RAFFLES JUNIOR COLLEGE
CRICKET
Latest Match Report
YEAR 2002:
National League:
RJC Vs VJC played on 6/3/02
Finally, a match worthy of the name! Escaping from the pandemonium of A level results at college, the cricket team took on arch-rivals, VJC, in what is anticipated to be a preview of this season’s ‘A’ Division Final. Looking to chase a total for a change, Arun won the toss and put VJ into bat on a beautiful afternoon.
The usual pairing of Rajamouli and Ayush opened the bowling and, apart from a couple of nervous wides, bowled very tidily. Nishant and Matthew looked calm and assured for VJ, but had difficulty getting the ball through the field, and after 8 overs they were only 32 for 0. Tausif came on for Rajamouli, and quickly found his line and length, getting the dangerous Matthew LBW for 17. Ayush completed his 5 overs (0 for 19) to be replaced by Anuraj. The ‘big man’ started very eccentrically, bowling a variety of full tosses and long hops, but did manage to get Varun D.S. LBW with a rare straight one. Shiwen came to the wicket and knocked Anuraj all over the field, making a quick-fire 18, before succumbing to another LBW decision off the same bowler.
In strode Prashant, the former team-mate, and he quickly took control. Treating all bowlers with equal disdain, he made 25 runs in a 46 run partnership before mistiming Gaurav’s slower delivery and being caught by the dependable Madhu. Nishant was soon run out for an impressive 43, Anand had Abhilash caught in the deep, and the innings closed at 140 off the 25 overs. A good performance from the bowlers, and an achievable target, but the score would have been still lower if not for some rather casual fielding.
Arun and Madhu got the innings off to a splendid start, aided by some distinctly wayward bowling from the VJ openers: Anurag and D.S. Varun. The 50 came up in the 6th over, and victory looked assured until Madhu misjudged a straight one from Nishant and fell LBW for 19. Senthil looked his usual confident self, but holed out in the deep off Nishant for just 5, and there were a few worrying signs. At this stage the famous Mr. Geoff Harris arrived, and expressed great surprise that RJC were on top: “We were supposed to win this quite easily – we’re much the better team!”
Anuraj came in to join Arun, and the scoreboard was soon ticking over healthily, 100 coming up in the 15th over, with Anuraj plundering the bowling of the lively, but wayward Prashant. Just when things looked easy, wickets began to fall. Nishant clean bowled Arun, the captain falling one run short of his half century, and then Anuraj got a taste of his own medicine when he was bamboozled by the wily Varun, and was stranded well out of his ground.
Five wickets down for 124 looked no problem, as Vaghesh and Gaurav added 14 more to put the team within 3 runs of victory. Then disaster struck. Prashant managed a quick, straight one, and had Vaghesh clean bowled, and suddenly everyone lost their heads. In Varun’s next over Gaurav, Tausif and Ayush all fell to ludicrous run outs, each one involving Rajamouli. It looked as though we might snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Inexplicably the VJ captain then brought the unimpressive Abhilash back into the attack, and he bowled a friendly full toss outside the leg stump, which Rajamouli gratefully dispatched to the boundary; a victory by just 1 wicket. We will need to field much better in the Final, and please bear in mind the words of Mr. Harris.
RJC Vs TJC played on 30/01/02
At short notice the season got away to a winning start against an enthusiastic, but inexperienced, TJC team. Arun lost the toss, and the hastily assembled side was put into bat. The skipper soon had the scoreboard rolling merrily along, stroking five boundaries in typically languid style. Madhu was keeping the other end tight with a series of quick singles, and the half century was raised in the seventh over without loss.
The introduction of the TJ captain, Zhi Hui, swiftly turned things around, clean bowling Arun, and then getting Anuraj LBW for a golden duck. Anand was shortly run out in ludicrous style off a no ball, and the college had collapsed to 59 for 3. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and the hero of the day was the unlikely figure of Gaurav, who, after scratching around for a series of mistimed singles, suddenly let rip with two excellent leg side 6s, followed by another four lusty blows for 4.
At the other end Madhu was content to keep the scoreboard ticking over, allowing young Gaurav to savage the TJ bowling attack. A stand of 77 ended with Gaurav just short of a much-deserved half century as he chanced his arm once too often. Madhu took over, supported by Vaghesh, Raju and finally Varun; the big man carrying his bat for his first half century for the college, and the innings closed at 167 for 6 off the allotted 25 overs.
The total looked a good one on a day when the umpire was reluctant to call wides and the outfield was slow due to the long grass. Raju and Varun kept things fairly tight, the latter inducing the dangerous Neeraj to play on in rather eccentric style.
The introduction of Anuraj heralded the beginning of the end for TJ. He completely bamboozled Nitin and Dhruv both clean bowled playing back, then caught Sethu off the bowling of Anand. He then ran through the top of the TJ batting order, finishing with the excellent figures of 6 for 15 off 5 overs, with no wides!
The skipper wisely allowed the youngsters, Vaghesh and Tausif to have a bowl, eschewing the safer option of Gaurav. Some slightly sloppy fielding in the later stages allowed TJ to creep up to 84 before they were finally all out in the 23rd over with Vaghesh taking his second wicket, caught by Gaurav.
So the college won by a handsome 83 runs, and a good all round performance. Credit to Madhu (51 not out), Gaurav (46) and run (28) with the bat, but the Man of the Match performance came from Anuraj for his 6 for 15. The fielding was enthusiastic and generally good (till the later stages), apart from the stiff-legged Madhu. A few good catches were taken and Arun did a good job as stand in wicket-keeper, apart from an idiosyncratic tendency to want to play football. Off to a good start, let’s keep it up.
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