The Midwest Chronicles: Mid-American Cricket League - Of cold dishes and hot hands

 After a long and winding 2021 season, the Division II playoffs of the Mid-American Cricket League, (MACL) hosted by Simply Play Cricket in Omaha (Nebraska), began with the top two Division II teams facing off in the first match, where the winner would move directly to the final while the loser would await the winner of the 3-4 placed teams for a chance to play in the final.

Those are the cold, hard facts. But the facts that really matter are these: Omaha Cricket Club Patriots and Nebraska Cricket Club share a very long history, most of it covered elsewhere in this blog but none of it friendly since the two groups spilt away in 2010. The one constant has been that OCC has defeated NCC every time they met on the cricket field in the 11 years that have followed. 

2010 was so long ago that only two persons from either team were even around 11 years ago when everything was going downhill. For them, the rivalry has held a deeper meaning than any of the other 9 members of the team can even begin to comprehend.

Against this backdrop, Suresh Gorantla, NCC's captain, won the toss and immediately announced his decision to bat first. All through 2021 NCC has been snakebitten as far as the weather has been concerned. If ever a team was blighted by bad weather in a season, then it was this season and this team. However, on the day the Patriots played NCC, the Gods wanted to watch too, and cleared the clouds so they had a good view of the proceedings.

Patriots Team: Achyuth Kalluchi, Ajinkya Paikine (WK), Bhaskar Setti, Deepak Agarwal, Gowtham Maranani, Harish Bv, Karthik Rao, Kiran Gade (C), Sudhir Kondapalli, Vijay Yajjala, Vinod Yarroju, Super-sub: Kaushik Chittam

Nebraska CC Team: Ashish Sathyan, Asif Iqbal, C S Manish (WK), Danial Faisal, Jainil Savaliya, Mahek Patel, Ramesh Suvvari, Sriram Surapaneni, Suresh Gorantla (C), Vijay Reddy, Vinothkumar Rajendran, Super-sub: Cornelius Aleti

The two NCC openers, Vinothkumar Rajendran and Vijay Reddy were given one mandate - do not get out in the Power play (6 overs), especially to the Patriots' best bowler - Gowtham Maranani. 

A long time ago, circa 2009, this is what I had written about Gowtham on my blog:

Gowtham Maranani - Gunmaster G9. Okay, I was wrong when I said that Abhi was the fastest bowler in the team. Gowtham is it, by a good yard or two. A gunslinger in the truest sense, he is a throwback to the good old days when bowler's run-ups were 30 yards long, and their primary attacking balls were the yorker and the bouncer. Gowtham looks like a docile Telugu movie actor and the next sledge that comes from his lips will be the first words he has probably ever uttered on a cricket field but do not mistake his docility for weakness. Many batsmen have made that mistake and numerous crushed toes, jammed fingers, and dented egos have been left in his wake.

Age has exacted a toll on Gowtham and he has lost (several) yards of pace but he has lost none of his guile or control making him, even today, a daunting proposition for any batsman. 

Uncharacteristically, Gowtham began with a wide but quickly found his bearings. Supporting him admirably from the other end was Harish Bv. Between them, the duo kept the openers quiet and gave 4,4,4, runs in the first 3 overs. 12 for no loss after 3, a start that was neither here nor there form both team's perspectives. Two precious Maranani overs had been navigated without losing a wicket. 

Vinoth took it upon himself to take most of the strike in the early exchanges. In the fourth over, bowled by Harish, Vinoth began lofting the ball over the infield, picking up braces to get some momentum in the inning (8 runs in the over). In the meantime, Vijay was content to rotate the strike not looking to do anything foolish, letting Vinoth be the aggressor. 

The 5th over of the powerplay was bowled by Karthik. By now the batsmen were ticking along nicely taking runs off every ball but the first big strike of the day was a stunning six launched over extra cover by Vijay. 33 for no loss after 5.

Harish dragged the scoring back in the next over, bowling close to the stumps and not giving either batsman any room to swing freely. 37 for no loss after 6.

With the Powerplay done, the ball was tossed to the slow bowling of Deepak Agarwal. This was just the release that Vinoth was looking for. The first ball was hammered straight over long-on's head for a massive six. The next ball was a wide down the legside that slipped by for an extra run and the third ball was pulled by Vijay to the square leg fence. However, in bowling that ball, Deepak hurt himself and left the field for the day (hopefully it is not something serious). The rest of his over was taken over by Achyuth Kalluchi , who managed to keep any further damage under control. 53 for no loss after 7 - 16 runs from the over.

Harish came back to finish his spell and was bludgeoned by (a fast tiring) Vinoth for a boundary in an over that yielded 12 runs. 4,8,4,12....Harish finished with okay figures of 4-0-28-0. 65 for no loss after 8 overs.

The foundation had been set and the time had come to launch into the next phase of the inning. Achyuth was in the line of fire. The first ball was the type of ball Vijay dreams about when he thinks of World Cup winning sixes. Short and down the leg side. Instead of the six he should have hit, Vijay toe ended the ball and it gently found the substitute fielder, Kaushik Chittam, next to the square-leg umpire.

Vijay Reddy  c (Sub) Karthik C b Achyuth K  20 (18b 1 Four, 1 Six) SR 111.11

65 for 1 in 8.1 overs

Conventional wisdom says that the loss of a wicket brings the run rate back. Conventional wisdom is for statisticians and commentators. By now, Vinoth was in a groove but gasping for breath as the hot day began to get to him. Luckily for him, the next batsman Danial Faisal does not believe in the MSD school of running between wickets. Now that Vinoth was able to catch his breath, he began to free his shoulders, flicking Karthik for a four and then launching him way over midwicket for a huge six to spoil the mood of the over for the Pats. 77 for 1 after 9 overs.

Kiran Gade came on to bowl the last over before the drinks break and it was progressing sedately with singles and a couple of wides until Vinoth ushered in the break with a six over long off. 89 for 1 after 10 overs.

At the half-way stage every imaginable cliché from the Ravi Shastri bot was applicable. NCC was ahead of the game but anything could happen (and usually does). 

Everyone in the NCC pavilion (and their grandchildren) knew that Gowtham was saving his overs so he could bowl to Danial. Right on cue, the 11th over featured the return of Gowtham. Once upon a time, before Life intervened, both the players were teammates at the University of Lincoln-Nebraska. Since then they have had a few good battles in different tournaments and the spectators were looking forward to see who would come out on top of this one.

Like two boxers warily testing each other out, neither player made a major strike as Danial was content to push away the ball into the gaps. The pressure of trying to compensate got to Vinoth who had a couple of swings-and-misses to end the over but no harm done. 5 runs accrued to the total 94 for 1 after 11 overs. Gowtham's analysis read 3-0-13-0.

The senior-most Patriot, Bhaskar Krishna, came on to bowl his unique brand of fast-ish off-breaks and other assorted balls in his armory. Across many state lines and midwest leagues, Bhaskar has accrued a reputation of being a wily and cunning bowler. Unfortunately, for him, Danial and Vinoth did not buy into that reputation. Two fours (Danial) and a six (Vinoth), separated by singles, ensured that Bhaskar would end the over having conceded a momentum generating 18 runs to the total. 112 for 1 after 12 overs.

By now Vinoth was swinging at every ball within his arc, and connecting lustily with most of them. Kiran came on to arrest the momentum. Two, Four, wide, wide ... and then he got the big wicket of Vinoth, who mis-hit a tired-looking shot to pop up to Kaushik inside the circle on the leg-side. All season long Vinoth has been threatening to cut loose and, finally, he produced just the type of knock the think tank has been expecting from him. 

Vinothkumar Rajendran  c (Sub) Karthik C b Kiran G  68 (48b 3 Fours, 4 Sixers) SR 141.67

120 for 2 in 12.3 overs. Definitely a job well done by the openers, setting the stage for the middle order to explode.

The ball after a wicket is a crucial one. Kiran bowled a full toss well above waist height and Danial needed no further invitation, hammering it for a six. The free hit was then sent to the long-off boundary and Vinoth's dismissal was already receding from the mind. 22 runs from the over. 134 for 2 after 13 overs.

The Super Sub, Kaushik, came on to bowl in place of Deepak and was greeted by the new batsman, Asif Iqbal, with a front-foot, leg-side drive over midwicket. The fielder on the boundary scrambled backwards desperately, falling over in his excitement only to see the ball sail well past him and land more than 10 yards further away. Kaushik responded by bowling a bouncer that surprised Asif. The batsman was only able to mistime a hook shot that ballooned up to midwicket where Kiran took a comfortable catch, jogging backwards, over his left shoulder.

Asif Iqbal  c Kiran G b Deepak A  7 (4b 0 Fours, 1 Sixers) SR 175.00

140 for 3 in 13.3 overs. The next batsman, Ramesh Suvvari, began in his inimitable style, flicking in the gaps and scurrying a pair of twos and a single to end the over. 145 for 3 in 14 overs.

With the game running away, Gowtham came back for one last fling. Like a good understudy, Ramesh quietly took a single so the main players could take center stage. Gowtham steamed in and attempted a yorker, targeting the stumps. He missed his mark slightly and Danial's bat came down in a blur, all speed and timing, sending a flick-drive high into the air. For a split second, the midwicket fielder thought he had a chance at it. But only for a split second. The ball was still climbing as it crossed the midwicket boundary and eventually came down near the road beyond the electric poles. For a couple of seconds there was complete silence followed by gasps from everyone at the ground. Gut punches do not come in more emphatic fashion. 

The next ball was quietly put away in the gap at cover for a single by Danial (somewhere Shastri approved the sensible batting). Having missed with his yorker, Gowtham sent down his next weapon - the head-hunting bouncer. Ramesh is no stranger to fast bowling (having opened the batting in earlier matches and even being involved in an unbroken stand of 210 runs with Ali Hussain against the Knights). Ramesh met the bouncer right in front of his face and had so much time that the hook shot propelled the ball in front of midwicket over the fence for a resounding six. Two singles later, Gowtham bowling was done for the day. 16 runs in the over. 161 for 3 in 15 overs.

