Macgregor Mystics v Blue Spartans
Warehouse Cricket 2021/22
Round 3 Sunday A3
24 October 2021 at C J Greenfield Complex Park
Luckily, a breeze was on offer to “soften” the heat, but, it was hot 🥵. Blue Spartans won the toss and elected to bowl. Pitch conditions were difficult but the Mystics kept the scoreboard ticking over. Khaleel Waqar got one that held a little in the pitch and could only pop it back to the bowler in the 6th over. Gojanur Channa and Saddam Sadiq then added 30 for the second wicket before one snuck through Saddam’s defences in the 13th. Channa batted well for his 31, but when both he and Shayan fell in successive overs, the Mystics were in some trouble at 4/75.
After a quick 22 run partnership between Zubair Khan and Luis Hermida, Spartans’ Rohit Naidu, claimed his 2nd and 3rd wickets in successive overs to reduce Mystics to 6/101 from 27 overs. An enthusiastic Sabahat Mahmood joined Luis; the pair adding 43 in quick time to take Mystics to drinks at 6/144. Sabahat’s explosive 30 from 19 balls came to an end in the over after the drinks break; Spartan’s skipper, Vishal Mandaviya, getting some revenge for the three successive boundaries Sabahat had plundered from his bowling in the over before drinks.
Vishal claimed his second a couple of overs later making it 8/150 in the 26th over. With Spartans well behind the over rate, it was important for Mystics to face their full compliment of overs. Luis Hermida batted sensibly for a solid 36; coming undone from an errant sweep shop that spooned to backward square leg in the 41st over. Gurlal Singh and Aman Dhaliwal batted through to the end of the 45th, but a good catch by Rohit to give Vishal his 3rd brought the innings to close in the 46th over.
A brilliant C&B to Luis in his first over started the rot for Spartans. A sharp chance was accepted by Sukhveer Singh in Luis’ next over, then wickets in successive balls in the following over by Aman made it 3 wickets in 4 balls to the Mystics. Spartans attempt to hit their way out of trouble in a 5th wicket partnership of 32 from 30 balls, came undone when Luis broke through for his 3rd in the 10th over; 5/45.
Gurlal Singh joined the action with a double strike in his first over to make it 7/49. With the top order destroyed, Spartans inched along; scoring just 4 runs from the next 34 balls. Gurlal claimed his 3rd in the 17th taking the Mystics to drinks in a strong position; Spartans 8/53.
I’m not sure if Allauddin threw the ball to Khaleel Waqar in the 20th or whether Khaleel somehow snuck up, grabbed the ball and started bowling. Whatever happened, five balls later it was all over. Spartans dismissed for 62 for a 121-run win to Mystics.
