Friday, August 28, 2009

Battered and curried by India United.

Well that was another ass kicking of the A+ variety. Totally out played in each area of the game. They were clinical.

Let's start from the top down...team leaders/ veterans first.

Paul - 6.0 (2.0 batting, 2.0 fielding, 1.0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batted well for the team to rebuild and start the acceleration, but did not carry on to 50+. Fielding was ok. Bowling was economical but no wickets...AGAIN.

Tanmay - 4.0 (0 batting, 2.0 fielding, 1.0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batting was a disappointment.. Bowling was off the mark a bit. Not a good day.

Coach - 2.5 (0 batting, 1.5 fielding, 0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Not a good day.

Tiki - 8.5 (2.0 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Good batting but needed to carry on...senseless run-out.

Wazza - 3.5 (0 batting, 2.5 fielding, 0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Did not bother the scorers except for almost 8 an over in the bowling column with no wickets. Bad day at the office.

Chuck - 5.0 (0 batting, 2.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 3.0 discretionary)
Another unforgettably bad day for Chuck.

Dalip - 6.5 (0.5 batting, 2.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Not much impact since he was gone in the 3rd over.

Sahel - 6.5 (1.5 batting, 1.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
13* but dropped a sitter at midwicket.

Bala - 6.5 (0 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Batting was poor, fielding was good. Did not bowl.

Gowtham - 6.5 (0 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Getting better every game.

Vedere - 6.0 (0 batting, 2.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Ground fielding was slow...batting poor, needs to play like he's 15 run around and have some fun.

7-5-1 and now it's win next week and maybe we're in...and we are no longer in control of our own playoff destiny.

Jammed by Jammers

Well that was one ass kicking as our bowling was put to the sword..after the first 15 overs From 47 for 2 at 15 overs to 334 for 6 after 45 is a bit of pounding. Kudos to the first three bowlers and Tanmay valiant 80+ but in the end...they made too many runs.

Let's start from the top down...team leaders/ veterans first.

Paul - 5.5 (.5 batting, 2.0 fielding, 2.0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batted ok at the start but lost his wicket before he could accelerate. Fielding was ok. Bowling was economical but no wickets.

Tanmay - 7.0 (2.5 batting, 1.0 fielding, 2.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batting was very positive and top scored for the team. Bowling was economical and the fielding good. Dropped the man that went on to get 171 when he was not even on 10...ouch.

Coach - 3.5 (1.5 batting, 1.0 fielding, 0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
A four of the first ball batting was a highlight in an otherwise disappointing day with the ball.

Wazza - 7.5 (2.0 batting, 2.5 fielding, 2.0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Useful 37 but we needed more with the bat. Bowled very well on a tiny ground. A good day...did what he could to get us over the line.

Chuck - 3.0 (0 batting, 0 fielding, n/a bowling, 3.0 discretionary)
Made 3 runs...missed a few stumpings..an unforgettably bad day for Chuck.

Dalip - 8.0 (1.5 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Got us off to a good start with the bat. Played his role but on tiny ground he should go on to get a 50 or 100.

Umair - 5.5 (0 batting, 1.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Did not bother the scorers much AGAIN. Average fielding...what else is there to say.

Bala - 2.5 (0 batting, 1.0 fielding, 0.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Fielding and batting was poor...bowling was blasted to all corners. Bad day.

Sahel - 6.5 (0 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Batting was poor, fielding was great. The usual bunny and he lasted more than 3 balls!

Atif - 3.0 (1.0 batting, 1.0 fielding, 0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Shaky 12 runs off the bat...bowling was 8+ and over economy...fielded averagely. A poor farewell game starting with him turning up 1 min to start time.

Reddy - 5.5 (1.5 batting, 3.0 fielding, 0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Ground fielding was wonderful, band what a catch he took a certain nominee for CATCH OF THE YEAR. Bowled poorly in his one over. Did not get a chance to really bat and came not-out.

7-4-1 and looked like we are out of the playoffs sicne at that time it was top 2 team format.

Monday, August 10, 2009

A stinker of a win...

Well that was one hot Sunday...we looked to be the older team on the day as our poor fielding effort nearly cost us dearly. On this Sunday we looked every bit as tired as the skipper, but somehow with Coach urging us on...and God opening the heavens at just the right time we pulled a win out of a stinker of a performance...as we won by 8 runs/ run-rate.