Now that he was warmed up, Danial got into another groove altogether. A groove that very few batsmen in Omaha inhabit. Some batsmen are able to hit singles and boundaries with similar bat swings, without losing shape or appearing to be trying too hard. Danial belongs to that group and, in the past few weeks as the NCC batsmen around him started to deliver, has demonstrated why he's among the most destructive batsmen in the city. 

Danial was charged up and the bowler who suffered was Kaushik. A flick to the long leg fence, a drive to deep cover, and a flick-drive to deep midwicket all fetched fours and a couple of braces that followed were enough evidence that Danial was doing as he pleased as he reached 50 off just 21 balls. The last ball of the over was met with another drive on the up in the gap between long-on and deep midwicket. Achyuth raced to his right and backwards from long on to the longest part of the ground and timed his leap to snag the ball even as it was racing past him to pull off a spectacular catch to end Danial's blitz.

Danial Faisal  c Achyuth K b Deepak A  50 (22b 6 Fours, 2 Sixers) SR 227.27

In spite of the wicket, NCC managed to score 17 runs in the over. 178 for 4 after 16 overs. If the Patriots could slow things down in the next 3 overs and keep NCC under 200 it would be a great finish to the inning for them.

Ajinkya Paikine took off his keeping pads and tried his hand at some slow, spin bowling. Ashish Sathyan was new to the crease but that did not stop him from threading a cover drive to the fence past three fielders off the first ball. The next ball was a typical Sathyan double. The third ball was once again scythed by Ashish, except it went up in the air as opposed to far and Gowtham settled under it at mid-off for a simple catch to end the cameo. 

Ashish Sathyan  c Gowtham M b Ajinkya P  6 (3b 1 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 200.00

184 for 5 in 16.3 overs. The batsmen crossed over while the catch was being taken and that was a good thing. Ramesh stepped back and pulled a short ball high over square leg to snatch back the momentum with a six. 

190 for 5 in 17 overs. 

Kaushik pulled things back spectacularly with Jainil Savaliya struggling to find the middle of the bat. 3 dot balls and 2 singles to Jainil sandwiched a solitary single by Ramesh. 3 runs in the over. 193 for 5 in 18 overs.

The pressure of the quiet over told as Ramesh tried to clear the longest boundary where Bhaskar comfortably took a routine high catch to end the flashy inning. 

Ramesh Suvvari c Bhaskar S b Ajinkya P  21 (12b 0 Fours, 2 Sixers) SR 175.00

If Ajinkya thought there would be a respite having taken a big wicket, it was immediately dispelled by Jainil. Having struggled to time the ball, Jainil took the proactive measure of hopping down the wicket to meet the ball and sent it high over long-off's head for a huge six to take the NCC total to 200. C S Manish and Jainil then proceeded to take singles and doubles on offer, collecting 12 runs in all in the over, to take the score to 205 for 6 in 19 overs.

The last over was bowled by Vijay Yajjala. All six balls produced the same result - a cross batted slog by Manish. The veteran missed three of them, connected with two (a four and a couple), edged one to third man for a couple and watched a wide ball go by to scarf up an underwhelming 9 runs in the final over. 

214 for 6 in 20 overs

Jainil Savaliya  not out 10 8 balls  (0 fours 1 six)  SR125.00

C S Manish not out 11 9 balls (1 four 0 sixes) SR 122.22

The Patriots' task was a simple one - score big upfront, score big through the middle, and score big at the end. An asking rate of close to 11 runs an over is a daunting one, especially if a team has to sustain it for 20 overs. 

The instructions in the NCC huddle were simple - make the Patriots earn their runs. Limit the extras (wides) and look to always take wickets with attacking fields.

Harish Bv and Ajinkya Paikine squared off against Ramesh. Ajinkya made the first thrust by dragging a ball outside the off stump to the midwicket boundary to send notice that it would not be a simple defense. Two balls later, he tried the same thing, except this time the ball was even wider and all Ajinkya did was chip it up for Danial to accept the generous offering at mid-on. 

Ajinkya Paikine  c Danial F b Ramesh S  4 (3b 1 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 133.33

5 for 1 in 0.4 overs. Gowtham quietly played out the next two balls. 5 for 1 in 1 over.  210 runs needed in 19.0 overs (114 balls) with 9 wickets remaining. RRR: 11.05

During the regular season, the most consistent batsman in the MACL league was Gowtham, so much so he topped the run-scorers charts with an incredible tally of 549 runs in just 10 innings, including a whopping 149 in one match. Here's another incredible stat that shows how consistent Gowtham has been. In his T20 career in SPC, he has batted 32 times. He has scored at least 25 runs on 27 of those occasions! To say, his wicket was the key is an understatement.

While NCC was focused on Gowtham, it was Harish who thundered away and crashed the party. Ashish Sathyan, who was entrusted with the second over, is menacing when he gets late swing. He did not get that swing on Sunday and Harish punched him over cover for a six and Gowtham repeated the dose, this time for a four. 13 runs in the over. 18 for 1 after 2 overs. 197 runs needed in 18.0 overs (108 balls) with 9 wickets remaining. RRR: 10.94

In a surprising move, Ramesh was replaced by Jainil. As a bowler Jainil's strength is to pitch the ball just short of good length and getting it to jag back in or swing out with little change in his action. Harish sat back on the crease and waited for the ball to do its bit. When the ball moved away he pounced on it to pound two fours - one to deep cover and the other off the edge to third man. 11 runs in the over. 29 for 1 in 3 overs. 186 runs needed in 17.0 overs (102 balls) with 9 wickets remaining. RRR: 10.94

Ashish came back for his second over and kept things quiet, except for one short pitched ball that was hit way over the boundary by Harish, who was beginning to get into a dangerous mode. 11 runs. 40 for 1 in 4 overs. 175 runs needed in 16.0 overs (96 balls) with 9 wickets remaining. RRR: 10.94

Jainil bowled a much better over, hurrying Gowtham with his extra pace and bounce. The fourth ball, however, was short and wide and Harish sliced it over the point boundary. The next two balls were among the fastest of the match, thudding into the keeper's gloves before Harish could finish his swing. 7 runs in the over. 47 for 1. 168 runs needed in 15.0 overs (90 balls) with 9 wickets remaining. RRR: 11.20

With the required rate still hovering over 11, something had to give and when it did the Patriots were ahead of the game. Ramesh was brought back to continue from where he had been abruptly left off after the excellent first over. However, after Gowtham took a quick single, Harish relished the fuller length balls from an increasingly helpless Ramesh, thumping the ball majestically in the arc from point to long-off. Six, Six, Four, Six, Four - 27 runs from the over and the Patriots were definitely in the hunt. In the midst of that carnage, Harish reached 50 off just 17 balls. 74 for 1 in 6 overs.  141 runs needed in 14.0 overs (84 balls) with 9 wickets remaining. RRR: 10.07

With things getting uncomfortable, Suresh turned to his lynchpin, Asif Iqbal. Asif  managed to hurry the batsmen for pace but still conceded three boundaries to Harish, two of them off thick edges to point and third man and the third an exquisite off drive on the up that simple raced away to the left of long-off. 16 runs in the over. 90 for 1 in 7 overs. 125 runs needed in 13.0 overs (78 balls) with 9 wickets remaining. RRR: 9.62

Suresh brought Jainil back and, by now, the bowler was well into a good rhythm, getting the ball to cut in or swing away from the same spot on the pitch. After two singles, the third ball was pitched on the 5th stump, drawing an ambitious drive from Gowtham. It instead moved away and took the outside edge and swirled up in the air to the Suresh, fielding at point. Suresh and Cornelius (subbing for Ashish) nearly collided on the field but the captain at least held onto the crucial catch! Gowtham had been contained to less than 25 - goal #1 fulfilled.

Gowtham Maranani  c Suresh G b Jainil S  15 (18b 1 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 83.33 

92 for 2 in 7.3 overs

The batsmen crossed over while the catch was being taken and Harish capitalized by brutally smashing a six way over long off to stall the slight shift in momentum. 8 runs in the over. 98 for 2 after 8 overs.

117 runs needed in 12.0 overs (72 balls) with 8 wickets remaining. RRR: 9.75

Suresh Gorantla has reinvented himself as a bowler seemingly on a weekly basis. Each time he comes with more tricks up his sleeve and greater control and variation in his armory. On Sunday, he slowed down the pace and focused on wobbling the ball from outside the off-stump. The very first ball was punched by the new batsman, Achyuth, straight to the cover fielder. For some inexplicable reason (nerves?) Achyuth just took off and did not stop. Unfortunately for him Harish did not budge. Vinoth calmly collected the ball and lobbed it back to Manish to complete the simplest of runouts. 98 for 3 in 8.1 overs

Achyuth Kalluchi  run out (Vinothkumar R/C S M)   0 (1b 0 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 0.00

Bhaskar Setti came to the crease with the required run rate under control and the situation needing his experienced hand. He began in typical style, chipping away singles until Suresh decided to test Bahskar's ability to hit short pitched bowling. Four runs later, Suresh went back to his normal bowling. 9 runs in the over. 107 for 3 in 9 overs.

108 runs needed in 11.0 overs (66 balls) with 7 wickets remaining. RRR: 9.82

The very first ball of the next over by Asif produced a fast bowler's second favorite mode of dismissal. The ball was angled in and landed in line with the stumps, then rose sharply while moving away and squared up Bhaskar, inducing a thick edge that travelled comfortably to Manish behind the stumps. Cheteshwar Pujara woke up in a cold sweat in Surat when the dismissal happened. The Patriots bus was starting to teeter but they still had two good batsmen left. One of them, Kiran Gade, came in and punched an attempted yorker right over the bowler to the straight boundary. The last ball of the over was another short of good length delivery that rose more than anticipated and, unlike earlier deliveries, came in after pitching, cramping Kiran for room. The batsmen  tried to cut the ball, based on the bounce, but the inward movement ensured it caught the inside edge en route to the stumps.

