Dodgers arrived at the final Chiswick fixture of the season, our 35-over decider against Superstars, to the sight of leaves covering the far boundary; this autumnal omen provided the perfect reminder not to squander our chance to secure the Ken Block Trophy for another year.
Satya set the tone by smashing the first ball of the innings over Gary's head for four- he was unlucky to be caught in only the second over. Karan came in and scored fluidly with his crisp drive technique, but a fuller ball from Supes debutant Ankit slid under the bat to remove him for a well-made 25. Jack arrived ready to build a partnership with Mike, still hanging around and inflicting damage despite a lingering injury, and the two steadied the ship and kept the score ticking over until a Shane Warne-esque leg break skipped past Mike (limping back with head held high-ish for his 25). Brendan swapped his runner's floppy hat for a batter's helmet but found his legs less capable defending a wicket than darting between them, getting trapped LBW to give Sandeep two scalps in one over. Stockers and Ralph made important (and swift) contributions of 19 and 14, respectively, before both fell to the accurate off-spin of Saad, all while Jack stood strong (and sweaty), carrying on his scoring despite a worsening hamstring twang. He very much earned his retirement at 50* but with plenty of overs left to see through, Dodgers were still short of a par total. Aamir therefore walked out not looking to merely survive but to thrive with the bat as he steered a valuable partnership with John. The pair added scores of 20* (Aamir) and 8* (John), and John finished the innings just as Sat had started it, with a beautifully struck shot racing away for 4 glorious runs.
Dodgers had reason to feel positive about our final score of 189, and as the smell of yeast wafted over the ground on a breeze from the Fuller's brewery, we walked out to defend it with our spirits high.
Those sprits were lifted even higher when Satya bowled James amidst a sharp opening spell where he had Superstars properly pinned down. Karan contributed nicely from the other end, frustrating Saad by forcing him to settle for dots, and by the time our first change bowlers arrived Supes were behind the rate. Both Saad and Ankit began to find their rhythm, however, and it took a bizarre ball handling moment (and a long umpire discussion) to remove the former and break their dangerous partnership. At drinks Superstars found themselves ever so slightly ahead of the required rate, and we knew we were headed towards a tight finish.
Aaron had a brief cameo in which he smashed two quick leg side boundaries before John got the better of him on a great bowled; he was replaced by Sandeep, who got off to a worryingly rapid start. Tensions flared when Sandeep top edged behind to Ralph but was spared on a very late no ball call, only for Aamir to find his edge for another well taken keeper catch again with the very next ball- shouts of "Justice!" were reportedly heard from Mike at mid-wicket. The author would like to add his own American phrase "ball don't lie" to the lexicon for these serendipitous moments. Aamir went on to bowl Barry amidst a crucial 7-0-34-2 spell that kept us in the contest, complemented by a short spell from Brendan who eked out four overs at 24 runs thanks to some tips from Sat (coaching check in the mail). Matt was reintroduced to take two big wickets: first Chris Mountain, stopped before his left-handed strokes could take too much from our total. Alas, despite (or perhaps thanks to) the best efforts of Brendan and Karan sprinting around the outfield to save every run, and an essential maiden from Satya, Supes required only 7 runs from the final 12 balls. Stockers didn’t flinch: he brilliantly bowled Gary, who was out for only 2 when cruelly denied his favoured leg-side shot, and finished with two dramatic dots.
Superstars therefore found themselves needing only 5 runs from the final over, but in the words of Sat in the field: we had to make them get there. Ralph naturally turned to the trustworthy arm of our chairman, who, with decades of experience against our rivals, was the obvious choice to see us through to the finish. John's first ball clean bowled Paul, splattering the stumps as the striker attempted to finish the game with one shot. Amidst the celebrations Dodgers realised that this brilliant moment did bring Ankit back to the crease, still sharp after retiring at 52*, and suddenly discussion turned (almost unbelievably, to this giddy cricket fan) to whether we should give him the single to trap Mike Duggan on strike. Goodbye village cricket, hello test match strategy! But Ankit wouldn't cooperate- he absolutely creamed his reintroductory delivery into the covers, where it surely would've flown to the boundary in a blink if not for the game-saving stop of Jack fielding about 4 yards off the square. Some might (harshly) describe it as a drop, but in the eyes of this author it was nothing short of spectacular fielding, not least as I was the closest fielder and would've had to make the long, sad jog to collect the would-be victorious ball. Ankit then turned down an easy single, leaving Supes still in need of 5 but now with only three remaining. John’s next ball found Ankit slightly panicked as he forced a mistimed nudge to Paul Dollin at square leg… for a moment everything froze but in the late-game panic we had generated, both batters found themselves flat footed at the middle of the wicket, such that Paul was able to easily throw to Ralph who demolished the stumps in a victory sealing run out.
There we have it! An adrenaline-pumping, heart-in-mouth finish to a great game of cricket, in which Dodgers persevered to win by just four runs and retain the KBT for another proud year. Looking back to when the chasers needed only 40 off of about 60 balls, things may have seemed dire but we never gave up. And sure, maybe we did snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But every effort from the whole team, all the tired legs, all the injuries, made this win possible. Well done especially to MotM runner up Aamir for a great knock at number 9 and an excellent spell with the ball, and to our deserved winner Jack for his match winning 50* alongside his impenetrable wall performance in the field, both in spite of a perennial hamstring injury that couldn’t hold him back from greatness when it was thrust upon him.
Man of the Match votes: Jack 6, Aamir 4
And our scorebooks:
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