4
Abid: 5-1-17-3
Omar: 2-14-1
Khurram: 0.3-0-0-1

Men of the Match: Zahid (Batting) & Zahid (Bowling)

AM