2022 Milwaukee Regal Semi Final - MCC United vs Warriors Punjab - What a game

24th September 2022 (Lincoln Park, Saturday AM) - Top placed MCC United wins the tie against fourth placed Warriors Punjab

Warriors Punjab - 147/9 in 20 overs (Sachin 30 (19), Prabh 29 (13),  Hemanth 29 (25), Arvind Singh 4/19 in 4 overs

MCC United - 147/8 in 20 overs (Kaman 49 (42), Sid 22 (30), Shaker  17 (5), Javed 21 (9),  Hemanth 3/18 in 4 overs

Tie over - MCC United 13/1 and Warrior Punjab 2/2

Trying my best to comprehend the loss of the most
beloved human, friend, brother one can hope to have

I have not been to the cricket ground since August 5th last year when I heard that my beloved friend with whom I used to play hours of gully cricket passed away suddenly  He was just 56 and was more than like a brother to me as we both went to the same school and used to play in our street corridors hour after hour, trying to perfect our straight drives and square cuts.  He was a wily leg spinner in the mold of Abdul Qadir and continued to be part of my family until that fateful day. 

It hurts and pains me that he won't be with me when I retire as we try to reminisce our good old days and life isn't fair that such a loving man should be taken away so suddenly.

What is so ironic is that in all my years in America, he only wrote to me only once and that too on the first day of 2021 (January 2021) where he wrote at length at everything about his family and ended it up with a comical note as follows

"I hope you have stopped playing cricket ( for the benefit of cricketers in your place ad for the game in general!). I did the same 2 years ago!!!"

Although he meant it as a joke, it hit me hard and that's the reason I stopped abruptly playing cricket which is so close to my heart and finally after an year, got the courage to step into the cricket field which is so much part of my life and will continue to be until I die. 

Coming to the game itself, could not have picked out a better day than today.  It was a gorgeous fall day in Milwaukee with temperature around 60 degrees F with cloud cover and when I first saw the ground after an year, I felt so elated to see such a picturesque ground, with lush green outfield and colorful fall trees with animated and excited spectators.

By the time I reached the ground, the fourth placed Warriors Punjab were tottering at 93/7 in 10 overs, Although the run rate was good, having lost seven wickets and playing aginst the top seed MCC United, I thought they may be lucky to cross 125. But, to the excitement of everyone to see a close game, they managed to make 147/9 in 20 overs, which I thought will be a winning score for the following reasons.

Severe cloud cover with so much of moisture in the air which makes it harder to hit,  outfield with overnight rain and early morning dew from fall weather was heavy and hence unless and until the batter can hit the long shots, it won't travel. 

Thus at the break time between this first semis between the top placed MCC United and fourth placed Warriors Punjab, I felt that the odds of Warriors Punjab was about 80% and with the odds becoming 100% if they knock out the top order early

Match summary YouTube video

https://youtu.be/WB8jCBzyYUU   

Warriors Punjab certainly had come up with enough home work and opened the bowling very well with Hemanth and Prabh bowling exceedingly well, giving nothing away with a tight off-stump line, bolwing just short of good length. By the power play end, MCC United were tottering at  38/5 in 6.2 overs.   Although MCC had the top batsman Sid at the crease with the steady Kamal in company, I thought it will be a tall order even though they had one of best finisher in the game, Shaker (captain) and Javed, an awesome all rounder in the hut.

Here were are. A partnership is needed and Sid, a natural attacking batsman need to restrain himself and this is precisely what he did as the played a very sedate innings of 22 in 30 balls before holing out in the 16th over (99/6).  After the game, even though he felt upset that he did not score faster, I told him that he played the ideal foil required for that stage as if he had got out early, Shaker bhai and Javed would not have come out hard swinging at every ball.

Champion teams soak up the pressure when the situation demands and that's precisely what Kamal and Sid did when it was so desperately needed on a knock-out game such as this. Lesser teams would have tried to get out of the situation by playing rash shots and thereby exposed their trepidation and got into enormous pressure, totally opening up the game for the opponents. I agree that having Shaker bhai to come next would have eased the nerves of this pair and no praise can be too high for this partnership which yielded 61 runs in exactly 10 overs (Note that the asking rate when they started the chase was 7.4 and hence not too far behind considering the wickets lost; such a smart play indeed). Of course there will be questions asked if their sedate approach cost the team at the end but again cricket is such a mind game and we all live to make our choicest decision just at that one ball that is thrown at you.  Having lost five wickets in 6 overs, what else can one do while chasing 148 on a make or mar game. May be I am little conservative. If I were the captain, I will certainly provide laurels for this partnership even if we had lost as this pair ensured that the no door is opened up for the opponents.

