Grand Final Rematch: We probably would have beaten them... just ignore what happened on Sunday
- Shamsul Kazi
- Jul 10, 2018
- 2 min read
Peninsula 9/164cc (50) def PDCC 122 (40)
H Shahid 2/15 & 29, N Jain 3/13
Alrighty, apologies on the lateness of this edition, been busy have a quarter life crisis and realising what’s actually important in my life. Turns out it’s still just cricket, sorry Mum.
Anyway, speaking of cricket, this week saw the match up from the grand final that never was, Peninsula vs PDCC. However, with rain throughout the week the game was moved from Filmer Park down to Langdon Park, a synthetic pitch down the road in Margate.
The rain managed to cease in time to leave a dry ground on game day but the outfield remained soft and would prove an obstacle to big hitting.
On the eve of the clash the Doctors were left short a man as Sachin Perera pulled a Glen McGrath and rolled his ankle. We don’t know the circumstances surrounding the injury but we assume he tripped while practicing his scrubbing technique, a morning ritual for the budding surgeon.
James McEwan would prove the saviour substituting for Perera at late notice.
Captain Corrigan would lose the toss but the result was the same as if he’d won with the Doctors being sent in to the field. Jain and Tahir proved a handful for both the batsmen and Panju who assumed keeper duties in the absence of our top five choices.
The opening combination worked and with the addition of Corrigan for the first time this season the reigning premiers lost early wickets. After drinks Panju was relieved of the gloves and Kazi would take over allowing the leggie to rip a few in.
This proved effective as Panju led the bowling effort to slowly strangle the middle order with Shahid chipping in with a couple of wickets too.
Peninsula were soon 8 for 100 and looking at a very ordinary score when Chaudhary was introduced to the attack, and with his first ball should have had the batsman caught behind from an edge that bounced off the shoulder of Kazi and dropped short of first slip who was place too deep.
The pair would go on to torment the Doctors accumulating extra runs and would aid Peninsula in seeing out the 50 overs for a small but competitive total of 164.
The batting effort started off well with the new old combo of Panju and Jo Corrigan, also back for his first game of the season.
Panju was the first to fall and Prakash followed two balls after and then a constant stream of wickets meant that the Doctors never really had a chance, and now with a player short with McEwan staying for as long as he could, it was curtains for PDCC.
Leaving them 2-2 with three games to go and just outside the top four.
Join us next week as we make up a washout from earlier on as we take on top of the table Valley Districts.