Let's start from the top down...team leaders/ veterans first.

Paul - 7.0 (2.5 batting, 1.0 fielding, 2.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batted well to come not out, although bad fitness resulted in lack of positive aggression later as was warranted. Fielding was tested and proved to be a low point on the day. Bowling was good and economical with a couple key wickets. Man of the match self awarded...lol...even with poor fielding was an abnormal process further illustrating that no one really had a good enough day.

Tanmay - 8.0 (1.5 batting, 3.0 fielding, 2.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batting was very positive but lost his wicket at an inopportune moment with two power play overs still to go. Bowling was economical band deserving of more than two wickets. Took a blinder of a line drive on the long off boundary...a good day for the Vice.

Tiki - 8.0 (2.5 batting, 2.0 fielding, 2.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Top score of 42 for the team but still did not convert his start to a 50+. Keeping was again good but he dropped a chance off Tanmay. Bowling was much better and under 5 economy is acceptable for a leggie...but we need more wickets from a leggie than 1 in 6 overs.

Wazza - 6.0 (0 batting, 3.0 fielding, 2.0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batting was all out of sorts due to pace and bounce coupled with the bowlers sussing out his less desirable leg side/body line bowling lines & length. Fielding was brilliant with 2 great catches. Bowling was a bit too expensive at 5 RPO considering the batsmen were not of the exceptional variety.

Chuck - 6.0 (0 batting, 2.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
His keeping looked much improved but a bit of work still needed there as evidenced by the penalty runs (5) that could have easily been the difference in the game. Batting seems to be coming back, but his stay was very short....considering we expect him to bat a long innings. Not a particularly memorable day for him.

Dalip - 6.5 (1.0 batting, 1.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Got us off to a flyer and got out to good catch...such is the life of the master blaster at times. His throwing was much improved which leads me to believe its just a matter of taking time to line up his body, the target and focus. Dropped a skied sitter and took and good catch later to complete a mixed bag of results for him on the day.

Umair - 6.0 (0 batting, 2.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Did not bother the scorers much not spend any real time at the crease...which is his job. He seemed sleepy at times in the field and needed reminding on field positioning for different bats per the plan...that was tiresome for an already tired skipper.

Bala - 6.5 (1.5 batting, 2.5 fielding, 1.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Fielding was good. Got some quick runs with the bat this time, but not enough to warrant mention. Bowled well enough to deserve a wicket or two, but offered up the boundary ball a bit to much by striving for the yorker and instead offering a half volley. This caused him to be expensive at over 6RPO...if he develops a bit he can be great for us. Needs to add varying his pace to his repertoire and good controlled well disguised slower ball. He is a find for this team and his talent will blossom in the short term as his shoulder heals and with more experience.

Jacob - 7.5 (1.5 batting, 2.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Batting was OK in two balls faced but he did not get a good swing in and might have been LBW on ball one. Looked a little sluggish in the field after not playing for so long. He was his usual motivated self though and showed that the team has definitely got some depth.

Gowtham - 7.5 (1.0 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Again...fielded really well at silly throughout most of the game and almost pulled off stunning catch. His batting was cut short by a run-out mix-up with the skipper. His hustle throughout the game though was exemplary.

Reddy - 7.0 (1.5 batting, 1.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Ground fielding was wonderful, but he dropped a crucial catch...making it at least his third such offense in just a few games played..he needs to clean that up . He played some lovely aggressive strokes and it was what the doctor ordered in the end with the tiring skipper holding on for dear life on the other end. I would say this was a good day for the youngster.

7-3-1 three wins in a row and still two points out of second place. The bowling was less disciplined than usual with way too many wides. The batting though offered a glimpse of good things to come. Lots of positives can be taken out of this game...namely the W we added and the development and experience garnered by players in a very tight contest...but at the end of the say the stench still lingers ever so slightly. Next week we play Lauderhill Jammers in a game that will determine our playoff destiny!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Titans 4 Southshore 2...

The trophy for our series with Southshore will remain in Titans hands as we went up 4-2 in the series. Their spectators and fans seem hell bent on revenge and their is talk of beating us silly in the next friendly match after the season...based on our record in friendlies...well they may just be...lets not go there in fact.

