Hoboes CC innings:
With the game being played at 5pm, all players spent the day watching the skies. Weather reports promised heavy rain, and the gathering of clouds seemed to prove this correct, as the bright morning sun gave way to daunting afternoon darkness. However, by 5pm, there still wasn’t rain, and the clouds gave way to optimism, with the bowlers talking of swing and wickets tumbling.
Estonia were put into field, the first time they have been asked to do so this season, with Heath opening from the Arena Bar End. Heath made his intentions felt from the off, bowling a nice line and length with some lively pace. The Hoboes CC batsman seemed surprised that the Estonian opening attack provided so much hostility, and respectfully only picked a few singles off Heath’s feisty first over. Ramsden was next up at the Stable End, and seemed to struggle getting his line correct due to the amount of swing that was being generated by the atmospheric conditions, and his first two balls were wides – swinging from outside off to past leg stump. After correcting his line, he was unlucky not to get a wicket with the batsman edging in-between keeper and first slip. As the ball ran to the boundary for four, the clouds around Ramsden’s head darkened.
The batsmen were now looking to attack, and started playing their shots. Finally the breakthrough came for Estonia, Heath finding the gap between bat and bat to clean bowl the opening batsman. Ramsden’s second over had the batsmen in a spot of bother, with one surviving an LBW appeal and the other just missing Ankurs flailing arms. They were looking to drive Ramsden, with only the outfield denying them both boundaries and Ramsden’s wrath. However, he was being just too expensive and the skipper gave him the signal for a rest. Heath was continuing to get the length and line that has given him the reputation of being Estonia’s biggest bowler, and the venom of his deliveries was keeping the run rate down to about four per over.
Skipper Rob Brookes took Ramsden’s reigns at the Stable End, and he too initially found the swing difficult, but finally settled down to a steady rhythm of block hole bowling. At the other end, Shiva was brought into the attack. With his new adapted run up and bangra mentality, he was soon having the batsman jumping around like Daler Mehndi at a Punjabi dance festival. Shiva in his second over let his concentration slip slightly, and the batsman made hay whilst the sun shone, driving him to the boundary for some good looking fours.
Brookes at the stable end was continuing to hold his length and line, with the batsman picking off singles here and there until one holed out and Barry was underneath it for a fine catch in the deep. Barry was brought on at the Stable end to utilize his spin against the now confident batsmen. His first three deliveries giving the batsmen even more confidence, being dispatched for a four and a six in consecutive balls. His fourth ball was right up there in the block hole, and as the ball squirmed down to Ramsden at square leg, the batsmen set off on a suicidal run. Ramsden powered the ball over the stumps, and not even the on coming batsman could deter Barry who bravely flung himself at the stumps, taking them, himself and the unfortunate batsman with him. Barry stayed down, the batsman departed and the team celebrated.
Ankur now joined the attack at the Arena Bar end, and soon had the batsman seeing red. His hair as bamboozling as his leg breaks, he made the breakthrough knocking over leg stump. The very next ball he gained a wicket in the same manner, and the batsman soon realized that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Red hair vs red faced. Ankur the winner...
Shiva was brought back into the attack and he got a deserved wicket, with the team celebrated by all performing a bangra high five. Heath was brought on at the other end, mopping up the tail and finishing the innings with an excellent return of 3-18. It was left to Andrus to get his first wicket of the season, having the dangerous number seven caught off his bowling.
Estonia’s performance in the field was nothing short of superb. Great catches by Barry and Barnwell, as well as some diving stops by Dungay and Ramsden, really made the batsmen work for their runs. With the score nearing 140, the Hoboes CC batsman were looking to attack in the final few overs, but Ramsden, Heath and Shiva had other ideas and kept the score down to 150.
Estonian Innings:
Estonia’s first over as the batting team couldn’t have got any worse. Hoboes CC's opening bowler sent his initial delivery way over Olivers head. With Oliver licking his lips in anticipation, the bowler pursing his in frustration. The second ball was right up there where it should be and the third was a wicket. Oliver playing around a ball that yorked and moved off the seam. Barry trudged to the crease and was greeted with another Yorker which he turned into a smart single. Ramsden, under orders to see off the new ball, disappointed himself and his captain by getting out first ball – his first duck for Estonia. Seemingly looking to defend with bat and pad, the inswinging yorker avoided both and took out off stump. Estonia 2-2 off the first over.
