Match Report : JECC vs Viho Sluggers - Play off game - 09/07/2014 @ Far hills

In the first playoff game against a Div3 team, JECC batted first and were all out for 100 runs in 31.4 overs.
Sluggers easily scored the runs in 17.2 overs losing only 2 wickets.

It was a humiliating and depressing loss in an otherwise splendid season for us as a team. We didn't mind losing after putting up a fight, but this game was as if we didn't show up. Utter batting failure as a team led to the worst loss in the year. 

Scorecard: http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8849

Batting: We lost the toss but were put into bat, which we wanted to do anyway. Our game plan without a few of the core players was to put up 150-180 runs which was a good score on our ground. 

Ravi and Dhanu went about the task in a very focused manner and put up 44 runs in 14 overs cautiously. After that we kept losing wickets very quickly to put pressure on ourselves. Only Chinmay managed double digits and rest of us read like binary codes - four ducks!  Two run outs in terrible mixup's didn't help the cause either and we folded out to 100 runs like a pack of cards.

Bowling:  We needed a few wickets to get some pressure and all our bowlers bowled their heart out, maybe tried a little too hard too causing to leak extras. Their batsmen played very well and played some attacking shots. Chinmay was the only bowler to get a couple of wickets with two very good deliveries but their batsmen played positively and chased down the score easily.

Extras (26) were the highest scorer in their team. We always had issues with extras this season, especially wides and this came back to bite us at the worst possible time this season.

I couldn't understand why we performed like this. Agreed that the sluggers got their best team and bowled really well, but our batsmen are very talented to cope up with this. They didn't even bowl spinners who we are vulnerable against. 

This one will be a tough loss to swallow, but we also have T20's coming up soon, which would be a less pressure match situation. Let's try to focus on them and come back strong next year..

Match Report by Ravi - JECC vs Crescent, 08/17/2014 @ Woodbrook School

Match Report by

Ravi Suri

Batting first, Crescent were all out for 247 in 38 overs. JECC chased down the target in 39.3 overs with 3 wickets in hand.

Scorecard: http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8737

We won a few close ones, I can recall Middlesex where Chinmay and Avi played terrific cricket, Venki against Miracle, Dilip’s bowling against Indus. This game against Crescent was a team effort and a perfect run chase. The best aspect of this game for me was the ‘never say die” ATTITUDE of JECC. 

We showed this spirt against HCC the last game where Dilip dint allow shoulders to droop and led the team well in a loss. This game too we were up against it. But for a let off of frustration where Dilip and I disagreed over the distance between batsman and slip fielder (lot of heat got generated) the emotions were kept in control.

Toss: We lost the toss and Crescent opted to bat.

Bowling:

They opened with Salim Bhai and a Sri Lankan batsman about whom Dhanu cautioned us saying he is a big hitter. The caution was taken lightly and what followed was an eye opener. First ball from Venki the SL batsman stepped out nonchalantly and hit him for a big six over midwicket. That shot signaled big trouble given that it was the first ball of the game. Next ball Venki held it back and the batsmen went for a wild slog and skied it to mid-wicket. Dilip was probably not prepared for such a poor shot and tried his best to get under the skier, but was a few yards away. To prove that was a costly escape, the batsman hit the next ball for another six.

Sid came in next over and got Salim bhai out first ball. Another SL batsmen a left hander replaced Salim Bhai, and he was struggling initially. The left hander escaped a close LBW shout and when the right handed SL batsman faced Sid, the mid-wicket fielder Venk was moved a few yards to his left. The very next ball was swung hard and straight to Venk on the mid-wicket fence. A foot either side of Venki was six, the ball went straight to Venk who could not close the deal. 

We immediately felt this was going to be a tough day. After that let up both batsmen scored freely particularly the big hitter was bashing us all round the park. They were scoring minimum 7 to 8 runs an over and never allowed any bowler to settle down. Sid was bowling extremely well with no luck, beating the bat and finding catches going in no man’s land. Ron was brought in but was hammered like all other bowlers. 

Dilip came in and we thought we had the first break when the hard hitter hit Dilip to mid-wicket boundary where Ron took a great catch, only to be adjudged he was an inch outside the line and the umpire declaring it a six. Parallax error made it look like he was within the boundary. Finally we take a catch and see the umpire declaring it a six. We were just about to hit boiling point when Dilip had the hard hitter play in the air again to mid-wicket. This time Ron ran a few yards in and took a brilliant catch. Ron was tested twice in two balls and took both catches extremely well. Dilip bowled a brilliant spell to give us hope in the game again. 

Crescent was 140 for 2 off 21 overs at this stage and we were looking at the barrel.  Just as we were thinking we got their best man out, in walked Basit. We had not seen him before and had no idea of his batsmanship. The first ball he faced he flicked over midwicket for 2, next ball he rolled his wrists to send the ball flying to deep midwicket, and followed it up with a lofted shot for six over long off. All three shots were breath taking, out of the world and depressing for a team who were already “Jayasuryad”.

We were wondering what is in store for us, Crescent was looking at 300 or more at this stage. Dilip our talisman for past few games, did the trick again. Albeit this time the big palms of Sid played a crucial role. Dilip pitched one short, Basit bashed it with brute power, the ball was flying to mid-wicket region, Sid stuck his hands out, the ball caught his right hand and Basit was left in disbelief. The wicket and outfield and the start Crescent got combined to continue the pressure on us. 

Venki bowled a good second spell, Dilip rotated his bowlers, bowled a terrific spell himself. The fielders were giving in their best and overall we did a great job despite the odds to restrict Crescent to 247. We delayed the bowling power play to end and this strategy paid off. I don’t know what made Dilip delay this but end of the day this delay in bowling power play meant the batting team had to take both the power-plays together and could not sustain the momentum.

Manoj fielded well, bowled spiritedly got us a wicket when needed, Ron was brilliant with those two catches, Naga was awesome behind the stumps, a very smart stumping. Sid took a blinder of a catch. Dilip bowled a spell which kept us in the game, Venki was good in second spell.

Batting: Chasing 248 to win is a daunting task. We set about it without any pre conceived notions. Dhanu and I opened and told ourselves we need to repeat the HCC opening stand. The first over I faced was useful and the bowler bowled 2 wides one of which went to the boundary. Rest of the over helped me get my eye in. I took a single of the last ball and was facing a Sri Lankan bowler with a Malinga action. 

Dhanu told me this guy was very quick and I should watch out. The first ball he bowled was pitched on my legs and I was able to flick to get 2 runs, next ball he pitched short I pulled for four, next ball I nicked to be dropped by the keeper a tough one between him and slip. Next ball was pitched up and I lofted it over cover for six, next ball I skied to cover for the fielder to miss-judge. But overall in that over we got 12 runs and more over I was timing it very well. We were 20 for none in 2 overs an ideal start. From thereon I went on to play my best innings for JECC scoring 41 the best of my shots being the square cut for six. Almost everyone who went to bat hit a MEMORABLE shot, shots to really remember for the season. Dhanu got out soon and Ananth joined me. After a repair job I got run out to a call fully my fault. There was no second run in it and I ran without thinking a direct hit made matters worse. At drinks we were 89 for 2 off 14 overs.

