2021 Regal League - Thrilling Tie between Gladiators Panthers and Super Kings - 19 June 2021 (Lincoln Park, 1:30pm) - Part 1

It is not often one sees a tie and I was fortunate to be part of not one but two ties. 

I still vividly remember the 2013 game between Lions and Knights where I ran helter-shelter with Vinod to scamper for three runs off the last ball for a tie which came out of nowhere. The two of us, both close to our fifties, ran like hell and scored about 20 runs in 12 balls in that game and as much as the feeling was all about the one extra run, it could also be a feeling of despair if it has been one less run. 

Today, With 17 runs needed off the last over, Gladiators certainly had the upper hand and to see the game ending up a tie is a bit fitting as both teams played well and it would not have been fair to the other team if one of the team did loose. 

It was a brilliant weather day of around 70 and Lincoln was very picturesque with well cut grass and gentle breeze blowing around the ground right through the day, making in a cricketers' dream day to play cricket. 

While driving to the ground, couple of thoughts were in my mind. One was that I had finally began to open the batting which I haven't done for a quite a few years and in fact as a captain used to play way down the order and with my days on the cricket ground a few handful, was thinking of making the best of my opportunity today. 

Other one was the loss of a beloved daughter from a dear Sri Lankan family as I thought about what the grieving parents will be going through and was thinking in terms of visiting them personally after the game as they may live closer to Lincoln. Nothing can comfort the feeling of a parent losing a child so tragically and as I was driving past the churches, was praying for them to go through the hardest phase of a grieving process, the denial phase easily.  

Anyhow, coming to the game itself, Aditya lost the toss again and Panthers had no hesitation in electing to bat and had a very brezy start as both openers (Ramzan bhai and Khurram) were hitting the ball well over the top and took the score to 33 in 4 overs before Ramzan bhai perished to a very good catch by Jonh at deep mid-wicket. 

In the meanwhile, Super Kings dropped a two easy catches and by the end of the game, dropped at least five easy catches and two tough ones as well. The top teams not only take catches but also "make" catches and I know that this is something Super Kings realize and will oil well going forward. But, unfortunate, as it is, some of the easy catches were dropped by one of the very best fielder in the league (will not name him) and hence could be an off day syndrome and likely will be compensated by "making" catches in the upcoming games as I know that guy very well as he prides in himself to do the best in everything. 

Ikram - Class batting

What can one say about Ikram, one of the most stylish batsman in the league. Despite the horrendous tragedy that befell an year back when he was shot in the leg not once but twice, he started playing only recently and is already showing that nothing has changed as class is permanent. Coming two down, within no time, he scored 30 off 17 balls with two brilliant straight sixers and two exquisite boundaries one through covers which had  class all over. Being a good friend of mine, I was watching out how he is able to run and he was taking difficult twos and hence seems to have recovered fully from any leg ailment. 

Kausik - wily off spinner

Just as I thought that he is onto a very big score, Ikram fell to the trap set by Aditya caught easily at widish long on off the bowling of Kaushik, the slow off spinner who bowled really well, tossing the ball with well set fields. Although he was hit for a few boundaries, slow bowlers are such a vital part of T20 as many a batsman can be taken out easily with well executed plans (like today). Kausik is not only such an exceptional bowler but also is a whole hearted trier and it is always good to see such attitude in any player and Super Kings have not one but two exceptional spinners with John as well, who exudes such high passion for the team and game as well.  Although John didn't get to bowl this game, he had been simply outstanding all round through the season and it is all the more gladdening to see him do well all around as it was only by chance I got this wily leg spinner into our league through a fortuitous meeting in 2019.  

Chandra - brilliant last over

Coming to Super Kings bowling itself, both the opening bowlers Shailesh and Chandra bowled well although I felt that Chandra could have been a lot nippier in his first spell.   Watching from outside the ground (had to sit out of fielding as we had 13 in the line up), it looked like Chandra was not hitting the deck harder which is important when one have openers who are looking for length balls to hit over the top and the shorter one is always a good ploy.  However, after the innings, Chandra came and said that he was bowling to his plan and from his figures of 27 runs in 4 overs, not a bad analysis on a day when the opponents scored 163.   In fact his last over, the 20th over off the innings was exceptional as he bowled brilliant yorkers and if am right, he gave away only four runs or so and, which considering that the game ended as a tie was such a vital over.  

Shailesh is well and truly getting into the groove as he is starting to get his rhythm in run up as that is such a vital part of anyone who runs in with a long run up and particularly for a left arm seamer to land the ball in the right area.  Shailesh is such a whole hearted trier and I was happy to see him get the first two wickets, the second of which was a brilliant first ball on the perfect length to one of youngest Regal league player, 16 year old Ashish.  Poor boy! He got a peach of a first baller and having a left arm seamer landing the first ball one faces on the perfect length and darting in is something even experienced batsman dread as a first baller and it is just unfortunate that the little boy had to get such a peach off a ball. But I wish him better luck as he has so many decades in front of him and that his opportunities will come and made sure to encourage him as he was sitting alone in the pavilion. 

Aditya was brilliant and with every game, he is setting the bar higher and it is not often one sees such a fine athlete, hitting the deck harder and bowling to a set field. He bowled four brilliant overs and gave away only 22 runs and took two wickets and in fact eight runs came in his final over when a couple of outstanding boundaries were hit behind square by a batsman moving away to off side and thumping well.  Typical one day innovation but Aditya took two important wickets as well in that spell which became decisive in having Chandra giving away only four runs in the last over of the innings.

There were very many useful contributions from the rest of Panthers batsman as four batsman scored 20+ with Wajahat and Atif scoring 23 each in 14 and 16 balls and Atif hitting three good boundaries and a sixer.

Aditya - Good captaincy

While Panthers looked they are onto a score of 180+ as they were sitting pretty at 80/3 in 10 overs, Super Kings did tremendously well to restrict them to a scope of 163 with the last two overs yielding only 12 runs.  Aditya's captaincy was quiet brilliant as he ensured that his players keep doing the simple things right with well laid out field settings and clear strategy especially in the last ten overs where things could have gone haywire if such positive energy doesn't flow from the captain.  As a ex-captain of Super Kings, nothing makes me happier than to hand over the captaincy to Aditya as I continue to see the positive vibes, goading the team to improve their fitness, improve their consistency in performance.  Well done Aditya,.

Here we are.  Panthers have set 164 for Super Kings to win.