HALVERSTOWN 2: 89 All out after 38 overs
Batting: Ajesh 30 * L. Joseph 14 A.Syed 7 G.O’Shea 5
Bowling: L.Joseph 6-0-20-1 D.Drumm 3-0-9-0 A.Barber 4-0-20-0 Ajesh 3.3-1-15-0 A.Syed 3-0-20-0
SWORDS 4: 91 for 1 off 19.3 overs
Batting: V.Pillai 39* A.Nandh 25*
Bowling: Pillai 5.5-1-6-5 A.Babu 8-0-25-2 N.Simon 5-1-9-1 Srambikal 8-1-23-1
Cricket can be a cruel mistress. We started with 10 men; put in to bat first we thought we might just barely have enough with our 89 but-finishing with 9 fit men- we were put to the sword(s) by some strong batting after our delight at an opener falling to Lijo in the first ball of the second over.
Swords were good, strong in both bowling and batting. Visakh Pillai was outstanding with the ball, with a fifer for just 6 runs and finishing off our innings with 2 LBWs with consecutive balls. Simon’s figures were impressive also and Swords’ worst economy rate was marginally over 3 runs per over.
We had a shaky enough batting line-up against this firepower and unfortunately Lijo, on whose shoulders a lot rested, was out for 14- easily our second highest score! Once Ahsan had followed for 7 it became about staying in and hoping that Ajesh would get some runs. It looked bleak. Ger O’Shea and David McConaghy stayed around a while but we were suddenly 32 for 5. I then kept Ajesh company until 53 runs were on the board- a bit more respectable. Stuart Gordon, as with David playing his first league game, and Andy Barber did the needful thereafter as Ajesh, sensing that time was running out, upped the pace. Stuart departed at 75 and Andy filled in until 89. Getting to 89 was a tribute to a truly gutsy performance by Ajesh who chose his shots well and accelerated at the right time. Oddly, despite both he and Lijo getting a six each, we scored no 4s whatsoever.
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I quote from the previous game v Castleknock: “Our score was barely defendable”, though with our bowling- few in number but good- we thought we had a chance this time. The excitement at Lijo’s early wicket (a fine catch at point by Ajesh), evaporated as opener Nandh batted solidly and the left handed Visakh (yes the man with the fifer!) at no. 3 offered us only the faintest of chances of a second wicket. With Cecil injured part way through their innings, Stuart Hayes took over keeping duties, leaving only me to throw up the slower balls and change the pace. Our bowlers did well, but the modest target and the quality of the batsmen, notably Pillai, meant that if they played carefully they would make the target without too much trouble- which they did in the 20th over.
It was a sporting encounter and the defeat by 9 wickets sounds worse than it actually was. No complaints, though: the team tried hard and was as good in the field as you could expect given our shortage of bodies. Thanks to Ger and Stuart Hayes who gave me so much information in the scorebook with which to write this report.
Written by Des Drumm