THAT WINNING FEELING !!!

Date -- 05/13/2007
Place -- Hobson, NC
Venue -- Hobson Cricket Ground.


Something really special happened this day... After my move to NC, i joined a Cricket club called Durham Cricket Club near my new place... Its a good team and it feels nice to be a part of one... Good positive vibe in the team... No attitude on the field and nice camaraderie off the field...

They had an absolute humdinger of a season last year... This season though, we started on a wrong foot... we lost our first match to a very good team and after setting the parity even in the next match, we again slipped due to overconfidence... this places us in a very precarious position where we have to win almost every match to make it to the playoffs...

The first step in this direction would be the most difficult... our next match was against 3 time championship winners HPCC (High Point cricket Club)... Yes, they are the best team in the 4 states of NC, SC, VA and GA... They have an absolutely unbeatable team... they have been undefeated at home for 3 seasons... So, our first step was to defeat the 3-yr regional champions at their home ground... To make matters worse, a couple of our players decided to celebrate mother's day instead of playing the game and one fella couldnt make it due to a medical emergency...

So, with this intention in mind, we arrived at Hobson Cricket ground very early... The intensity was very obvious... by the time our van reached the ground, rest of the team was already pounding the training nets... At the same time, no one from their team could be seen… Only their captain was on the field, setting up the logistics... Clear sign of over confidence… Not that we mind it… its good to be an underdog once in a while...

Our skipper won the toss and we decided to take a positive approach to the game by batting first... Desperate times, desperate measures... Hence new openers... they did their job... gave us the first century opening stand... quick wickets followed... but still, we had 20-25 runs per partnership... we couldn't give that final blast, but still, one of the openers stayed till the end and made a century... we crossed that elusive 200 run mark... first half well done...

Second half was executed with equal clinical efficiency... no catches dropped... good fielding... and hitting the blows when it mattered the most... with every falling wicket, our chins were up and chests were puffed and heads were high but our feet stayed on the ground... We did the right things at the right time... Eventually, David slaughtered Goliath... we won by 50 odd runs...

I was not a part of team when they won their first match and hence, this was my first win with this team... The experience was simply awesome... just to go to the other team's tent at the end of the match and be able to look directly into their eyes and give them a CONSOLATION "Well Played" is a feeling everyone should experience at least once in their life...

I broke my finger during the 2nd innings early on, but still stayed on the field until the end... feel good abt it... that's my only contribution in the victory...

Last year, I won just one League game and one Friendly game with my club... I was on the receiving end more often than not... Only the haunting memories of losing from winning positions remain with me...

But this time, it feels really good... the broken finger doesn't ache that much... the fact that i will be out for 6 weeks doesn't really pain that much... the feeling is good...

After the game, we went to celebrate the victory with a Pizza... Believe me friends, Jalapeno pizza never tasted sweeter!!!