Up to that point, Warriors have bowled brilliantly and particularly liked the way the spinner, Suren,  bowled, bowling a flatter trajectory with set offside field. It was a brilliant piece of bowling and particularly loved one flighted delivery that Sid was waiting to pounce on but was bowled disguisingly slow that Sid completely missed. 

That's why we love this game, not just for the power hitting but for the finesse skills such as thus.

Although Kamal was his usual self, taking singles and two with occasional big hits, game was slipping from MCC unless a few boundaries come fast as when Sid got out, MCC needed 48 in 4 overs at 12 RPO and hence needed two boundaries minimum per over.

Cometh the messiah. 

Who else but the showman in our league, who has time and again, changed the complexity of the game in few balls. The one and only Shaker Bhai as he hit 17 in just five balls with two sixers and boundary. Talk about game awareness and confidence. Bhai is so much there as that’s exactly what was needed when he walked it and he delivered yet again.

When Shaker Bhai got out, MCC still needed 31 runs in 15 balls which is still a tall order but again a couple of big boundaries will do well.

Next man in was Javed, their vice-captain.

Javed is a fantastic all rounder and time and again proved himself and today was no different and duly made a graceful and exceedingly impactful 21 in 9 balls with one sixer (when it mattered in the first ball of the 20th over) and two boundaries. 

Last Over Magic - YouTube Video

https://youtu.be/E4KASV61j-0 (last over magic with some voice over as the FB live link was broken after 5 minutes of live streaming)

Want to talk about that sixer, the first ball of the 20th overs, bowled by Prabh with 16 needed to win. The first ball was so crucial.  Knowing the shoulder power of Prabh and knowing how much the fist ball matters, I was expecting a shorter one outside the off-stump but was bowled fuller which Javed duly and handsomely lifted over widish mid wicket.  Any batsman would have been waiting to swing the bat on that ball and personally I felt that that's the ball that changed the game.  Knowing what a fabulous cricketer Prabh is, am sure that it was one of those odd slip as he would have known that the batter will be waiting to swing that first ball and must have wanted to pitch it up, hitting the deck hard, outside the off-stump.  That's the beauty of cricket, one ball can change the course of the game and I personally felt that this was that one ball which could have gone either way. 

Brilliance personified,
rock of Gibraltar

Since the video talks about the tie, don’t want to dwell too much on it.  

But what an innings by Kamal who got out going for the winning run, making it a tie (49 invaluable runs in 42 balls with one sixer and a boundary).  He stood like a rock of Gibraltar and although he had played many such innings (including my Super Kings once), am sure he will remember this as something special as we not too often have a tie and that too in a semi final of a league.  I have nothing but awe for this outstanding batter who never gives up and really played ever so sensibly till the end. Awesome Kamal.

Just a few thought on Warriors Punjab, who for the better part of the game looked like winners and it’s just that the opponents are a notch better in terms of keeping their nerves and playing well at crucial moments.  

However, Warriors Punjab must be real proud of how well they played such a sea-saw game where they came roaring from 99/7 to score 146 and then having MCC tottering at 38/5 and then bowling/fielding so well until  the 17th over.  There was an   exceptionally brilliant all round performance by Hemanth, a great tumbling catch by Prabh to get dangerman Avinashi out, ageless Kumar doing the steady act at the end and of course Suren with his tantalizing spin bowling.  It was just a day that was not meant for them as it happens when one feels after losing a tie.

Arvind Singh (MOM with 4/19)
Knock-out game to finals,
Superb bowling performance

I was looking forward to seeing Prabh bat and unfortunately missed it as I was still driving to ground when he got out.  He made a breezy hundred against  my Super Kings a few years back and even in this game hit four sixers in a rapid fire 29. In the final onset of a tie game, another hit was that was required (ifs and buts of life and cricket indeed).

Didn’t talk much about the first innings as I was not at the ground when my Knights captain, Arvind Singh,  from 2013 season took 4 wickets conceding just 19 runs and was awarded the MOM. Well done Arvind as I know how hard you work on your bowling and enjoy this game for his beauty. 

Last but not the least, in such a sea-saw knock out game, it really need great umpires and wanted to acknowledge the excellent umpiring by Jayanth and Koushik. 

As I was driving bank home, mind went back to my beloved lost friend/brother/human and couldn't help a few tears, flowing down my cheek.  Knowing how much he loved cricket, I am sure he must be  happy that I finally got the courage to be at the cricket ground. 

Miss you da my dear Kasiba. 

Disclaimer:  This blog expresses my feelings while watching the game and if it hurts anyone's feelings, am sorry about it.  If anyone has objection, I can gladly remove/update any section of the blog that you are objecting to.  The least I want from this gentlemen's game is to have anyone not happy about what happened on and off the cricket field.