Well, where shall I start...ok..it was a beautiful sunny and warm day, great for cricket. Not so good for the guys who were fasting. Especially knowing we were going to have a very tough match a head of us.
Which it sure was.

After having lost the toss (I think it's a hattrick-lost- toss) surprisingly, we were send in to bat first. I assume United wanted to strike us offguard by letting us set a target since we're better chasers. The funny part is, we were thinking the same, to let them field first.
It didn't take long to understand that they'd made a good call because with only a handful runs on the board, our top order was gone. 21/3
Asif tried to hit a six of a ball which was too low and deadstraight into his middlestump so cleanbowled.
Zeddy on the non-strikers called for a run which was hit straight to gully by Saqib. Zeddy was a few yards short.
Saqib faced his second ball, tried to leave it but was a bit too late in that so nicked it straight to the keeper.
All this happened while I was there umpiring, perhaps my 'aura' caused all this so I swapped. That was a good thing because all of a sudden, Hasrat bhai and young Sikander gradually build the inning.
Slowly at first but then they showed high class batting with quick running between the wickets. Singles which shouldn't have been there were picked up and mostly, those were converted into two's.
A few drops also helped but they just kept going and the target to atleast bat the first 15 overs without getting out, was achieved fairly easy.
Nothing looked like stopping these guys until a bowling change did the trick. A snorter of a delivery just edged Hasrat's bat and without even waiting for the umpire, he walked. That's the ACC way. 96/4
Since the quick running resulted in some good runs, Saqib Zulfiqar went in to continue the tip-and-run session. Together they added 30+ runs with some lucky drops too.
Sikander just got too aggressive trying to reach his fifty but skied one while pulling the spinner and caught at mid on. 133/5
Rest of the team just tried to play out the 40 overs after Saqib too got out by the spinner. We couldn't bat out the full 40 (got ao on 36) so ended on 176.
Still a very much defendable score, considering the bowling lineup we had.

Batting:
Sikander: 45
Saqib: 34
Hasrat: 29

Since most of us and their team were fasting, not much could be said about the lunch. I assume it tasted great as usual.
Zee and I opened the bowling and we'd put a lot of pressure on them from the start. Some edges flew here and there, some wides were bowled too but nothing really went of the bat.
Well, to be honest, their opener did free his arms on two half volleys I bowled in my first spell, which went for boundaries. There was a chance when their opener played a shot over mid off and Asif ran backward to catch it. Instead, in injured himself so had to be treated. Luckily we have many young talent walking around and Imran's younger brother, Subhaan, took Asif's place.
I've never used a spinner this early in the game but knowing Saqib did excellently in Scotland, he was brought on as 1st change. The change got us the breakthrough but not without stopping the game and calling in their captain.
For us, it was just dead simple and the batsman got bowled by Saqib. Apparently, Amir behind the stumps knocked over the bail without having the ball in his hand.
The umpire didn't see his younger brother getting bowled so went for not-out. Theories about "how can the bail fall far behind the stumps if the keeper stumped him" etc. In the end their captain got involved and he asked the umpire the change his verdict into out. That was the spark perhaps this game needed. Suddenly, everyone was awake. 42/1
After trying to bring back Zee one end and Sikander the other end, no wicket fell and runs were ticking on the board. Hasrat bhai was put on and in his first over, he cleanbowled their no.3. 77/2.
The duo of Hasrat and Saqib proved to be matchwinning. Wickets fell consistently because Sikander, Saqib, Hasrat, Zeddy did hold on to the catches. From 77/2 they were 112/6.
After Saqib's full 10 overs, Zee was brought back on again and he got the important opener who had run out of lives. He was edged numerous times and run out but not given. So you can imagine the feeling Zee had when he uprooted his offstump. 117/7
It's then they realized it was about to end so started hitting everything which went their way. Usually got edged or just passed the stumps. They did manage to get some runs but we weren't impressed.
Hasrat bhai was still going strong and got their last promising man out caught excellently by Imran at short cover. 148/8
When he got out and Hasrat bhai's spell ended, I came back with them still needing 27 runs out of 4 overs. With still two wickets left, I expected them to go for it. They tried their best, a little too much because a run out and just 1 run of the over, wasn't going to do the trick. Just one wicket left and to Zee steamed in, nicked the bat, appealed, the umpire raised his finger and his huge roar said everything.
We won and not only did we win, we also made sure that becoming champions, was in our control.
While I'm writing this report, I still feel how tensed I was because this was THE game of the season which we won in the end. And credit should go to those who deserve it and everyone of the team played their great part.
But today was mostly the day of the youngsters (and one Senior) in which they really showed their class. Sikander for this batting, Saqib for this bowling, Subhaan for his fielding and ofcourse our Hasrat bhai for his batting, bowling and fielding.

Just one match to go and 2nd class, here we come!

Bowling:
Hasrat: 10-1-35-4
Saqib: 10-47-3
Zee: 8.5-1-23-2

Men of the match: Sikander Zulfiqar and Hasrat bhai

Abid Malik