Kiran Gade  b Asif I  5 (4b 1 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 125.00

113 for 5 in 10 overs.  102 runs needed in 10.0 overs (60 balls) with 5 wickets remaining. RRR: 10.20

At the half-way stage of the inning, the Patriots were ahead of where they needed to be. Having scored 113 in 10, they needed fewer in the second half - 102 runs. Unfortunately for them, they had used up 5 wickets to get there. One man stood between NCC and the victory - Harish.

Right after the drinks break, Suresh came back with a plan. Having seen how easily Harish was handling the pace of the faster bowlers, Suresh slowed it down considerably and lobbed it up outside the off-stump. Unable to control himself, Harish reached for the ball and attempted a slog to midwicket. He got more elevation than distance. Ramesh raced in from the boundary, judged the trajectory, slowed down and took the catch reverse cup as it came hurtling back to the earth near the 30 yard flag! Having endured a beating at Harish's hands, Ramesh was relieved to have taken a great catch to end the inning - and deserved all the accolades he received in the huddle.113 for 6. Dagger in the heart of the chase!

Harish Bv  c Ramesh S b Suresh G  78 (31b 7 Fours, 7 Sixers) SR 251.61

By now Suresh was in great rhythm, and ended the over with no further damage. 4 runs in the over with 1 precious wicket. 117 for 6 in 11 overs. 

98 runs needed in 9.0 overs (54 balls) with 4 wickets remaining. RRR: 10.89

Asif continued his good day giving away just six runs, in spite of a boundary that came out of nowhere by Sudhir Kondappali. The other 5 balls were seriously fast and bouncy, more reminiscent of the Asif we have come to expect. 6 runs in the over. 123 for 6 in 12 overs. 

92 runs needed in 8.0 overs (48 balls) with 4 wickets remaining. RRR: 11.50

Suresh bowled an over similar to the previous one wherein one ball was slugged away to the boundary by Vijay Yajjala but all the others were tough to put away, yielding the stray single. 7 runs in the over. 130 for 6 on 13 overs.

85 runs needed in 7.0 overs (42 balls) with 4 wickets remaining. RRR: 12.14

At this point in time, after 13 overs, NCC had also been similarly placed at 134 for 2. Runs-wise there wasn't much separation but the 4 extra wickets were crucial. It is a measure of how devastating Harish's knock was that it wasn't until the 13th over that the Patriots actually fell behind the over-by-over scoring of NCC. 

Vijay Reddy typically opens the bowling for NCC; his strength being the ball that swings in from the 5th stump. Having ceded the new ball to Ashish, Vijay finally came on in the 14th over and had the batsmen in trouble right away, inducing inside edges one after another with his inswing. The fifth ball was pushed out wide, and Sudhir reached for it and sliced it to Jainil, hovering about 3/4ths of the way to the point boundary.

Sudhir Kondapalli  c Jainil S b Vijay R  7 (9b 1 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 77.78

132 for 7 in 13.5 overs. The over was then completed with no further damage to the wickets column. 3 runs in the over. 133 for 7 in 14 overs. 

82 runs needed in 6.0 overs (36 balls) with 3 wickets remaining. RRR: 13.67

Mahek Patel had patiently waited in vain for his turn to bat and then fielded, as usual, with great verve and enthusiasm in the cover region. He was given the 15th over and produced six balls that teased the batsman's outside edge repeatedly. One edge even flew through a vacant second slip area. 4 runs in the over. 137 for 7 in 15 overs.

78 runs needed in 5.0 overs (30 balls) with 3 wickets remaining. RRR: 15.60

Vijay's next over was on the money. The first three balls found his namesake unable to clear the fielders. In desperation, Vijay, the batsman, took off for a nonexistent run off the 4th ball. Vijay, the bowler, calmly collected the ball on the leg-side and threw the wicket down to run out the striker as he ran to the bowler's end.

Vijay Yajjala  run out (Vijay R)   12 (23b 1 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 52.17

137 for 8 in 15.4 overs. Vinod Yarroju threw his bat at the ball and smashed two fours to end the over on a happier note for the Pats. 9 runs in the over. 146 for 8 in 16 overs.

69 runs needed in 4.0 overs (24 balls) with 2 wickets remaining. RRR: 17.25

Sriram Surapaneni came on to bowl his flattish off-spinners. Once upon a time Sriram was not only the captain of NCC but also the leading wicket-taker in the MACL and HCL. Those days are in the past while he focuses on the joys of spending time with a young child at home resulting in sporadic appearances on the cricket field. His over showed NCC what he was capable of with six balls pitched exactly where they used to pitch in his heyday. With no room to swing across the line and no freebies on offer, Vinod tried to manufacture a run but only succeeded in getting Kaushik Chittam run out.

Kaushik Chittam (Super-Sub)  run out (Sriram S)   2 (2b 0 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 100.00

151 for 9 in 16.5 overs. 7 runs in the over. 153 for 9 in 17 overs.

Cornelius Aleti is the oldest player in the MACL. Well into his 60th year, he retains the enthusiasm of a person without the last digit in the age. As the designated 12th man for the match, he came to the ground and when Ashish had to leave, fielded in his place and was rewarded with the 18th over. With one wicket to get, Cornelius delivered just that. Karthik Rao tried to disrupt the rhythm by walking across the stumps. Cornelius was not fooled by it and bowled a straight ball that the batsman missed completely to be bowled.

Karthik Rao  b Cornelius A 1 (4b 0 Fours, 0 Sixers) SR 25.00

3 runs in the over. 156 all out in 17.4 overs. NCC won by 58 runs.

With the win, NCC completed step 1 of the two step journey, reaching the Division II final. More importantly, they finally defeated Patriots after 11 years of futility. While Harish was blazing away the game was in the balance but once his resistance was accounted for, the game was practically over. 

As a bowling unit notorious for bowling wides, NCC bowled just 10 wides in the whole match, none of them went for extra runs. 5 of those wides came after Harish got out in the 11th over (by which time the match had been decided for all practical purposes). The sustained pressure by the bowlers ensured that the Patriots had to score all the runs and not get any free ones to reduce the target.

Batting-wise there were a few heroes. The opening pair of Vijay and Vinoth played it perfectly, carefully seeing off the initial overs before accelerating to 65 for no loss in 8 overs. When Vinoth was second out at 120, it was in the 13th over. The launchpad had been well set and Danial teed off from there with his blazing 50. The Man of the Match was Vinoth Rajendran for his stage-setting inning at the top of the order.

With the IPL-syle format, the Pats can make it back to the final if they beat UNO next Saturday. Either way, the final is going to be one last hurrah for this year's team. Check back in a week or so to find out how it ended.

TMC: Episode 13 - The long kiss goodbye

Welcome to The Midwest Chronicles (TMC). These are the accounts of the exploits of the Nebraska Cricket Club in the 2009 season. To spice up what would otherwise be a routine match report of runs scored, wickets taken, and catches snaffled (or spilled) these posts are being written with a tongue firmly in cheek but with the facts completely in the true. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the meandering show.

Here's a complete guide to the cast of characters and their nicknames. The cast will be updated as players are added or dropped or nicknames changed as the season progresses.

There is no failure except in no longer trying.
- Elbert Hubbard

I don't believe in failure. It's not failure if you enjoyed the process.
- Oprah Winfrey

Success builds character, failure reveals it.
- David Checkett

The final of the CLIA championships was played on a sunny, cloudless but windy day on September 27, 2009. The match was between the Iowa Bulls and the Nebraska Cricket Club. Iowa came into the final carrying 7 differnt batsmen who had made at least one score of 50-plus in the tournament. NCC came in proudly bearing 3 of the top 4 wicket-takers in the league. They had split the regular season series 1-1, with each team losing on its home turf.

Those are the bland facts. The match was anything but that. Here is what happened.

NCC desperately wanted to chase and Bob Loblaw was sent by Captain Ozone to win the toss. Bob lost the toss (big surprise there) but heaved a sigh of relief when the opposing captain chose to bat! NCC went into the match on the tail of a brilliant bowling display in the semi-final, but knowing fully well that the pitch was different, the ground size was different (much smaller boundaries) and that the batting side they were facing was a lot more potent.

Energizer Bunny and Gunmaster G9 opened the attack. Bunny was given the task of keeping things tight at one end while Gunmaster let loose at the other. Aditya and Waqar began extremely aggressively, determined to not let the pacers settle down. In return, Ozone stepped up the ante with an 8-1 field, with the only fielder on the leg-side being a short midwicket. The batsman took on the packed off-side field and utilized the shorter boundaries to good advantage popping the ball up in the air beyond the reach of the fielders whose placement was restricted by having to be inside the 30-yard circle during the first 8 overs. Bunny was unable to get the beautiful outswing that is his trademark and Gunmaster, while fast, was unable to send the batsmen hopping back as he had the previous weekend. After 6 overs the score had raced to 52 for no loss as both openers threw caution to the winds. In a theme that would abound through the day (for both teams), edge after edge landed in untenented areas while well-hit balls went flying over the fielder's heads.

During this mayhem, a very sobering and unfortunate accident happened. Waqar dropped the ball near the wicket and took off for a sharp single. Racing in from point, U-Turn picked up the ball and sent in a quick throw, on the bounce, to the fast-approaching keeper, Bean Counter. The ball hit the edge of the pitch and, with a sickening crunch, smashed into the bridge of Counter's nose. Counter, who wears glasses, got lucky in that the frame took the brunt of the damage but in bending backwards it left a deep cut on his nose. Temporarily unable to see out of one eye, Counter was carted off to an emergency room and Bob Loblaw took over behind the stumps.

