Macgregor Mystics v WPC QMD
Warehouse Cricket 2021/22 - Round 10 - Sunday A3
20 February 2022 at Eddie Gilbert Oval
“Chaos” would be the word to describe the clash between Macgregor Mystics and WPC QMD at Eddie Gilbert Oval on Sunday! WPC had only 10 players available at the start and on winning the toss, elected to bat. The Mystics had their own issues with just eight or nine on the field for most of the innings. Play finally got underway at 10.10. WPC got off to a flying start with a boundary second ball and a wayward second over which went for 11 runs. Al Mohammed then struck with the 3rd ball of the 3rd over, Channa taking a good catch behind the stumps. The run rate was coming down, but it was still 30 from six overs before Sanaullah trapped the batsman in front at the end of the 6th over. Pranojan and Aayan consolidated, guiding WPC to 2/49 in the 12th over before a shower swept across the ground halting play for 17 minutes. When play resumed, Aayan smashed a no ball to the boundary and repeated the dose on the free hit to catapult WPC to 69 from 14 overs. A couple of overs later, a mix-up between wickets and a good throw by Harish Kumar resulted in the run-out of Aayan, bringing the 42 run partnership to a close.
Harish and Aman Dhaliwal applied the brakes over the next few overs, then Khaleel Waqar was introduced and immediately enticed the batsman to loft one into the waiting hands of Aman to make it 4/87. Seven balls later Sanaullah made it successive wicket maidens when he knocked over the new batsman with sheer pace. A rapid 36 run partnership in 6 overs between young Sohaan Sharma and the wily Queentus was brought undone by a slick stumping by Channa off Harish at the end of the 28th over.
Drinks were taken and the umpire announced a reduction to 45 overs due to the late start, rain interruption and generally slow play. Harish was re-introduced and was immediately successful claiming WPC skipper Udith via a splendid catch in the deep by Saddam Sadiq. A run-a-ball, 72 run partnership between Damindu Karatne and Sohaan - who both recorded 50s - took the WPC total past 200 before an Al Mohammed slower ball dipped under Sohaan’s bat and disturbed the stumps in the 43rd over. Damindu remained to club 11 out of a last over of 13 to push the score up to 8/225 at the close.
A dead accurate throw by Udith in the 5th over saw Channa run out with the score on 17, but that was the only joy for WPC as Saddam and Harish coasted to drinks at 1/65 after 15 overs. Milking singles and punishing bad balls, Harish and Saddam continued past 100, Harish bringing up his 50 from 69 balls along the way. A massive six by Harish at the start of the 25th over, cleared the sight screen and was lost in the long grass delaying play by ten minutes in an already slow day. The 97-run, 2nd wicket partnership came to an end when Saddam was adjudged LBW from the first ball of the next over and it was 3/114 when Govind Bhardwaj fell the same way from the last ball of the same over. Deepak Salgotra joined Harish to guide the Mystics to drinks at 3/136 after 30. After a top score of 66, that man Damindu, snapped up the prize wicket of Harish - LBW for a fine 81 - from the last ball of the first over after drinks. Aayan Latif picked up his 3rd wicket of the day via a return catch from an Ankush Palta leading edge and then his 4th four overs later when he got one through Sabahat Mahmood and onto the stumps.
Khaleel Waqar, having left at 12.15 for another match, returned just in time to join Deepak at the crease at 4.52. With 73 needed from 59 balls, Khaleel and Deepak put on a sensational display of aggressive running and power hitting. 44 came from the next five overs (including a four-all-run into the kangaroos at cow corner) before Deepak was finally out in the 41st over for a well made 35, leaving 29 to get from 28 balls. Although the task was a run a ball, the incoming Sanaullah did not have singles on his mind as he clubbed his first ball down the ground for two then launched his second delivery for six over mid-wicket. At the end of the 41st, the task was 21 from 24 balls. 11 came from the next over leaving just 10 to get from the last three overs. A massive six over square leg by Sanaullah from a head high full toss meant that just two more were needed and these came from the last two balls of the 42nd over to bring the match to a close at 5.26pm.
Well done Mystics!
