GAME 2 - Harsh realities

Number 3 vs Crown Tapes CC
30, Oct, YMCA A, Nandanam,
Crown Tapes CC won by 5 wkts

Note: All my posts from now on will be in the first person. Referring to myself as “Druck” in match reports made me feel a bit like Julius Caesar in the Asterix comics. Hope it goes down well with you guys, the few people who actually read these.

The soaring spirit of #3 was brought back down to earth just a little in game 2, as a poor batting performance and a couple of dropped catches showed us just how far we need to go to be competitive in this league. Still enjoying ourselves thoroughly, we nevertheless left the YMCA grounds with a greater feeling of dissatisfaction than the first time around – perhaps the realization that we could actually be winning these matches if we executed the basic disciplines well enough had something to do with that.

Unprecedented levels of wet weather (the most rainfall in 40 years in Chennai, I’m told – didn’t we just know something like this would happen) scuppered any hopes we had of getting in lots of practice before game 2. We were restricted to one net session on the Saturday preceding the game, where I had a horror session as ‘keeper, and fielding all round left a lot to be desired. A lengthy bowling spell in the nets for Narendra, Kishore, Visesh, Tony, Huiyyaps and Narahoo was the best return from this one.

On matchday, the skipper again won the toss and this time, we chose to bat. The absence of Kaataan, on paternity leave, gave Jubbs the opportunity to open with Anand. Sadly, it wasn’t to last long, he was out lbw early on. Kishore went in at one drop and was soon seeing the ball well. An ill conceived second run put paid to his promising innings, and it was a steady procession towards the dressing room (tree, actually) from then on. Anand fell, Tayne played a patient innings for no score, and then I joined the captain in the middle with strict instructions to play forward and stay in. Tragedy struck soon after as a well set Sriram was run out at the bowler’s end, ambling a single. Half the side gone, less than 50 on the board and 15 overs still to play. Some trench warfare from me, visesh and vik (ending in yet another run out when I called vik for a suicidal run) pushed the total up to 77 all out, the only saving grace being that we managed to play out 29 overs.

Just how little the opposition thought of the target was made evident by their choice of opener, one Jose, an uncomplicated batsman who did not seem aware of the existence of an off side. His simple, rustic heaving should have had no effect on us at all, but I grassed a straightforward chance behind the stumps off vik’s second ball and we paid the price. The ball flew off the bat - edges, meat, handle and all - and they knocked off more than half the target in five overs. Sriram’s captaincy was one thing that was completely on the ball today and he quickly slowed the game down by introducing Anand and himself into the attack. Three quick wickets, and we had pegged the scoring rate back.

But in the end, we simply didn’t have enough on the board. A further dropped catch at square leg later, the target was down to ten. One final piece of inspired captaincy, however, provided our brightest spot of the match. Sriram threw the ball to Huiyyaps, and to cries of “bowling, Shane” he settled into a nice loop, dropping the ball in nice areas and spinning it viciously. After twice collapsing in a tangle of arms, legs and bat, one of their batsman sliced a ball that looped slowly to Jubbs who juggled the ball and held on for a truly celebratory moment.

The formalities completed shortly thereafter, we were left to rue the run outs and dropped catches that prevented us from being competitive. They had knocked off the runs in 15 overs, with five wickets to spare. Some hard work lies ahead of us, but the best thing about Number 3, the fantastic spirit around everything this team does, remained firmly in place – and accompanied us to the now mandatory post match beer.

#3 would again like to thank Jake, the Crutch, Sunder and Self for taking the time and trouble to support us at the ground. Jake in particular for virtually being our 12^th man (woman??) and also carrying out photography duties.

In Game 2, #3 was: Jubbs, Anand, Kishore, Sriram (c), Tony, Druck(wk), Narendra, Huiyyaps, Visesh, Joy & Vik.