One match report for two games of the thirds
First the away match against VRA 4 a little over a week ago. There is a tradition between us. We always let VRA come very close but then close the lid on them. Well we don’t mind a tradition or two (especially if we are on the right end obviously), so who are we to break such a nice one as this!
We started with fielding. We did well. With Zahid Shah and Abid Malik opening the bowling we have a very good pair to share the new ball. Abid has decided to keep to his longer run up and thereby increase the pace of his bowling. His first over the right line wasn’t quite there yet (and was a bit unlucky with wides being called). Still thankfully he stuck to his decision and the rest of his spell was insane. In the end numbers were something like (sorry do not have the book here and it is not on the KNCB website yet) 6 overs, 2 wickets for 13 runs. Abid, stick to that decision to increase run-up and pace! I have no doubts whatsoever it will bring much rewards to both you and the team.

Zahid Shah on the other end, what can I say … Zahid is an extremely good bowler and I hope the rumors of him going on holiday back to Pakistan during the end of the season aren’t true as he would be sorely missed. Because of his bowling yes and … well that other thing we talked about yesterday ;-).

Other highlights during our fielding session were (in no particular order):

Bowling by Menno Besseling. Darn did he get his line right! Menno with this kind of control is a scary sight to behold! (being batsmen obviously, must admit that as being on his side and all, I couldn’t be happier!);
Fielding by Zeddy (Zahid malik). Well done dude!
Introduction of yet another tradition: run outs =). I think in the games played so far we average 2 to 3 run outs a game. As a fielding side (so bowlers and the rest of the team) we manage to create excellent pressure on the batsmen, forcing them to take risky singles which we again and again manage to punish them for. Makes me proud, keeps me sharp … loving it =).

Right, over to the batting. I’ll keep it short. Basically it came down to slowly, real slowly making steady progress to the target with myself hanging around long enough and Saijid batting us to victory. To be honest it being a week ago ,I don’t recall too much else remarkable for which apologies. Well perhaps some thoughts of compassion to their openingsbowler who had such a nice and on the spot openingspell, only to come back for a second spell spraying the ball in such a way down leg side (poor wickie), that it would make Steve Harmison proud. It not being test cricket (though opposition did accuse us of that in our slow steady progress to the target) they were rightly called wides … quite a few of them in fact.

Second the away match against Zeist.

Some things of note that happened:

It did not rain! Some traditions are broken apparently as the last say 5 times we (at that time still being Hippo’s and you know about our thing with mud) went there it always rained. One season we even went there 3! times;
Starting with batting we were somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 for 5 in 15. After 30 overs we were in the proximity of 135 for 6. With the scoreboard ending it’s ticking on 171, we were quite pleased obviously taking into account the start!
We had especially Mark Sarre and Menno Besseling to thank for it with Mark making 60 and Menno 36;
Of course Zeist have only themselves to blame as all should know by now not to anger Mark. On the other hand perhaps they did not know Mark was only playing a game again for the first time after having broken his toe earlier in the season and was still a bit hesitant about exposing his only recently healed toe. Well anyway Ziest bowled a ball on just that same toe and well, they were history from there as the next few ball were smacked out of the ground, tilting the game in our favor;
Our bowling as ever was extremely well opened by Zahid Shah with Adnan Anwar giving good support from the other end;
Like us the first 5 wickets fell cheaply, but then they had a very good partnership. Fortunately we have the secret weapon called Hasrat Bagkari. Any way we broke the partnership and Zeist with their total somewhere around 135;
3 run outs … again =);
Insane catch by John Bullen to end the match;
Fielding top notch again, in no small way helped by the Dextro Energy tablets from Alec Swaneveld’s stash.

Obviously more things of note, but I felt you already thinking boy does this report never end? Well it does here, but only after to thank our captain in particular and the team in general for yet another good start of the season. Results are important, the way they are even more.

Cheers!
JW