Episode 3: The litmus test

Episode 3: The litmus test

Welcome to all the listeners who've anxiously tuned in this early monday morning. Behold the third installment of the series.Match 3 could be tag lined -"The litmus test", we were scheduled a real match ever since our first match against Trustpuram locals. The match read IS vs Rest of Bally, and officially read as Phoenix Pals VS Falcon friends. The match was scheduled near Meenambakkam at 6:00 in the morning and that too on a November Saturday morning. What the fact (f**k)!. I got to say I have never seen both the birds. If seeing these birds is too much of an ask being an early bird coming in from 25 kms away is officially a wacky guiness record that I could boast of. Vice captain - "Mano cousin" - Vimal, requested his team to come in blue for that match. LOL .There it was, darkest of dark blue, the brightest cyan blue, the faded windows task bar blue, washed denim blue. Not to forget bright reds as well, some have color blindness you see.

I reached Beach station at 5:15 AM in the morning and took the 5:20 train to reach at 5:50 at Guindy. Baskar and Aravind arrived shortly in Vimal's car. The twilight was slowly lifted by the ever so creeping sun light. We waited for Veera and Nagammai's brother Chidambaram who came in the next train. Got to ARIVA grounds at about 6:20 . Early morning seems to be the only time when there won't be much traffic. Subbiah and Partha were waiting there already. The grass was thick and wet with the fog and seasonal rain. In the center of the ground, a known figure was standing with overgrown moss in his head. Oh!, not moss just his hair looking like 18th century English man with artifical wigs. Other fellow Ballians were stretching and settling in.

Match got to start, lost the toss and we were asked to bowl. Srini and Madhu got to open and the innings. Vimal and Sridhar got to open the attack. Vimal bowled a good first spell, marred by a few wides. Even with the thick grass doing its bit in cutting down twos into singles. The run rate was about 6 RPO. In the second over Srini was removed by Sridhar, who hit a simple lobbed return catch to Baskar at mid-on. Srini was not playing flamboyant shots but deflected them of the bat's face for irritating singles. Madhu looked good for playing through the innings when he got adventurous and lifted one around Parthasarathy's territory. Partha running backwards, seemed to misjudge the ball and settled in just to scoop the ball with his left hand behind his head. He was thrilled by it that he ran through from deep square leg to the bowler to celebrate the wicket. Soon Partha, Veera and Ashwin took over. Runs were coming in fairly well with extras, singles and occasional boundaries. We took 7 of their wicket just to note that their remaining players chose to sleep tight in their home. We offered them final man stay and Ganesh their final batsman made us pay. He scored about 15 odd runs which lifted their target to 82 runs from 12 overs.

Raj and Chidambaram got to open, amidst much antics Raj was bowled in the first over and Chidambaram came perilously close to getting hit out. Baskar, Veera, Ashwin, Vimal came in and did their bit in cutting down the target. Subbiah and Sridhar joined in when the equation read 21 runs from 24 overs. Both played
very well cutting, driving and scoring runs at will. The final over read 6 runs from 6 balls. Subbiah just got out to a tough call, there was a sound nevertheless and he got beaten to one that was pitched up and kicked from good length. Madhu who bowled the 4th of his overs amongst the total 12 bowled a half volley in an attempt to hit the middle. Sridhar thankfully lifted over mid-on to the the long-on boundary. Won the first match. Subbiah had to be the man of the match if there had to be any.

The second match started shortly and we opted to bat after winning the toss. Myself and Partha opened the innings, I took strike. I hardly gave Partha strike in my 4 overs stay at the wicket. I faced two overs from round the wicket and over the wicket each. Ganesh bowled over the wicket and was looking less menacing though he managed to hit off stump line consistently. The lines were probing and there were virtually no extras by team Phoenix in the second match.

There was one well directed short ball, which I picked early and pulled it over midwicket boundary. I also launched several balls over the bowlers head and on-drove one to an individual score of 17. I retired my innings to give way for others. Partha at the other end had no complaints at least verbally during our stay. Our batting did not kick off from that point, have to say Chidambaram played better in the second match than the first. Vimal and Veera scored some quick runs to leave the team score at 60 runs from 10 overs.

We were way past our booking time in the grounds and a cricket team in whites got assembled already. Team Phoenix had a cake walk over us and scored the runs in less than 5 overs. Though it did not have many moments, it did pose an interesting stumping from Subbiah off Madhu caught midway in the pitch not trying to hit it but drive it. Would you believe it. Srini from Phoenix was in murderous mood and hit many shots in his stay and that ended it. Good start I would say.