Scorecard

Crown Wood v Phoenix Cricket Club Phoenix on Sun 18 May 2008 at 2pm
Phoenix Cricket Club Lost 1 run

Match report In the third year of King Pandu’s reign, Lanka was invaded by Magha, a prince of Kalinga. In Jason's third year in reign nothing of the sort is envisaged but could Jason's Argonauts invade the sleepy town of Wokingham and return victorious with their elusive first win or as per normal show their true talents as they invade the 'Tea's Table'.

Fabian led the Red Caps across the somewhat questionable landscape of the M4 to the quaint trustee ground of Crown Wood on St Sebastian Close. It is know that Saint Sebastian was a Christian saint and martyr, who is said to have been killed while the Roman emperor Diocletian engaged in the persecution of Christians in the 3rd century.

Faizan and Anup opened the bowling and soon had their radar and pace in gear. The Crown Wood batsman playing and missing more often than not and the pressure was building from the very beginning of their innings. Anup made the breakthrough with some exquisite bowling and in a space of four overs he had two wickets as he bowled the opener and took the number three with a sharp catch by Kashif in the gully. Another wicket fell soon after due to a run out executed with perfection by Faizan on the third man boundary.

Amrit came on and was bowling exceptionally well has he conceded just nine runs of his four overs but with a back injury ruled him out of the rest of the game and Faisal came in as twelfth man.

After fourteen overs, Crown Wood were forty nine for three with the top three batsman only making nineteen between them. It seems that extras would play a big part. In came Ali who after a very quiet start began to open up and show his power as he hit five massive maximums on to a well made sixty six. Even our own power blaster Fabian was impressed.

Sanj came onto bowl as Ali onslaught was taking fold. His variations and control were the key as he got Ali stumped by some fine work by Zee (our Keeper for the day). At this point Crown Wood had reached one hundred and twenty eight runs off twenty five overs.

Soon after two excellent catches taken by Richard and Tushar had Crown Wood in trouble. More excellent fielding, catches from Zee and Fabian as well as run out by Anup, from Phoenix had Crown Wood on the back foot as they were finally bowled out for one hundred and sixty six. Extra's were their second highest score on twenty nine.

At tea, Phoenix just needed to bat solidly if they wanted that win.

Crown Wood came out with a purpose and soon had Phoenix in trouble. Their opening pair bowled with movement and accuracy and had Phoenix in deep trouble at fifty five for five in the seventeenth over.

Nad and Fabian then continued their impressive form. Fabian got into the swing of things straight away and dispatched the bowling to all parts of the ground. Nad looking very determined continued this aggression with some brilliant batting as he cut and pulled with ease. Fabian was finally out for thirty (which included two fours and three sixes) as he failed to connect on one as he played across the line but in less than six overs they had scored fifty six runs between them.

Phoenix were one hundred and eleven for six in the twenty third over when Fabian fell. Nad continued to impress and impose his mark on the bowlers with a splendid display of batting. Unluckily for Phoenix and Luckily for Crown Wood, Nad fell in the thirtieth over to an excellent slip catch with the score on one hundred and fifty. Nad batted brilliantly for seventy (which included ten fours and a six).

With nerves jangling on both sides in was a matter of temperament and luck that would decide the fate of this match.

Anup and Faizan looked unnerved and played easily when the first disaster struck when Faizan was given out LBW with Phoenix needing only six runs to win. Sanj joined Anup and being the last pair the Crown Wood fielders had them surrounded.

Defensive play and sneaking of singles had everyone on tender hooks as Phoenix inched very slowly towards the winning target. Vijay, the Crown Wood skipper, took matters in his own hands. Unluckily for Phoenix and Luckily for Crown Wood, he bowled a length ball and Sanj moved for a forward defence shot. The ball it the underside of the bat which then bounced off his front foot over his back knee to hit the stumps. Disaster has Sanj was bowled with the winning margin only a hare's breath away.

Sanj had put Phoenix in the ascendancy as he bowled with discipline resulting in the wicket of the big hitter Ali and for this reason he is named Man of the Match.

A special mention to Fabian & Nad for passing one hundred runs and Sanj for passing ten wickets for the season thus far.

Well done to Crown Wood for an exciting game to the very end and for being hospitable hosts. As for Phoenix they must absorb this disappointment and move forward to the next challenge knowing that they are not far away from a performance that will bring them their first win of the season. To quote Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes (American Baptist Minister and Civil-Rights Leader. 1929-1968) "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

Crown Wood Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
166 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Phoenix Cricket Club Phoenix Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Faizan Shah8.013500.004.38
Anup 'Snoop' Jhooti8.0137218.504.62
Amrit Toor3.50900.002.35
Nadeem 'Nad' Rashid7.5234217.004.34
Fabian Saverimuttu3.101700.005.37
Sanjeev Kumar8.013147.753.87

Phoenix Cricket Club Phoenix Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
165		        
Tushar Ilwahdi Bowled  4 1
Zahir 'Zee' Hussain Caught  0 1 1
Richard Parker Caught  11 1
Kashif Ihsan Run out  7 1
Tahir Mohammed Run out  3
Nadeem 'Nad' Rashid Caught  70
Fabian Saverimuttu Bowled  30 1
Amrit Toor Bowled  6
Anup 'Snoop' Jhooti Not Out  7 1
Faizan Shah Lbw  5 1
Sanjeev Kumar Bowled  1

Crown Wood Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.