After we just threw away the game last week, we where pumped up to have a good match between our friendly neighbours VVV. With Junior still being the captain, I knew it was going to be a fair and a fun game. He already warned for not starting on time so wasn't surprised at all.

After losing the toss, we were send in to bat first. Having a bowling lineup from 1 to 7, I would have opted to field first just to skiddle them all out for not many.
Zeddy and our guest star of the day Nagesh went in. Both started cautiously and I could see (was umpiring) that both got a bit frustrated by the ball not coming onto the bat. Zeddy took 9 deliveries between his first and second run. Nagesh took 6 deliveries. In between they were either giving catching practice or were just hitting it straight into the hands of the fielders.
Luckily, none of them could hold on to them. Dropping catches boosted their confidence and from 17 in 5 they went to 48 in 9.
Just one mistimed shot towards the skipper at mid-off and Nagesh had to leave. 55/1
Saqib at 3 is doing a fine job this season and usually starts of with supporting the 'set' batsman, in this case Zeddy. The strikerate was a healthy one but of course Junior didn't think so and brought himself on.
The change proved to be an unlucky one for us and Zeddy got bowled by a fuller delivery onto the middlestump cutting away to leg and staying low. 87/2
The man in form Ali has fixed his spot at 4 and like last week, had a mature role to play which by the way he did excellently. Together with Saqib, they lifted the score from 88 in 16 to 188 in 30. A partnership worthly to mention.
Again Ali reached his half century with ease by good running between the wickets and the occasional boundary. Still taking quick singles he tried defending a good length ball and got bowled. 194/3
With still 8 overs left, the revised target to 200 was changed to 250. Guy came in with that in mind but also to ease the tension on Saqib who was stuck on 43 when Ali left.
Guy tried hitting the big shots as much as possible and with Naghesh's bat, he connected one to long off for six. Saqib couldn't stay back as the overs passed and with quick single played towards midwicket and the fielder just missing the stumps, he finally reached his maiden half century. Still as shy as he is, hardly raised his bat probably waiting for it when getting his century.
A crossbatted shot was the end of Guy's role and the aligned stumps. 227/4 after 37.
I came in with just a bit more than 3 overs to play and still needing 23 runs to reach the target. With still plenty of wickets and firepower left, my job was to smack everything to and over the boundary. Saqib's job was to stay 'not out' with rotating the strike. I held on to my part but Saqib didn't and with 248 after 39, he had to leave the scene. Was a goodlength ball outside off which he sliced towards short cover.
Zee came in and is always eager to bat even if it's just to face a few deliveries. We did what we had to do and hit a few boundaries, ran just one single together and put 257 on the board.

Just some battingscores with strikerate:
Saqib: 64 (4x4) - 86.5
Ali: 64 (9x4) - 152.4
Zeddy: 40 (7x4) - 87.0
Nagesh: 23 (4x4) - 69.7
Abid: 17 (1x4,1x6) - 212.5
Guy: 15 (1x4,1x6) - 107.1
Zee: 9 (1x4) - 225

Now for the fielding heroics. We started off pretty well. The first seven overs not much happened with just 23 on the board.
Shahjee the Great was on target as usual and so was Zee but wickets were the aim. The bowling change from Shah to Ali wasn't futile either because no wicket(s) fell. After ten overs I looked at the ball and was shocked.
Not only the shine was off both sides, there were cuts and even the seam wasn't in the right position anymore. And no, it had nothing to do with mostly Pakistani's in the team..
Shah requested the skipper (it seemed they had a history together) to change the ball but after long consideration with no wickets down and 45 on the board, he refused the request.
Ali however managed to get some swing from the ball and bowled their opener. 49/1
Omar replaced Shah but no result wicket wise but a tad to expensive for his doing. So had to take him off and put myself in. The first few balls didn't hit the target and after two consecutive boundaries, a good short pitched delivery, made sure that the helmet-less batsman top edged it towards midoff. Shah had to run from the boundary and held on to an important catch. 83/2 after 16.
VVV were putting up a good fight and managing to work around our pace bowling all over the field. Just when things were looking very tight, Imran kept his head cool and managed to run out their opener.
He literally ran out their batsman who was on his way turning back towards the wickets but was slower. Just to make sure, Imran broke all of the stumps. Good breakthrough. 115/3 after 21.
As said earlier, pace wasn't doing it anymore so spin was the next move. Luckily with Amir back in the team, still recovering from a nasty backinjury, he could start doing what he's good at: wicketkeeping. He atleast saved around 20-25 runs behind the stumps. Must be said, even the opposition umpires tapped him on the back for his acrobatics behind the stumps.
Can't remember ever played in a team with so many injuries happening. It's not a good thing but it also means that everyone is really motivated and pushing the limits.
Back to cricket. So, Imran could be used as a good legspinner as well if required. I started with offspin so it was Guy to turn up to bowl and hopefully to turn the ball.  He too, like his captain, conceived two boundaries in two deliveries before getting his man, caught at cows corner by the steady hands of Nagesh. 128/4.
Spin worked so Imran was on from the other end. It took a few overs and surprisingly not many runs but Imran got his man. Again, caught at cowscorner by Nagesh. So simple, run hard towards the ball, stand still, hands eye level and close the hands with ball in it. The last part is very important. Compared to us, VVV dropped I think around 11 catches..sitters and difficult ones. 150/5 after 31.
The duo Guy - Imran proved almost matchwinning. For the smart readers, these boys just gave away 45 runs in 10 overs. VVV now needed 108 from 9 which I wasn't going to let happen.
A few runs later, another wicket for Imran. This time it was Guy at short midwicket catching the ball with a dive. 162/6.
Just ten runs later, Imran got the danger man out, who smacked everyone around just for fun. Naghesh showed how to catch balls in the deep and Guy picked watched and learned and executed it to perfection. A hard hit ball smacked towards deepmidwicket landed safely in Guy's hands. 172/7.
Zee being wicketless so far was handed the ball and replaced Guy just to prove that he could get us a wicket. After almost killing the batsman with two beamers he bowled one full, fast and straight on the backfoot in front of middlestump. That one had to be given and LBW it was. 194/8
Still two wickets to do and the last over. Was hoping for a cleansweep so I thought Omar should get another chance to get redeem himself.
First ball was a dot and followed by a couple of wides. I think just before releasing he realized that it wasn't going to be a wickettaking delivery so might as well bowl wides.
Finally, after a few wides and a dot, he managed to bowl a good one which the batsman hit towards Zee at covers. 201/9.
One wicket and three deliveries to go. That wicket brought back the confidence Omar was lost because he produced another marvelous delivery which was hit up in the air to Shah at mid off. All out for 217 with still two deliveries to go.

This means that the next time Omar bowls, his first delivery could be a hattrick one? Not sure about the rules but going to be interesting upcoming Sunday.

Excellent display of batting by the toporder, bowling by the spinners in the middleovers and throughout fielding by everyone. Well done.

Just some bowling figures. As a captain, it's not always necessary to include my own figures so this time I'll leave them out..

Imran: 9-41-3
Omar: 3.5-25-2
Guy: 7-30-1
Zeeshan: 5-23-1
Ali: 7-41-1

Man of the Match: Saqib Chaudry

Abid Malik