Doctor Kamikaze was brought in to stem the tide but was smashed for a huge six over square-leg. Chikna was brought in from the other end and he continued from where he left off last weekend, bringing some sanity back to the proceedings. The score had reached 70 for no loss in 8 overs when Chikna drew first blood. An attempted yorker by Chikna was smashed hard to long-off by Aditya, where a prowling Thin Man calmly took the catch a few yards inside the fence. One down but the big guns were still to come!

Utpal Patel, by consensus the best overall batsman (and the most consistent with 8 fifties in this year's edition of the tournament), walked in to the perfect platform. 22 overs to go, score already at 70. Ozone countered by bringing on Bhishma to partner Chikna as NCC eschewed a safety-first approach in order to snare the big fish. Refusing to crowd the boundary with fielders Ozone kept the fielders in, inviting UP to hit over them to get runs. For a while this kept UP quiet as he played out the on-target balls while taking singles when possible, especially against Bhishma, who was clearly relishing his clash with UP.

After 12 overs the score had reached 84 for 1 when Gunmaster was brought back into the attack for the second time. The first ball he bowled was launched by UP into long-on where Energizer covering about 15-20 yards pulled off a well-judged running catch. Two balls later, Gunmaster bowled a bouncer that nearly decapitated Mihir on the way to the keeper. Everyone and their uncle knew the next ball would be a yorker. In spite of that, Mihir was unable to get his bat down in time and was out LBW before the ball had even stopped rolling. NCC was beginning to claw its way back into the game.

Saket Pradhan, the most dangerous batsman in the league for his propensity to hit big sizes and even bigger scores, was still around and getting his wicket was key. Showing his might, Saket calmly picked up Gunmaster and twice hit the ball way behind the long-off fielder's head and then repeated the punishment to Chikna. Drinks were taken after 15 overs with the Bulls ominously placed at 98 for 3 with Saket still at the crease.

After drinks, Ozone turned to Kamikaze and Bhishma at one end while rotating his faster bowlers - Gunmaster and Chikna - from the other. While all this was going on, the opening batsman Waqar had settled down after his blazing start and was looking to simply hold one end up. Time after time, Bhishma tempted him with juicy offerings but the batsman, mindful of the stakes, defended them away. One ball even nudged the off-stump on the way to the keeper but Waqar survived when the bails did not fall. Bhishma's excellent analyses of 6-0-25-1 tells only half the tale. While his economy rate was excellent, his ability to keep the batsmen quiet is a very underrated aspect of his bowling and every ball he bowled was watched carefully by the batsmen content to just play him away.

Just when it looked like Saket was going to race away to a big score, he got too cute and tried to nudge a straight delivery from Kamikaze to the leg-side and when he missed the ball, the pad got in the way of it hitting the stumps. The umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger and the big man was gone! 33 runs in 22 balls with 3 sixes and 1 four was his contribution to the batting card but his exit meant that the Bulls had opened the door slightly, and NCC, not always the politest of guests, came roaring back in.

In the next over bowled by Kamikaze, Waqar finally lost his cool and attempted a cross-batted swipe. Waqar missed, but Kamikaze did not, hitting the middle of middle stump. Manish (the Bulls player not the insignificant scribe) spent some time swiping runs where he could but he was fast running out of partners as the NCC bowlers began to prise them out one after the other. Here's a speed read through the rest of the card:

Shiva was cleaned up by a Chikna yorker.
Anand was trapped LBW off U-Turn's bowling.
Viru was caught by Bhishma (a sharp chance at square-leg off a fast traveling ball).
Manish (yes, the Bulls player) was caught by Thin Man (on the second attempt) at long-off off Bhishma.
Anshul was the second LBW victim and the last wicket of the innings.

In 28.4 overs, the Iowa Bulls were all out for 178. From 70 for no loss after 8 overs, getting them all out for 108 additional runs in 20 overs constituted a determined fightback by the regular season champions.With the asking rate almost 6 per over, both teams went into the second half feeling like they had a more than even chance of pulling it off.

But before we get to that, for one last time, let's find out a little more about the world that we live in (or not). Since it is the final report of TMC, here's a super-sized list for your reading pleasure.

• Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.

• Average number of people airborne over the US in any given hour: 61,000.

• Salt is the only edible rock.

• In order for a deck of cards to be mixed up enough to play with properly, it should be shuffled at least seven times.

• The average person over fifty will have spent 5 years waiting in lines.

• On average, most people button their shirt upwards.

• The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.

• There are more people alive today, than have EVER died!

• A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time equal to 1/100th of a second.

• If smoke does not rise straight up, but flows away horizontally, you can expect rain.

• Windmills always turn counter-clockwise--except for the windmills in Ireland.

• Traveling by air is statistically the safest means of transportation.

• A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

• The only 15-letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.

• The pound sign on a telephone is called a octothorp.

• The New Hampshire license plates, whose slogan is "Live Free or Die." are manufactured by prisoners in the state prison in Concord.

• The longest one-syllable word in the English language is screeched.

• Monday is an awful way to spend 14.3% of your life.

• The average person speaks about 31,500 words per day.  (Bob Loblaw speaks a few more than that).

• When the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers play football at home, the stadium becomes the state's third largest city.

• February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

• A rainbow can occur only when the sun is 40 degrees or less above the horizon.

• Personal letters make up only 5% of the mail delivered by the U.S postal Service.

• Only 55% of Americans know that the sun is a star.

• The official name of the St. Louis Gateway Arch is The Jefferson National Expansion Monument.

• A repeat from an earlier report: 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321.

• During an average lifetime, a man will spend 3,350 hours removing 8.4 meters of stubble when he shaves.

• A tenth of the 7 million tons of rice grown in the U.S. each year goes into the making of beer.

• The average adult spends about 12 minutes in the shower.

• The average woman consumes 6 lbs of lipstick in her lifetime.

The Iowa Bulls are the only team in the league to feature a double left-arm seam opening attack. Anand and James began the proceedings against Chikna and Bhishma. The duo looked totally relaxed and unhurried by either bowler and the score progressed calmly for the first 5 overs or so, with both batsmen looking mainly for one's and two's. In the 6th over, James produced a beauty - a ball that pitched outside the off-stump and jagged back in through Bhishma's defenses to end his composed innings (9 runs in 18 balls, 26 for 1).

Fresh off an unbeaten 103 in a local match the previous day, Chikna looked in ominous touch once he got into the stride of things. He nonchalantly stepped down the wicket to hit a straight drive over the bowler's (Anand) head to the boundary. Then, a few balls later he took an attempted bouncer and dropped it in near the tennis court beyond the midwicket boundary. However, almost immediately after that Chikna got into a heated argument with the opposition bowler and the umpires over some heckling from spectators watching the game. To the dismay (but no surprise) of his teammates, he got out the very next ball, tamely pulling a short ball to the square-leg fielder. A promising innings ended in a dispiriting whimper (22 runs in 21 balls, 1 four, 1 six).

Kingsize and Thin Man steadied the nerves in the dressing room by looking mostly for singles as the Bulls switched to a double spin attack. Let me rephrase it: the Bulls switched to a double slow bowling attack. Appearing to take cues from Mamu's successful bowling style, Aditya and Anshul threw the ball up in the air, taking away all the speed, and waited for the batsmen to get out in trying to hit the ball out of the park. For a long time Thin Man and Kingsize resisted all impulses but there were signs of them, especially Kingsize, getting fidgety that the boundaries were not coming. Thin Man took matters head-on after settling down with singles, smashing two fours to the straight boundary and two huge sixes over square-leg. With Thin Man going strong, what Kingsize needed to do was settle down and give him the strike and he looked to be doing just that when he got excited and pulled a short ball straight to the deep square-leg fielder...who dropped a sitter! Even as the spectators were chiding the fielder for having "dropped the match", Kingsize tried to cut another ball and popped up a simple catch to the gully fielder. This time there was no mistake and at the stroke of the drinks break, NCC had suffered a needless setback (12 runs in 20 balls, 1 four, 77 for 3 in 14.5 overs).

102 runs needed in 91 balls, 7 wickets hand: Advantage NCC.

After the drinks break, Thin Man continued where he had left off  and thumped a couple of boundaries.  However, the next ball spelled doom when he tried to simply nurdle the ball past the midwicket fielder for a single. Instead the ball took the leading edge and James took three steps to his left and was fully airborne when he grasped the chance (33 runs in 26 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes). It is on such little gems that big games hinge.

78 balls, 85 runs to get, 6 wickets in hand: Game on!

For a few overs Kamikaze and Bunny took their time, gently taking singles and playing away the last of the slow poison coming their way. After 21 overs the score was 103 for 4; 54 balls, 76 runs to get, advantage shifting slightly towards the Bulls.

In the 22nd over, UP turned to Saket, having decided that slow bowling was the way to go. Saket, who can generously be called a slow-turning leg-spinner, is the type of bowler you can easily get 6-8 runs an over from without sweating too much. His 4th ball was an innocuous little straight one that Bunny did not offer a shot to and the umpire had no hesitation in adjudging him LBW. Padding up to a ball is mistake in judgement that Bunny has made in the past but for the first time this season it caught up to him and, that too, at the most inopportune time. While the ball may have been missing the stumps, it is a different matter that a man with such abundant batting skills should easily be able to defend a ball with his bat and not his pad. Bringing the umpire's judgement into the equation was a huge mistake. (By the way, Law 36.1d (ii) clearly states that the umpire was absolutely correct in giving him out). (12 runs in 20 balls, 1 four).

106 for 5 in 21.4 overs. 50 balls, 73 runs, 5 wickets in hand: advantage Bulls.

The last ball of Saket's first over brought even more disaster for NCC. Kamikaze inner-edged a ball onto his pads and, even as the bowler and fielders were appealing with all their might, wandered out of the crease indicating with his bat that he had touched it. Unfortunately for him, the point fielder swooped down on the ball and threw down the stumps as Kamikaze scrambled back desperately. Run-out! (7 runs in 14 balls).

108 for 6 in 22 overs. 48 balls, 71 runs to win, 4 wickets in hand.