Ananth was in full flow by then, he was joined by Naga. The best part of our chase was we dint allow double breaks and we ensured partnerships kept us going. Naga played a very matured innings and got his singles doubles and the boundaries. Meantime Ananth was unleashing his stroke play. The trade mark shots of Ananth were in full bloom. Probably the shot of the season was the flat drive to square point area, a flat six off a left arm spinner. I find no words to do justice to this shot, so will just say that those who dint see that shot missed something. Shots like these have a telling effect on the fielding team. The bowler loses focus and will never be the same again.

I have been screaming my head off about game awareness in my past few reports. All the batsmen on show today displayed a great sense of game awareness. Naga was brilliant in his support of Ananth, I took a support role moment I saw Ananth becoming the aggressor, I was the aggressor till Ananth got in his flow. Similarly Dilip played support before taking lead role, so did Sid and as did Naga.

Ananth got out against the run of play and Sid replaced him. Ananath scored 55 some of the shots were stunning and one of them is for this season’s memory. Naga took the lead role and hit some lusty blows an on drive being the stand out shot. There was so much power and timing in that shot that the long on fiddler had to just move 5 yards to save the boundary, he could hardly cover two yards. Naga –Sid partnership was perfectly paced, Naga got out to Salim Bhai after hitting a brilliant boundary to long off, he stepped out to be bowled.

Dilip joined Sid and two played sensibly. Sid ensured we were striking at about 6 runs an over. There were not too many wides bowled, the bowling was pretty disciplined and fielding was good. Sid hit some lusty blows in scoring 32 before getting caught. Dilip was all along his cool self and despite not connecting the first 3 to 5 balls he faced, Dilip hardly showed any nerves. Hari replaced Sid and we still needed 65 runs from the lower order in about 9 overs. That’s a steep chase, but captain cool, was getting into his stride. Hari and Dilip added 18 runs in no time, after which Hari got out. 

A match winner in ability, spirit and commitment; Venki replaced Hari. Dilip by this time was controlling the innings, an effortless lofted shot over cover for six added to the day’s memorable shots. This shot again like Ananth’s shot punctured the flow of the opponent. Trust me it is moments like these which take the wind out of the sail on an opponent. We were smelling victory with 35 from 24 balls required. Venki was looking like sealing the deal when he got a ball to bounce to shoe lace height and was bowled. We were reaching a make or break situation when Jairam joined Dilip. 

First ball Jairam faced was past his bat before the blink of an eye. Next ball was smashed for four to point. Equation was brought down to 24 from 18, an IPL like situation was developing. Come the tough time, the tough get going; Dilip hit two boundaries in the 38^th over to bring the equation to 13 off 12 balls.  Next over Dilip was at it again and hit a boundary to bring the equation to 8 off 9 balls, the first time in the game the runs and balls equation was in favor. Some smart running and lusty blows along with calm heads brought the equation to 2 runs of six balls. Jai and Dilip finished the game, with Dilip hitting a boundary to finish the game in style. 

A chase which swelled every JECC member’s chest swell with Pride. A word of appreciation for Jai he went in high pressure situation his keeping was not upto scratch today, he dint live up to his batting hype last two games, bit cometh the hour, cometh the man!! He gave valuable support o Dilip when the real deal was on!!! Great win team, proud of you!!  Every one played with heart and mind in sync.

Emotions run high on such a run chase. First we are bashed all-round the park, then we have the kick of bashing the opponent> the game goes about at a break neck speed. You don’t have time to think about the previous ball or shot or wicket. Both teams need to be on top of their respective game(s). The team which plays better over the entire duration of 80 overs wins. It was heartening to see us bowl fewer wides. It was a great feeling to see all our batsmen apply themselves and at same time score at required rate. The quality of cricket was terrific, honestly and without bias I can say the stroke play from our batsmen today was mind blowing. So many high quality shots were played, some of the very best this season. The wicket was a beauty to play on and no wonder we saw such good cricket. This win bodes well for our play off’s, going into the crunch games on a high is a great feeling.

Till we meet again,   Cheers!! 

Match Report by Ravi - JECC vs HCC 08/10/14 @ Mercer County Park

Match Report by

Ravi Suri

Batting first, JECC were all out for 217 in 40 overs. HCC chased the target in 36.2 overs losing only 5 wickets.

ScoreCard:http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8709

This summer has been extremely kind for cricket enthusiasts, I mean the ones who play in NJ leagues and not the ones watching Indian team put up a spineless display in England. You remove the alphabet e from spineless and even then the statement would be apt “a spinless display” our spinners can’t get a wicket and Moin Ali a non-spinner gets wickets by the buckets. In any case this is more about a NJ summer than an English summer. The temperatures have been moderate and permit a game of cricket without having to drench in sweat. We dint lose too many games to rain, the wickets too have therefore been at their best, outfields have been as good as they can be. All in all a great summer for cricket.

Toss: Dhanu stepped in for Dilip who got caught up in NJTP, we won the toss and opted to bat in ideal batting conditions.

Batting: We opened with the usual combination of Dhanu and myself. The very first ball I faced was short and I went for a pull, ball came much faster on the bat than anticipated. Immediately realized this will be a good fast and bouncy track as against the one played last week. This sort of a track is ideal for cricket and brings the best in a batsman and the bowler. We got off to a good start, Dhanu played his trademark pull, lofted drive to mid-off, over the cover. I played the pull, the lofted shot to point. The wides always help more so when we are batting it’s a great feeling to see the wide. We put on 58 in about 11 overs at which point I got out. Ananth survived a close LBW shout, Dhanu got out next over to put us in an awkward 65 for 2 from 58 for no loss. Just a word of caution / suggestion for the batting lineup. When a wicket falls try and extend the partnership for a few overs. If you get out to a good ball no complaints, but try not getting out to lose shots. My last report I wrote a lot about game awareness, which at the end of the day is the difference between winning and losing.

Would like to point something out at this stage of the report. I am saying this more because I can’t resist commenting on a good cricketing aspect. Anytime I notice something good I can’t hold back. The huddle is a recent trend in cricket, by recent I mean maybe last 10 years. Earlier days it was team meetings and discussions the day prior to the game. I have played with many captains, for many teams, and have been part of many huddles. I must say I never heard anything sensible in these huddles except the usual common boys we must fight, this is a crucial game, bowl line and length, or play your natural game blah blah. However Dilip said a few things which caught my attention and had an impact when I was batting. After the toss Dilip told the openers to play out 5 overs and not play rash shots during these 5 overs. He said as a captain he does not like to see an early wicket fall and give the momentum away. The reason I say this was a good huddle is the captain laid down a “specific” expectation. He did not generalize by saying play your natural game, get a good start etc. Rather he told that batsman what he wants off them.  

I left a lot of balls alone during my innings, we were getting about 5 runs an over, at same I was not chasing outside the off stump. So was the case with Dhanu he was also cautiously aggressive. I felt the captain’s words and setting up of expectations helped us both in the process of giving the team a good start. This apart Dilip was switched on the whole game letting batsmen and bowlers know what to do and what is expected. While fielding too when things were not going well the captain dint allow shoulders to drop. When a bowler bowled a bad ball the other members of the team let their frustration come out but Dilip was controlling his emotions lot more than others. His field placements and general handling of the team are extremely impressive. He may be naughty at times as in “colored pads saga” he may be colorful at times as in asking Ananth to umpire per “certain standards” he may chide on wides not being given but on cricketing terms I like the approach of Dilip and what little I saw of Chinmay.

