Decent game on Saturday.
We batted first and lost a couple of early wickets with Big Show and Sharpy falling cheaply to leave us 20 for 2. Yogesh and AB (28) steadied the ship with an 80 run partnership, with Yogesh increasingly finding his groove playing some wonderful cricket shots and some improvised hits. Yogesh was out for 61 (caught on the boundary, 8 x 4s & 2 x 6s) and after that we lost a bit of momentum losing a couple of wickets, with Chatswood bowling tighter and drying up the runs. But then Jacko, missing with injury all last season, rolled back the years hitting 7 x 4s and a six (although not without more pain as he tweaked his hamstring). The six he hit was a contentious point in the game – with Jacko caught on the boundary, but the fielder juggling the ball clearly stepping over the line. Umpire Sharpy signalled six, (as initially had the fielder) and copped a lot of unnecessary grief from the fielders. Anyway, with nine balls to go we were 182-6, with 200 the target. Jacko on 49no. Unfortunately, the late order collapsed and we lost out last 4 wickets for 4 runs, with Jacko left stranded just short of a deserved half century. All out for 187.
A competitive score but we needed to bowl well on a good wicket and fast outfield. We started well with Jacko taking a smart catch at gully in Romo’s first over. We kept things tight (they were 42-1 off 10), but we missed 3 or 4 decent opportunities and Chatswood began to make steady progress. With 15 overs to go they needed 100 but had lost only one wicket and were beginning to score more freely. New boy Oli Forde bowled well taking 3-39 (including a beauty to bowl the opener – who we’d put down a few times – for 56) and Raj chipped in with a couple of wickets (including a good C&B to dismiss the dangerous Pankaj). We were in the game….. But then their number 7 chanced his arm a bit, got lucky and with 2 overs to go, only 11 were needed and Chatswood got them with 4 balls to spare.
A good game. But we were probably 15 runs and a bowler short.