Scorecard

Pinkneys Green v Phoenix Cricket Club Phoenix on Sun 21 Sep 2008 at 1pm
Phoenix Cricket Club Won 6 runs

Match report Mesopotamia for many centuries was the field of battle for the opposing hosts of Babylonia and Assyria, each striving for mastery over the other. At first each city had its own prince, but at length one of these petty kingdoms absorbed the rest, and Nineveh became the capital of a united Assyria. Babylonia had her own kings, but they were little more than hereditary satraps receiving investiture from Nineveh. But, in the third year, rain fell in such abundance that the waters of the Tigris inundated part of the city and overturned one of its walls for a distance of twenty stades. Then the King, convinced that the oracle was accomplished and despairing of any means of escape, to avoid falling alive into the enemy's hands constructed in his palace an immense funeral pyre, placed on it his gold and silver and his royal robes, and then, shutting himself up with his wives and eunuchs in a chamber formed in the midst of the pile, disappeared in the flames.

In Jason's third year in reign nothing of the sort is envisaged but could Jason's Argonauts rise from the fires of defeat or would they allow themselves to be engulfed by their own flames.

Fabian led the Red Caps Brigade to their penultimate game of the season to the beautiful little ground of Pinkneys Green. Infact this ground is a heritage site and a warm sunny day welcomed both teams with a festive swagger and jolt. Summer maybe over but the sun is shining bright and that is the only sign we need to play the wondrous game of leather and willow.

Fabian won the toss and without hesitation opted to bat first, history informs us that the average runs on this ground in two hundred twenty.

Based on a true story, "The Great Escape is a popular 1963 war film about the two hundred and fifty Allied prisoners of war escaping from a German POW camp during World War II. What follows next is also a true story, the Phoenix's Great Escape is a famous 2008 event about eleven cricketers escaping with a win during their match versus Pinkneys Green. Forty five years later, the original characters from the film were reborn in the actions of the Phoenix players.

The synopsis of the Great 'Phoenix' Escape is as follows, so let the clapperboard call action and allow the director to unfold the story.

Fabian and Zain got Phoenix off to a flying start as they managed to score forty five runs in just six overs but just as all looked comfortable Phoenix lost their first wicket. This was the trend that was then followed as Phoenix from a commanding position kept on losing wickets and thus reverting back to being on the 'back foot'. Phoenix after twenty five overs were one hundred for three and all fingers were crossed as a foundation was made for a big score as Stuart was looking settled & ready to produce some fireworks. Alas Phoenix continued to disappoint as they then lost the next four wickets for twenty one runs in the space of seven overs. Vishal and Sanj with a flurry of singles kept the scoreboard ticking over with what could be called an important twenty five run partnership that allowed for Phoenix to post a more than mediocre score of one hundred and sixty two.

So at the intermission all looked lost for these young pretenders as they could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. Will Phoenix get caught trying to escape or will Pinkneys Green find this tunnel of hope and crush it without remorse.

So with your popcorn, coke, hotdogs at the ready and no snogging other peoples WAGS in the back row, please continue on reading the next episode to which Dr Dre would have been proud. So please hollah if you heard Fabian humming to the tune:

"with my jeans on, and my team strong
Get my drink on, and my smoke on
Then go home with, somethin to poke on (whassup bitch?)
Loc it's on for the two-triple-oh
Comin real, it's the next episode..."

Enough of this already, lets back to the action.

Farhan opened the bowling and in his very first over the ever dangerous Huntley was dropped twice without making a score. The signs of trouble could be seen brewing and in the next over Sanj could just watch and admire as his first two deliveries sailed high and mightily over his head for a four and six.

Huntley was gunning the Phoenix and looked like he was in a hurry to go somewhere as his posse with smokes of peace relaxed at the boundary edge waiting for him. Pinkneys Green after eleven overs were eighty five for no loss.

With defeat looming, the Phoenix heads began to drop and the body language saying 'I've seen enough', Fabian pulled the rabbit out of the hat as he conjured up a magic spell that Penn & Teller would have been loved to be associated with. Fabian had Huntley bowled for a brilliant seventy nine with a beautifully disguised quicker ball.

Pinkneys Green at this stage needed thirty one runs to win with over fifteen overs and seven wickets spare.

Zain and Fabian ripped through the top order with six wickets as changes of pace and flight was their main weapon. Sanj came back into the attack for his second spell after his first four overs went for thirty four runs and bowled as form suggests, as he took two wickets for just five runs off his four overs. With seven runs needed to win with two overs to go, Amrit who had been bowling well throughout the day held his nerve and finished off the game as he took the final wicket in the penultimate over of the Pinkneys Green innings.

This was a remarkable victory with all the Phoenix players contributing to the win. The character list (as those of the film) and attributes of the eleven protagonist is as follows:

Fabian "Big X" Saverimuttu - Lead from the front with the vital wicket of Huntley
Zain "Intelligence" Hussain - Batted and bowled with intelligence as gave the team the foundation they needed to win.
Noman "The Forger" Sohail - Fielded with a counterfeit deception.
Stuart "The Manufacturer" Wanigesekera - Worked hard creating the runs that Phoenix so desperately needed
Richard "Dispersal" Parker - Fielded deep in the outfield and nothing went past him
Imran "The Tunneler" Khursheed - A high-precision magnificent catch at short extra cover that allowed Phoenix to continue on their path
Inderjit "The Surveyor" Jassal - A vital cog in the wheel as he worked with the Captain in the process of determining positions
Sanjeev "The SBO" Kumar - Senior British Office or Senior Phoenix Player who always could be heard
Vishal "The Mole" Nehra - A mole of any substance consists of Avogadro's number of the constituent entities of that substance and Vishal provided the stats of fielding angles, run rates and walking in distances.
Amrit "The Scrounger" Toor - Bowled with excellent control as he maintained a near perfect line & length
Farhan 'The Ferret" Nabeel - Covered some serious distance across the ground as he persistently and intensively chased & stopped the ball

Fabian lead from the front as he bowled Phoenix towards victory and for this reason he is named Man of the Match. Also a special mention to Amrit for passing ten and Sanj for passing forty wickets for the season thus far.

Well done to Pinkneys Green for being tremendous hosts and playing cricket in the way Phoenix does. As for Phoenix, the phrase Carpe diem "seize the day" come to the forefront. One interpretation of the phrase might be as an existential cautionary term, much like "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die," with emphasis on making the most of current opportunities because life is short and time is fleeting. It has some connections with another Latin phrase, Memento mori.

Phoenix seized the opportunity of the win with a 'its not over until its over' attitude that was spurned on by the belief of 'all else may fail but our pride and self respect will not'.

To quote Paul Bryant quotes (American football college Coach. 1913-1983) "Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.”

Phoenix Cricket Club Phoenix Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
162		        
Fabian Saverimuttu Bowled  24 1
Zain Hussain Lbw  29
Noman Sohail Lbw  0
Stuart Wanigesekera Bowled  34
Richard Parker Bowled  7
Imran Khursheed Bowled  8 1
Inderjit 'Indi' Jassal Bowled  0
Sanjeev Kumar Bowled  10
Vishal Nehra Stumped  14
Amrit Toor Not Out  5
Farhan 'Rowdy' Nabeel Bowled  8

Pinkneys Green Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Pinkneys Green Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
156 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Phoenix Cricket Club Phoenix Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Farhan 'Rowdy' Nabeel3.002700.009.00
Sanjeev Kumar8.0039219.504.88
Vishal Nehra5.001800.003.60
Zain Hussain8.0230310.003.75
Amrit Toor6.211527.502.37
Fabian Saverimuttu8.011836.002.25