HUMDINGER


After losing 3 games in a row, our morales were at an all time low... The last thing we needed at this time was another loss which all but eliminates any chance of our team making it to the playoffs...

It was 3 weeks since the last game and all the time was spent in introspection and we had realized one thing in these 3 weeks -- fortune favors the brave... Play hard cricket and leave the rest to lady luck...

So, after 3 weeks of waiting and motivating ourselves, we reached the ground all geared up for the game... A hot and humid day awaited us with mercury promising to reach upper 90s... The other team had taken the victory for granted and for them, it was a not a matter of "will we win", it was a matter of "by how much will we win"...

We lost the toss, and the other team decided to bat first... Their plan was to bat us out of the game... Hit us hard when we are down... They sent 2 attacking openers first up...

First ball -- six... Next ball, single... Again six... Then four... One hard hit ball, saved by a fielder... Last ball -- OUT!!! The first over could not have been more dramatic... One down batsman had smelt blood already and came in ringing sixes and fours... Within 12 overs, they were 112 for 1...

We grouped during the break... We had 2 options -- go down or fight back... We knew what to do... First ball after the break, excellent catch... Next 5-6 overs, we played out of our skins and got ourselves back into the game... We didnt get any wickets but we had the batsmen frustrated with the lack of runs... Gradually, they buckled under the pressure and we had our wickets... One very good runout, 2 hard hit catches... Next 21 overs, they had scored only 110 runs with 4 wickets lost... The match was really up...

But, by then, heat had taken its toll... One of their batsman was dropped while on 0 and carnage ensued... He hit us for 47 runs in the last 2 overs... All our hard work in the last 20 overs was undone in these 2 overs... They reached a massive 268 in the allotted 35 overs...

We were devastated... No one felt like drinking even a drop of water in the break... We had hit the rock bottom of our season...

Thats when our captain's father came to us and said -- "Guys, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going... Its like the Gatorade ad... Do you have it in you?"

We got the push we needed... We went in the game with the intention of "not going down without a fight" and got the worst possible start... One opener run-out in the 2nd over for a duck... But we did not give up...

The other opener and 1-down blazed their way to glory... Within 10 overs, we were 100 odd... Then we changed our gears... Now it was a matter of taking it - one over at a time... Within 15 overs, we were 150 odd for 3 and the asking run rate was now just 6... All that was required was just common sense...

We could see it coming and it was just a matter of not cracking under pressure... The opener fought valiantly at one end and the others were giving him the support... At one time it was 36 runs needed of 36 balls with 5 wickets in hand...

Soon, a couple of bad umpiring decisions followed and the opposing team had their tails up... It was a matter of who blinks first... One fellow played sensibly and it was up to 25 of 24 balls... A good over and it changed to 10 of 18 balls with 3 wickets in hand...

A good catch made it 10 of 16 in 2 wickets... Another six... Now, 4 needed of 14 balls... 2 wickets in hand... We should have won it hands down...

Thats when we cracked... The fellow who had just hit a six, went for glory and hit a high ball which was caught well...

4 needed of 10 balls with 1 wicket in hand... One fellow was playing very sensibly and took a safe 2... 2 runs needed of 8 balls, 1 wicket in hand... if wicket falls, we lose... 1 run, its a tie... 2 runs and we win... Anything was possible...

The bowler bowled a wide... It was a tie now... We could not lose from this point forward... So, now it was a Q of whether we win or not... But, #11 was on strike and he played the 2 balls safely... Now, the set batsman had to score 1 run of 6 balls and we would have completed a memorable victory...

Thats when hell broke lose... The batsman just blanked out, swung out wildly and the ball went miles in the air... We prayed that the fielder drops it, but it was not to be our day... The fielder held his composure and took the catch... They celebrated and our shoulders drooped...

After chasing almost 8 runs an over, we flinched at the last step... It doesnt hit harder than this... No one slept that night... This nightmare will haunt us forever...

It was an humdinger alright, we almost won... we almost defeated them... But, you never "almost defeat" anyone... You never "almost win"... You either win or you do not win... and we did not...