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If last Sunday's game with TUCC was a nerve wrecking one, this Sunday's game with NHCC was a clean exhibition of
"execution with clinical precision".
Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm. Its the maturity with which a situation is controlled that makes the leader. I
liked the small pep talk Captain gave just before the team took the field. He said, its a beautiful day and let us just go and
enjoy this game and just to do the basics right. ECC just did that this Sunday and never let either their "head or heels" cool
off for a moment for the oppostion to take undue advantage.
Unlike the previous game, the Captain did not have the luck with the toss and took to the field with quite a number of bowlers
up his sleevs. NHCC recently have been flagging some of the stars which are making waves in the league especially the opener
Shahzad. With the pitch being a flat batting track, NHCC was ready to launch the attack from the word go.
Sharath opened the bowling from the school end and soon induced the dangerous Shahzad for a mistimed drive scoopng a
skier that was dropped. However ECC spirits were high and both the opening bowlers bowled resonably well on such a flat
track. Sharath sucked the first blood by having Butt (11) caught at deep mid-on. However Shahzad and H.Khann conitued to
keep the score moving through some belligerent hitting. The introduction of Shafi broke the 50 run partnership for the first
wicket by having the dangerous looking Shahzad (39) caught beautifully (Jigar) at deep midwicket.
Though both the openers were now back in pavilion, runs were flowing still and NHCC was averaging around 6 an over.
Shafi's (3for 36) mixtures of slower ones combined with Shakeel's (1 for 32) round the wicket bowling picked up couple of
wickets and thus put a break to the run flow. The introduction of Bikram (1 for 14) and Jeffry's (1 for 15) left arm
bowling made the difference towards the end of the NHCC innings and they made it harder for the opposition to make good
the advantage of the excellent top order start they got. NHCC finally folded up for 209 runs in their stipulated 40 overs.
Needless to mention the safe hands of Shakeel has three scalps to his credit. On a flat track with a good fast outfield, I feel
they were clearly shot of 40-50 runs. But cricket is a funny game and stage was all set up for an high drama game.
Its said that one can't play a symphony alone and it takes an orchestra to play it. And so did the orchestra of Mahmood and
Abhishek, both of whom played the symphony, to the crowd's delight. The opening bowlers were treated with graceful
arrogance mixing caution with aggression. One of Mahmood's six, the ball went so high it could have got an airhostess down
with it. Abhishek did not lag behind either. Any width given by the bowlers was treated with bruatuality. A back foot lofted
drive over the covers and a lofted six over the bowlers head clearly laid the road map for a confortable win.
However, n obody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two. The fall of Mahmood (48) anf Jigar (0) in two
consecutive balls took the foot of the accelarator and suddenly "caution was the name of the game". Ali's (5) exit to a loose
drive brought Shafi on to the stumps. Seems like these days Shafi is in a hurry. With the wicket and bowling looking as flat as
an Indian Dosa, Shafi took his agrression right into the oppostion camp by hammering two towering sixes and a boundary.
However, Heinz got better off him having him caught at deep midwicket for a breezy 25. With his fall, in walked last week's
hero Bikram. Never judge a book by its cover. It is indeed true that looks are deceptive and Bikram is a classical example to
this. With his hunched walk and a heavy bat which one believe he can barely lift, NHCC must have felt a breather when he
came in, not knowing what a ticking time bomb they have in hand. Shafi and Bikram put on a valuable 61 run partnership
before Abhishek's threw away his wicket for a solid 55.
The strong run rate on the board, only meant that the captain who joined Bikram has to just play with cool head to see the
team thru. Bikram, though seems to be in a hurry and some clean hits over the fence saw the team thru with 9 overs and five
wickets to spare. Bikram and Khalid remained unbeaten at 39 and 9 runs respectively. Shafqat was the pick of NHCC's bowlers
with a figure of 4 for 40. Needless to mention Bobby's vocal was a boost to the team
Evidently a clear exhibition of a very clinical way to finish a game. Congrats to ECC team members for a well deserved victory.
With Cheshire making waves in the league beating NMCC and UBS, the next match seems to be a very crucial one and its very
imperetive that ECC lie low and like the captain said "stick to basics" . Fly high Eagles and pick on the preys
Regards
shiv
"execution with clinical precision".
Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm. Its the maturity with which a situation is controlled that makes the leader. I
liked the small pep talk Captain gave just before the team took the field. He said, its a beautiful day and let us just go and
enjoy this game and just to do the basics right. ECC just did that this Sunday and never let either their "head or heels" cool
off for a moment for the oppostion to take undue advantage.
Unlike the previous game, the Captain did not have the luck with the toss and took to the field with quite a number of bowlers
up his sleevs. NHCC recently have been flagging some of the stars which are making waves in the league especially the opener
Shahzad. With the pitch being a flat batting track, NHCC was ready to launch the attack from the word go.
Sharath opened the bowling from the school end and soon induced the dangerous Shahzad for a mistimed drive scoopng a
skier that was dropped. However ECC spirits were high and both the opening bowlers bowled resonably well on such a flat
track. Sharath sucked the first blood by having Butt (11) caught at deep mid-on. However Shahzad and H.Khann conitued to
keep the score moving through some belligerent hitting. The introduction of Shafi broke the 50 run partnership for the first
wicket by having the dangerous looking Shahzad (39) caught beautifully (Jigar) at deep midwicket.
Though both the openers were now back in pavilion, runs were flowing still and NHCC was averaging around 6 an over.
Shafi's (3for 36) mixtures of slower ones combined with Shakeel's (1 for 32) round the wicket bowling picked up couple of
wickets and thus put a break to the run flow. The introduction of Bikram (1 for 14) and Jeffry's (1 for 15) left arm
bowling made the difference towards the end of the NHCC innings and they made it harder for the opposition to make good
the advantage of the excellent top order start they got. NHCC finally folded up for 209 runs in their stipulated 40 overs.
Needless to mention the safe hands of Shakeel has three scalps to his credit. On a flat track with a good fast outfield, I feel
they were clearly shot of 40-50 runs. But cricket is a funny game and stage was all set up for an high drama game.
Its said that one can't play a symphony alone and it takes an orchestra to play it. And so did the orchestra of Mahmood and
Abhishek, both of whom played the symphony, to the crowd's delight. The opening bowlers were treated with graceful
arrogance mixing caution with aggression. One of Mahmood's six, the ball went so high it could have got an airhostess down
with it. Abhishek did not lag behind either. Any width given by the bowlers was treated with bruatuality. A back foot lofted
drive over the covers and a lofted six over the bowlers head clearly laid the road map for a confortable win.
However, n obody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two. The fall of Mahmood (48) anf Jigar (0) in two
consecutive balls took the foot of the accelarator and suddenly "caution was the name of the game". Ali's (5) exit to a loose
drive brought Shafi on to the stumps. Seems like these days Shafi is in a hurry. With the wicket and bowling looking as flat as
an Indian Dosa, Shafi took his agrression right into the oppostion camp by hammering two towering sixes and a boundary.
However, Heinz got better off him having him caught at deep midwicket for a breezy 25. With his fall, in walked last week's
hero Bikram. Never judge a book by its cover. It is indeed true that looks are deceptive and Bikram is a classical example to
this. With his hunched walk and a heavy bat which one believe he can barely lift, NHCC must have felt a breather when he
came in, not knowing what a ticking time bomb they have in hand. Shafi and Bikram put on a valuable 61 run partnership
before Abhishek's threw away his wicket for a solid 55.
The strong run rate on the board, only meant that the captain who joined Bikram has to just play with cool head to see the
team thru. Bikram, though seems to be in a hurry and some clean hits over the fence saw the team thru with 9 overs and five
wickets to spare. Bikram and Khalid remained unbeaten at 39 and 9 runs respectively. Shafqat was the pick of NHCC's bowlers
with a figure of 4 for 40. Needless to mention Bobby's vocal was a boost to the team
Evidently a clear exhibition of a very clinical way to finish a game. Congrats to ECC team members for a well deserved victory.
With Cheshire making waves in the league beating NMCC and UBS, the next match seems to be a very crucial one and its very
imperetive that ECC lie low and like the captain said "stick to basics" . Fly high Eagles and pick on the preys
Regards
shiv
