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 11/09/2005:
Kanto Cricket League:
D-2: Fuji Far East C.C. manages to qualify for the Semi-0Finals in very last game!: Fuji Far East C.C.: 284/5 (40 overs) (M. McTamney, 124*, H. Takahashi, 56; D. Cooper, 3/61) Dragons C.C.: 191 (D. Davies, 67; G. Azavedo, 45; Shivaranjan Barkadavu, 31; A. McCloy, 3/28) Fuji Far East C.C. beat Dragons C.C. by 93 runs Check Scoresheet HERE>> Shizuoka Kytes get good practice before their Semi-Finals: Shizuoka Kytes C.C.: 296/5 (40 overs) (Arbab Mohammad, 130; Kunwar Mahender, 47; M. Sharpe, 45) Tokyo Bay Districts C.C.: 92 (M. Sharpe, 3/17; 3 run outs) Shizuoka Kytes C.C. won by 204 runs Umpires: Gavin Beath & Makoto Mori Scorer: Robert-Gilles Martineau Check Scoresheet HERE>> Neil Harrison writes: The Shizuoka Kytes juggernaut flattened Tokyo Bay on Sunday to sign off unbeaten in their KCL fixture list. It was a cloudy but hot day down at the ACO and a season-high 4 Kytes managed to turn up before the opposition. Tokyo Bay turned up with one player lost in transit and promptly lost the toss too. The Captain pretended that he had to think before deciding to bat. Things were looking good. Matt and Ashley opened up surprisingly sedately and the Grand Old Man did what he does best and fretted on the mound. Sachin mixed up his bowlers quite frequently and this seemed to throw Kytes off balance. When Sachin bowled a lethargic Ashley in the 12th over the score was 45 and the Grand Old Man was fidgeting all over his mound (close your eyes and think a moment). Arbab came in and looked to up the scoring, but the tight fielding, oppressive heat and some idiosyncratic running kept the rate down. When Matt popped a soft catch to Amit Lal at mid-on, Kytes were 106/2 off 22 overs and TGOM was starting to bounce in his seat. Never mind, said the Captain, Pants is bound to do something. And he did. He got out lbw after 6 balls. In true Australian fashion, Pants claimed an inside edge and a Kiwi umpire, just like... But I promised not to mention that. Samir arrived and put the first ball he faced in the river. Business as usual, then. TGOM started to feel a calm coming on. Only started, mind. The long handles came out and 119 runs were added in 14 overs. The Captain and the Pornographer generously retrieved a succession of heave-hos from the river bed till Samir got under one from Mayank and skied a return chance which was safely and gratefully accepted. Kieran stepped out and helped Arbab keep the rate up around 8 an over with some clean drives, crazy running and one very impressive pulled six after taking a stroll down the track. Arbab brought up his ton in fine style with another sweet pull to the boundary. Time for Mayank to bowl the last over and 18 needed to reach the magic 300. Arbab sends the first two deliveries bird-watching over the ground golf ground. He tries again 3rd ball but miscues and they run 2. He tries again 4th ball but miscues again and is brilliantly caught on the boundary slope by Vineet Singh. Kieran is on strike with 2 balls to score 4 runs, but he plays a couple of girlie Kiwi wafts and the keeper is sharp enough to preclude byes. Still, 296/5 isn't bad. Arbab had 130 of those (93 balls, 9x4, 7x6) in an innings that started out risky but improved as it went on. Samir (47 off 28 balls, 2x4, 5x6) once again did the business in sixes and got out just as a big score beckoned. Matt (45 off 67 balls, 3x4) was content to play anchor again and seemed untroubled by the bowling. Until he got out. Tokyo Bay were unlucky that their AWOL member was one of their better bowlers and that Ken was suffering from a heavy cold. Dinesh (8-0-0-36) bowled well without luck and Mayank (8-0-2-47) sent down some good stuff, but also a fair few poor deliveries. The fielding was very good apart from one dropped dolly off Arbab. The reply kicked off in disastrous fashion when Sachin lost his off stump to Matt first ball. Heavy cloud and spots of rain in the air had the Kytes changing over double-quick in order to get the required 20 overs in to get a result, and Matt and Ashley bowled straight through. Matt got Ken to pop a dolly to Pants at short midwicket and had Shiramizu lbw soon after. As the prospect of rain receded, the only hope for Tokyo Bay was a Mayank special, but he contrived to run himself out for 3 in lame circumstances, which rather deflated the match. Kytes' attention switched to a different tussle - would Matt be able to reel in the Pornmeister in the KCL wicket-taking stakes? With those three wickets, Matt drew level and he still had 4 overs to bowl. The next two to go were runouts. Vineet then sliced Ashley over mid-off, where the diminutive Matthew Sharpe stretched his little legs, leapt into the air and snatched the ball one-handed and blind. One of those catches that only stick on days when things are going your way. Dinesh gifted Kytes another runout and Matt's overs were done. Enter the Porn Star with only two wickets left for him. Anand and Amit both smashed full-tosses into the river. Amit pulled another gift for 4. 18 runs off Porno's first 7 balls. Amit tried again but, to his surprise, and everybody else's, it was a good ball that turned and jumped and just flicked the bails. The square-leg umpire was called on to confirm the dismissal. Matt's heartfelt congratulations rang around the ground: "Oh, you c*nt!" Team spirit lives on. Porno remembered how to bowl and Arbab bottled up the other end. The runs dried up and the game ended soon after when Kartik played outside a regulation off-spinner and was bowled. More joy for Matt. Tokyo Bay all out for 92 in the 21st over, Kytes win by 204. Only Anand (25*) showed competence and resistance in a disappointing effort. Kato briefly sparkled, belting Ashley for three consecutive boundaries, but poor shots and very poor running and calling cost wickets and runs. For Kytes, Matt (8-0-3-17) bowled excellently. Ashley (8-0-1-50) got smacked around a bit, but did the required job. The fielding was excellent and all three runouts came as a result of good throws (2 from Samir, 1 from Subodha) and sharp keeping (by Kieran). Thanks to Tokyo Bay for the game and for staying for the barbie, to Gavin Beath and Makoto Mori of Wyverns for a good job of umpiring and to the Grand Old Man for scoring. Man of the Match: Arbab Mohammad - An excellent innings. Footnote: Congratulations to Fuji Farm Boys on beating Dragons to earn a semi-final berth vs Kytes. MAX C.C. ink their first win of
the year against hapless Paddy Foley's C.C.:
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