Thriller at Lindsay - MCC vs Warriors - Both winners of an amazing game

13 June 2015 - Saturday 1.30pm

MCC - 205 for 3 in 20 overs (Sandeep 33, Adriel 26, Avinash 77 n.o, Mahesh 47 n.o
Warriors - 206 for 5 in 19.3 overs (Kumar 39, Sudeer 72 n.o, Naveen 24 n.o, Shakeer 2 for 444)

As much as I was enthralled by the majestic straight drives of Sunil Gavaskar, the brutal straights sixes of Ian Botham,  I was equally amazed by the incredible performance of our very own MCC and Warriors at Lindsay yesterday.   It is simply a mind blowing performance. A weaker team would have caved in at such a target, but the mighty warriors went all the way against a formidable opponent, who rarely gives anything away since their bowling is always about line and length for set field with spectacular fielding

I feel bad that I was not at the ground to witness the  unfolding events of an extraordinary match. Having missed it, I can only try to re-create the atmosphere from the scorecard.  Either way, as a avid cricket admirer, thought of reminiscing some of the thought process and emotions of the teams that went through an epic battle, which am sure went through a crest and ebb of emotions towards the fag end of the game.

Avinash

Mahesh

To start with, MCC seems to have scored at an amazing clip right through the innings.  From the score card, it seems as though the run rate was 10+ right through, which itself is amazing. Avinash seems to have  belted the ball all around the park, with seven, yes seven sixers and two boundaries.  I think this must be a record at Lindsay.  Imagine somebody scoring 77 in 37 balls and that too with seven sixes.  Good heavens! what a sight it should have been.  There was one face book comment that it was like Shewag. But it looks as though it was more like Gayle, raining sixes.  He was ably supported by our dear fellow, Sandeep (33) and Mahesh (47 and 28 balls).  Overall, MCC scored 205 for 3 in 20 overs with a total of 78 runs in boundaries (38% of runs)

I can understand what Warriors would have gone through as they were about to start their innings. As I said earlier, many other teams would have thrown in the towel since an asking rate of 10+ in 20 overs is a tall order.  But,  Warriors is a different team as they have shown time and again with spirited performances almost always fashioned by contributions from everyone rather than one stand out performance by an individual.   Love that way they play the game indeed.

Who else is a better warrior than our mighty Kumar, who  has that infectious smile with amazing calmness in his demeanor that always shows as though everything is  under control.  Most of the

Kumar

time, he reminds me of that pilot who landed the jumbo jet in Hudson river a few years back which is still an inspirational story that I tell my kids whenever I find them to be deprived of confidence.  True to his character, he scored 39 off 28 balls with just one boundary.  Talk about running 35 runs at the start of the innings.  Only a single minded warrior would have scampered like that to get such a  good start to his team.  Looks like the first wicket fell in the 12th over with the score at 115.  Assuming that Sudeer hit a couple of boundaries during this partnership, it means that these two guys have run about 100 runs in an amazing partnership.  Imaging how tiriing it would have been for someone like Kumar, who I must say is not on the good side of body/mass index. Hats off Kumar sir|  

Sudeer

Coming to Sudeer, I have nothing but incredible applause for such a champion on that brilliant day for Warriors.   Only in the last practice session, I had commented that he hits very powerfully with the bottom hand, mostly in the V, reminding me of the yester years English player, Robin Smith who used play fast bowling so well.  Here comes the amazingly statistical.  He played right through the innings scoring 77 off 55 balls with 2 boundaries and a six.  Think about it for a moment. He had ran about 60 runs that he scored with running between the wickets.    On the total runs scored by the team, he had run about 170 runs!!! Yes indeed, only 170 runs sir.  Simply incredible. Having seen him over the years with that broad smile and mostly keeping to himself attitude, I don't think that there is anyone else better to be on the thick of things on a great day for Regal League.  Well played my dear Sudeer.  You will remember this innings forever and am sure that this game will live in the memory of us folks as well.  It is not every day a team chases to win a 200+ socre.

Although the rest of the Warriors also have played well, it seems that Naveen played a decisive innings of 24 runs in 14 balls.

Compared to MCC whose 78 runs came in boundaries, Warriors had only 36 runs in boundaries. That tells the story of unflinching mind, determination and those steadfast legs that ran between the wickets with purpose and poise

Imaging the two camps when Warriors won the game with three balls to spare.  Pure ecstasy on the Warriors camp and sense of disbelief from the MCC game.   Is there any better game than cricket?   Every game we go back home thinking of the ifs and buts etc., Am sure that such ifs and buts would have reached a crescendo in the minds of each of those hapless MCC players at the end of this game.

I know that the score card does not tell the agony and ecstasy for a dropped catch, missed run out or a sparkling boundary.  I will leave it to those folks to fill those details. But the raw emotion is there to be lived and that is what inspires every cricketer to play this game indeed.

Honestly cricket is the winner on this game.  My votes for both teams to the winner of this game.  Am sure that Sunny bhai will be the first one to agree to this.  What a match and what a feeling. 

Having made a rather petty comment of 'boring boring' when Sandeep was belting the ball around, this is the least I can compensate by penning my feelings on this amazing game.

Congrats MCC and Warriors on a great game which makes everyone at Regal proud.  

Go Regal.