The fact is we won another critical match and are now just two points behind 2nd place Jammers. Opting to bat first we would have fancied 180-200 on such a nice track with the biggish boundaries, but 168 provided to be enough as we bundled out the opposition for a meagre 107...all said though take a lesson from their last two partnerships as they went from 40 odd for 7 to 107/10.

Let's start from the top down...team leaders/ veterans first.

Paul - 7.5 (1.0 batting, 2.5 fielding, 3.0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batted OK through the middle overs, but did not carry on after getting a start and also missed several double opportunities due to lazy running. Fielding was not tested. Bowling was spectacular 9 overs a few maidens and five wickets...including a hat trick. The hat-trick ball is an obvious nominee for MAGIC MOMENT. A good day for the skipper.

Tanmay - 6.0 (0 batting, 2.5 fielding, 2.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batting was cut short due to an incredible reflex catch at square leg. Bowling was economical but he needed to pry out the last two wickets and did not. Looked good in the field. We expect much more with the bat from our Vice and he almost showed his talent as he was much more his usual aggressive self in this brief knock...that bodes well for the future.

Tiki - 5.0 (0 batting, 2.5 fielding, 1.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Another full toss ended his innings again with a clear cut LBW. Keeping was special...with a remarkable stumping that started the hat-trick wickets for Paul. Bowling was too short and his good ones were surprisingly well negotiated by the two set batsmen. The drop at first slip to seal the match cost him a point in the fielding category..but ge gains half back for the run-out and stumping. Needs to bat for some time and thereby get some runs.

Wazza - 7.5 (1.5 batting, 2.0 fielding, 3.0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Touch and go LBW decision...to most it looked to be quite a bad one. Fielding was good until a touch chance at first slip went begging. Bowling was tremendous with 2 wickets, great economy and a fair amount of times unplayable. No doubt the pressure on both ends resulted in the combined seven wickets for the new ball pair...what a bowling tandem this one is turning out to be.

Chuck - 6.0 (2.5 batting, 2.5 fielding, 0 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Batting looked like the Chuck of old with on drives and cover drives and just plain hard running . Unfortunately the bowling was also the Chuck of old..it was plain terrible and has probably sealed his fate to be the part time keeper and open bat role now. His keeping up to the stumps needs a lot of work too.

Dalip - 6.0 (0 batting, 2.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Failed to get going with the bat...bound to happen occassionaly with his approach. His throwing has been a consistent worry...it's an area that needs improvement.

Rakesh - 8.5 (2.0 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Batting was exceptional in application as he concentrated hard and built a good partnership with the skipper . A good start was not capitalized on but by staying at the crease he ensured that the target to defend was a good one and did his job decently on the day.

Umair - 6.0 (0 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 3.5 discretionary)
Lost the plot at the end...his job was to go and bat out the 45...I said it many times to him, but then he went out and decided to swing to the high heavens. I spoke with him after and now he gets it...I think. Bala and Reddy's job is to swing...it is also their natural games. Umair and Gowtham are the solid bats to get us through 45. We could have easily achieved this if he had kept his head and made use of the 24 balls left 0n the table...if we had even gotten 12 runs...we would have made a respectable 180.

Bala - 6.0 (0 batting, 2.5 fielding, 2.5 bowling, 1.0 discretionary)
Fielding was good. Did not get going with the bat this time. Bowled well and deserved the final wicket. Needs to work on getting that wicket earlier though.

Gowtham - 8.0 (1.5 batting, 2.5 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Again...fielded really well at silly throughout most of the game. Came not out as is the plan for him. I am impressed with the improvement of this youth.

Reddy - 7.0 (0 batting, 3.0 fielding, n/a bowling, 4.0 discretionary)
Fielded great and initiated a crucial run out. He did nothign with the bat, but it was a good effort again from this youth.

6-3-1 two wins in a row, two points out of second place, the bowling continues to be dominant and the new look order is stirring to life every so slightly. This week was essentially another top order failure, but the middle order stayed the course and got things back on track. Stay tuned for next week's blog that I suspect may contain many complimentary comments on our new & improved batting order. Coach will have lots to say to the bats this Wednesday.