CCC Wins a Thriller!

Mike Taylor

Noting the overcast conditions Rajan decided to bowl first and it paid an early dividend when Sameer send Sadiq back to the pavilion in the third over. That dismissal bought Kamal to the wicket and despite our best efforts we were unable to remove either one of them by the 15 over mark. Cuyahoga went to the break at 1/80, seemingly poised for a score in excess of 200. After the break Patrick and Rakesh went about stemming the tide, what was to follow was an enthralling battle between bat and ball. Kamal was dismissed early in the session but Wasim and Rizwan threatened to destroy the attack but had their progress halted by some tight bowling and some extraordinary fielding. Gautam in particular took two fantastic catches to dismiss both of these batsmen, one running with the flight of the ball and the other a one handed catch over his head. Sensational stuff!!! Sameer who bowled very well in his first spell excelled himself in his second by destroying the tail ending up with the figures of 4/17. Cuyahoga'stotal was All Out for 157, an amazing effort considering the comfortable position they seemed to be in at the drinks break.

Rajan and Gautam strode to the middle and began to face some chin music from Imran and Kamal. Unfortunately both were dismissed before they reached double figures. Kaushal also faced some short pitched bowling before he to was able to reach 10. At the break progress was steady but unspectacular at 3/59.
Intentions were shown on the second ball after the break when Michael lifted Kalpi over the midwicket boundary for six, however that paled in comparison to Patrick who clubbed six sixes in very short order, three coming in successive deliveries. All of a sudden Cleveland was ahead of the required run rate as the pendulum had swung into Cleveland's favour. Things changes in the space of an over when Patrick was dismissed for 52 and Michael for 20 in the one over leaving a list of new batsmen to try and keep the scoreboard ticking over. Gourav, Romy and Sunny were dismissed trying to keep up with the required run rate which was beginning to rise in conditions that were hardly conducive to big scoring. Ravi and Rakesh started pushing some singles, but singles were not going to win the game for Cleveland. That became clearer than ever when at the beginning of the last over Cleveland still needed 17 runs to win. Till that stage of the game those who were present had witnessed a see saw encounter which was packed with drama, but the best was yet to come.
To the surprise of the Cuyahoga team, and many in the Cleveland ranks, Ravi lofted the first ball over square leg for six, as great a shot as it was the impossible task, though attainable, still seemed unlikely. However the next two deliveries gained two runs each. Imran with steam coming out of his ears dropped one in short for a no ball and all of a sudden Cleveland was in the very winnable position of requiring just six runs off three deliveries. Some members of the Cuyahoga side did not do themselves justice by going out of their way to question the score as well as their very own scorer in the fiasco, such was the tension that even the mild mannered Cleveland skipper Rajan raised his voice at the Cuyahoga team, a rare moment indeed, as it was apparent to all that Cuyahoga was rattled. Ravi the man of the moment hit the next two deliveries for two runs each as the tensions reached fever pitch.....the equation one delivery two runs required. Imran came prancing in and Ravi made contact, the first run was not a problem, Rakesh desperate for the win called Ravi through for what seemed a suicidal attempt at a second run. However once the ball reached the keepers end it was mishandled and Ravi made his ground. Thanks to Ravi's 16 runs off the bat in the final over, what seemed impossible just ten minutes earlier became reality...............WE WON!!!!
The Cleveland players streamed out onto the ground jubilant at having witnessed the impossible as both Rakesh and Ravi were mobbed in scenes reminiscent of a final. In stark contrast some of the Cuyahoga players took their frustration out on their scorer as well as on each other, but that was their problem. Winners are grinners and after that game there was alot of grinning going on in amongst the Cleveland ranks. In fact many Cleveland players who said that they were going straight home made their way to Mulligans Bar to reflect on what had just happened and to take it all in.

Such DRAMA........Such PRESSURE........Such EXCITEMENT.....and just think the real season has not even started!!!!