Counter and Bob Loblaw were now at the crease. Counter, back from the emergency room with 3 stitches on the bridge of his nose and nursing a huge headache, was unable to see out of his left eye so he took up a pronounced two-eyed stance in a mirror image of Shiv Chanderpaul.

(Photo from CricInfo).

Aditya's last over was bound to feature a few faster ones, aimed at slipping through Counter's defenses, and he managed just that after Counter had taken him for a couple of hits through mid-wicket. Counter was out LBW and NCC's innings was now in total disarray. (4 runs in 6 balls).

113 for 7 in 23 overs. 42 balls, 66 runs to win, 3 wickets in hand.

Gunmaster and Bob began to take singles and looked to not take any further risks just yet. However, they survived a couple of close calls and a attempted quick single to short third man found Gunmaster just short of his crease. (3 runs in 6 balls).

120 for 8 in 24.3 overs. 33 balls, 59 runs to win, 2 wickets.

U-Turn and Bob had both batted up the order in other matches during the season so to call them tailenders would be a fallacy but the Bulls were not aware of it and began to celebrate a little prematurely. The trash-talking went up a notch and the duo decided on a simple plan - get as close to the target as possible in the next three overs, in order to swing for the fences in the last two. What followed for the next three overs was just that. Placing the ball repeatedly into the gaps, the duo began to slice away at the target without taking any risks. In the process the pressure began to tell on the fielders who got itchy as the runs added up. U-Turn picked up an over-pitched ball from Saket and thumped it to the cover boundary to add insult to pressure. In the 27th over, U-Turn tried to pull a short ball from outside the stumps but only managed to send it high up to very short gully. The ball was swirling in the strong breeze and UP, of all people, dropped the sitter. Ever watchful, the batsmen crossed over for two runs while the Bulls were looking at each other with the ball just a few feet from the wickets. (Yes, friends, the words "son, you just dropped the game" were picked up by the non-existent stump microphones).

At this point in time, an old injury flared up when Bob pulled his hamstring muscle and Bunny had to come in as his runner. Running between the wickets is the least practiced aspect of cricket and communication involving a runner is even less so. Unfortunately for NCC, Bunny and U-Turn got into a hopeless tangle and U-Turn was run-out when he was sent back while attempting a second run!! (17 runs in 14 balls).

150 for 9 in 27.4 overs. 14 balls, 29 runs to win.

The two oldest guys were now at the crease with Ozone joining Loblaw. The last two balls were played away calmly for a single (Loblaw) and a double (Ozone).

153 for 9 in 28 overs. 12 balls, 26 runs to win.

UP took it upon himself to bowl the pivotal over of the inning, the 29th. The first ball was on a good length targeting off-stump. Swinging with the line, Loblaw hit the sweetest straight shot imaginable, and the ball flew all the way over long-on for an uplifting six. Suddenly, it was now 11 balls to go, 20 runs to get. Bob and Ozone calmly exchanged singles off the next two balls to bring it to 9 balls, 18 runs to win. The fourth ball was a splendid yorker that Bob tapped back to UP. Dot ball! The fifth ball was a repeat of the first ball, but slightly shorter in length. The shorter length forced Bob to swing more across the line and his swing missed the ball - bowled (19 runs in 16 balls, with 1 six)!!

161 all out in 28.5 overs. 8 balls left, 17 runs short.

With that, the Iowa Bulls had scaled the peak that had been in sight for so long - CLIA champions! In a display of all-round teamwork, they proved to be the better knit unit on the day and deserved their triumph. NCC was left with the wreckage of a second straight disappointment in the final of the CLIA league championship, a bitter pill to swallow for everyone involved, both players and ardent supporters.

When U-Turn and Bob Loblaw got together they showed that the runs could be had with a little control of the strike. This is their scoring chart:
U-Turn: **1142211221W
Bob Loblaw: 211**121111161W

The duo put on 30 runs in 19 balls and while Bob was at the crease the team put on 53 runs in 40 balls. Sadly, this 9th wicket partnership was the second-highest of the day for NCC, showing where the game had slipped away, with no real partnerships developing to put the Bulls bowlers under the cosh.

The long drive back to Omaha was initially filled with remorse over the golden chance that had been wasted. But, as Des Mines faded into the distance, the conversations turned to what had been accomplished in the season and the positives from the season. Counting the playoffs, NCC had played 14 matches, and lost just 4. Numerous exciting moments had been experienced, and countless fun-filled experiences shared. Like all seasons, this one featured moments of pure joy and frustration in equal measure but coming up just 17 runs short at the end of a 4 month season is a lot better than many other teams can claim.

As the days pass by the pain of the defeat still lingers but the happier moments are starting to make their way through. 2009 did not have the perfect ending for NCC, but the ride was an enjoyable one and that, as they say, is the real deal.

(With that, I end The Midwest Chronicles. If you are still reading this, I am hopeful that you had some fun along the way and I thank you for your support, both vocal and silent. Stay tuned for the top 10 fun moments of the 2009 season).

TMC: Episode 12 - Victory parade

Welcome to The Midwest Chronicles (TMC). These are the accounts of the exploits of the Nebraska Cricket Club in the 2009 season. To spice up what would otherwise be a routine match report of runs scored, wickets taken, and catches snaffled (or spilled) these posts are being written with a tongue firmly in cheek but with the facts completely in the true. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the meandering show.

Here's a complete guide to the cast of characters and their nicknames. The cast will be updated as players are added or dropped or nicknames changed as the season progresses.

Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing-the result.
- Vince Lombardi

Whether you think you can and whether you think you cannot - you are right.
Henry Ford.

For the third time this season Cedar Rapids All-stars and NCC met, this time in Omaha. The winner would reach the finals of the CLIA championship while the loser would go home wondering how a season that promised so much ended so soon.

CRA won the toss and elected to bat. What followed can be described using the most banal cricketing cliches or in focused Reacher-like paragraphs. I shall use the second option.

The key to a fast bowler's success is footwork and an easy, relaxed run-up. Unless the bowler is comfortable at the point he leaps to the crease, all other aspects of his bowling suffer. It is not uncommon for batsmen to talk about going into a "zone". It is fun to watch batsmen enter the zone, so to speak. But when a fast bowler enters the zone there isn't a more exciting sight in all of cricket. On September 20th, 2009, Gunmaster G9 entered the zone and by the time he was done with his spell, CRA innings was shattered beyond repair.

Bowling faster than I can ever recall seening him bowl before, Gunmaster kept beating the batsmen who were unsure which direction the ball was swinging after pitching. Moreover, by the time they got the bat down, the ball was thudding into Bean Counter's gloves behind the stumps. Time after time, the force of the ball caused Counter to jump off the ground to corral it. Gunmaster is the antithesis of a fast bowler in that the next word he utters on a field will be the first word he does. There is no glaring at the batsman, no histrionics, no prolonged appealing whatsover. Looking at him gives no clue as to the outcome of the ball. Ram, CRA's most accomplished batsman, was clueless about the bowling and the 3rd ball of the innings was the first one that he even got his bat to touch - that was an inner-edge that barely cleared leg-stump. One ball later, Gunmaster broke through Ram's defenses more comprehensively and rattled the stumps.

At the other end, Energizer Bunny was strangely listless. Trundling up the crease in a shadow of his usual self he bowled many wides (12 in all in just 4 overs). Fortunately, when he did get the ball on the right line he was unplayable and the CRA batsmen, particularly Mamu and Abdul just looked to preserve wickets.

The first runs from the bat did not come till the 5th over of the innings. The only thing nudging the score forward were the wides being bowled. With the batsmen showing no signs of taking on Gunmaster, Captain Ozone set an incredible field for a game played at a club level. Only two fielders were front of square - one at short cover and one at short-midwicket. The rest of the fielders were in the slip-gully-third man region. On the occasional occasion the batsmen managed to play more than a defensive shot, the ball invariably found one of the two fielders in front of square.

Agonizing over after agonizing over followed as Mamu and Abdul couldn't find a run no matter how hard they tried, until Gunmaster ended Mamu's stay with a ball that was deflected down the leg-side only for Counter to pull of a sharp catch going to his left. 2 runs in 27 tells the tale of agony that Mamu endured.

Abdul did not fare much better either. After 4 overs, Bunny was replaced by Kingsize Dada and the big unit struck right away trapping Abdul in front of the stumps. (You know it is a plumb LBW when the batting team's umpire gives it in these leagues!). Abdul's contribution to the proceedings were 5 scratchy singles in 28 balls.

After the 11th over, Gunmaster's spell was done. Breathing fire till the end he ensured that CRA's hopes were severely dented. It is not often that a bowler's analyses truly indicates how well (or badly) he bowled. However, 6 overs, 1 maiden, 8 runs, 2 wickets is as good an indicator as you can get.

While CRA did not lose too many wickets to Gunmaster, the tone had been set for the rest of the innings. Sensing a chance to make inroads into the batting line-up, Ozone turned to his second-fastest bowler - Chikna Slater. Making a comeback into the team after a disciplinary issue-related hiatus, Chikna set about ensuring that Gunmaster's fury was not in vain. Mike Strydon, CRA's biggest middle-order hope (psychologically as well as physically) defended for dear life as ball after ball homed in on his stumps. The one time CHikna landed a shorter one, Mike effortlessly pulled him away to the mid-wicket boundary. Chastened by that, Chikna resumed his unrelenting attack on the stumps. Something was bound to give and, not surprisingly, Mike's stumps went for a toss when a peach-perfect yorker went right through his tentative forward prod (4 runs in 18 balls).

Manumeet Bhatia began to swing his bat at everything, a heartening display of taking on the bowling, but it was not accompanied by much success. Swinging at every ball is fine if you are connecting. When you are not it makes for some awkward moments. Fortunately for NCC, Bhatia's attempt to find the mid-wicket fence only resulted in a pop-up. Ozone saw the ball go up and quickly looked down to see who the fielder was. As soon as he realized Bhishma was after it, he relaxed. Bhishma, the safest fielder on the NCC team, backpedaled from mid-on. Making a difficult catch look simple, Bhishma took the over-the-shoulder catch (a la Kapil Dev) and seconds later was smothered by the captain leaping into his arms.



