VCC B vs HBS
Sunday 30 June 2019
For the second game or the weekend the sun was shining but the temperature was thankfully cooler. Matthew and Steven opened the batting. In the first over two singles were tasks and then Matthew played and missed and was bowled for one.
Steven and Aadvik started to settle in, knocking the ball nicely. They formed an excellent running partnership, running a good number of twos which in previous weeks may have only produced one. After 10 overs we were looking good at 59 for 1. Steven, having played a beautiful inning magnanimously retired on 34, bringing Rosalie to the crease. She immediately knocked an over pitched ball for two which brought up the 100 in the 15th over.
During the next about Aadvik was bowled for 20 which brought in Vashu He continued his good form from the previous day by hitting the first ball for four. As the innings progressed, the excellent batting and running continued, in the 20th over we had scored 129, a first-rate run rate which improved further in the 21st when 12 were scored. Vashu was in fine form hitting fours on both sides of the wicket. In the final overs, pushing for more runs, Vashu was running out for a risky second, scoring a lovely 29.
The innings ended on 171 for 3, Rosalie 12 not out and Pradyu unbeaten on 4. Feeling confident having scored our highest score of the season, VCC B started with a spring in their step.
The spring was quickly muted.The first over went for 14. HBS’s opener hitting two good fours. Pradyu took the ball for the second and slowed down the scoring, taking the wicket or the big hitter on the fifth ball after four dot balls. Despite the loss of an early wicket, HBS were batting steadily, keeping up with the run rate before a second wicket fell from the bowling or Aadvik.
At this point, the fielding started to get a bit messy, a dropped catch, and failure to back up in the field helping the opposition’s score move along at a good pace. The mistakes unsettled the fielding side. It would have been good to have a coach to help the team refocus.
At this point I used to prepare the children’s post-match lunch, a task that was curtailed by a fruitless search for a key to the Clubhouse, and revert to the scorebook for information.
The dangerous opener was run out for 39 which gift the team hope, but the extras tally continued to rise. The number four and five batsmen looked solid as they continued to score well off the bat. At one point the match was too close to call, but the failure to take any more wickets was costly. HBS to their credit batted a very measured innings. They knocked off the winning runs in the first ball of the 23rd over.
The players left the pitch feeling that unlike the previous day, it was a match that should have been won but was lost.They will rue the runs given away in the field but take some satisfaction about having a good day with the bat.