Back to the game. Naga joined Ananth and played Rohit most comfortably. Of all the batsman on display Naga’s foot work and the ease with which he played Rohit was most impressive. Rohit mixed a quicker one with his looped flight and made batsmen work hard to read him. Naga was playing him effortlessly, the leg glance to fine leg was an outstanding shot. Naga’s approached rubbed off on Ananth and he started to stroke the ball brilliantly. The lofted shot for six over long off was a memorable one and a summer special so to say. The Naga-Ananth partnership was laying the opponent flat as both were well settled and taking the game away. At this point I had to give Naga LBW to a ball pitched outside the off and hitting the wickets but the point of impact was outside the off stump. Given what happed till then as in a nobe ball, the prior LBW involving Ananth I had to make a decision in favor of the bowler. I still feel terrible about it and apologized to Naga. Oh the pains of a balancing act the umpire faces in  a game!

Ananth followed Naga to the benches next over, again not respecting game awareness. When a wicket falls, try and ensure next wicket does not follow too soon. Double breaks brings the opponent back in the game with double vigor. Sid and Avi started to stitch a partnership and undo the damage. On hindsight after seeing how the game panned out, Ananth’s dismissal was the turning point of the game. Sid- Ananth combination would have been a killer for the opponent. Ananth has the capacity to clear any ground and the off side was an invitation for Ananth’s stroke play. Sid’s role being that of seeing thru the innings he played it to perfection. 

Avi took a while to settle as he was constrained by loss of Ananth right behind Naga. The spinners Ubaid and Anuj bowled brilliantly and were troubling our batsmen. They slowed it down in the air. This meant batsmen had to take chances, no short balls for the pull, no pitched up balls to drive, that meant a squeeze. From a terrific position of about 130 for 4 with 18 overs to go we were kept quiet for next 8 overs. A momentum shift was going on, only after the drinks break the shackles were broken to an extent. We lost Avi, Sid was playing extremely well with Vijay as support. Vijay is the quickest runner in the team between wickets and he was at his cheeky best. Runs started to come, but Sid got out to a shot which had six written all over it. If ever there was a shot which dint deserve losing a wicket this was it. We lost too many wickets after that and it was Dilip’s cameo which put us at 217 a very good score on whatever wicket. Dilip came in at #10 and played a lovely little innings.

Bowling:Chasing 217 is not an easy task and more so after we got the first wicket very quickly. Venky opened the bowling and got us a quick breakthrough. Their #3 batsman Anuj batted brilliantly. Sid’s pace was right up his alley. On a quick wicket if the batsman is good and particularly can play well of the back foot, it’s a huge challenge to the bowler. Anuj blasted his way to 24 in no time and by the 3^rd over Hightstown was off to a rocking start, a blast from which we almost dint recover the rest of the game. Anuj was out in most unwanted and unluckiest way for a batsman. Ubaid drove one back to the bowler, Venky got his foot in the way, the ball ricocheted off his foot and hit the stumps with Anuj a whisker away from the crease. No other umpire would have given this out and hats off the umpire Sabya on this call. We should have got back into the game from hereon but somehow the runs kept leaking. Ron was brought in and he dint show the control the required from his experience. He bowled too many boundary balls. It happens in cricket and no complaints on any bowler for that matter. 

Our bowling kept us afloat this season and there is no way one can have any complaints. Dilip bowled exceptionally on a batsmen wicket, the fielders showed a never say die attitude. End of the day Ubaid, Ranveer, Anuj played very well and were deserving winners. Ubaid was particularly on top of his game, dint give us a chance and kept the score board ticking all through. His drives were extremely well timed, had a lot of power and tested the fielders resolve to put body behind. Ranver played extremely well, made most of any bad ball. His pulls to the mid-wicket and square leg region were well timed and played in style. What was impressive was that all through the chase they dint lose focus.  They kept us on the mat and dint let their foot of the throat, which is a lesson in chasing.

Unlike the game against Barons after which I could not sleep for a whole week, I slept well last night as we lost to a worthy opponent. Barons fought well and deserved to win, but I would say we lost more than they won. Hightstown won fair and square and we were beaten by a team which batted professionally. The spirit in the game was also very good given that there was no official umpire. I loved the banter of the Hightstown team when they were batting. Some smart clichés were thrown at our fielders all in good spirit and lovely humor.

Cricket should not be boring, the fun element is as important, in fact the banter from Hightstown team helped when I fielded as there was so much humor. All in all a good game of cricket. A word on Jairam who was lively on the field, had a rocket arm and enthusiastic all thru game. Avi was kept very busy in the outfield and was very spirited all thru the game. Similarly a word on Anuj, the guy kept wickets to begin with, bowled spin in the middle overs and bowled an over of medium pace in the power play and to top it all played the innings of the day!!  

Till we all meet again, Cheers!

Ravi Suri.

Match Report by Ravi - JECC vs NJ Barons 08/03/2014 @ Woodbrook, Edison.

Match report by:
Ravi Kumar Suri

JECC lost to NJ Barons by 13 runs

ScoreCard: http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8687

A tough defeat to swallow, went to the pub to drown in some beer. We won a few games we had no business to win and lost this one we had no business to lose. That’s the way the game goes. This report is not meant to be critical of any individual or the team, please treat this report as sharing of observations meant at improving us as a unit and as individuals.

Toss:

Dilip won a good toss and we bowled first.

Bowling:

Got the first wicket in quick time but struggled to break the next partnership. Our opening bowlers have been fantastic all season and this wicket was just not conducive to their bowling style. Batting or bowling on a slow wicket is a different challenge all together and unless the cricketer be it batsman or bowler is playing to the situation he would not do well enough on this sort of a wicket. Neither Sid nor Venky could bowl to their strengths as there was no bounce or pace off the track. Dilip  a street smart cookie and observed this problem and rung in the changes soon. Chinmay I felt was well suited to this wicket and as expected bowled well. Barons were well placed at 60 for one when Ron was brought in. 

We have been searching for a spinner like water in a desert all season. Finally towards the end of the season we found Ron who bowled superbly to bring us right back in the game. I loved the loop the flight and turn he was able to get. Being literally his first or second game Ron will take some time to gain control and not bowl the odd short ball, but what we saw in his spell just lifted the spirits. A spinner is such an important cog and we din’t have one till now. Ron’s impressive bowling helped Dilip who bowled brilliantly and took 4 wickets to hasten the fall of Barons from 60 for one to 102 for nine. The spin bowling partnership was terrific and as good as put us in a winning situation. 

We let the game slip and maybe complacency set in. We could not finish off the 10^th wicket and they added 26 crucial runs. A lot of wides were bowled during this phase. If there is one complaint or frustration we all genuinely have it is the wides. It is no one particular bowler, every bowler seems guilty of this. I can see the captain tearing his hair out. I don’t know what we can do to control this. It is tragic that such a good and balanced attack is giving free runs. I urge the team to think of some way of curtailing these wides. Is a one $ penalty per wide an option, just as a deterrent, or a lap of the ground If any bowler gives more than 5 wides an option. Whatever it is the team should come up with an innovative deterrent. We dropped the odd catch and took some good ones, not much to complain about the fielding. All said and done 129 was a chase able score. I agree with Chinmay’s comment “if we were asked at the toss would we like to chase 129, all 11 of us would said a big YES”.

