Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing great. Most of us might have experienced this feeling of losing a match of any sport by a very narrow margin be it in soccer by a last minute goal or cricket by one run.
Today i want to share my experience when our team lost the finals of a very good Tennis Ball Cricket tournament by only a run. The tournament was held every year and had a good prize money for the winning team.
It was a good sunny morning, great weather condition to play the match.Our team lost the toss and the opposition elected to bat first. We were actually happy to field first as we had a good batting lineup and i was also in a good form throughout the league stages.
It was a 10 over match. The opposition started slow as they lost 2 early wickets but one bad over can destroy the momentum that was building and they scored 24 runs of our 4th over which pulled us back a bit. Usually a 10-12 run per over is considered a good over in tennis ball cricket as the bowler has nothing much in hand than a few variations in pace and yorker balls. Our bowlers were eventually able to restrict the opponents for 119 runs and we needed 120 runs to win the match at 12 runs per over.
Time to chase and i had to open the batting with my partner. We desperately needed a good start keeping in mind the required run rate (12 per over). I was at the non striker end and the second innings began. First ball, my partner hits it towards long on for a single. I was ready to face the 2nd delivery and the bowler bowler bowled a wide which made me a bit comfortable when u face an unknown bowler. The next ball was a full length on the slot and i was able to connect it well and scored a six on the leg side. The bowler made a comeback and we scored 13 of the 1st over. The next over we scored 9 runs only. 3rd over was a disaster as we lost 3 wickets, my opening partner and the next 2 batters who were the best batters in our squad. After 3 overs we were 29-3. I decided to play a more defensive role and only attack the loose deliveries. We planned not to loose any wicket at-least till the 5th over and try to make 10-12 runs per over till the 5th over. We were successful as we did not loose any wickets. After 5 overs we were 52-3. We required 68 runs in the next 5 overs at 13.6 runs per over.
The 6th and the 7th over we made a comeback as we scored 15 & 16 runs in those overs and pulled back the required run rate.
After 7 overs we were at 83-3, we needed 37 runs from 3 overs and both of us were striking the ball well. We thought that there is no way we can lose this match and then came the 8th over. The 1st ball took a thin edge and my partner was caught behind. The bowler probably bowled the best bowling of his life. We lost 3 wickets and just scored 4 runs in that over. I faced the last ball of that over and felt the heat. He was probably the fastest bowler in the whole tournament. They saved him till the end (8th and 10th over)!! Suddenly it was a disaster for us. We required 33 of the last 2 overs and more importantly that bowler was going to bowl the last over too! I had the strike and was thinking we needed at-least 20 runs this over to give us any chance for winning the match.
The 19th over started very well as i scored 16 of the first 3 balls and we ended up scoring 22 runs from that over but i was not able to take a single in the last ball which was a concern as we lost 6 wickets and the remaining batters were not pure batsman. They obviously can swing hard but scoring against the fastest and the bowler will not be an easy task.
We required 11 of the last over. The pressure was building. I told my partner to find a single and run. The bowler then began his run up and bowled a low full toss. He connected but hit it straight back at the bowler and running for a single would be a gamble. 11 runs in 5 balls. The next ball we got a single and we required 10 of 4. I was talking to myself okay two good hits and the match is ours. Next ball he balled a perfect yorker of which i could do nothing then to just block it. The next ball which i will always remember as i was not able to hit in the gap and the ball of which i should have scored 4 ended up in a 2 run. We then required 8 of 2 balls and the next ball also i was not able to hit a boundary and just scored 2 runs. Final ball 6 runs required. It was such an awesome match as it came to the last ball. Everyone was so tensed in both the teams and even the crowd watching. So finally the last ball i could not connect it well and was able to score only a 4. We lost the match by only 1 run. I felt so bad staying there from the beginning till the end by not being able to cross the rope by only a run. But that is part of the game. Overall it was the most competitive match of the tournament and we enjoyed it. Both the teams played very good cricket and will remember this match for a long time.
Thank you for making it till the end and listening to my experience. I hope you guys like it. Do comment your thoughts if you have also had such last ball encounters in any tournaments.
Untill next time, take care and thanks again. :-) :-)
Today i want to share my experience when our team lost the finals of a very good Tennis Ball Cricket tournament by only a run. The tournament was held every year and had a good prize money for the winning team.
It was a good sunny morning, great weather condition to play the match.Our team lost the toss and the opposition elected to bat first. We were actually happy to field first as we had a good batting lineup and i was also in a good form throughout the league stages.
Time to chase and i had to open the batting with my partner. We desperately needed a good start keeping in mind the required run rate (12 per over). I was at the non striker end and the second innings began. First ball, my partner hits it towards long on for a single. I was ready to face the 2nd delivery and the bowler bowler bowled a wide which made me a bit comfortable when u face an unknown bowler. The next ball was a full length on the slot and i was able to connect it well and scored a six on the leg side. The bowler made a comeback and we scored 13 of the 1st over. The next over we scored 9 runs only. 3rd over was a disaster as we lost 3 wickets, my opening partner and the next 2 batters who were the best batters in our squad. After 3 overs we were 29-3. I decided to play a more defensive role and only attack the loose deliveries. We planned not to loose any wicket at-least till the 5th over and try to make 10-12 runs per over till the 5th over. We were successful as we did not loose any wickets. After 5 overs we were 52-3. We required 68 runs in the next 5 overs at 13.6 runs per over.
The 6th and the 7th over we made a comeback as we scored 15 & 16 runs in those overs and pulled back the required run rate.
After 7 overs we were at 83-3, we needed 37 runs from 3 overs and both of us were striking the ball well. We thought that there is no way we can lose this match and then came the 8th over. The 1st ball took a thin edge and my partner was caught behind. The bowler probably bowled the best bowling of his life. We lost 3 wickets and just scored 4 runs in that over. I faced the last ball of that over and felt the heat. He was probably the fastest bowler in the whole tournament. They saved him till the end (8th and 10th over)!! Suddenly it was a disaster for us. We required 33 of the last 2 overs and more importantly that bowler was going to bowl the last over too! I had the strike and was thinking we needed at-least 20 runs this over to give us any chance for winning the match.
The 19th over started very well as i scored 16 of the first 3 balls and we ended up scoring 22 runs from that over but i was not able to take a single in the last ball which was a concern as we lost 6 wickets and the remaining batters were not pure batsman. They obviously can swing hard but scoring against the fastest and the bowler will not be an easy task.
Thank you for making it till the end and listening to my experience. I hope you guys like it. Do comment your thoughts if you have also had such last ball encounters in any tournaments.
Untill next time, take care and thanks again. :-) :-)
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