Well a couple of weeks ago, Tristan posted about the difficulties he faced being the stand in captain of our Indoor Cricket side. Well, I’m sad to say that my winning streak as captain has come to an end. Tonight with both Dave and Tristan away, it was my turn again. A few weeks ago I managed to guide the team to a big win, but tonight we had no answer against the top side.
I think that we are getting a lot more competitive, we’re still in the game up until the second over of their innings at least. Anyway, I lost the toss and they sent us in to bat. The umpire announced that he was going to award a man of the match award. This was a first. Not bad considering it is the second last game of the season.
Anyway, Our first batting pair put on about 19 runs. The best part was seeing Anton try to sweep the ball to the fine leg boundary. (We didn’t have the heart to tell him that there is no fine leg boundaries).
It was then that Gary and I went in. We’re not ones to blast the ball to all ends of the court. Anyway, we compiled a good 47 runs. I don’t think I got out, will need to check the scorecard. I do know that at one stage I danced down the pitch, missing the ball completely and just kept running. Poor Gary got run out I think. We’ve been doing Ok as a pair. We’ve averaged about 30 runs a game between us.
All in all, we made about 85 runs off 12, 8 ball, overs.
We started like a house on fire. Sam kept them down to about 8 off the first over. Anton came on and they were over 30. My turn to bowl next. I took a wicket first ball. This is easy I thought. Then went for 7, 5, 3 off the next three balls. Eeek. Should stay wicket keeping.
They passed our total in the 7th over (which I bowled). I feel really bad conceding the winning runs.
Anyway, I bowled the best leg-break that I have ever bowled. Shane Warne would have been proud of both the ball and the celebration. There was a bit of drift and turn which dragged the batsmen out of the crease and all Brad had to do was take the bails off, which he did with ease. Not sure what I finished up with in my bowling figures as the score-card is in the car and I am stuffed.
Not to end there, in the last over, I took a catch down the leg side as the batsmen was trying to hook it. Everyone looked stunned as the ball stuck in the gloves. (It was probably because I didn’t take a ball cleanly the whole night.)
Anyway, we lost by about 80 runs. I know it isn’t great but this team scored 200 runs against us last time and beat us by 165 runs. They are clearly the best side in our comp and we are improving.
As I mentioned, the umpire awarded a man of the match award. Somehow I got it, a free drink from the bar. I didn’t get it as I had Claire and Liam (though Claire wanted it). I offered to the other team but they declined it. It does show though that acting like an idiot and really enjoying yourself does have its benefits. When one of my team-mates asked how much I paid the umpire for the award, the ump did say that I played some pretty good shots (Don’t think I hit the middle of the bat the whole time I was out there.), my wicket keeping was brilliant (did say before I never took it cleanly), my bowling was sensational (yeah right apart from that one ball) and I kept him amused the whole game (Ding Ding Ding. There’s the winner)
See, acting like a clown has it’s benefits. Though a bit sad that we lost, I gained a piece of cardboard.