Batting:

Dhanu and I opened the innings. I played out a quiet over and Dhanu started with a bang. He belted the ball out of the park and were 28 for none in no time. Dhanu scored 20 of these two sixes and a four and had the fielding team at his feet. On the slow wicket Dhanu was the only batsman to play on the rise and given his exceptional talent he was able to hit good balls for fours and sixes. Exceptional talent is a double edged sword, the adrenalin at times gets the better of you. 

I would like to talk about playing the situation here. I saw an interview of Sachin sometime back and he was asked “what is the difference between a match winner and a normal player”? Sachin said something interesting he said, match winners play the situation and focus on game awareness. If we look back at the game, some of the dismissals of our batsmen showed we were not aware of the goal of the chase. The game awareness was missing. Ravi Shastri is a big proponent of % cricket. A percentage shot in cricket parlous means you will not get out 9 out of times playing that shot. Some of our batsmen missed out the point of % cricket specifically on the last ball of the over. Last ball of an over is statistically proven to be the most potent wicket taking ball. Particularly if you have smashed 10 to 14 runs in an over watch out for the last ball. So also watch out for the ball before a break. This is what cricketers who have played at the highest level and for long period’s advice. Game awareness is also about fact we were chasing 129 and not 179. Situational Analysis or Game awareness is highly critical ingredient in differentiating the MEN from the boys! Winning and losing cricket games is part of the learning process. What we learn from loses ensures we lose less. 

Anyway moving on Dilip replaced Dhanu and dint last long, he went to loft over cover and the slowness of the wicket again did him in. Jayram replaced Dilip and he too dint last long, again it was the slowness of the wicket which was not permitting his timing or stroke play. Avi came in next and was facing the same problem. Meantime I was struggling to time as well and just as I was getting a grip on the timing, was run out to a brilliant piece of fielding. It was a touch and go decision by the umpire I felt 50-50 about being in. I was not out by yards for sure. Avi and Sid did a good job of repairing. Sid was looking extremely good. Dhanu apart Sid was the other batsman to time and adjust well. He in fact understood the wicket and played the situation. Just as we were gaining the upper hand, against the run of play Avi played a very reckless shot to be caught. Like Dhanu Avi too made the same mistake. In fact Avi’s role was to see what Sid was doing and take the team to a safer score.

Naga replaced Avi and hit a six and a four to get the game back in our favor. Both Naga and Sid were batting well and taking the singles to rotate strike and get bowlers to provide the odd wide ball.  Sid hit two beautiful cover drives and showed lot of determination in waiting for the lose ball and treat the bowling on merit. The cover drive is possibly the rose flower amongst the shots a batsman can play. It has romance about it, it has beauty about it, has crassness about it. The cover drive is one shot which is either played well or just not played.   I just loved the two cover drives from Sid. Just as the game was again swinging our way, the low bounce and slow wicket did Naga in and he was out LBW. We were dealt with a body blow to see Sid also go for another LBW. Out of nowhere we were 100 for 7 and staring down the barrel. We had match winners in Venki and Chinmay still at the wicket. But we had left things to the last too many times. This was not meant to be our day. Venki got out to a soft shot, on a normal day that would have been whacked for a six. Pavan was out to a freak catch which itself showed this was not our day. Chinmay was left to do too much and he perished too and with that the game ended in a bitter loss.

Losing and winning is part of the game. It is important to hurt when we lose so that we learn from the mistakes which cost us the game. Every member was hurting which is a good sign. Don’t take defeats lightly and don’t let victories go your head. High points of the day for me and which augur well for the rest of the season are Dilip’s bowling and Ron’s spell. This is second consecutive game Dilip is bowling a match winning spell. A leg spinner is a special breed, very difficult to pick if the line and length is on the money. Ron’s spell bodes very well and this combination of Ron-Dilip is extremely exciting.

Every individual who played this game would do well to think what better he could have been done to ensure team wins. Losing to a strong opponent is no problem. Losing to an equal opponent is ok, but losing to a weaker opponent should HURT!! The good part is this loss is better now than at play off’s.

Cheers

Ravi

Match report by Chinmay - JECC vs USCA on 07/27/2014 @ Far Hills

Match report by Chinmay Bhat 

JECC beat USCA by 8 wickets.

Batting First, USCA were all out for 57 in 28 overs. JECC chased down the target for 2 wickets in 13 overs.

Scorecard: http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8661

Man of the match: Sid for an outstanding opening spell, to claim 3 wickets.

Bowling:

Much to our disappointment, USCA won the toss and elected to bat. We would have loved to bat first in this match and give our batters a chance to put up a good score, but that was not to be. Like a well-oiled machine, our opening bowling pair of Venki and Sid continue to produce good performance week in and week out. They both seem to enjoy their bowling partnership and have a contrasting, yet complementary bowling styles. Sid getting huge in-swingers at an alarming pace with an occasional bouncer and Venki skidding the ball while moving it off the seam.

With the cloud cover and the ball moving around, we knew that it was a matter of time before USCA would loose their first wicket. Sid got us the break through in his very first over when the batsman couldn’t cover the inswing got bowled. The next batsman, who was left handed found himself in a very precarious position where the ball was moving around with three slips waiting to gobble up any edge. He got beaten the very first ball but promptly edged the second ball to the second slip. I took my first catch of the season. Venki continued to keep it tight on the other end and was rewarded with an LBW for a ball that was full and heading to the stumps (More on this below). Sid bowled a beautiful ball that held its line to get the next batsman bowled and claim his 3rd wicket in 4 overs.

After the first 8 overs, the sun was out and it was time for some spin. Ron (our new player – left arm spinner) came in next and got the batsman bowled in his very first over for JECC. He bowled with good control and was unfortunate not to get another wicket when we dropped a catch. At this point USCA were 5 down and fighting for survival. They had lost 5 wickets at one end while the other opener showed good defensive skills.

This match was an emotional one for the JECC member's as it was Murali's last match before he moves out of NJ. It was obvious that everybody was going to miss his friendship and the affable nature. It was time for Murali to weave some magic and he did. He got the other opener out thanks to a well-judged catch by Sid. Sid ran back from covers and took the catch with a well-timed jump. While we were walking back for the first break, Umpire requested us to recall the batsman who got out to Venki, as the umpire thought there was an inside edge. This was an unusual request as the batsman had already walked off and they had lost 4 more wickets after that. We weren’t convinced of calling the batsman back. Due to the fact that USCA is a team of youngsters (13-16 year Old’s), we decided to let the batsman bat one more time but asked the umpire to bat him after they loose all the 10 wickets.

After the second break we wrapped up the tail quickly with Jay taking 2 wickets and Murali grabbing another one. Manoj kept one end tidy and bowled in the channel. Penchal bowled 2 overs and was unlucky when a close LBW was turned down.  Their 11th(!!!) wicket partnership hung around for a while and scored another 15 odd runs. Dhanu polished off the last wicket with a full ball that earned him an LBW.

