So far this season FP’s 3rd XI matches have given full entertainment value to the loyal home and away support (Rajaa’s Dad), with 4 matches which could have been won with the last ball bowled. The Johnston Rose Bowl match lost by one wicket, Portcullis lost by 6 runs, Siyapa match tied, and the latest match against Turriff drawn with FP’s only 3 runs short.
Would the Grade 4 match against top of the table Portcullis be the perfect match to break this run of luck and claim that elusive first win of the season? The team selected was Norwood, Lord Ja. McDonald A. Garratt, D’Costa J. Blues, Lee (wkt) D’Costa L. Thanga, Monnapillai, Johnston.
FP’s at least won the toss and with a strong batting line up decided to bat first. Norwood and Lord opened and faced Mitchell and Winstanley the Portcullis opening bowlers, but Norwood was soon dismissed a tad unluckily as a cut shot struck Falconer on the chest and as the fielder fell to the ground the ball landed on his right forearm and lobbed up in the air where the flat on his back fielder grabbed the rebound, Norwood not convinced but the umpire was, FP’s 9 – 1.
Just three overs later, Lord was out caught at slip as an outside edge landed exactly in the middle of Winstanley’s midriff for 7, Mitchell the bowler, FP’s 20 – 2.
There then followed a great partnership of 77 for the third wicket between McDonald and Garrett. Both batsmen played with good technique to keep out the accurate Mitchell’s opening spell. Leg break bowler Poolman bowled a good spell and with pace bowler Farooq having served his porridge for arriving late, the contrasting bowling techniques ensured the batsmen had to be on their toes at all times. Mcdonald had played well against Farooq, who got good lift off the wicket, driving him through the covers, through the grass, to the boundary on a couple of occasions. Poolman had troubled both batsmen with his accurate leggies and it was no surprise when he took his first wicket in his fifth over when Mcdonald edged behind where keeper Collinson took a good catch. Mcdonald showed good application and technique during his bruising dual with Farooq in scoring 44 (5 x 4) FP’s 97 – 3 off 33.4 overs.
D’Costa J. looked to be batting well but was out LBW in Mitchell’s second spell for 10 (2 x 4), FP’s 132 – 4.
Blues joined the impressive Garratt and immediately the two batsmen continued where they had left off the previous match at Turriff, playing correctly and building a good partnership. The pair added 70 runs in only 11 overs without resorting to unnecessary hacks, another batting lesson for our younger players, not that FP’s 3rd XI players play those aesthetically awful shots.
Garratt ended the FP’s innings with a brilliant 78 n.o.(1 x 6, 4 x 4) perhaps robbed of a well deserved century by the outfield, Blues 15 n.o. (1 x 4) with Blues batting also very sensibly and with good technique. A rather emotional FP’s captain was given the rare opportunity to declare as FP’s raised 202 for 4 in 45 overs, the highest 3rd XI total in over two seasons.
Fortunately for Garratt the 1st XI and 2nd XI captains were not present to witness the luckiest innings of dreadful swipes which somehow brought Garratt a second successive 50, another season in the 3rds will do him no harm at all.
Wicket takers for Portcullis, Mitchell 12 – 2 – 33 – 2, Poolman 7 – 1 – 39 – 1, Farooq 11 – 1 – 35 – 1.
Portcullis began the reply with Collinson and Farooq who both were troubled by the opening bowlers D’Costa J. and Monnapillai. Good fielding by D’Costa L. at square leg had twice frustrated Collinson who then provided Blues with an easy catch at mid wicket off the pace bowling of D’Costa J. the batsman out for 4, total 7 – 1.
The opening 10 overs had seen both Farooq and Mitchell play the bowling with great respect, but in the 11th over, D’Costa produced an unplayable delivery to dismiss the top Portcullis batsman Mitchell, a delivery which swung in late, just clipping the top of off stump, Mitchell out for 13 (2 x 4), Portcullis 32 – 2 off 10.1 overs.
Farooq was beginning to find the middle of his bat and the 4th wicket had raised 21 runs when Philip was bowled by D’Costa J. for 5. D’Costa was bowling a great spell and struck the stumps again as Falconer was also clean bowled for a duck, Portcullis 65 – 4 off 18.1 overs.
The unlucky but sometimes wayward Monnapillai was replaced Blues who went for a six and a four in his second over bowled to Farooq, but then settled to have Forbes plum LBW for 2 runs, the spell having only 8 scoring shots off the 9 overs bowled by metronome Mike, Portcullis 89 – 5 off 23.3 overs.
It was obvious that FP’s had to remove Farooq to win the match as he struck out hitting great shots all round the wicket, including a couple of very cheeky reverse sweeps for four off Leggie D’Costa. At the other end, Monnapillai returned and with his first legal ball of his over (!) had Winstanley well caught by keeper Lee for 6 (1 x 4), Portcullis 147 – 6 off 37 overs. This was a much needed breakthrough as the 6th wicket had raised 58 runs, Farooq was still threatening to win the match single handed, but at least FP’s had a breakthrough.
Four fraught overs later the match turned FP’s way again when Monnapillai produced a beauty to have danger man Farooq out calmly caught by Lord at cover for an enterprising 77 (4 x 6, 7 x 4), Portcullis 168 – 7 off 40.1 overs.
Mcdonald with the dodgy ankle was brought on to bowl and in his 3rd over had Dobey well stumped by a very alert keeper Lee and given by an equally alert umpire, Portcullis 170 – 8. Next ball Adie popped up a simple catch for D’Costa and yet again FP’s had set up a thrilling end to a match.
With all the fielders round the bat and the accurate Mcdonald making the batsmen play every ball, Blackwell avoided the hat trick and survived the remainder of the penultimate over.
The last over was entrusted to young Monnapillai who had been the hero in the tied match when he took the last wicket against Siyapa with the scores tied. Batsman Poolman was calmness personified as he batted out the last six balls giving only a hint of a chance as a ball fell short on the offside, a good effort from a good over by Monnapillai.
Wicket takers for FP’s D’Costa J. 12 – 1 – 39 – 4, Mcdonald 3 – 2 – 5 – 2, Monnapillai 12 – 2 – 36 – 2, Blues 9 – 3 – 21 – 1
A great end to another great match played hard but fair, with Grammar the better of the teams but just unable to force the victory, the wicket takers bowling well but denied mainly by Farooq. This week the wides total was less and the legside wides total kept low thanks to keeper Lee.
So once again the captains defibrillator was packed away in the FP’s kit bag as a well deserved victory was cruelly denied following another great fighting team effort by 3rd FP’s. Only one more game to go this season, surely…
Man of the Match – Aly Mcdonald – 44 runs and 2 wickets for 5 runs
Champagne Moment – Jaffa D’Costa’s delivery to dismiss the Portcullis captain
