Very much in a similar start to the Zagreb report, the majority of our team was selected at nets on Friday. However we were successful in our search and actually managed to bring 12 players to the game with us on Saturday! Arriving promptly at 1130 we were able to get the game underway after Prabash had managed to rally his troops for a 10am start to prepare the pitch and surroundings. Captain for the day, Bowes agreed to lose the toss and bowled first. With a plethora of bowlers to select from, including many that had made a real impact at training on the Friday, MCC opened the bowling with Khan ‘the bodybuilder’ Amin and Waqar (I think was his name). Amin took only 4 legal deliveries to get the first wicket, held at the second attempt by Rahul Bhat at first slip. The two young lads then got their way through the first 7 overs with the damage not being too high. The first of the changes brought Seyer Hashimi and Imtiaz Ahmed (after swapping shoes with Amin) into bowl Imtiaz bowled with great lines and length and pace and managed to restrict SCC to only 18 runs off his first 4 overs. Seyer on the other hand had different ideas and managed to get hit for 20 runs in 1.4 overs before Amin took a catch, very similar to that of Ben Stokes, in the covers. No exaggeration required the ball was about 2 meters above and behind him and he managed to somehow get one hand to it and bring it down. Another change of bowling then brought our 15 year old Abdul into the attack who bowled 3 overs very well and almost managed a maiden until he nearly decapitated Dusantha!! Other bowling changes included Amit Bhalero, Praful Toke, who took 1 wicket very well caught by Bhat on the boundary, and Bhat himself, who after getting a run out on his first ball, then bowled 3 wides on the trot before producing a ball which was right on the pathway to the pavilion and brought an edge which Bowes held on to. The innings was then wrapped up by Hashimi who had a very well taken catch by Amit at long off followed by Imtiaz bowling their number 11. After a very quick change over for teas we headed out to bat. What followed was slightly calamitous….our top 3 batsmen, Shahid, Toke and Usman were all run out, with Saqib then holing to square leg we were 16/4. A strong middle order partnership between Bhat and Bhalero held us together; the latter scoring 8, before Bowes went in and missed a straight one. Bhat then carried on in a very broad shouldered fashion before finally mishitting one to square leg, finishing on 21. Hashimi and Abdul (gloveless and in wicket keeping pads) then had a bit of fun both hitting 4’s with great ease and showing up the top order. Hashimi finished with 18 and Abdul with 20 before Imtiaz, Waqar were out without troubling the scorer. Amin went in at the end and stood at the other end watched Abdul get bowled by Dushantha and in a fit or rage managed to throw his bat halfway down the track before being consulted by Praful. It is safe to say we need some batting practise but SCC also need to work on their bowling too (wides top scoring with 28. All in all a lovely day out and managed to get home before the rain.
Usman 2 Run Out
Shahid 6 Run Out
Toke 1 Run Out
Saqib Caught
Bhalero 8 LBW 1 Catch
Bhat 21 Caught 2 Catches 1 Run Out
Bowes 0 Bowled 1 Catch I
mtiaz 5 Caught
Waqar 0
Hashimi
Abdul 20
Bowled
Amin 6 Not Out
MCC, 128 – 11 in 23 overs, lost to Serendib, 202 – 10 in 29.2 overs, by 74 runs
MCC MOM: Rahul Bhat