  

Batting:

After a quick break, Dhanu and Ananth went in to open the batting. Ananth got started on the first ball that he carved over point for couple of runs. Dhanu played couple of beautiful squarecuts, one of which went for four. They both were aggressive from the start and we looked set for a 10 wicket win.  Against the run of the play, Ananth got out to a slower ball that he couldn’t keep it down and spooned it to long off.  Very next over Dhanu got out to a ball that took the outside edge on its way to the slips.

By popular demand, we sent in Murali at the fall of first wicket.  As soon as Murali went in, he tried to play his trademark hoik over midwicket and missed the ball. This resulted in everybody shouting at Murali to play straight. After that slight misjudgment, better senses prevailed in Murali. He played straight and played couple of good-looking cover drives. Naga played his trademark leg glances. Naga and Murali finished the game in 13 overs without much difficulty. We all wanted Murali to finish the match unbeaten and it was very satisfying to see him be there until the end.

Overall it was an easy win for us against a young opposition. More importantly, we got the 2 points we needed. We have 3 vital and relatively difficult games coming up. As we get closer to the playoffs, it is very important for us to maintain the winning momentum and raise the bar. Lets Go.... EAGLES.....

Match Report by Ravi - JECC vs Indus, 07/20/2014 @ North Brunswick

Match report by:
Ravi Kumar Suri

JECC beat Indus by 14 runs.

Batting first, JECC were all out for 155 in 39 overs. With a great bowling performance, JECC got Indus all out for 141 with 11 balls to go.

Scorecard: http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8640

Man of the Match:  Ananth for classy 38 runs and 2 crucial catches. A direct hit run out to seal the match was icing on the cake!

In competitive sport we hear the words like momentum, winning habits, being in the zone. What do these words mean, what is MOMENTUM in cricket? The past few games we played with the exception of the game against Franklyn define momentum and indicate what a winning habit is. Momentum is when teams find ways of winning a losing battle. It is about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Momentum is also about ensuring that you don’t lose from a winning position. Momentum is about not depending on one or two performers. It is about finding new heroes in victories as season rolls out. Chinmay, Sid, Y’ster, Avi, Dhanu, Vijay, Murali have all performed in the early part of the season. Dilip has led aggressively and intelligently. Ananth is getting to his best form during the business end of the season. This so called momentum has put us on top of the pile in the leagues points table.

The game against INDUS was a very crucial game and we badly wanted a win. For starters we lost to INDUS last year and wanted to end up on the winning side this time around. INDUS is a very good cricket team and plays the sport in genuine spirit, to win against such an opponent gives immense satisfaction. They have quality players and match winners like Sameer. They have highly experienced players like Vishal, Anil, Ashish, Pavan who have been playing cricket in NJ league(s) for several years. Another cricketer Nanda (former Hyd Ranji) did’nt come for this game. He was my team mate at Gladiators and I know firsthand; he is a match winner with bat and ball. In his prime he was one of the best we had in NJ.   There is no substitute for experience and you learn a lot when you play such opponents. When a game of cricket is played at a lovely venue like the North Brunswick Astro Turf ground, you don’t need additional motivation..

TOSS:

Given all this backdrop Dilip won the toss and opted to bat. It is extremely important to get to the game in the right mind set. We knew INDUS had a quality bowling attack, we knew the Astro turf wicket had bounce (played a friendly game at this venue), despite this Dilip was not worried or hesitant and opted to bat first showing lot of confidence in his team.  Dhanu and I opened for JECC and were immediately put to a test of bounce, swing and at times pace. Cricket wickets like the one at INDUS test a batsmen’s and bowler’s abilities. If you can ride the bounce and are quick on your feet you can pull, cut and play the lofted drive. If you cannot judge length you can get into all sorts of trouble. I was very keen as would Dhanu to score some quick runs. 

Batting:

Most games we got off to a flying start, but here both Dhanu and I were tied up with some quality bowling. We were both lucky with catches going down but could not capitalize. Dhanu got out and very next over I got out, Ashish taking a terrific slip catch. Vishal bowled a slower one, I read it and got greedy looking for single, but the bounce got better of me and Ashish dived in front to his left to come up with a stunning catch. Ananth replaced Dhanu and Sid replaced me. We were precariously placed at about 10 for 2. INDUS was bowling extremely well, Pavan was moving the ball at pace, Vishal mixed his slower ones well and Sameer who just came was nippy as usual. If one did’nt play Sameer earlier, he will find him difficult to read as he is very deceptive, generates lot of pace from a short run up. 

Ananth was hit on the head and the helmet saved a 911 call / trip to Hospital. After that wake up call, Ananth came into his own and counter attacked. He drove and lofted well, particularly to his favorite cover region. INDUS was caught off guard and by the time they spread the field, Ananth and Sid took us to a comfortable 60 for 2 at drinks from a shaky 10 for 2. When two competitive teams play to their potential the ebbs and flow of a game are a treat to watch. As well as Sameer, Baldeep bowled; Ananth’s counter attack and Sid’s solid technique kept the opponent at bay. The best part about that partnership was runs were coming at a fast clip. With the outfield being thick only the lofted shot had a chance to make it to the boundary. Ananth used it to good effect with a six over cover standing out for quality and gave a scare to those of us sitting at the benches, the a ball falling within a foot of where Asif’s cute son was busy in his child’s world.

Ananth’s innings ended when another lofted hit was well caught at long off. INDUS got back into the game with tight bowling. Their back up bowlers led by Giri did a marvelous job in bowling a wicket to wicket line and impeccable length. Sid was out to a dodgy LBW, hitting him high and down the leg. Dilip and Hari got involved in a re build exercise. They batted sensibly given the tight bowling, losing any more wickets at that stage would have been playing into INDUS hands. Dilip is a smart cookie and guided Hari in getting a partnership going. Dilip struck a few hefty blows after changing his bat, but was out soon as was Hari. 

They were replaced by Avi and Chinmay, the pair which laid the base for our win against Middlesex. Chinmay in particular has batted very responsibly and put a price on his wicket this season. Bombay cricket calls such a player Khadoos, means I will not give in without a fight. Without being noticed they added about 40 runs, ran very well between wickets, hit the odd boundary, converted singles to doubles and enforced some over throws. This partnership was highly critical and took us to a competitive or a par score. Murali and Srini ensured we crossed the 150 mark and finally we ended on 155 which was not a winning score but a competitive one.

Bowling:

To defend such a total we needed early wickets. All season we have been fortunate in seeing our new ball attack get us early wickets. This game was no different, if at all it looked like Christmas came early and we were getting bagful of wickets as gifts. Venky bowled a good first ball and followed that up with one which surprised the ten of us fielding and the one batting. The second ball of the innings was a slower one which was more like an off spinners stock ball. It caught Vishal totally off guard and removed his middle peg. They say you need luck in this game of cricket and you need to be getting the rub of the green. While I totally agree with that view, I will add nothing in cricket happens by chance. You need to create your luck and you need to read the game and play the situation. 

