JCL1. Sharks vs Paddy Foleys at Sano3
26 July 14 – By Dhugal Bedingfield
crush /krʌʃ/
verb (used with object)
1. to press or squeeze with a for
2. to squeeze or pound into small
Paddy Foleys’ grand assertions of crushing the Chiba Sharks fell some way short on Saturday under the scorching Sano sun.
It was already 36 degrees when Sharks skipper Vicky Sancheti lost the toss and was asked to bowl. Young opening bowlers Tsuyoshi Takada and Rui Matsumura applied early pressure to the unusually subdued Paddys openers. Short spells were the order of the day as Sancheti and Bedingfield followed up with tight lines but it was part time off spinner Anton Lloyd-Williams whose assortment of tantalizing offerings brought the early breakthroughs. They may look relatively docile but Anton’s tweakers float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Two sharp catches by Takada and Ryo Yamashita had Paddys in trouble.
Propping up the Paddys middle order, Rangana and Rodrigo threatened to offer some rearguard action, but some miscommunication and a tidy piece of fielding by Bedingfield saw Rangana trudge back to the tents. Rodrigo was now in the situation of supporting a long Paddys tail, which was refusing to wag.
Like a vulture with the scent of death in his nostrils, Sancheti brought himself and Takada back on to finish the job. Paddys’ last five batsmen failed to add to the scorecard and when Rodrigo feathered Takada to Prashant Kale behind the stumps the innings was brought to a close on 97.
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | wd/nb | Runs | Wickets |
| T. Takada | 5 | 0/1 | 9 | 2 | |
| R. Matsumura | 3 | 1 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 |
| V. Sancheti | 5 | 1 | 3/0 | 21 | 2 |
| D. Bedingfield | 4 | 2/0 | 18 | 1 | |
| N. Jinasena | 5 | 4/0 | 24 | 0 | |
| A. Lloyd-Williams | 5 | 2/0 | 16 | 2 | |
| A. Kansakar | 2 | 1/0 | 4 | 1 |
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By this stage the heat and humidity was taking its toll on the players. Navin Jinasena, in his first game back in Japan, wisely decided to drop himself down the order. Kale and Takada meanwhile looked like they were about to pass out.
The opening duties for the Sharks were left to Bedingfield and Alwin Kansakar. With a minimum of fuss the pair set about wearing down the Paddys bowlers. After seeing the Sharks to fifty Bedingfield took a rather ugly swipe at a Kamran Syed delivery and was caught at square leg but this would prove to be the only Paddys wicket of the day. Kale came in at three and decided he didn’t fancy being out there too long. Two towering sixes were the highlight of his cameo. Kansakar (30*), relishing the heat and growing in confidence, finished the job with consecutive boundaries in the 21st over, earning the Sharks a valuable bonus point.
| Batsman | How Out | 4/6 | Balls | Runs |
| D. Bedingfield | Ct. Thilan B. Kamran | 3/0 | 44 | 24 |
| A. Kansakar | NOT OUT | 4/0 | 55 | 30 |
| P. Kale | NOT OUT | 2/2 | 16 | 26 |
| Sancheti, Lloyd-Williams, Rajbhandari, Jinasena, Minami, Takada, Yamashita, Matsumura, | DNB | |||
| W 13 NB 0 B 4 LB 2 | Extras | 19 | ||
| 20 overs | 1 | for | 99 | |
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A crushing it certainly was.
The win ensures the Sharks will finish the JCL season at least third on the ladder. A sudden death semi-final against Sano looms.
