We started the day with a complete team but as time passed by and we were about to start, we ended up with 9 players.
Thanks to the Walsh family, young cub Sean was willing to play for us. Still 1 man short,we looked around and bribed Hasrat bhai to play with us.

After winning the toss we elected to bat first. Even though the conditions were absolutely to field first but I wanted to know whether we're capable of putting a good total.
We started off with a target of 200 and with that in mind, Zeddy and Hasrat bhai went in. After nine overs we had 52 on the board thus a healthy runrate.
It's always easy to blame the wind if you get out and thank the wind when you get a wicket. Must admit, it was a bit too windy this time and a hardhit shot by Zeddy, like the on in the friendly on Wednesday, was stopped by the wind and it fell in the hands of mid off. In today's conditions, it would have been a six for sure. 53/1
Amir came in but he still isn't entirely recovered from his backinjury so he hoped for many short balls cause leaning forward wouldn't work.
The bowler somehow managed to get that information and after facing a few balls, one skidded through and has his stumps shattered. 62/2
Ali, still given enough confidence to bat up the order, came in at no.4. He started very steady but with Hasrat bhai on the other end, both managed to create an understanding.
The scoreboard proved it. At one stage, they were going hand in hand with both on 43.
It didn't take long and finally after one season and a few matches, Ali scored his maiden half century with a boundary for us. A vital one for sure. He added one run to his total when hitting straight back to the bowler how caught it in his follow through. 155/3. Imran still not managing to get off the mark, was given LBW on zero. 155/4
Asif got in and he wasn't looking to tip and run so the boundary spree began. In his first six balls he face, he scored four boundaries. After he took a breath, Hasrat bhai squeezed in his half century.
By then we had already passed the initial target of 200 in 31 overs. New target was to reach 250 and it wasn't just whispered into the batsmen ears.
A few boundaries later, Asif went on to hit the bowler again but played a cross and away went his legstump. 225/5
Guy, Sean, Teja and I didn't contribute much to the score except making sure Hasrat bhai kept strike. With whom we lifted the score to 262/10.
By then, Khurram got in and after a few dot balls, Hasrat bhai was stuck on 93. They bowled a tightline and rotating the strike back to Hasrat bhai didn't work.
Just an over left to spare Hasrat bhai faced to dot balls and then it happened. The bowler bowled a halfvolleyish ball, a straight shot over the screen, brought Hasrat bhai's maiden century in style, with a six.
An excellent mature batting performance with hardly any mistakes. During his century, we all suffered for his eagerness to run three.....I guess he doesn't know we don't all have his top fitness level.
So just 272 runs to defend.....

Some figures with strikerate:
Hasrat Bhai: 103 no (105.1)
Ali 51(98.1)
Asif 35 (194.4)
Zeddy 27 (93.1)

Knowing we were much more of a bowlingside and the experiment to bat first worked, target was to bowl them out for under a 100.
Ali opened the bowling from the not-windy-end and started of with just 2 runs in his first two overs.
I bowled from the wind-too-much-in-your-face-end and got 3 runs in my first two overs. Both stayed wicketless.
Just before starting Ali's 3rd over, he told me that if I would let him bowl his full 10 over spell, he'll get me 5 wickets.
Don't have to say anything, it was Ali's day. After his first 7 overs, he got wickets in his 3rd, 5th and 7th over. Still two wickets left.
Since he gave a bit too many runs away in his 7th over, I was about to change him but he bribed me with samosa's so gave him another one.
Have a weakness for samosa's and gulab jamun so who ever wants to bowl all his overs, you know what to do.
In his 8th over, Ali did what he promised, bowled both batsman in the 2nd and 4th ball.....a 5 wicket haul accomplished.
Now, it's not that Ali is was the only who did all the damage, Asif and Khurram did exactly the same. Both good for 2 wickets each.
One of the wickets shared between Ali, Asif and Khurram, could have been Sean's. The batsman skied a Sean-special but it was dropped. Let's leave the name out since I'm sure he knows he should have caught that one...
When we heard that their no. 11 batsman wasn't  able to bat, it was all over in 20 overs with just 89 runs.

Some figures:
Ali: 10-1-35-5
Asif: 2-1-3-2
Khurram: 3-0-18-2
Abid: 5-1-15-0

In the end an excellent display of experience (Hasrat Bhai) and raw hard talent (Ali).

Man of the match: it's a tough call but with 51 runs and a 5-wicket haul, it's Ali.

Abid