Darjeeling v Awali

Awali from Bahrain were busy practising in the nets, in their banana yellow pyjamas, as the Darjeeling boys arrived at the ICC Global Cricket Academy Oval 1, obviously looking for revenge from their last visit to Dubai.

Nick Harvey the Darjeeling skipper for the night got off on the right foot, winning the toss and electing to put the Bahraini’s into the field. Opening with the pairing of Foley and Dommett who were keeping the scoreboard ticking along at 7 an over until Foley spooned one back to Chris Bloodworth (4 – 26 – 1) for a caught and bowled for 13. Chris Neal joined Chris Dommett in the middle with the pairing upping the tempo to 8 an over, with Dommett reaching his half century in 50 balls, with Chris Neal on 48, deciding to try and get one round the corner, stepping too far across his stumps to get skittled by Guy Parker (4 – 29 – 1) with Darjeeling on 117-2 Captain Harvey striding into the middle to make a brief cameo appearance for a quickfire 10 off 6 balls before the slightest of touches down the leg side for Paddy Bateson to pouch to the delight of Nick Bishop (4 – 44 -1). After a lengthy absence from cricket, Andy Tideswell joined Dommett and both kept the run rate around the 8 an over pace, after the allotted 22 overs Chris Dommett (74 not out) and AT (25 not out) Darjeeling had amassed 182 – 3.

A brief rest period and Darjeeling were out in the field chomping at the bit to put Awali to the sword. Julius Mooney steaming in from the Kindergarten End took only six balls to see Paul Baker (1) back to the Pavilion after shattering the stumps. David Mariadson bowling meanly only giving 3 in his first over. Then controversy as an adjudged LBW for Mooney against Doug Perrins, the Awali skipper, who was walking, was called back by the Darjeeling skipper, Julius was definitely not a happy Teddy!!

Justice was served in the 6th over as Mariadson (4 – 24 – 1) had Perrins trapped LBW, this time these was no reprise and Awali on 46 – 2. Charles Forward was starting to amass the runs with Graham Hoar ably assisting until Nick Harvey (4 – 17 – 1) struck in the 11th over with a thin inside edge to Chris Dommett, with no hesitation or signal from the umpire Forward marched back to the dressing room. Nick Bishop joined Hoar for a 16 run partnership before succumbing to an easy catch for Mooney off Matthewson (4 – 24 – 1) CD Kotze (3 – 23 – 0) Mohit Manwani (2 – 11 – 0) and Chris Neal (1 – 13 – 0) yielded no more wickets but the bowlers keeping it tight enough to restrict Awali to 149 – 4 of their 22 overs.

A fine game played in the spirit of cricket.