Murtaza struck two lusty blows, clearing the fence with one, but by now the NCC tails were up and the attack was relentless. Murtaza swung hard at Chikna and lost his stumps (11 runs in 25 balls). Alok tried to square-cut the first ball he faced and the extra pace from Chikna did him no favors, Thin Man gobbled up the easy offering at point.

With that Chikna's fiery spell came to an end - 6-0-21-4, with the big blot being the 10 wides he sent down. Keeping the pressure up at the other end while Chikna was wrecking havoc was Bhishma with his unique mix of sliders and low bouncing-scudders to the tune of 5-0-19-0.

Smelling blood in the water, Ozone turned to his closers - Doctor Kamikaze and U-Turn. The duo specializes in bleeding all the pace out of the ball while targeting the stumps. Ashok could not resist the Kamikaze temptation to send the ball into orbit and his high, arching pop-up was comfortably taken by, who else, Bhishma. A ball later the CRA captain, Senthi, actually managed to connect well with the ball. The ball traveled all the way to deep midwicket, where Thin Man took the overhead catch about a yard inside the fence. Kamikaze: 3-0-13-2.

The final nail in the coffin was struck when U-Turn drew Venkat out of the crease and beat him for pace (or lack thereof) giving Counter a chance to procure the first stumping of his career. U-Turn: 2.2-0-6-1.

With that CRA was all out for just 99 runs in 29.2 overs. The blot on the otherwise splendid bowling card were the whopping 37 wides bowled by the bowlers.

And now, here comes the much-awaited section of the TMC match reports. Let's take a break to appreciate some of the lesser known things about the world around us.

The average person is about a quarter of an inch taller at night.

The Statue of Liberty is not in New York state, but in New Jersey.

There are 20,000 living organisms in a glass of water.

Every day the Earth travels 12 Million Miles.

Every diamond, no matter how big, is only one molecule.

It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with footballs for one season.

Baby giraffes drop 6 feet to the ground when they're born.

Thunder is caused by air rushing into the vacuum created by lightening...you can't have thunder without lightening.

Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.

No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.

A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.

For the first time all season a team batting first had been nailed for under 100 runs by the bowling squad. Surely the chase would be a formality, right? But never underestimate the prowess of the NCC in making things more difficult than they should be.

Kamikaze and Bhishma went in with instructions to not hang around and prolong the chase. Seeing them come in, Senthil threw a curveball and after Abdul's opening over gave Mamu the ball. I have described Mamu's unique bowling style elsewhere so I will just repeat what I wrote then:
Mamu (no one seems to know his real name) is a bowler who was probably the rage a hundred years ago. He walks up to the wicket and let's the ball go with exaggerated flight. His ball does not spin after it lands but it always lands on a good length spot, teasing the batsman into stepping out of the crease. The ball takes a good 2-3 seconds to reach the batsman and is just the first step in the trap. He always bowls with a packed leg-side field with at least 2-3 fielders on the boundary waiting for that lofted hit. But the real danger is lurking much closer. Should the batsman step out of the crease and miss the ball, he may as well keep walking. Behind the stumps lies the biggest danger - Mike Strydom. This South African, big and strong as you might imagine, is also the best wicket-keeper in the league and possesses the fastest reflexes of any keeper most of us have seen in person. The square-leg umpires get a lot of workout when Mike is standing up to the stumps.

It did not take long for Mamu to make his mark. Two balls into his spell, he got Kamikaze to try an extravagant cut shot, only to top edge it to a waiting gully fielder. Soon after, Mamu got the big gun - Bhishma - trapped LBW while trying to paddle a ball to the leg-side. Before that happened, the first signs that things may not be going as planned occurred when a hard-hit straight drive by Bhishma was deflected onto the stumps by the bowler to find Kingsize out of his crease,runout in the most tragic way imaginable. Now, with Bhishma also gone, it was three down for next to nothing.

At this point, Senthil came on to continue the slow bowling trend, treating the crowd to his expert mix of leg-spinners, googlies, and sliders. To counter this unexpected mode of attack, Ozone promoted himself up the order, joining Thin Man at the crease. Stepping out of the crease and calmly playing the ball straight down the ground Ozone began to ease some of the nerves in the NCC camp. Emboldened by this, Thin Man thumped Senthil for a humungous six that bounced on the road beyond the ground at mid-wicket. Two fours later, the nerves were eased even further. And then Senthil struck. Ozone ventured out of the crease, did not reach the pitch of the ball, and before he had turned, Mike had snapped off the bails.

Counter went in with instructions to take his time (not that he needs these instructions) and he did. However, at the other end, Senthil produced a picture-perfect leg-break to bamboozle Thin Man's defensive shot and take out off stump. In the very next over, Bunny's half-forward offering to an Ashok ball that swung in and then seamed out cost him dearly, losing his stumps in the process.

Chikna did not hang around too long either. Right after a wild swing connected nothing but air, Chikna repeated the feat and the high, swirling catch was taken by Senthil at gully. 7 wickets down and about 30-40 runs to get, 3 wickets in hand. A humdinger that should never have been had now entered humdinger status.

Every subsequent run was cheered with a fervor usually reserved for boundaries by the batting side while every dot ball was treated like a wicket by the bowling team. Luckily for NCC, at the crease were the two most unruffled batsmen in the team - Counter and U-Turn. Slowly, but surely, the duo inched their way towards the target, eschewing risky shots and playing out Mamu and Senthil's final arrows. With less than 15 runs needed to win, Counter blundered by trying to cut hard at a wide ball, only managing a top-edge to Mamu. By then Counter had played a great hand - 23 runs in 32 balls - but the door to victory had not been prised open completely.

With mounting pressure and only Johnnie Walker to follow, Gunmaster did not even try to score runs, content to block out every ball he faced. At the other end, U-Turn took his time, defending any ball on the stumps, but thrashing two bad balls - one to the fence and one for three runs to bring NCC to the verge of victory.

The first ball of the 25th over was a full toss no-ball that U-Turn gleefully deposited to the fine-leg boundary to bring up the winning runs. Without Counter's calmness and U-Turn's determined batting this one may have gone away from NCC. For many games U-Turn has been struggling with developing a batting identity and he may just have found one - late innings closer.

Mamu (6-1-16-2) and Senthil (6-0-23-2) were the pick of the CRA bowlers but even their best efforts came short. With the narrow two-wicket win, NCC made it through to the finals. Waiting for them were the Iowa Bulls, who thrashed the defending champions - Elite CC - in a convincing manner in the first semi-final, successfully chasing down a target of 134 losing just 2 wickets in the process.

The final would pit the league's best batting outfit (Iowa) against the league's best bowling outfit (Nebraska) - a battle worthy of the occasion.

The match report for that game will come up shortly...

TMC: Episode 11 - Icing on the cake

Welcome to The Midwest Chronicles (TMC). These are the accounts of the exploits of the Nebraska Cricket Club in the 2009 season. To spice up what would otherwise be a routine match report of runs scored, wickets taken, and catches snaffled (or spilled) these posts are being written with a tongue firmly in cheek but with the facts completely in the true. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the meandering show.

Here's a complete guide to the cast of characters and their nicknames. The cast will be updated as players are added or dropped or nicknames changed as the season progresses.

Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.
Navjot Singh Sidhu

It is an uncommon man that does not flinch at the altar of success.
Richard Fortwin (JQ to some)

The Cedar Rapids All-Stars and NCC traveled across the great state of Iowa to Ames for the final game of the regular season. A lot of things rode on this game. For NCC, a win would ensure that they led the regular season standings for the second year in a row and a home semifinal in Nebraska. A loss could put them in the prickly position of having to travel to Iowa for a semi-final outing, pending some other results. For CRA, a loss would not be earth-shattering as they still had another game to go but a win could propel them into the top three and help them not have to travel all the way to Omaha for the semi-finals.

Are you still with me after all that? Well, permutations and combinations mean nothing once the games are played. Here is the report.

CRC's captain Senthil won the toss and elected to chase. Captain Ozone sent in Thin Man to provide some thrust and, in a move from left field, sent in Johnny Walker with him. Johnny had never previously batted higher than #9 in any game but has the unique distinction of being the only left-hander in the squad.

Thin Man began with a trademark six over long-on but even in the short time he was at the crease he looked a little out of sorts. Not surprisingly, he out soon after playing well over a simple, straight delivery by Abdul. 11 runs in 8 balls with 1 six pretty much tells the story there.

Bean Counter and Walker set about accumulating runs with some very brisk running between the wickets. Neither of them is a threat to pepper the boundary, least of all when the grass is tall enough to cover people's ankles. In spite of that, Counter did manage a brilliant hook shot for four when Aamir pitched it short. But that was to be the only shot hit in rage for a while. The duo put up a decent partnership, but not at any great rate, and eventually Counter perished to a weak shot to the gully fielder. His contribution was 17 runs in 35 balls.

Bhishma, making a return to the ground where he sealed a win over ISU, did not last for long, adjudged LBW to Abdul while attempting a flick/pull/sweep shot that is unique to him. Following him soon after was Walker, out for 16 runs (23 balls) when he hit a flat shot straight to the mid-wicket fielder who caught it more out of self-preservation than anything else. Until then Walker looked unhurried and *gasp* elegant in the way he dealt with all the bowlers. There is some batting potential in the guy after all.

Kingsize Dada and Energizer Bunny staged a mini-partnership where they tried to steady the boat that had been rocked by the previous batsmen's mistakes more than anything else. At this point, Senthil and Mamu began bowling in tandem. This requires a separate paragraph of its own.

