Chiba Sharks 2nd XI vs. Tokyo Falcons 2nd XI
SICG-2
June 27 2021
By Erika Oda
6/27、緊急事態宣言が明け、待ち焦がれたクリケットシーズンがようやく再び始まった。シャークスDV2の久々のJCLマッチ。対戦相手はTokyo Falcons。梅雨の雨に打たれて一段と美しく生い茂ったSICG2の緑の芝も、待ちかねたように私たちを迎えた。天気予報は、100%雨という予報が100%外れ、重たい雲こそずっと太陽を覆っていたものの、雨もなくただただ蒸し暑く、私たちの戦いのステージは整った。また今回新たにシャークスのメンバーとして、Mohamed (Chooty)を迎えいれた。
コイントスに勝ち、バッティングファースト。
The captain Ajeet decided to open the batting along side U-19 National Deba. The opening bowlers kept bowling good lines but the pair was calm and composed to not fall prey to them.The opening pair provided a steady start, and put on around 20 runs until Ajeet was out bowled to their opening bowler in the 7-8th over.
Ash was the next batsman IN, but he departed soon without disturbing the score.
Asanka and Chathuka, together build up a steady partnership of 51 runs, the pair saw through the first Drinks break and then a couple of boundaries by them, a six by Asanka, and score reached 80 and the Sharks felt they could easily take the score past 100, but was not so as Asanka was trapped right in front of the stumps by the Falcons captain in the 19th Over.
IN came Erika who was playing her first match of the season, and looked like Falcons were all ready to get her soon with a very tight bowling coming up and fielder ready to take their chances. But she had some different plans altogether as she kept leaving outside balls and playing strong defensive shots…and Chathuka kept playing his natural game and she supported him and soon the Sharks score went past 100. In the 24th over the falcons captain got Chathuka too trapped in the front as he departed for 37runs, well played innings.
In came Arjun Gautam (8runs) another victim of the Falcons tight line bowling was LBW and the score was 104/6 in the 26th over…
IN came Afroz at no.8 while Erika kept playing her steady innings, Falcons bowlers tried all the possible attacks, spin, fast, left arm, but they were determined today to not throw away their wicket, a couple of blows with a lot of patience. This pair saw through the next drinks break as they ran quite a few doubles and a couple of 3 runs as well. They both knew this would be last batting pair and keeping that in mind they supported each other well.. they knew they had to continue the same way until the 34-35th over and then go after the bowling, and they did the same. Afroz with a Six, while Erika decided to go over the in field and both pushed the score up to 140, when finally she holed up one to MID-OFF. Her brave innings came to an end.
Adi joined Afroz and with just few over left, both tried to push the score past 150 and they did so as Adi pushed for doubles and Afroz scoring a boundary and the Sharks innings came to an end after 40overs without being ALL OUT. At the end the scorecard showed, 150/8 in 40overs as Afroz was runout of the last ball.
Captain Ajeet, leading his troops from the front. With a total over 150+ on the board it was time for the bowlers to perform. Starting with the National academy u-19 player Varad, the tall Junior, With the 2 experienced openers of falcons must be a nervous kid, but didn’t seem so as he struck on his very first ball and the falcons opener was caught right in front of the stumps and the Falcons scorecard showed 0/1 what else could the captain ask for.
The opening bowlers kept bowling good lines but their experienced number 3 Ameya after a few overs of watching decided to go after every Sharks bowler.
Only Adi at one end could stop the runs flow with his swing bowling but after his spell, the bowlers kept changing from both the ends with a mere 1-2 over spell as they were smoked for huge sixes and boundaries all over as they were scoring at a rate of 10runs per over, the scorecard looked 7overs 71/1. Soon they reached the 100run mark and the pair completed a 100runs partnership. As the captain kept changing the bowlers in came Afroz, usually a wicket keeper but he turned out to be the one to provide the breakthrough, as he got other opener caught of his own bowling.
The score looked 107/2 in 12overs. In came the falcons captain, but the game was completely in the Falcons way, He did not stay long as he was caught by Ajeet of the bowling of Asanka. On the other end after a quick fire 50 Ameya decide to finish off things quickly and he finished off in style in the 17th over with a boundary over the infield.
Falcons chased down 156/3 in 16.3overs well the sharks bowling scorecard did not look good with too many extras.
A great effort and a lots of learning for the upcoming rounds. Thanks to the umpires of AQCC and Congratulations to Tokyo Falcons on their victory, they played the game in good spirits!
Thank you all for reading the report, see you in the next round on 7/10 vs Paddy Foley’s in Fuji.