Rob Brookes came in at number four and set himself in to play a captains innings. Barry and himself batting well together until Barry caught a short one on his fingers and for the second time in the game he was incapacitated on the ground. Such were the extent of his injuries, he begrudgingly retired hurt, sending Tim Heath in his place whilst he applied the ibroprofen. Heath made his intentions felt from the off, driving a beautiful four to the boundary and clubbing a massive six over deep extra cover. With Rob set at one end, and Tim attacking at the other, it looked as if Estonia could recover from their early losses. Unfortunately, the umpire had other ideas, giving Heath out lbw to a ball that looked to be too high.
With Tim back in the hutch, Barry came out to continue where he left off. The bowlers gave him a welcome by pitching straight onto his hand again, and for the third time during the match, Barry was grounded. After dusting himself off, he continued to play well, driving the bad balls and taking singles of the good ones. His shot selection let him down when he played forward and looked to drive at a full delivery. The ball was spooned to mid off and Barry left the field for the second time making creditable 20.
Siva came in and never got going, and with Rob going steadily at the other end, it was up to Mike Skype to get the score board moving quicker. He quickly moved onto 27, hitting a lovely 6 over mid on before being caught going for another drive but playing the shot too early. Debutant Mike ‘Saffer’ strode to the crease and took two minutes to knock up 5 runs before being caught out in the deep. Dungay didn’t get the chance to score as the overs ran out leaving him on 0 and Rob on 14 not out.
Lessons learnt from the match were that we can compete against a top team. Hoboes CC are by far the best side we have played and we did ourselves proud. The fielding was superb, the bowling tight, and perhaps if the two openers had notched up some runs between them, we may have had Hoboes CC feeling their collars in the last couple of overs.
Estonia m.o.m : Rob Brookes. Debut captaincy. Good decisions on the field. Solid batting and bowling.
Article written by James Ramsden
| Estonian 2nd XI Vs Hoboes XI |
| 1-Innings Match Played At Hippodrome, 04-Jul-2007, |
| Toss won by |
Estonian 2nd XI |
| Player / Match |
ECA:Brookes, Rob |
| Hoboes XI 1st Innings 9/136 Closed (Overs 20) |
| Batsman |
Fieldsman |
Bowler |
Runs |
4s |
6s |
| Hoboes #1 |
c |
b Rob Brookes |
19 |
0 |
0 |
| Hoboes #2 |
|
b Tim Heath |
4 |
0 |
0 |
| Hoboes #3 |
|
b Siva Arunachalam |
39 |
0 |
0 |
| Hoboes #4 |
|
b Ankur Dhami |
31 |
0 |
0 |
| Hoboes #5 |
|
b Ankur Dhami |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Hoboes #6 |
run out Jason Barry |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Hoboes #7 |
c |
b Andrus Kambre |
13 |
0 |
0 |
| Hoboes #8 |
|
b Tim Heath |
4 |
0 |
0 |
| Hoboes #9 |
|
b Tim Heath |
8 |
0 |
0 |
| extras |
|
(b2 lb3 w12 nb0) |
17 |
|
|
| TOTAL |
|
9 wickets for |
136 |
|
|
| Bowler |
O |
M |
R |
W |
wd |
nb |
| Tim Heath |
4 |
0 |
18 |
3 |
- |
- |
| James Ramsden |
4 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
- |
- |
| Rob Brookes |
3 |
0 |
14 |
1 |
- |
- |
| Siva Arunachalam |
4 |
0 |
24 |
1 |
- |
- |
| Jason Barry |
2 |
0 |
26 |
0 |
- |
- |
| Ankur Dhami |
2 |
0 |
20 |
2 |
- |
- |
| Andrus Kambre |
1 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
- |
- |
| Estonian 2nd XI 1st Innings 7/104 Closed (Overs 0) |
| Batsman |
Fieldsman |
Bowler |
Runs |
4s |
6s |
| James Ramsden |
|
b |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Oliver Slovodetsky+ |
|
b |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Jason Barry |
c |
b |
20 |
2 |
0 |
| Rob Brookes* |
not out |
|
14 |
1 |
0 |
| Tim Heath |
lbw |
b |
21 |
2 |
1 |
| Siva Arunachalam |
c |
b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Mike Bevan |
c |
b |
27 |
1 |
1 |
| Mike Tiffin |
c |
b |
5 |
1 |
0 |
| Martin Dungay |
not out |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
| extras |
|
(b0 lb1 w14 nb1) |
16 |
|
|
| TOTAL |
|
7 wickets for |
104 |
|
|
|