Mamu (no one seems to know his real name) is a bowler who was probably the rage a hundred years ago. He walks up to the wicket and let's the ball go with exaggerated flight. His ball does not spin after it lands but it always lands in a good length spot, teasing the batsman into stepping out of the crease. The ball takes a good 2-3 seconds to reach the batsman and is just the first step in the trap. He always bowls with a packed leg-side field with at least 2-3 fielders on the boundary waiting for that lofted hit. But the real danger is lurking much closer. Should the batsman step out of the crease and miss the ball, he may as well keep walking. Behind the stumps lies the biggest danger - Mike Strydom. This South African, big and strong as you might imagine, is also the best wicket-keeper in the league and possesses the fastest reflexes of any keeper most of us have seen in person. The square-leg umpire gets a lot of workout when Mike is standing up to the stumps.

Senthil, on the other hand, is that rare delight - a leg-spinner with control. In the opinion of most folks in the league, he is the best spinner around and teams are content to play out his assorted mixture of leg-spinners, top-spinners, googlies, and the faster one. This day, Senthil had another added incentive - he needed two wickets to achieve a personal milestone of 100 wickets in the league. By the time he was done bowling he had not only accomplished that goal, he blew past by a pair.

Kingsize Dada and Bunny removed any risky shots from their arsenal, but the battle of patience was won by Senthil. With just a ball to go for the drinks break, Kingsize could not resist trying to hit a googly to the vacant deep square-leg region. Unfortunately he forgot one vital component - connecting with the ball. LBW and victim number 99 was in the books.

After the drinks break Doctor Kamikaze played an innings that is entirely his domain - full of thumping heaves and airy swishes. You can accuse the man of anything but you can never accuse him of not swinging out of his skin every time he wants to hit. Unfortunately for him, on this day, he mainly made contact with the air around him. 11 airy-fairy runs later he walked back, another victim of the Mamu slow-death.

Captain Ozone and Bunny then showed the rest how to play the spinners, repeatedly advancing down the wicket to smother the spin and steal at least a run every ball. Soon, unable to stem the flow and frustrated about not being able to make further inroads, Senthil took himself out of the attack. Mamu went through his overs without further damage....or so it seemed until his last over where, as a final act, he got Ozone to reach for the ball and spoon an easy catch to cover (12 runs in 15 balls).

Seeing the procession of batsmen retiring to the pavilion, Bunny turned on the after-burners and began to hit out. When he plays without thinking, Bunny is devastatingly good. On this day, he eschewed the predetermined nonsense that plagues him and displayed his vast skills. Twice he stepped down the wicket and slammed Mamu and Senthil over long-on for a six. When Senthil left, and Mike and Singh tried their hand, he waited for the ball and creamed boundaries to cover and midwicket.

Running out of ideas to stop Bunny, Senthil came back. Bunny misjudged the bounce and spin of a googly and was out LBW for 49 (3 fours, 2 sixes, 35 balls) giving Senthil his 100th wicket. What a worthy opponent he had snared, making the memory even more...err...memorable for him.

After than the innings folded very quickly. U-Turn remained not out on 0, Gunmaster G9 gave Senthil his 101st wicket and not to be left behind, Little Boy got bowled swinging across the line to become victim #102.

NCC had scored just 149 runs in 29.3 overs. Definitely about 100 less they wanted to before the game started based upon the outstanding batting line-up they had. Mamu's analyses were: 6-0-26-3, while Senthil had even more outstanding numbers: 4.5-1-23-4. Not to be forgotten in this is Abdul's initial burst that slowed the run-rate: 6-1-18-3.

As always, here comes the much-awaited section of the TMC match reports. Let's now take a break to appreciate some of the less known things about the world around us.

• The pig is the only animal besides a human that can get a sunburn.

• You can boil water in a paper bag over an open flame.

• An average American spends 6 months of his life waiting at red lights.

• If you toss a penny 10000 times, it will not be heads 5000 times, but more like 4950. The heads picture weighs more, so it ends up on the bottom.

• The average ear of corn has eight-hundred kernels arranged in sixteen rows.

• A housefly's tastebuds are in its feet.

• Shrimp can only swim backwards.

There is only one way to defend a small total - bowl the opposition out. Ozone opened the bowling with Gunmaster and Bunny. While Bunny settled into a beautiful rhythm, bowling out-swingers and in-swingers seemingly at will, Gunmaster appeared more labored in his run-up. Sure enough, four overs into his spell, Gunmaster pulled up lame with a side strain that required immediate rest. The CRA batsmen - Mamu and Alok looked to consolidate before opening out. However, a piece of brilliant fielding undid their plans. In taking a sharp run, Mamu-Alok underestimated Thin Man's throwing arm. A "tracer bullet" from Thin Man found the stumps and Mamu's inning ended even before he started.

Abdul has never impressed me as a batsman who can do more than just block the ball. His 14 ball innings did nothing to dispel that notion and he was out to a sharp catch by Bunny off Bhishma's accurate medium-paced top spinners (there really is no other way to describe what he bowls). Bhsihma took over from Gunmaster and tightened the screws in an outstanding spell of controlled bowling.

Mike Strydom patted away the good balls and swatted the erring ones with ferocious power. With Alok stroking it smoothly through the off-side and Mike looking ominous, frowns started creasing some of the NCC foreheads. Bunny finished his spell with a flurry of runs showing signs of losing control once the ball lost its shine. He still ended up with fine numbers for the day: 6-0-21-1.

Kamikaze and Bhishma gave little away and forced the batsmen in taking more risks than they really wanted to with the small score they had to chase. Mike Strydom tried one shot too many and was out LBW to Kamikaze and the first nail in the CRA coffin had been struck.

Aamer and Murtaza then decided to throw caution to the winds and swung high and mightily at everything sent their way and began to take the game away once again. Three sixes, one four, and numerous half-chances later, Bhishma forced his way back into the game castling Aamer in his final over to revive NCC's hopes (32 runs in 28 balls, 1 four, 2 sixes).

U-Turn got into the act with his bowling getting Senthil to loft it towards Walker at deep mid-off. Back-peddling for dear life Walker pulled off a stunning overhead catch to herald the start of a great finish for NCC. That was the invitation Kamikaze needed to put his stamp on the game. Bowling his stump-to-stump line he invited batsmen to swing across the line and pay the price for it. Two fellows hit it high up towards deep midwicket where U-Turn took two nerveless catches and in between those catches a third guy lost his stumps.

Kamikaze finished with 5-0-23-3 while Bhishma had an outstanding game - 6-1-12-2. CRA was all out for 119.

With that NCC was assured of topping the regular season table and went into the semi-finals in a good mood. The opponents? The 4th ranked team in the league...the very same Cedar Rapids Allstars!

Would it be third time lucky for CRA or would NCC continue to dominate the Iowans this year. Time (and my next match report) will tell.

TMC: Episode 10 - Heating up

Welcome to The Midwest Chronicles (TMC). These are the accounts of the exploits of the Nebraska Cricket Club in the 2009 season. To spice up what would otherwise be a routine match report of runs scored, wickets taken, and catches snaffled (or spilled) these posts are being written with a tongue firmly in cheek but with the facts completely in the true. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the meandering show.

Here's a complete guide to the cast of characters and their nicknames. The cast will be updated as players are added or dropped or nicknames changed as the season progresses.

The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.
- Dale Carnegie

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven for?
- Robert Browning

With the regular season reaching winding down, 'tis the time for return engagements. This time it was NCC's turn to visit the Iowa Bulls. In the first game of the season Iowa had steamrolled to an embarrasingly easy victory.

For a change, Captain Ozone won the toss. The skies were clear, the temperature was hovering in the mid-80's (and would go on to cross 100 by mid-afternoon), the humidity was over 80% and Ozone had no hesitation is asking Iowa to put up a big total...errr...bat first.

Bhishma returned to the line-up along with Gunmaster G9. And for the first time this season Bean Counter (Nirmal Srinivasan) made an appearance. Counter is a long-time stalwart who has been missing in action this season as he writes his dissertation (PhD). The casualty of this influx of big guns was the 12th man, Bob Loblaw, who still managed to sneak a foot into this game...read on to find out how.

Gunmaster and Energizer opened the attack and were quite fast and swinging the ball well. But a couple of overs each was all they got as Damian, in a policy he adopted all day, shunted his bowlers around in 2 over spells (barring one bowler, Bhishma, who bowled 6 overs on the trot). Doctor Kamikaze was the first to draw blood, inducing the opener to chase a wide ball. The resulting top edge was comfortably pouched by Little Boy behind the stumps. Soon after the other opener made the mistake of testing Thin Man's throwing ability, perishing to a brilliant throw from deep fine-leg by the underrated fielder. The third wicket fell when the next batsman pushed Bhishma's first ball tamely to short mid-off where Johnnie Walker held a sharp chance.

But all of this was just the appetizer. The main guy - Utpal Patel - was now at the crease. UP and Mihir took their time settling down, eschewing any risks in an attempt to consolidate as there was a long way to go in the 30-over match. UP did provide one sharp chance to the right of the keeper but trudged on after that without a hint of a chance for a long time.

There is very little love lost between Mihir and the NCC folks and, to his credit, he ignored all the banter and kept UP company. At the 15 over mark, the Bulls were 70 for 3 and setting themselves up for a fine charge at the end. After the drinks break, UP opened up his shoulders and began to find the fence, or rather, the untenanted area beyond the fence. For a batsman who looks fantastic when he bats in straight lines, UP uses the clog over cow corner as his stress-reliever shot. This day, he relieved a lot of stress with that shot.

As the temperatures rose, Mihir and UP upped the scoring rate and the fielding came under fire. Singles were being converted to two's and catches began to go down. Ozone turned to his trusted middle-over enforcer U-Turn and the young man delivered first ball. UP slogged towards mid-wicket but instead found it heading towards long-on where Chikna Slater was stationed for just such a mis-hit. But the unthinkable happened and Chikna dropped the catch. To celebrate this reprieve, UP then launched the biggest six I have ever seen in person, way, way, way over midwicket, so much so that Kamikaze stationed at the boundary would have signaled a six if HE had been the umpire (rather than being on the fence). Energizer dryly remarked to the umpire, "This is not fair. The batsman should be made to go and fetch the ball for hitting it so far and wasting our time."

