Season 2, Game 2 – Seaside Rendezvous

Number 3 vs Young Stars CC.
Marina ground, 28 May 2006.

Young Stars CC 167 for 9 (Ramesh 3 wk, Hui 2 wk, Narendra 2 wk) beat #3 134 all out (Druck 31, Bulavar 24, Anand 20) by 33 runs.

With a game so soon after our return from Kodi, there was bound to be a tour hangover. I’m not referring to us, but to the weather and surroundings. An afternoon game in Chennai in May is a scary prospect, but this one was played out in almost English conditions. Cloudy skies, a stiff breeze, end even a steady drizzle coming down at one point. A touch of the Caribbean was provided too, by the proximity of the sea, as the ground was just across the road from Marina beach.

We thought we were going to be playing Burma Bazaar CC, and were more than thrilled at the prospect, but the organizer let us down in the end, foisting a team called Young Stars upon us, who upon examination proved to be neither young, nor stars of any kind. Their captain, in particular, was a notably joyless individual, who was easily the surliest opponent we’ve faced in the league.

Another lost toss, and we were in the field as usual. Vik’s unavailability for this game saw Joy and Lex take the new ball, but the lack of nets and the hectic schedule began to tell in this game, I think. Quite a few wides, some misfields, and one boundary ball per over were frustrating the captain no end. Dropped catches saw the openers get a couple of reprieves, including two by me at slip and then Joy picked up one early wicket. The one drop batsman and the other opener then began to take advantage of our generosity in earnest. The one drop in particular looked good, and was turning it on, and by the drinks break things were looking pretty bleak. Narendra and Ramesh had taken over by now, and after Narendra turned in a good-in-parts kind of spell, picking up a wicket but being a bit wayward, he was replaced by Hornie. This was the point that things started to happen for us, Ramesh wheeling away at one end as usual and Hui bowling his longest spell for #3. Two run outs sparked things off, and Hui picked up two and could have had several more. But extras and boundary balls saw to it that even though we picked up wickets, the run rate didn’t fall critically, and we were chasing 167 for 9 in 27 overs. Desperate efforts to take the last wicket so that we’d have the full 30 to play proved fruitless. Still, the mood at the break was that we had a chance.

The opening pair of Anand and Bulavar was reunited, and started off quite well, with Anand in particular looking quite good. The score was moving along quite rapidly, well in touch with the asking rate. But as the bowlers slowed things down, and a steady drizzle started to fall, they started to get bogged down. The frustration built up, and told on Anand who was dismissed trying to pick things up. Sriram and Kataan didn’t fare much better, and both of them as well as Bulavar were dismissed, Bulavar to an lbw decision he didn’t particularly appreciate, but he did play across the line. All the major batsmen gone, and the asking rate well out of reach.

Hopes of victory had now receded, but Jubbs and I put a bit of a partnership together, and suddenly there was Sriram coming on to the field, telling us we needed 60 off 6 overs, and there was an outside chance. Sadly, wickets tumbled in the attempted slog/chase and I was last man out for 31, having only managed to get us in touch, but still over 30 runs away. A disappointing performance, really, and one that reminded us of how big a part nets had played in the rise of #3.

#3 was supported at the ground by the Lodd, dutifully clad in team T-Shirt, and a few clueless golts.

In season2, Game 2, #3 was: Anand, Ramesh, Bulavar (wk), Druck, Narahoo (c), Kishore, Joy, Narendra, Hui, Lex and iiii.