How wrong I was! Venu was looking very restless, and after 7 overs of wides and assorted extras, he finally succumbed to his fourth crude hoik across the line, getting clean bowled. Atul was looking in superb touch at the other end, scoring at a strike rate well in excess of 50%, despite a slow outfield. Whatever he's been eating over the winter, let's have some of it for Dom. However, just two overs later, with debutant Hrishikesh yet to get off the mark, Atul was abysmally adjudged caught behind, perhaps a reward to United for their 100th appeal of the day. That brought Anil to the crease, and he too looked in fine fettle, until he left a ball go down the leg side, and saw it just graze the outside of his leg stump. Seventy-five for five at this stage, and things were looking bleak.
Enter Bruce, promoted in the order, as usual, to stabilise the innings. As Bruce strode to the crease, Hrishikesh went into overdrive. For the record, the partnership yielded 70 runs. In that time, Bruce faced 37 balls, and scored 8. Hrishikesh faced 26 balls, and scored 58 runs. Not a bad effort that, not bad at all. A stellar effort from Bruce, doing exactly what was required of him. His departure brought Hamzah to the crease. He settled in just fine, played a lovely stroke for four, but then just lost his head, and charged down the wicket looking to drive Brian Whitford over extra cover. The ball was signalled wide, but not wide enough to prevent the keeper executing a very tidy stumping. 158 for seven, and it was still looking tight.
Next in, Rohan. A lovely late cut for four, a square cut for four, and there was promise of more to come. Only he managed to then prod inside the line and lose his offstump. Sandesh then came in, at 169 for eight, and played a great supporting role, running well with Hrishikesh, and seeing the latter through to an outstanding and well-deserved century. A tremendous start to the season for the newcomer, let's hope he can keep it up. Hrishi was finally dismissed, caught on the extra cover boundary, but Sandesh, and Krishna, who equalled his career best of 1 not out, saw us through to 207 all out. Not a great total that, but certainly a defendable one.
In his next over, the tenth of the innings, Venu picked up the wicket of Ramesh, caught plumb in front. The batsman stood at the crease and insisted that it had hit the bat, but that quite simply was not the case. It wasn't a very impressive performance. Then, an inspired bowling change. Replacing Rohan was Sandesh. With his very first delivery, he removed the dangerman, Naveed, caught behind by Atul, who had done a tremendous job behind the stumps to this point. But that wasn't it. Two balls later, he had Ravi acrobatically caught at second slip by Venu, who, needless to say, made a big bloody meal of the whole thing. As if that wasn't enough, Sandesh finished off the over by clean bowling Gautham for 4, leaving United reeling at 46 for 7.
Venu was given two more overs, and in the course of them, he managed to earn another fine. This one was for his ridiculously theatrical caught and bowled dismissal of Brian Whitford. The ball was hit slowly, and uppishly straight back at him, with a nice gentle loop. Most bowlers would have taken one or two steps forward, and waited for the ball to fall into their hands. But not Venu. He stood still, waited until the last moment, with 10 other fielders yelling at him to catch it, and then threw himself forward, to catch the ball just inches off the ground. 50 for 8 soon became 66 for 9, when Nikhil ran out Raja with a brilliant loopy direct hit at the bowlers end, throwing from short fine leg. The poor batsman was so concerned with self preservation that he forgot to ground his bat.
Thereafter, Bruce, Krishna, Hrishi, Sandesh, and Venu again all got a crack at the tailenders, but not one of them could take that elusive final wicket. Enough was enough in the end, and Rohan came back and cleaned up with his fourth delivery, and victory was ours by 94 runs.
A stupendous performance all round from all of us. It was a great team effort on the field, and we should all be proud.
Worst Shot - Venu, without a shadow of a doubt.
Runs per Over - Sandesh, despite getting 3 wickets!
Butterfingers - Rohan, for an absolutely remarkable effort
Dommy of the Match - Venu, for a very poor bit of appealing when an obvious caught behind off Rohan was turned down. If I recall correctly, his exact words, yelled at the umpire after the second round of appealing from the slips were: "Yes! He's out! He's out umpire! Out!"
B-grade Actor - Venu, and Venu.
Lateness - Bruce.
Lewd Conduct in public - Venu, yes, him again, for his absolutely disgusting performance of pelvic thrusting when Rohan bowled Mubashir!