Scorecard

Optimists Cricket Club Optimists (Club side) v Chairman vs Captain on Sun 17 Apr 2011 at 13:30
Optimists Cricket Club Won

Match report The traditional season opening match - Chairman's XI vs Captain's XI - took place on a beautiful sunny afternoon in Walferdange. The captains agreed to play a time game with 'voluntary' retirement at 50 for any batsman.

The Chairman's XI got briskly under way, with Paul Monico and Tim Andrews willing to play shots, scoring at 5 runs per over in the first 10. Monico was retired on 51 after a solid knock, but not before being dropped a fair few times by the rusty fielding of Captain's XI. Newcommer Iqbal Murad impressed with a stylish 53 but wickets kept falling at the other end. Chairman's XI were dismissed for 198.

Captain's XI batting effort, by contrast, was rather pedestrian at the start, putting the run chase significantly behind the clock. However, Will Heath and Graham Cope slowly dragged the side back into the game, but with 103 to win off the last 20 overs and six wickets down, the advantage was still with the Chairman's XI. Taral Desai did his best to keep things going, combining sylish boundary shots with less than urgent running between the wickets. However the required rate kept creeping up.

50 runs off the last five overs seemed an impossible ask, when skipper Richard Neale sauntered to the crease. However, four overs later and 32 runs off 22 balls, Neale had taken his side to the brink of a memorable victory. Then came drama in the last over. With two to win off three balls, Neale then pushed a simple return catch into the grateful hands of bowler Iqbal Murad. The next batsman, newcomer Fahd Amjad was run out first ball, as Taral Desai pushed for a quick single. With one wicket left and two required off the last ball, the tables had turned once more and Desai was under intense pressure. Thankfully for him Murad pitched one short outside off-stump, which Desai gratefully flailed for four runs.

It was a tremendously exciting game and a wonderful way to start the season. May there be many more games like this.

Don't forget, if you wish to play some games for the Optimists, please log on to the website and update your availability (after having paid your subs, of course!). If you do not have a log in, please contact William Heath on williamheathlux@gmail.com

W.Heath

P.S. If you look at the scorecard and wonder why it looks so strange, this was the only way I found to enter everyone's statistics so that it will be reflected in the Club's averages.

Optimists Cricket Club Optimists (Club side) Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
198		        
Paul Monico Retired Out  51
Tim Andrews ct Gianchandani 28
Mike West st G.Cope 13
Nishith Gandhi ct Gianchandani 16
Mohammed Iqbal Murad Retired Out  53 1
Wayne Codd ct v.d. Knoop 6 1
Mario Meyer ct Heath 7
William Cope ct Burleigh 0 1
Steve Evans ct G.Cope 5 1
Paul Galliver ct G.Cope 2
Deepak Gianchandani b I. Murad 9 2

Chairman vs Captain Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Chairman vs Captain Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
202 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Optimists Cricket Club Optimists (Club side) Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Taral Desai5.002600.005.20
Sriram VENKATACHALAM5.002200.004.40
Phillip Burleigh5.012500.005.00
Richard Neale2.00515.002.50
Deepak Gianchandani7.0043221.506.14
Christopher Evans9.0149149.005.44
Jeroen Van der Knoop7.002137.003.00
Matthew Swithinbank3.01600.002.00
Fahd Amjad0.40020.000.00
Mike West5.0123123.004.60
Mario Meyer2.01616.003.00
Mohammed Iqbal Murad14.0443314.333.07
Nishith Gandhi8.0033133.004.13
Muhammad Sadiq5.0013113.002.60
Sajid Ullah Butt4.004300.0010.75
Wayne Codd4.0116116.004.00
Paul Galliver1.00900.009.00
Steve Evans1.001000.0010.00

  • Umpire :
    Kumar Motiani
  • Scorer :
    Mick Swithenbank