Match Report

San Diego 2 started their season against United at home on a gloomy day with wind blowing like crazy. San Diego 2 had a game plan in mind if luck favored them. If SD2 wins the toss, go and bowl, and get the opponents out under 150 runs and put pressure on the United bowlers. Luck did not favor SD2 and Sandeep (for a change) lost the toss. United put SD2 to bat on a day where the ball would swing, given the conditions of the ground. Vishal along with Azhar went on to bat and it was so obvious Vishal was struggling to connect the ball to bat, trying to negate the swing. Azhar started very positively and he was in no pressure negating the swing. First 3 overs yielded only 4 runs for SD2. Vishal got a full pitch delivery, which he hit straight drive for a boundary and there was no seeing back for Vishal. Azhar and Vishal batted very sensibly rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking. After 10 overs, SD2 were 46/0. Azhar and Vishal negated the swing and the awkward bounce to see the new ball through. At the first break (17 overs), SD2 were 77/0. That’s where SD2 batsmen lost it. Azhar was the first one to go – inside edging to the stumps for a well made 27. Vishal was next to go inside edging to the keeper for 38. Qazi got run out trying hard for a second run. Qazi don’t worry – there were 2 runs in that shot but the ground was so slow the ball stopped. Brush it off. You are looking good in the batting department. Sanjit and Kumar had a small little partnership going when they both were adjudged lbw’s (110-5). Ramesh got out bowled trying to cut a ball, which kept reasonably low. Sandeep got out trying to clear the infield at mid off. Catch was well judged and suddenly SD2 were 122-7. Ameya got out bowled trying to play a slog shot, which was very much uncalled for (123-8 in 35.2 overs). Mangesh and Hasitha were at the crease and the only thing SD2 had in mind was to play the 45 overs. They did not disappoint. Both batted beautifully, rotated the strike, and kept the scoreboard ticking. They added 52 in 9.4 overs to boost SD2 total to 175-9 in 45 overs. Mangesh got run out on the last ball of the 45th over trying for the second run. SD2 defending 176 runs on their home ground was not easy. Looking at the conditions, SD2 had a good chance to defend it (if they did not give away extras). Vishal and Sandeep started the innings and bowled a good line and length and it was Sandeep who gave SD2 their first breakthrough. He got the ball to bounce an extra bit, which took the gloves of the batsman, straight to gully where Sanjit happily accepted the catch. Vishal complimented Sandeep by getting the ball to nip back at the batsman to get his stumps rattled (21-2). Both the bowlers gave a perfect start to SD2 innings (32/2 in 10 overs). Mangesh replaced Sandeep and Pradeep replaced Vishal. Mangesh flighted the ball beautifully and beat United batsmen on more than couple of occasions. Pradeep beat the bat consistently to put the pressure. Mangesh got the 3rd wicket when he flighted the ball to beat the bat and got a plumb lbw. Pradeep complimented Mangesh by bowling a furious off cutter to see the bails flying all over (45-4 in 13 overs). Before the break, Sandeep introduced Hasitha. Hasitha bowled the first ball of this season as a short, spinning, wide, which the batsman decided to pull just to see Vishal flying to his left at short mid-wicket to take a stunner. That was the first break. SD2 were very much into the game with having United 56-5 in 16.1 overs. As soon as the innings started, Sandeep removed Hasitha and got back Pradeep to get a breakthrough, which paid off when Pradeep got his 2nd wicket (81/6 in 21). Hasitha then came back into the attack and he bowled beautifully to get 2 of United’s batsmen lbw’s (108-8 in 28 overs). Amit for United took his chances and he scored 40. Credit goes to him for the fighting spirit he showed for his team. Sandeep decided to go for the kill getting Vishal back into the bowling attack replacing Pradeep. Vishal was pretty unlucky to not get a wicket. So the move did not work either. Hasitha got the 9th wicket (his 4th) by bowling the doosraa (the wrong ‘un), which rattled the stumps and United were 122-9 in 32 overs. Sandeep replaced Vishal and the match was over on his second ball when Amit decided to hit him out of the park, just to see Pradeep holding on to a well judged catch at widish long on. SD2 came out victorious in their first game of the season. Special mention to Jitu who came in as 12th man and was there on the field for the whole day. Thanks to Ram and Anil to show up at the ground to cheer up the team. Batting Highlights: Vishal 38 Hasitha 31 n.o. Azhar 27 Mangesh 16 Bowling Highlights: Hasitha 7-0-30-4, Sandeep 5.2-0-16-2, Mangesh 5-0-21-1, Pradeep 6-0-27-2 Vishal 9-0-27-1