Sameer we knew was an attacking batsman who likes to dictate to the bowlers. Sameer hammered us last season and was the difference between the two teams when we lost. This year we knew our only chance of winning was to get Sameer cheaply. Dilip set a smart field and Murali took a very good running catch under pressure. Batsmen like Sameer or Dhanu in our team need to be controlled in the first 3 to 4 balls and should not be given boundary balls or HIT ME deliveries. If a bowler can ensure to string 3 to 4 dot balls, the next one is most likely to be hit in the air. That’s how it played out and we got Sameer out cheaply. Ashish came in at #3 and played some delightful shots, one in particular was a terrific pull shot to the mid-wicket region. The beauty of playing on a bouncy wicket is you can play the full blooded pull, hook, cut as well as the on rise shots. Ashish would have known this wicket really well being their home ground. You could make that from his pull shot as the ball was not all that short. He picked it early and rocked on his back foot and played one of the shots of the day. We were fortunate to get him out soon to an LBW, as he was looking in great nick. The next three wickets fell in a heap, a good slip catch by Ananth, a good catch in the gully by myself, were indicating we were in the grove.

Anil came in next and showed what experience and quality is all about. He played as if his team was 30 for no loss and not 30 for 5. He wrested the initiative and laid the base for something none at the ground was prepared for or anticipated. It was not desperate heaves to cow corner, rather Anil played classy shots and packed so much power that even the thick outfield on which most found boundary making impossible, did’nt stop Anil from going well past the boundary. Dhanu who normally gets us at least 3 to 4 wickets a game was not in his elements, Chinmay was disciplined as usual but the penetration was not there. Anil’s burst laid us flat for a while, Pavan skied one to long off, our “safe hands” of Venky was getting under the skier and I remember saying Thank you as I saw the ball in air and Venky under it. Y’ster would take this catch 9 out of 10 times, but this time he misread the skier and the wind played its part taking the ball away from him. 

Hereabouts the game changed, Baldeep and Pavan frustrated us with quality batting. They both defended stoutly and played on our impatience to seal the deal. Baldeep in particular played one of the finest innings I have seen under immense pressure. What he showed was when chasing a modest 150 score what you need to do is to stay at the wicket. Run rate does not matter, what matters is getting under the skin of the opposition. What also matters is for the batters to keep cool. COOL is what Baldeep was all about. At drinks we were quite uneasy and wanted to break the partnership between Baldeep and Pavan. Venky is a go to guy in such situations and he did’nt disappoint. He got Pavan out to one which kept low but was bowled with genuine pace. We were thinking the game is wrapped up as INDUS needed 47 more with 2 wickets standing. Hari was asking us if we knew how Giri bats. I had not seen Giri, but commented the way INDUS lower order is batting we can’t take anyone lightly. But what unfolded was Cricket at its best. The next 6 overs Giri and Baldeep batted brilliantly and brought the required target down to 19 of 3 overs. During this phase there was no signs of desperation or tension on the batsmen. 

Baldeep was brilliant I can only use the word COOL for him and we were getting hot under the collar. A loss from there meant JECC team would not sleep for next few weeks and who knows the word MOMENTUM would have made a shift in a southward journey.

A word of praise and genuine respect for INDUS as a team. At such a juncture of the game any other opponent would have been screaming their heads off, put undue pressure on umpire, use language to get under the fielders skin and in general heat up the environment. To all their credit INDUS played this game in true spirit and not a word in anger was used by their supporters.

To get back to the game, we were in a precarious position. We had to win and losing was not an option. INDUS was snatching a win from jaws of defeat and we were letting a prey whose arms, legs and body were all damaged get away. At such situations you look to the captain and you need a guy tough as nails to take the right decision. Dilip took the responsibility to bowl and delivered a knockout punch. He bowled 3 dot balls and Giri was forced to play against the spin, got out LBW. Think about the captain’s nerve and guts to come in and bowl at this stage. If he failed one would say why was spin an option, if he clicks one would say what a move. It is a gamble and I have always opined that unless a captain gambles he will not get results in his favor. The other thing a captain needs to do is trust his instincts, a good example is all this season Dilip fielded me at point or cover point. Just out of instinct he moved me to gully a position I have not fielded for JECC. The batsman guided one to gully and I took it without any discomfort as I fielded a lot at slip for Piscataway and Gladiators. Dilip went by instinct and it paid off. I am not saying all gambles or instincts pay off, but the game of cricket has a way of rewarding captains who are willing to be on their toes and think out of the box.

Dilip bowled a brilliant 38^th over and left INDUS to get 16 of 39^th and 40^th over with just one wicket in hand. Baldeep the ICE was still not melting, Giri the enforcer was gone. Dhanu was brought to bowl the 39^th over. Ananth was asked to be at slip to begin with and then cricketing sense prevailed and he was moved to third man. Dhanu bowled a Yorker, Baldeep ticked it to fine leg, Ananth ran from thirdman to fine leg like a hare (Yes that’s an oxymoron but when the game is on the edge, you see camels turn to hares) and threw one back which hit the stumps-direct hit. Baldeep had no option but to go for a second one and I can vouch that was the only way Baldeep would get out- a run out. We know Ananth’s arm is weak and he can hardly throw, but did say something about MOMENTUM in the beginning of this report. Yes, Momentum makes the team deliver what it takes, be it catches by me who has not been a safe fielder historically, be it throws by a weak arm, be it lower order getting us runs almost every game, it is the winning habit which makes these this happen.

We won another game in the season, two more points. This game had two winners for me. The spirit displayed by INDUS and the well-mannered cricketers in their team deserve our applause. When cricket is played in such spirit, both teams win. Baldeep hats off to you!

Cheers!! See you all at next game.

Ravi

Match Report by Ravi - JECC vs SGCC Jr. 07/13/2014 @ Princeton

Match report by:
Ravi Kumar Suri

JECC beat SGCC Jr by 2 wickets.
Batting first, SGCC Jr. were all out for 61 in 18 overs. JECC got to the target with 2 wickets to spare.

Scorecard: http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8617

Man of the Match: Dhanushka for 4 wickets giving away only 7 runs.

Cricket is a fascinating sport which unites Asians / Cricketers in general and sets up a harmony which no other engagement does. We have seen unfortunate break-ups in relationships; be it marriage, be it brotherhood, be it family. But when it comes to cricket a bond once made is made for life. The brutal east coast winter brings about a hiatus in this bond, but once spring and summer are back in their bloom so is the bonding of cricketers. Team mates look forward to not only playing but catching up too on weekends and have about 8 hours FUN, notwithstanding the highs of a win and lows of a loss.

In pursuit of 2 more points and rejoin the fun we assembled at the Princeton cricket ground to play SGCC Jr. We lost to this opponent last season and were determined to win this time to make up for the disappointment of last year. The Princeton ground scores a 10 on 10 from a look and feel point of view. It is a massive open area with no disturbance of any sort. The wicket was cut from the outfield and it was a huge square, the pitch itself was at an elevated level. At first glance this looked the best playing surface one can ever get. Unfortunately the pitch played double standards with the villain showing up as much on screen as the hero. Some balls kept so low that a batsman had no chance and some took off to the extent we were fortunate no one was injured in the game.

Dilip our captain indicated we would field first if we won the toss. His reasoning was sound in that he felt the opponents were not strong and if we got them out cheaply we can force a result before the predicted rain came. As it happened we lost the toss and were asked to field, which in any case was our preferred option. At the huddle the captain laid down the objectives; CONTROL THE WIDES, get the opponent out for a low a score. When a leader is crisp and clear in his message the team finds it motivating and duty bound to follow instructions. 