In the next over, however, UP tested Chikna's fielding ability and this time the fellow held onto the ball, thereby saving himself from a fate worse than death. Chikna still got his fair share of ribbing, and lest you think he was done, you don't know NCC that well. The next batsman, Anand, sat back deep in his crease, content to push away the full-pitched balls but relishing the chance to thwack the shorter and good length ones. Runs flowed like...well...runs and another drop by Chikna at long-on, an easier one than the catch he took did not help matters.

With the total piling up, Ozone turned to Johnnie Walker, and three successive batsmen tested U-Turns ability to take high catches at long-on. Ca-ching, Ca-ching, Ca-ching, and just like that three guys walked back to the pavilion. U-Turn, apart from currently being the highest wicket-taking bowler in the entire league may also be the leading catcher, and deservedly so on both counts.

Not to be left out, in the final over of the innings, Bob Loblaw (in the game as a substitute), took a high, swirling catch at long-off looking straight up into the sun. The last ball of the innings was, however, smashed to the straight boundary to take the Iowa Bulls score to 203 for 9. An indication of the slow outfield (long grass) and bad bowling is the fact that the Bulls innings contained 10 sixes and just 3 fours.

And now for what is fast turning into the most eagerly-awaited part of these reports - the mid-match compendium of head-shaking facts and tid-bits of information (the last one is especially for you, Ozone).

• Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

• The raised reflective dots in the middle of highways are called Botts dots.

• You're more likely to get stung by a bee on a windy day than in any other weather.

• Research indicates that mosquitoes are attracted to people who have recently eaten bananas.

• It's against the law to catch fish with your bare hands in Kansas.

• In Los Angeles, there are fewer people than there are automobiles.

• There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.

• If you toss a penny 10,000 times, it will not be heads 5000 times, but more like 4950. The heads picture weighs more, so it ends up on the bottom.

Continuing with his theme of using pinch hitters, Ozone sent in Little Boy. Unfortunately, this did not work out well and Little Boy perished, losing his stumps in an attempt to slog a straight ball. Iowa began with two left-armers, a rarity in this league, and kept the newly promoted Chikna and Bean Counter quiet. Chikna, reeling from a fallow run at the crease, and itching to make amends for the two dropped catches, settled down into classic Chinka-mode, punching the ball on the off-side and driving and flicking on the leg. Finally looking like the Chikna we all know, he set about preparing a platform of formidable proportions. Counter did what he does best, sliding along in Chikna's slipstream, rotating the strike and running like a hare. He did have one moment of awe-inducing brilliance. A short-pitched ball by James climbed onto Bean' shoulder, and a picture perfect hook shot sent the ball one bounce over long-leg. After that Counter settled back into his single-double mode. The duo made steady progress, frustrating every attempt to buy a wicket. After the pacers were done, Iowa resorted to spin and this was more useful. The scoring rate slowed just a little bit and that induced the mistake. Chikna looked to clear long-on but hit the ball with the bottom of the bat. The fielder at long-on was Mihir, by far the best fielder on the Bulls squad and he showed Chikna how these high catches should be taken. As is often the case, a double-breakthrough was effected as Counter perished in the very next over, having done his job of keeping the scoring rate at a manageable rate while ensuring there was no early collapse. Thin Man entered with the score at 72 for 3 in 15 overs (almost identical to the Bulls score at a similar stage in their innings). His first scoring shot was a square-cut for six over point and that signalled the start of the attack. Kamikaze joined him at the other end and the two of them systematically dismantled everything that was thrown at them. Kamikaze, in a departure from his normal mode, attacked all around the wicket, while Thin Man was content to test the square fielders on both sides of the wicket. A boundary an over was maintained for the next few overs and with 12 balls to go and 16 runs required, NCC was in the driver's seat as they had 6 wickets in hand (Thin Man got out after a 80-odd run partnership with Kamikaze). Some frenzied running off the first 4 balls brought it down to 10 in 7. Kamikaze then launched one high in the gap between long-off and long-on. UP, fielding at long-on came running across, and to the horror of his teammates, missed the ball which bounced off his head and beyond the fence for a 6 (here's exclusive video footage of the missed catch, taken by a hidden camera). Kamikaze then got out going for the winning hit but 4 runs in 6 balls is too easy a task with 5 wickets in hand and NCC won with 3 balls to spare. Bhishma remained not out on a brilliant 1 (off 1 ball), while Energizer was there with him to enjoy the moment. Kamikaze scored 60 in 30 balls and also took 3 wickets to receive the man of the match award. With this win NCC maintained its position at the top of the CLIA ladder with just two games to go.

TMC: Episode 9 - Batting practice

Welcome to The Midwest Chronicles (TMC). These are the accounts of the exploits of the Nebraska Cricket Club in the 2009 season. To spice up what would otherwise be a routine match report of runs scored, wickets taken, and catches snaffled (or spilled) these posts are being written with a tongue firmly in cheek but with the facts completely in the true. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the meandering show.

Here's a complete guide to the cast of characters and their nicknames. The cast will be updated as players are added or dropped or nicknames changed as the season progresses.

Not doing more than the average is what keeps the average down.
- William M. Winans

The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.
- William Arthur Ward

After losing out on more than just a cricket game a few weeks ago, the Cedar Rapids Challengers welcomed NCC with revenge on their minds. The game was played at a neutral venue in Des Moines, at the home ground of the CLIA. Here's the report of the match (written in the style of a Peter Roebuck Tour Diary).

Nice day for cricket. Occasional clouds, bright sun, low 80's F. Bob Loblaw loses toss. Nothing new for NCC. Losing toss, that is. CRC bats first. 25 over match. Grass long and uncut for a week. "Outfield (not) lightning quick," quips Shastri (in our minds). Energizer Bunny and Chikna Slater bowl first for NCC. Openers tied down by Energizer. Outswinger working brilliantly. Play and miss. Play and miss. Repeat previous sentences. Repeat once more for emphasis. All off Energizer. Unbroken spell to start game. 5 overs. 1 maiden. 10 runs. NO wickets. Brilliant stuff. Spectators (all CRC supporters, bar one) bored? Hardly. Bowlers not named Energizers are profligate. Runs leak in all directions and manners. Boundaries, wides, leg-yes, even a bye. Energizer's efforts poured down the drain at other end.

Drinks - 12 overs: 68 for 2. Openers gone. Siva and Ganesh at crease. Siva gone! Swept full toss from Johnnie Walker (formerly Lord Warnie) to diving U-Turn at deep square-leg. Raucous celebrations ensue. Wait! Square-leg umpire signals no-ball. Travesty. Ball definitely below waist, Siva agrees but respects umpires decision. Gut shot. Game goes on. NCC leaks runs. Bowling lacks purpose. Siva and Ganesh get valuable batting practice. Sixes and fours galore. Whole innings resembles highlight package. No bowler is able to maintain required length. Too full, too easy to smash. Siva and Ganesh each score 60-plus.

Siva finally goes, but bowling stays the same. Later batsmen continue plundering. 6 of 8 batsmen hit at least one 6 in their innings. Only highlights of NCC display - fielding related. Thin Man throws a dart from long off to run-out opener. Little Man takes stunning reflex catch at point. Jonty would have been proud. Nothing else worth writing about.

Final damage - 221 for 5 in 25 overs. 153 runs in last 13 overs.

As always, let's now take a break to appreciate some of the less known things about the world around us.

• There are 20,000 living organisms in a glass of water.

• The Pacific Ocean is larger than all the land mass of the Earth.

• The hardest substance in your body is the enamel in your teeth.

• Your brain feels no pain.

• House dust is 70% dead skin cells.

• Heinz Ketchup leaving the bottle travels at 25 miles per year.

• More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in air crashes.

Bob Loblaw and Hercules open the batting. Double pinch hitters? Terrible mix-up occurs - Hercules run-out by Bob. Bob does not compensate, goes soon for 7. But not before Chikna botches another chance at #3. Timid drive to over-pitched ball. Superb one-handed catch by bowler leaping over Bob, the non-striker. Great catch, nevertheless Chikna more at fault - too tentative with drive. When Bob leaves next, it is 3 down for next to nothing.

Steady heads needed. Sunny Delight and Energizer provide just that. Take time to settle down. Play out Kannan (5-0-19-2). Sunny and Energizer up the ante with splendid running between the wickets, including an all-run four. Sunny looks to push the run-rate along. Succeeds in pushing ball to waiting fielder's hands at mid-wicket. 23 runs in 29 balls, 1 four. Platform has been set for final assault.

Required run-rate climbs over 10 an over for last 14 overs. Thin Man and Energizer launch assault at daunting target. Boundaries begin to pepper scorebook. No side of the ground is spared. Square-cuts for six, pulls for four, drives for six, flicks for four. Both batsmen on a tear. Energizer hits two successive reverse sweeps for four. Second one reaches fence in one bounce. Scintillating stuff. Thin Man plays straight and clears fielder or finds gaps with elan.

CRC needs miracle. Or two. Strange thing to say considering their strong position during the NCC chase. CRC gets a miracle. An outstanding catch running in at full speed from long-on. Prize wicket - Energizer! 81 runs in just 55 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes.

Kamikaze struggles to connect properly. Watches Thin Man depart. Caught behind off an attempted slash. 55 runs in just 28 balls, 6 fours, 2 sixes. Welcome news - back in form. Unwelcome news - required target still stiff.

Situation becoming dire. Kamikaze holes out. U-Turn goes in. Almost impossible task ahead - 33 runs in 2 overs. Need all dice to fall in place. They don't. U-Turn departs via a catch at long-on. Captain Ozone swings and misses. Bowler does not and stumps walk away. Little Boy does not get to bat...again. 209 for 9 in 25 overs, 13 runs short. Great chase, but not enough.

CRC have their revenge. But they cannot take away the trophy that came with the BOGO deal of the previous game. So there!