ISA Cup'08 Part I
After a one-sided victory in the fun cricket cup, the isa cup was eagerly anticipated by everyone involved. Out of four teams that took part, two teams were very strong (compared to other two) and one of the strong team was ours. As expected, the two strong teams made it to the final with relative ease.
I was looking forward to this final very much as in last year's final my contribution wasn't great. (I was run out as a result of a good fielding and a direct hit). This time, i was determined to stay at the crease for a while and show some patience. I was also disappointed with the way i threw my wicket out in the previous two games when i had just started to find my timing and get settled.
Before the finals, i told myself two things
1)i am going to play a patient innings
2)i will not be run out like last year.
However to my dismay, both of these conditions were thrown out of the window, when we learned that its going to be a short version due to light conditions.
I also had to attend a wedding reception, the same evening just an hour before the game where i helped myself to some cocktails, appetizers and a half course meal. I just barely made it to the stadium (hoping on the way that we wont bat first) with my stomach so heavy that i was barely able to move. But as expected or I feared, we won the toss and elected to bat and i was going to open in a few minutes.
I didnt have any time to think about the kind of innings i was going to play. However i wanted to stay there for at least 3-4 overs before our main big hitters can take stage.
I am generally nervous, when i play my first ball. Usually in any cricket season, i have always fallen cheaply in my first over with a nick behind. However this year, it has never happened, and for the first time i can remember, i wasnt nervous facing the first ball in the final. Actually i was ready for it.
At the same time this season has been the one, where i never played a long innings which i was usually accustomed to play and definitely there was no opportunity for me to play one in the finals.
85 from 10 overs was my target when i marked my crease and since first 3 overs was power play i wanted at least 20-25 runs on the board. Unfortunately we lost a quick wicket in the first over and i was just getting set.So we could not score much off the first over. Our key batsman was at the other crease and we started playing some shots on both sides of the wicket and had no choice but to take risky singles, as the bowling was not that easy to hit fours. I hit couple of good shots before a risky single turned into a disaster and i had to throw my wicket away as a severe miscommunication happened to us. I always feel that i am a good runner between the wickets and for me to be involved in a miscommunication bothered me. But anyways, our key batsman was there and i was hoping he would play a good innings.
I was looking forward to this final very much as in last year's final my contribution wasn't great. (I was run out as a result of a good fielding and a direct hit). This time, i was determined to stay at the crease for a while and show some patience. I was also disappointed with the way i threw my wicket out in the previous two games when i had just started to find my timing and get settled.
Before the finals, i told myself two things
1)i am going to play a patient innings
2)i will not be run out like last year.
However to my dismay, both of these conditions were thrown out of the window, when we learned that its going to be a short version due to light conditions.
I also had to attend a wedding reception, the same evening just an hour before the game where i helped myself to some cocktails, appetizers and a half course meal. I just barely made it to the stadium (hoping on the way that we wont bat first) with my stomach so heavy that i was barely able to move. But as expected or I feared, we won the toss and elected to bat and i was going to open in a few minutes.
I didnt have any time to think about the kind of innings i was going to play. However i wanted to stay there for at least 3-4 overs before our main big hitters can take stage.
I am generally nervous, when i play my first ball. Usually in any cricket season, i have always fallen cheaply in my first over with a nick behind. However this year, it has never happened, and for the first time i can remember, i wasnt nervous facing the first ball in the final. Actually i was ready for it.
At the same time this season has been the one, where i never played a long innings which i was usually accustomed to play and definitely there was no opportunity for me to play one in the finals.
85 from 10 overs was my target when i marked my crease and since first 3 overs was power play i wanted at least 20-25 runs on the board. Unfortunately we lost a quick wicket in the first over and i was just getting set.So we could not score much off the first over. Our key batsman was at the other crease and we started playing some shots on both sides of the wicket and had no choice but to take risky singles, as the bowling was not that easy to hit fours. I hit couple of good shots before a risky single turned into a disaster and i had to throw my wicket away as a severe miscommunication happened to us. I always feel that i am a good runner between the wickets and for me to be involved in a miscommunication bothered me. But anyways, our key batsman was there and i was hoping he would play a good innings.
posted by Praveen @ 9:28 AM
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