Darjeeling CC v Loose Cannons Saturday 16th March 2013 – penned by Badger

Yet again another warm afternoon in prospect at the ICC Global Cricket Academy, Brian Scholtz as Skipper lost the toss as usual, and Darjeeling were doomed to the first 20 overs in the field.
With two of the Darjeeling boys still having failed to appear on time, Loose Cannons Skipper Richard Bradstock kindly lent the fielding side 2 able bodied men.
Brian took the new ball himself, hoping to bowl the ball a tad straighter than his previous wayward spell only getting shipped for 8 in the opening over, relying on youth and exuberance from the Academy End our junior player Jacob Raymond kept the ball straight, with the opening batsmen, Clint Birkenshaw and James Elliott-Square rotating the strike for the Cannons. CD Kotze came into the attack in the 5^th over hoping to stem the flow of runs, currently over 10 an over, and proceeded to gift the visitors a 22 run over. The Cannons were in full flow and all the bowling options that Darjeeling offered resulted in runs, Ben Jacob, Ash Banerjee, Stuart Matthewson and Gibbon Human all getting carted around the ground.
James Elliott-Square finally departed cleaned out by James Grisdale on the last ball of the 16^th over for a fluent 81, the partnership of 188 having done the damage, Ash Taylor joined Clint in the middle for a four over onslaught on the Darjeeling bowling, with the Loose Cannons blasting 94 to finish on 282 – 1 in their 20 overs, with Clint Birkenshaw 142 off 65 balls and Ash Taylor 31 off 12 balls.
Looking at the unenviable task of setting off chasing over 14 an over, Brian Scholtz went for a Jonathan Houghton – James Grisdale partnership hoping that these two could get Darjeeling on track in the run chase, the reality kicking in on the 4^th ball as Jonno was cleaned out by Nick Anderson. Chris Dommett strode determinedly to the crease and with his first scoring shot drilled a boundary; his fourth ball saw him waving his bat at a loose delivery from Tauseef Qadri to get caught behind. This brought together the high octane partnership of Brian Scholtz and James Grisdale. With a 21 partnership in full flow Brian found himself trapped LBW by Nick Anderson, bringing the left handed Noel Raymond to the crease for an 11 run partnership, before Big Gris going for a quick single found himself narrowly coming up short with Darjeeling finding themselves in all sorts of trouble at 39 – 4. With Jacob Raymond joining his dad at the crease the biggest of the afternoon’s partnerships was formed with 37 before Noel finally departed for 23, Ben Jacob joined his brother before being ruthlessly bowled by Bradstock. With the over’s diminishing and the tail looking very fragile wickets fell regularly with Jacob going for (9), Ash Banerjee(6) and CD Kotze (1) bought the unlikely paitring of Gibbon Human and Stuart Matthewson to the middle to try and avert a total humiliation with three and a half overs still to be bowled and with Darjeeling sitting on 90 – 9!! This pairing bought the third highest partnership of the day of 20, mainly gifted by wides with scoring shots consisting of two fours and a double. Darjeeling finishing well short of the target on 110 – 9 losing by 172 runs!!

Darjeeling CC v Choueiry Group Friday 15th March 2013 – penned by Badger

With a warm afternoon in prospect at the ICC Global Cricket Academy, Andrew Tideswell as Skipper won the first salvo of the day, the toss, and elected to bat.
Opening with Jonathan Houghton and Cameron Coles, it only took four balls for Jon to be netted and back in the hutch caught on 2. Cameron was the second to be snared for a three ball duck in the 2^nd over trapped LBW. Nick Lloyd and Greg Moses steadied the wobbling Darjeeling ship with a partnership of 87, with Nick cleaned out for 28. In strode James Grisdale looking full of purpose to blast a quick-fire broadside of 42 in 18 balls of his 60 partnership with Moses, Andy Tideswell still not having been dismissed at the ICC looked to add to his strong run. Greg was the next to get reeled in with Darjeeling on 175 in the 19^th over for 76 off 48 balls, Brian Scholtz followed the next ball for a Golden.
Tideswell & Nick Harvey put on a 14 partnership before Tideswell trudged back to the hutch for 20, Nick Harvey and Julius Mooney adding a further 14 partnership before Nick was cleaned out for 10, Julius hang on with Mohit (0) and Badger (1) adding little or no support with Julius finishing on 13 not out and Darjeeling floundering on a minnow of a score with 213 all out in 24 overs.
With the clock ticking down Choueiry had to turn round quickly to beat the tide of time that was against them. Baber and Bilal anchored themselves in the middle and resisted the lure of the Darjeeling bowlers Grisdale, Scholtz, Moses and Mooney coming up empty handed, putting on 92 before Bilal was hauled in from the first ball of Badgers first over with a sharp catch from Lloyd for 35. Baber managing to escape with a couple of huge appeals both for catches behind, Sameer got lured down the track on 17 by Badger to be snared, Hammad and Bilal saw the Choueiry boys home in the 23^rd over with Baber on 94 not out and Hammad 40 not out.
Darjeeling retired to the Pavilion to analyse their short comings and the power point presentations to follow by nets on Tuesday!!