Kai Tak Vs Laguna Gully, M.R
Kai Tak 9 / 169 A.Fitzhardinge 22, T.Patidar 19, N.Hawke/D.Fryer/D.Belcastro 17
Laguna Gully 89 T.Patidar 3-3-2, D.Belcastro 6-2-17
Well what a day for the TAk!! Resplendent in the new kit and despite calls of looking like ice cream salesman we showed we could also play cricket too!!
It was ominous signs when we turned up a bit early only to see the Gully already on the field doing laps!!! The DB contingent were also fashionably late AGAIN, so not great signs except some sharp slips catches in our early warm up showed the boys were ready for action!!!
The Captain winning the toss had no hesitation to bat first, with the top 6/7 looking like the heroes of Kai Tak of 2005 why shouldn't i?!!! Nick Hawke was given the honors in front of his very English parents with his fellow Pom Tiks sent out to harass their top order. Unfortunately their bowlers weren't on our schedule bowling a very tight line and length causing lots of problems. Although Nick got alot of flack from us expert batsmen, for his continuous play and miss tactics he did manage to see alot of us off. We got good starts but Tiku on 19 went softly followed by myself , fully intentional on getting myself out as early as possible, which i obliged on 12. One eyed Ellis was looking settled until he also went softly and Mohsin didn't even last long enough for us to see his signature sweep/LBW shot!!! This was also playing into my hands as i knew all the good stuff was to come??? In come Fitzy and Darren Fryer, they took us from a miserable start and 5 for 60 odd to 130 odd at a good pace but with nothing silly. Fitzy taking all sorts of hits did a great job rotating the strike and Fryer Tuck obliging at other end!! The boys did just what we needed but then fell both in the late teens. But for Laguna the pain wasn't over, Mark Blampied came in for a handy few and on Captains instructions went for the big ones but found out how hard that was. Schalk Vanderwalt hung around till the end even with coaching from Fidel at the other end. Talking of Fidel, he came in with only a few overs to go and got off the mark with a sweetly times 6. Dave got us up to a good total and finished on 17. Geoff DeLaine also saw us to the end to ensure Laguna didn't achieve max bowling points.
So 169 it was, also thanks to their 35 extras. Not the best batting performance for the Tak, the guys who should have shouldered the burden fell short but true to the Tak spirit, our middle and late order came through to see us to a very respectable 169 on a very slow ground!!!
Was reassuring for me to look around at the bowling we had, with no Williams/Morley combo of past, the Naqvi and Belcastro combo got us off to the start we wanted. Fidel on the mark with a team boosting middle peg being uprooted from its depths!!!! Now the play of the day and as i was fielding in close i got a good look at it. The very next ball the new batsman played and missed and as he was thinking "what the F$%K", Fitzy threw the stumps down as the guy totally forgot to get back in his crease. A great piece of thinking by Fitzy and a great throw. So 2 in 2 balls the Tak were back on top. First change Geoff DeLaine came in with his inswingers and totally bamboozled their batters who were now thinking of getting on with it. Geoff also finding the middle peg in his 2nd over!! Mark Blampied came on just before drinks and straight away was on the mark. This is what made the difference for us today, the bowlers right on the mark from ball one and minimal wides!!!! We had them 4-40 odd at drinks and knew we had a good chance of sniffing them out. We were not going to take it lightly and after the drinks we slowed the pace down a bit with Tiks and Fryer Tuck coming on and causing all sorts of problems. Darren has proved a great find for us and showed his skill in the bowling ranks. Our very good friend who likes hospital corners on his bunks, the former former Kai Tak player, Mr Cricket Tiku Patidar was thrown the ball and well what can i say, "welcome back Tiks!!!!!"
3 overs 1 maiden 3 for 2!!!! How else can i say it but that. Tiku has assured me he will tell his grandchildren he was then dragged but hey, they could have started getting on top of you then Tiks, think of your averages....you will thank me one day??? ;))
During all this skill and professionalism, we also had a rather humorous run out. Both their players were stranded at the non strikers end when the ball was thrown to our keeper Fitzy, to say he could have had a cup of coffee before doing anything is an understatement. Unfortunately Fitzy, with his ears still ringing from those dulcet tones of a new baby thought he heard "Bowler" and threw it to the wrong end!!! Thankfully Mark kept his head and ran back with the ball and casually took the bails off!!! Laugh...... we couldn't stop!!!!!
Schalk was given a few overs and again repaid his Captain by bowling a very good line and length, unfortunately Kiwi Blampied muffed one and prevented Schalk from having his frist Kai Tak wicket, but Mark had it all planned and finished off their last batter for himself!! Dave Ellis on his return to top level cricket was also thrown the ball, as is his usual thing, he straight away bought me a wicket with one of their better batsman holing out to deep mid wicket!
4 very good catches also put the icing on the cake, Mohsin 2, Tiks an easy one and Fidel a great catch on the boundary!!!
In the end we did it easy, them all out for 89!!! Not the best of batting performances for us and we really cant afford to do that too often. In true Kai Tak spirit the team pulled through and put the runs on the board for our bowlers. A great bowling and fielding effort followed and some of the senior players saying it was one of the best team performances for a long time!!!!
Drinks at Stauntons after went alot longer than planned, Tiku showing us his skills on his first mobile phone, although i think we all know how to do redial Tiks!!!!
Man of the match: Fitzy, great batting effort and the game turning stumping!!!!
Mug of the Day: Initially given to Mark Blampied for his drop catch but for the first time in Kai Tak history it was rescinded when i was reminded of Fitzy's run out debacle. So mug of the day went to the man of the match Fitzy!!!!!!!
Throwing of the toys: First one of the season but a goody!!! Dave Ellis in the pavilion after going out to a very soft catch, "I'm going to break something!!!"
So another 12 points to the goods guys, it really was a great Tak effort, no single heroes but a very good allround effort!!!!!
Go the TAK!!!
Steve