We opened with the usual menace of Y’ster and Sid. These two have been phenomenal this season, getting us early break through every game. Most often we had opponents at about 50 for 4 which is a tremendous start to a cricket match. This game was no different Venky got the opener out to a pearl of a delivery which took the middle peg out cartwheeling. Sid got two wickets in one over, a clean bowled, a caught behind and missed on a third as the umpire and bowler dint hear a snick. We had SGCC Jr reeling at 17 for 4 of which 13 were extras in the form of our nemesis the WIDES. Murali came in got his customary break through. Murali has been the silent and unseen – unobserved performer this season. Coming in behind Yster and Sid, Murali kept lid on the scoring and got wickets when it mattered.

As has been the case all season long Dhanu came in to put the body in the coffin and seal it up. As usual he got a wicket in his first over of the spell. I can recollect 4 other games he has done this. Ananth took a very good catch at first slip, this was followed by an extremely good catch by Srinath, running in from deep gully and judging a steep one perfectly. Dhanu finished with four wickets and continues to dominate the bowling charts at JECC. Dhanu is the quintessential league player, he does things easily and effortlessly. He is different from others; for starters he is a left hander, which in itself is a big plus in cricket, he bowls and bats, when he bowls he is blessed with the knack of taking wickets, when he bats he is blessed with knack of scoring runs. Not just that when he bowls, he comes up with deliveries which are not in the run of play. For example Dhanu was the only bowler from either side who could get the ball above head high on this wicket, he in fact put fear in the batsman,  was able to get the Yorker, the bouncer, the incoming and away going ball into play in his spell. When he bats, he can get the drive, the pull, he cut, the lofted shot into play. All these abilities rolled into a short frame and to top it all he is a safe fielder. We had SGCC Jr. bundled for 61 with Chinmay taking one wicket, Dilip missing on one with the leg umpire being desperate to extend his team’s stay at the wicket.

Chasing low scores is often sweet pill laced with poison. If one is not careful, the glorious uncertainties of this great game of cricket kick in and KICK YOU. If one can get onto a quick start half the battle is won in such situations. Keeping that in mind I got the opportunity to hit the first ball I faced to six to my favorite point region. Ananth took over from there and hit his trade mark six to cover. That shot has Ananth written all over it, one of these days it may well be called Ananth drive. By the 5^th over we were 38 for no loss. From there it took us 15 more overs to get to 62 and in the process we lost 8 wickets. An additional 24 runs took us 15 overs and 8 wickets; that is how well SGCC Jr. bowled and that’s the power of the glorious uncertainties of the game. It’s not that we played bad cricket, in fact nobody got out to horrendous or irresponsible shots. A combination of low wicket, terrific line and length bowling, slow outfield, pressure of chasing, contributed to inexplicable freeze of runs. Sid played two deliveries and remained at non-strikers end for most of the time, Srini, Myself, Chinmay, Vijay, Dilip, Murali, Dhanu, got out before Ananth could finish his well-earned lunch. Venky scooped one over the third man fielder and got us the 2 runs needed for win with just 2 wickets remaining.

End of the day the game of cricket gave us a shock treatment before awarding us the 2 points which is the bottom line. We continue to do well and prosper this season. Winning is a habit and we should endeavor to retain this habit. The foundation from our opening bowlers, Murali’s back up, Dhanu and Chinmay combined efforts in sealing the deal have helped us as a bowling unit to keep opponents in check. Chinmay has been contributing immensely with bat and ball. He got us crucial runs and wickets against Middlesex and Miracle. Sid and Yster got us runs and wickets and have won us games. The bowling unit is doing a tremendous job so many of our bowlers have more than 12 wickets in the season. We need batsmen to score more, need to support Dhanu and Chinmay who have been consistent. Dilip and in his absence Chinmay have led us brilliantly. Their grasp of the game and situational analysis is extremely impressive.

The business end of the season is on us and now is when we need to keep the momentum going and in fact raise the bar. The wides have to stop and more runs have to come from batsmen. Looking forward to remainder of the season. FLY HIGH EAGLES!!

Cheers!

Ravi

Match Report by Ravi: JECC vs Franklin @ Far Hills on 06/29/2014

Match Report by

Ravi Kumar Suri

JECC lost to Franklin CC by 24 Runs.

Scorecard: http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8596

Man of the Match: For JECC - Dhanu for 43 runs and 2 wickets and Murali for outstanding spell and 3 crucial wickets.

Toss: It was a beautiful summer day for cricket. Not too hot, just a mild breeze, beautiful blue sky, terrific looking green outfield with looking being operative word. All in all a perfect day for cricket. Murali spun the coin and it was correctly by Bharat and Franklyn opted to bat. 

Bowling: As has been the practice this whole season our new ball pair of Y’ster (Venkatesh) and Sid bowled magnificently and were extremely unlucky in not getting a bucket full of wickets. Time and again the ball went past the edge without catching it. At the odd occasion when the ball caught the edge it missed the umpire’s ear or the slip fielder’s hands. Either way our opening bowlers were very unlucky.

The opponents were slowly getting into a strong position. At first drink break the game was Even Steven at 42 for 1 but after that Paresh stepped on the gas and hit some lusty blows. He was timing the ball very well and Bhaskar was also prospering. The “Go To Man” Dhanu was pressed into the attack and he did what he does most often which is get a wicket in his first over. Paresh square cut a short rising ball to me at point. I held onto it which gave us a crucial break. We piled the pressure from here on and all the bowlers, Murali in particular bowled very well to bring us right back in the game. Our catching was pretty good Srinath took two, Naga kept very well and took a couple. From a safe position of 70 for one, Franklyn crumpled to 119 for 8. At this stage we had the game in our grip. A crucial 50-50 LBW went in favor of Bhaskar and this turned the game in their favor. 

Sid was brought in for his second spell and after starting off with a couple of wides he brought one in which I felt had the batsman in front. If this decision had gone in our favor we would have wrapped up the game. Unfortunately it went in favor of the batman who made most of it. Our bowlers were doing their best and were reasonably supported in the field, but Bhaskar and the tail batted very sensibly adding 40 crucial runs. That partnership set us back and the momentum shift gave a huge shot in the arm to the opponent. All our bowlers bowled quite well but we could not drive the final nail in the coffin and allowed the buried to come out of the coffin. Only observation I have to make is we are still giving away too many wides.  

It’s not about a particular bowler, all seem guilty of this. In this match too ultimately it was the wides which cost us. I would love an honest and open chat between the captain – bowlers and maybe one or two senior players who can help the bowlers devise the bowling strategy. As much as batsmen thrive in partnerships, bowlers also do so. In a partnership we notice if one batsmen is at his attacking best, the other batsman goes into a support role.

A great example of a bowler going into a support role was seen in what Bharat did when we were batting. He bowled 8 overs for 20 runs 4 of which were maidens. This put huge pressure on our batting. Hats off to Bharat as he knew his limitations and bowled within them. To the extent of being boring he repeated one good ball after another.

