Intone Eagles beat Essex Eagles by 44 runs
in a must win game for both teams to stay amongst the top in the points table.
Batting first, we were all out for 177 in
39 overs, led mainly by Ananth’s back-with-a-bang innings of 58.
Essex Eagles looked on target for the
chase, but collapsed to 133 in 36 overs, courtesy of good bowling and fielding in
addition to my 4 wickets and Chinmay’s 3.
Batting: Losing the toss on a damp pitch
and wet outfield, Murali sent in Uday with me to counter the new ball,
shielding Dhanushka for the later part of the innings. I was out caught behind
in the second over when Ananth stepped in after a break of 2 months. The second
ball he faced was crisply driven over covers for a four. It was as if Ananth
never had a break..He looked in glorious touch, middling every ball and looked
totally in control. Uday did the job he was entrusted anchoring one end. Uday
got out after a 40 run partnership in 12 overs, caught trying a lofted shot in an attempt to pick up the scoring rate.
Lucky joined the well set Ananth and the run scoring picked up with both batsmen looked well set. Ananth displayed all his famous shots..there were the pull shots for huge sixes along with his famous ‘go-fetch it’ shot over covers for boundaries. Lucky gave him good company rotating the strike well. Ananth got to a well made 50 and looked well set for more. Lucky had a tough call to be given lbw in the 19th over and Ananth was soon out too when he got yorked and got out bowled. Murali came in and was bowled the very next ball and we were looking at an all familiar collapse with 80 odd runs on board.
Lucky joined the well set Ananth and the run scoring picked up with both batsmen looked well set. Ananth displayed all his famous shots..there were the pull shots for huge sixes along with his famous ‘go-fetch it’ shot over covers for boundaries. Lucky gave him good company rotating the strike well. Ananth got to a well made 50 and looked well set for more. Lucky had a tough call to be given lbw in the 19th over and Ananth was soon out too when he got yorked and got out bowled. Murali came in and was bowled the very next ball and we were looking at an all familiar collapse with 80 odd runs on board.
Sid and Sekhar went about the repair work watchfully.
They ran well for ones and twos and scored boundaries in between. Sid’s timing
and placement was very good and we were galloping along for a big score. Sekhar was unfortunate to get run out in a mix up just when things were looking good. Sid scored a well made 32. Chinmay joined in and scored
freely with some big hits off the spinners. He got out in the batting
powerplay, trying for a big shot. Sid, Chinmay and Dhanu scored fast to take us past 150
with some big hits and quick running. Dhanu along with Venkatesh got
out in the end trying for big shots to give us a competitive total of 177 to
defend.
Bowling: 178 was a decent target for a
batting heavy lineup of the Essex eagles. They had 3 centurions this season and
we had to bowl well to get them all out. Restricting wouldn’t work for low
totals. The sun was out, and batting conditions were also good.
Murali and Dhanu started off well with the
new ball giving nothing away. Dhanu was getting good movement in the air and
got the opener caught and bowled in his second over, diving forward to take a
excellent catch. The other batsmen started to step up the scoring with rain
looming in the background. In came Venkatesh and bowled fast and straight. One
such ball got their main batsman lbw to
a great appeal by the team. Asif, from the other end couldn’t get his line
right. Chinmay stepped in to replace him and got a wicket immediately.
Uday did a smart run out with the next
batsman who moved out of crease after missing a shot.
The batsman was agitated by
it, but it was fair play as the ball wasn’t dead. The runs kept coming along
with the next two batsmen settling in when Murali got me in (thanks Sid!). Having practiced a
bit earlier in the morning, I got into a good rhythm and stuck to a good line a
length. It paid off as I was able to get one of their set batsman bowled in the
next over. Murali was bowling spin from the other end and kept up the pressure (on
them and me!..). I got wickets in the next 3 overs with some good catching by
Ananth and Murali and a lbw and finished with 4 wickets.
With 60 needed off the last 10, Venki,
Chinmay and Dhanu bowled smartly and gave nothing away. The tailenders stubbornly defended, but the match kept going out of their hands and finally succumbed.
Chinmay got two more
wickets to finish off the match with a thumping win.
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