Blewbury (A) – 5.5.13

Blewbury 187-6 dec

Waqar 2-38, Withers 2-52

RUASCC 188-9

Zia 49, Eagle 26

RUASCC won by 1 wicket

RUASCC matches can become rather predictable; I often find myself writing the same report each week.  In this respect last Sunday’s match was all going to plan, it was everything we have come to expect:

• Fielding first – check
• Economical but wicketless spells from Zia and Withers – check
• A few dropped catches – check
• Ken Stewart falling down a rabbit hole – check
• Eagle giving unfathomable instructions to fielders (“push to the point”) – check
• Audible chuntering and moaning at every little setback – check
• Opposition batsman easing past fifty with plenty of assistance from a series of leg-side half-trackers – check, check, checkity, check.

The high points of the fielding performance were mostly provided by Chan Malde who confidently held two difficult catches and saved countless runs at short mid-off.  The artificial wicket gave little help to the bowlers but Waqar, playing his first game of the season, removed both openers early in his spell.  Withers’ figures were only rescued by two wickets in his 11^th and final over while Fawaz bowled three tight overs at the death to help restrict the home side to 187-6.

Eagle and Fawaz, who last batted together at Theale last September and put on 104, opened and scored at a healthy rate of four runs per over before Fawaz was caught for 25.  From this point the RUASCC innings had a familiar feel to it:

• Zia scattered the field hitting eight fours and a six to put RUASCC in a winning position, before skewing a slower ball into the covers on 49.
• Eagle batted patiently for 24 overs before taking his eye off the ball and triggering a huge collapse.
• RUASCC slipped from 111-1 to 123-6.

With more than 50 runs still needed Dip and Tranter put together a very useful partnership of 29, and after Tranter was bowled Dip still looked intent on taking us over the finish line.  But with 17 runs still needed he edged behind for the eighth wicket.  Withers irresponsibly fell in near-identical fashion the very next ball ball leaving Waqar and Ken Stewart as the last pair.

Stewart defended staunchly while Waqar took control, blasting three boundaries in one over to leave RUASCC five runs from victory.  With four overs to go Stewart saw out another maiden, then when Waqar took a single from the first ball of the following over poor Kenny had to block out another five balls.

With tension rising both in the middle and on the boundary edge, Waqar picked his moment to end the match with an audacious reverse paddle, finding the gap down at third man to guide his team to an unlikely win by one wicket.  It was a sensational finish to a match we perhaps should have won a lot more easily, and it gave us an unlikely batting hero in Waqar, who finished 22 not out.

The season is up and running!

RUASCC Highlight:  Undoubtedly Waqar hitting the winning runs.

RUASCC Man of the Match:  Waqar.

RUASCC Team:  Eagle (capt), Fawaz, Zia, Malde, Dip (wkt), Taimour, Greenhalf, Tranter, Waqar, Withers, Stewart