RCC vs TCC on 3rd August 2008 Sunday.

Game starts at 10:15 a.m. and RCC lost the toss and were put into field. Everyone 
was all charged up and roaring to go. With the unavailability of Snehal - RCC 
skipper, Keyur P was the captain and was all charged up and pepping up the 
team for the big showdown. Samay started the proceedings from the parking 
lot end and as usual was on line and on target from the very first ball. TCC 
openers were looking shaky and that was shown as one of the openers skied 
a good length ball from Samay only to have parth take a brilliant running 
backwards catch near the boundary line. On the other end Brother Bhu continued 
the proceedings from the forest end and he maintained his great line and length 
and kept the batsmen tied up. the batsmen were still lucky enuf to get at least 
one loose ball per over which they made it count and hit either a six or a four 
of that ball. In came the first bowling change - Miraj - who has been pretty 
consistent since the last two games\u8232 and was doing the same this game 
too. he kept on bowling a nagging line and kept the bastsmen under pressure. 
From the other end the bowling change - Faraz - who has as always been great 
in keeping the pressure during the initial overs with the new ball. he did the 
same here. Just like everyone else he also bowled that one bad ball in the over
which meant to be punished but this time the bowler got lucky instead of the 
batsman and the dangerous Aravind (TCC opener) tried to flick the leg side 
delivery and nicked it down the leg side and RCC keeper - Sam - took a well 
judged low catch way down the leg side. That gave the much needed breakthrough 
to RCC and more importantly it did great for Faraz's confidence as he has been 
quite unlucky this whole season with bowling good deliveries but not getting wickets. 
Miraj kept the pressure going from one end and Faraz struck with another blow in 
his second over with RCC keeper Sam again taking a one handed diving catch to 
his off side this time and again gave the breakthrough to RCC. Wickets kept falling 
regularly and in the course of that the well set naseer got out to a great ball and 
was adjuged LBW. TCC did a good job in playing out almost all 35 overs but 
managed to get a score of only 165 which was not a difficult score for RCC to chase 
at all and especially considering the reputation the top order of RCC carries.

after a quick 20 min lunch break RCC openers Shekhar and Manish were all set 
and raring to have a go at the moderate TCC bowling attack. Manish faced the 
opening delivery from Aravind and sent the ball off to the boundary for a 4. 
Both of them were looking good with manish hitting a pull shot for a massive 
six which would've been a 6 in any ground. Both of them were looking good 
when Shekhar was adjuged LBW to a ball that was going down way down the 
leg side...another MACC doing with regards to umpiring. In went the old 
warhorse - Samay - and as usual RCC was banking upon him to steady the 
ship and he did look good until he played a kind of a loose shot to a ball that 
rose quite high from the spinner and samay was caught at deep point - again 
a well judged catch by TCC fielder. In went Faraz, who has been struggling 
with his form with the bat and he was looking good...hit a quick boundary and 
was looking to play himself in, it was the perfect setup for him to play himself 
in a get back his flair and form but unfortunately he got tempted to drive to a 
low ball of the spinner and he got too much under it and played a drive in the 
air which STUCK in the fielders hands. In this time Manish hit a low in the air 
drive and TCC fielder was quick enough to get down and grab it - definitely a 
great catch - and Manish was back in the pavilion as well. In went Andy, who 
has also not been anything great with the bat this season at all and as usual 
didn't bother the score that much and was given out LBW which he thought was 
not in line or watever but according to the batsman at the other end was pretty 
strait and any umpire would have given it out. Andy displayed the most outrageous 
behaviour again as usual only because he thinks he can never be given out. 
Anyways coming back to the game - in went miraj to stabilize the innings and he 
did that with great gutso....he was watchful and yet hit the shots when needed. 
on the other end the wickets kpt tumbling. after Andy came back Paaji went in 
and was looking really good and was seeing the ball like a football!!! he played 
a few good shots and built a good looking partnership with Miraj. Paaji hit a 6 of 
one of the balls of a spinner and he tried that same shot again and got the ball low 
on the bat and was again out to a great catch in the deep by TCC. In went parth to 
help Miraj in stabilizing the innings and he was also looking good and more so 
as he had a century in the previous game. but we all know Parth cannot resist 
going after the spinners and that's exactly what he tried to do and was hauled 
out in the deep - yet another well judged catch by tcc in the deep. All this while 
Miraj kept a cool head and kept on taking the singles and occassional boundary. 
RCC were down to 7 wickets when Keyur - RCC skipper went in to bat with a 
huge responsibility on his shoulders to salvage and rescue RCC home along 
with Miraj. Unfortunately enough Miraj got a short ball which he tried to cut 
square and played it on to his stumps. In went Sam to help Keyur out to at least 
play out 35 overs. Unfortunately Sam tried a over ambitious shot and skied the 
ball and picked the wrong fielder and was caught to a brilliant backward running 
catch by Aravind. RCC were down to the last pair of Keyur P and Keyur S. Jaadu 
had to go for the shots now and which he did and unfortunately was caught in the 
deep again and RCC were all out for a mere 115 runs.

Enough was said at the end of the game and so i won't say anything at all. We all 
know what needs to be done - AFTER A GREAT DAY IN THE FIELD THE BATSMEN 
NEED TO SUPPORT THE FIELDING AND BOWLING EFFORTS AND NEED TO MAKE 
IT COUNT. WE HAVE ONE OF THE STRONGEST TOP ORDER BATSMEN AROUND 
WHO HAVE A HUGE REPUTATION OF BEING MATCH WINNERS AND BIG SCORERS...
but if we look back...except Manish and Shekhar all other top order batsmen who 
have scored either a half century or a century have all got at least 3-4 lives. No 
one has scored a flawless big score. I mean come on guys...look at the type of 
batsmen we have...anyways and someone did mention that not only the top order 
but the bottom order has to perform good as well....but we need to understand that 
if we had the ability to be able to get the team out of a situation like this then there 
would be no tail enders or bottom order. you cannot expect the bottom order to fire 
off and win a match - not saying that it is not possible but in a pressure situation like
this...it is next to impossible for the bottom order to make it true. We all do our best 
and the bottom order also thinks that they can get the team home and everything but 
realistically its very ambitious to ask of them. The bowlers and fielders did their job 
and it was the turn of the batsmen to do their job which they failed at miserably. i 
think this says enough. Anyways guys lets look forward to the next game - its a even 
tougher game (from what i have heard) and lets make sure we win that one no 
matter what. last game of the season...lets give it all that we have got and not get 
complacent at any given second in the field or while we are batting. we all are 
way better than this and lets prove it. guys we are a strong unit which is feared by 
everyone around...lets stick upto our own reputation and kick some serious butt!!! 
i believe in ya all and i know we can do it :) lets keep our head high and go for it!!!