Main Umpire: Dave Kumar Leg Umpire: Batting Side
Brief_Story = Date: 29 June 03, Sunday
Venue: NCSU, LEE FIELD
Teams: Cricket Club @ NC State (Home)
Gastonia Cricket Club (Visitors)
Sunday morning began with cloudy skies with the threat of thunder showers
looming over LEE FIELD, the venue for the Round 11 game between the Cricket Club
@ NC State and Gastonia Cricket Club (GCC). But, by the time the GCC team
arrived the field was drying under the mid-morning sun. The Wolfpack won the
toss and elected to bat on a wicket that seemed to be drying quickly with the
ball bouncing encouragingly off the hitherto dead Flicx pitch. The low-cut grass
promised to make it a quick outfield and the home team figured on using it to
put up a defendable total.
The openers for NC State, Nihar and Vishwanath (Vichu) barely had time to settle
before Vichu was bowled by Acharya with a ball that refused to rise off the
pitch. Satta joined Nihar to steady the innings but a bowling change in the
sixth over saw him succumb, Leg-before, to another low delivery from Devang.
Devang went on to scalp 4 more NC State batsmen to finish with figures of
6-0-32-5 and was responsible for the home team tottering at 55 for 5 after the
twelfth over. Nihar was still holding his ground despite a groin strain suffered
on the wet grass, that pretty much reduced his running between wickets by half.
A fifty run stand between Anirudh and Nihar seemed to steady the boat until
Nihar was caught behind, becoming Devang's fifth victim.
The deceptive bounce on the Flicx seemed to have annulled any home-ground
advantage with the scoring rate at a measly 4.5 until Jaikumar came in at the
fall of the seventh wicket. Some lusty blows and a run-out later the score stood
at 138, just as Nikhil skied a rapidly rising delivery to be the last man
caught-out, on the first ball of the thirtieth over.
The visitors must have had a good look at the way the wicket was behaving
because they set about systematically playing every ball at its merit, picking
runs off the wayward ones. But the home team bowling proved unsuitable for
opportunistic batting. Vichu was the first to demonstrate the efficacy of
disciplined line and length claiming Blessington with a beautiful out-swinging
delivery. Jaikumar quickly followed getting the replacement, Sarath, caught
behind in the very next over. A bowling change in the ninth over didn't seem to
do much with Subhash, the surviving opener, and Sunil sticking to their task.
But Nihar soon got another break as Sunil was caught at the Square-Leg fence by
a nonchalant Nikhil. Vishal followed suit, bowling the other opening bat in the
very next over.
A brief recovery followed with Milind and the Captain Devang at the crease as
the score changed without anymore damage to the wickets. With the score at 74/4
Nagendra was brought into the attack. The poor, unassuming Nagi was brutally
whisked off to the fence off the very first ball of his second over. Poor,
unassuming Nagi simply turned back around and had the opposing Captain pop the
next ball straight down the throat of Mid-On. Not satisfied with the one, he had
the next batsmen out, LBW, in the very same over before he quietly returned to
his position at point.
The heat and humidity was getting to the players with 10 overs to go after the
second drinks break. Milind was proving to be a tough task with his patient
style and ability to score off even the slightly off-the-mark balls.
With the capable left-hander still at the crease the asking rate of 4.4 runs per
over seemed a comfortable one. And with 14 of the 44 runs coming off the next 2
overs the target seemed just within reach. An opportune maiden 23rd over bowled
by Nihar set the stage for another break-through with Jaiku claiming the No.9
batsman, Vatsal, with another low delivery in the 24th. An expensive 26th and
27th overs, once again set the stage for the visitors, requiring just 5 runs to
win off the final over with 2 wickets still in hand. And in came Nagi......
Two balls later, a determined and tired Milind had run out of partners at the
other end. An inspirational knock of 49 from him was just short of sufficient to
pull off a victory for the GCC team. While the Wolfpack, once again, proved to
themselves that discipline on the field goes a long way in the quest for
victory. All the bowlers got plenty of support from the fielders, as well as
each other, with all but one picking up wickets as a reward for their efforts.
Despite a low total to defend the bowlers kept to their task with focus and
commitment and were duely rewarded. It was truly a team effort and the win by 4
runs was worth every bit of it.
It was a terrific day for cricket with sterling performances on both sides and
the umpire, Mr. Dave Kumar. Thanks Dave, for enjoying the game with us.