Japan Cup Finals – R4- Sharks vs Hawks
14.10.13 By Kris Bayne
We had, eventually, worked out the various izakaya bills and that it would require us to be almightily thrashed by the Hawks and for Wyverns to steamroll Tohoku for us to miss the Final. Tohoku actually had a good go at the probably Shark-shocked Wyverns, but whether this mathematical knowledge accounted for our sluggishness is unknown, but we coughed up this game nonetheless – how is still a head-scratcher.
What we did do throughout the Hawks innings was show a great liking for uprooting the stumps! Seven bowled and two run-outs, with only a catch by Chris M off Murad upsetting the run of furniture abuse. We smoked the timber so much that we owed carbon tax by game’s end! As a bowling/fielding unit we did everything but win the game. No Hawk got more than 15 runs (extras were 19) and only four got into double figures. Key bat, Mee, departed early, bowled by a rip-snorter from Sagar that clipped and broke the leg bail.
Dave immediately backed it up taking the other opener. But they crawled along despite Vicky demolishing two sets of wickets, including wily veteran Rizwan. The rest of the order just eked out the runs, not aided by two superb pieces of fielding from Dave L, who was suffering some health issues in the deep. Collecting at deep fine leg the ‘Ginger Typhoon’ hurled it in to the bowler’s end where Vicky was content to let it take out the middle stump. And just to show it was no fluke he did exactly the same thing later in the game to remove the surprising good and hairy No. 10. Each throw was from the boundary and hit direct!
With two quick wickets at 7-58 we probably went to sleep a bit and let them back into the game. The scores in the ‘teens came late in the innings and it took Murad to break the partnership, but still the delighted Hawks snuck into three figures (104). The leather side of the game saw some very satisfying and spectacular bowling and fielding efforts of which we should be proud, continuing on from the previous games. The wood side let us down.
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | wd/nb | Runs | Wickets |
| Dave L | 4 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| Sagar | 4 | 2 | 25 | 2 | |
| Vicky | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Takady | 4 | 3 | 18 | 1 | |
| Chris M | 3 | 4 | 18 | 1 | |
| Murad | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We had fairly strong batting line up given that we had solid openers coming in at 6 and 7, but our innings mirrored Hawks, though less so. 
The big problem was the 2-6 start and a very lackluster boundary tally of just two. Taking nothing from the Hawks, who bowled and fielded well as we can see from the balls it took to score, but we should have hauled this total in with some ease, despite losing both Nick and Sumon for ducks.
But by the time we realized we needed a wriggle on so did Hawks, who brought back the experienced opening bowlers in Rizwan and Hafeez. We were also out of experienced batsmen to guide the tail. Dave was clearly hampered but at least gave us a base to chase. Takady was tied down and Vicky looked like it was his day before he was unfortunately run out. Once Chris and Murad departed we were suddenly rudderless and 20-odd adrift. We had no break out overs, 8 being the most we got in one.
| Batsman | How Out | 4/6 | Balls | Runs |
| Dave L | LBW | 0/1 | 45 | 21 |
| Nick | Caught | 2 | 0 | |
| Sumon | LBW | 4 | 0 | |
| Takady | Bowled | 1 | 25 | 13 |
| Vicky | Run Out | 16 | 15 | |
| Chris M | Bowled | 9 | 8 | |
| Murad | Caught Behind | 7 | 3 | |
| Mairaj | Caught | 3 | 2 | |
| Sagar | Not Out | 4 | 1 | |
| Rockey | Not Out | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Moto | DNB | |||
| Extras | 13 | |||
| 20 overs | 7 | for | 81 | |
It was a very frustrating innings to watch after we had done so well in the field. But it was enough to get us into the Final against Sano, and we might say better to have our down game here than there. Next stop, the mythical Tanuma Cricket Ground, hidden like Shangri-la in the mountain mists!