Batting: Dhanu and I opened the innings in pursuit of 167 which was a gettable target. I was totally out of sorts and could not time my shots. I was hitting AIR whenever I tried to hit the ball.  Dhanu was at his attacking best and belted his trade mark shots. The lofted cover drive, lofted on drive and the pull were timed sweetly and we were off to good start. If only I could get some runs, the pressure would have been complete on the opponent. After struggling for 6 overs I finally got out. I had two lives in between all this agony. Cricket is such a funny game, when you don’t need or deserve the luck you get it and when you badly need it you don’t find it. Hari replaced me and was not able to get the run rate ticking. He too fell without getting in double figures. 

Dhanu mean time was batting really well. He was joined by Naga who settled in with a calm approach. All this while Franklyn was tightening the screws and they had two very seasoned and cool heads on their side. Pradeep and Bharat bowled brilliantly and well within their limits. Bowlers in general, not necessarily from our team, can learn a lot from Bharat in particular and Pradeep too. The idea it to have a game plan and then attempt to implement it. Moment Bharat noticed Dhanu was in full flow, he focused on an off stump and good length line. This was defensive bowling at its best. But in defense lies the platform for attack. Thanks to Bharat I became frustrated and to an extent that curtailed Dhanu. Dhanu fell to Pradeep and this was a huge turning point. Any time Dhanu gets out the match tilts a bit, that is how critical a player he is for us.  

Sid joined Naga and started to build a partnership. Pradeep got Sid to drive a bit early and spoon a catch. With wickets falling the pressure was building. Runs were coming only in singles and doubles. Boundaries were scarce given the tight bowling. Chinmay joined Naga and gave us some confidence of a re build. Naga was solid and rotating the strike. Chinmay looked very good till Pradeep got the better of him. Flight is always a teaser and makes you commit mistakes. Flight with control is a deadly combination. Pradeep excels at this combination. He was making our batsmen commit errors. Avi joined the battle and hit some lusty blows, just as we thought we will pull one from chest nut out of the fire, Avi mistimed a pull to be caught. Naga was his cool self and kept us in the hunt. 

Vijay reminds me of a Rajanikanth movie, it’s all ACTION with him at the batting crease. There is never a dull moment. He took some unbelievable singles and converted non-existent singles to doubles due to panic by fielders who could not believe what Vijay was doing. One who lives by the word dies by the same. That’s what happened to Vijay, he took off on a miracle which dint materialize, though but for the direct hit he would have made it. Naga meantime got out caught mistiming a pull. Y’ster was there and we had hope till he was at the wicket. However he too perished pulling to mid wicket. Murali remained not out and without support.

All in all a good game played in Great Spirit. We should have won this game, as we could not close the deal while bowling and also slipped while batting. The positives are our new ball bowlers continue to be a huge threat, Murali has settled down into a new role of support and play to situation, Dhanu is the back bone which is solid as always, much like Dilip,  Chinmay was very impressive with field placements and bowling changes, the batting unit has done well but for this game. We must use this wakeup call to good effect and ensure we get back to winning ways. A downhill can be very steep and we need to guard ourselves and ensure we don’t head towards the downhill.

Have a great long week end all. Look forward to catching up soon.

Cheers

Ravi

Match Report by Sid - JECC vs HBCC 06/22 @ Far Hills.

Report by 
Siddharth Jayakumar (Sid)

JECC beat HBCC by 5 wickets, winning 6 games in a row (excluding the called-off game against Cavaliers).

Scorecard:http://www.dreamcricket.com/clnj/scorecarddisplay.aspx?gameid=8573

Man of the Match: Our war-horse(not old though!) Vijay for a match-winning 50, converting a middle-order batting collapse to a convincing victory.

TOSS: We won the toss on a cloudy day and our stand-in captain Chinmay chose to bowl expecting some movement for our medium pacers and hoping the outfield would get faster as the day progressed.

Bowling: Venky and I opened the bowling for us. The ball was doing a bit but after seeing off the first few balls, their opener Ibrahim started with a well-timed straight six off Venky. Both their openers played positive cricket and they were off to a good start.
I went for 12 runs in my third over as both the batsmen had enough time to play good-length balls off the back foot. We realized that while the pitch offered good bounce, 
the ball was stopping for Venky and me as we tried to hit the deck hard. Chinmay brought in Murali and Dhanu after 6 overs. They bowled well in tandem but the batsmen were still going at 5 runs anover. 

Realizing the need for a wicket, Chinmay came in and immediately struck forcing Ibrahim to sky a catch towards long-off. We had the momentum as got the next couple of wickets within the first break with the score reading 70/3 in 14 overs.

Their no.5 batsmen and opener Anand applied themselves well and went about getting ones and twos without much diffculty aided by our generous offering of extras. Chinmay brought in Jay to slow their scoringas the pair put on a 50-run partnership. Jay bowled very well beating the batsmen with flight and turn consistently and soon got rid of their other opener Anand plumb in front with an off-spinner.

At the second break, they were 140/4 in 28 overs still going at 5 an over. Murali then joined the party and got rid off their set no.5 and the new batsmen with an accurate yorker right after a slow off-spinner.
Jay at other end was lucky to get an lbw off a ball that was short/low and almost pitched twice before reaching the batsman. After 3 wickets, they were below 150 for 7 with 9-10 overs remaining. 

Chinmay and Dhanu picked a wicket each a couple of overs later but allowed their lower order to score another 40+ runs thanks to a few dropped catches and wides. Notably, their last pair played >5 overs managing to remain unbeaten while we bowled 30+ wides in total.

Batting: Chasing 191, Dhanushka and Hari opened the innings for us cautiously. Dhanu looked in great touch and unleashed some classy pulls, cover drives to get us to 22 after just 3 overs. Hari at the other end was just getting set when he was bowled trying to whack a good length delivery. Ananth joined Dhanu and looked confident. We got going as Ananth played some of his trademark cover drives. His 2 consecutive straight boundaries off their opening bowler Sameer stood out. 

We were 73/1 in 14 overs at the first break with Dhanu at 44. After the break, HBCC got their spinners in. Dhanu was getting tired and offered a couple of chances before reaching a well-constructed 50.

But he was dismissed soon by their off-spinner Anand off a leading edge. Naga joined Ananth but their partnerhsip was brief as Ananth got out leg before trying to work the ball on the leg side. I joined Naga and we decided to steady the boat but that was not to be. Naga was out stumped coming down to a delivery from their leg spinner bowling around the wicket. 

Vijay joined me in the middle - we looked comfortable against spinners taking ones and twos. Just when it looked like we were cruising, I got out stumped off their leg spinner coming down the ground. Chinmay joined Vijay and we needed around 70 runs at this stage.

They applied themselves well and played sensibly picking ones and twos with ease. At the second break, we needed 58 off 12 overs with 5 wkts in hand. Chinmay and Vijay carried the momentum forward, playing along the ground cutting out any risk while Vijay started timing the ball better. They made sure our required rate was under 5 an over and the equation came down to 30 off 6 overs. They both started finding the gaps easily and Vijay unlaeashed a well-timed six off a short ball getting us to close to a victory with the required rate dropping to 3 an over. They finished the task with 2 overs to spare with Vijay getting to a match-winning 50 in the process.

It was a great win for us chasing a big score. It was great to see another batsmen finding form and scoring valuable runs. Lets keep winning and win them all ! Go Eagles !