ECC vs BCC Sunday 3rd September 2017 played at St Vallier de Thieys
Beausoleil won the toss and chose in confident fashion to bat. Their confidence was well founded as Roshan (19) and Yoges (56) played in solid fashion preserving their wickets and striking any loose ball. These were offered in abundance by ECC’s regular opening bowler Cliff Gregory (7-0-57-0) who was having all sorts of problems in finding his lenghth and line. He seemed to have problems with his run up to the wicket and then with his left shoulder falling away to the left he was spraying far too many deliveries down the leg side. Steve Crozier (4-0-15-0) from the other end was much more reliable, maintaining his line and keeping the runs in abeyance, but still the total advanced with Roshan in particular trying to force the pace. When Perera brought on Biboshan (2-0-21-1), a Cricket Kings ringer brought in to make up the ECC XI, Roshan tried to drive the ball but instead presented a catch to Chaminda. The dangerous looking Pranav (5) joined the fray but fortunately for ECC, with Sahan Hewa (5-0-17-2) now in the attack, he drove a ball fiercely and was well caught by Gregory on the mid on boundary.
Shalana Karunarathnage (2) came to the crease requiring a runner. Somewhat unwisely he chose the next batsman, Baldev, to act as his runner and not surprisingly Balu was somewhat miffed to be a runner, he was there to bat and so he quickly called for an easy second run which Yoges failed to accept and so Shalana was run out. Balu (84) made up for his error in a powerful display of batting, striking the ball with gay abandon across the leg boundary. When Sahan Hewa’s fine spell came to an end Chaminda (3-0-28-1) and Fife (3-0-28-1) were employed and in an indifferent spell Fife was somewhat lucky to have Yoges well caught, at the second attempt, by Sahan Hewa at cover point.
Chami claimed the wicket of Prabat (21) when he was caught by Gregory on the deep midwicket boundary. Prabat had looked very dangerous and ECC heaved a sigh of relief as he had been dropped by the same combination who claimed his wicket only an over earlier. Nitharshan (2-0-17-2), another recruit from the Cricket Kings had replaced Fife and with Balu in his pomp and racing towards his hundred with boundary after boundary he smote a ball to deep mid on which was well caught.
This signalled the end to Beausoleil’ run scoring machine. Niru (0) was bowled by Nitharshan, Yassif (0) was bowled by Simon Eveleigh (2.1-0-14-1), Damika (2) was bowled by Sahan Hewa in his second spell and Kavinda Karunarathnage (2) was run out by Fife. Beausoleil’s innings closed in only the 30th over on a total of 230 runs.
With no Edwards in the ECC batting line up ECC were relying on their captain to make a significant score but who would give him assistance. Fife (6) failed when he holed out to a well taken catch at deep mid on, Nitharshan (0) was bowled by Nassir (7-1-30-1) and Hewa (11) was caught at the wicket off the bowling of Balu (6-0-55-1). ECC had only scored 56 runs with 14 overs having been bowled. Enter one Biboshan (124 n.o.), an unknown quantity as far as ECC were concerned. Chaminda (68) was in authoritative form and started to build the partnership and as the runs accumulated so Biboshan started to see the ball. Chami was masterful and he played a key captain’s role, mentoring and encouraging his partner but when he fell, caught behind the wicket off the bowling of Probat, with the partership being 66 and the total 122 the ECC batsmen still had a huge mountain to climb.
Gregory (14 n.o.) joined Biboshan, determined to keep his wicket and support his partner, and this he did, carrying his bat. But of the 108 runs still required for victory and Gregory contributing 14 of those runs it is clear to see where the power lay. Biboshan struck 10 fours and 8 sixes and as he amassed this fantastic innings so the ECC support watched the run rate requirement drop from more than 8 per over to something more like 5 per over. Indeed in the 31st over ECC still required 20 runs, Biboshan on strike to the hapless Kavinda, first ball a 6, second ball a dot, 3rd a 6, 4th a 6, 5th ball a 4 – match over! ECC had won by 6 wickets. A great and memorable victory.
ECC: Chaminda Perera, Yannick Perera, Nitharshan, Sahan Hewa, Biboshan, Cliff Gregory, Simon Eveleigh, Steve Crozier, Ney, Nishan, Andy Fife
Umpire: Maurice Mitchem