TeamZLCC
- Aug 4, 2020
- 6 min read

Mayur’s valiant effort goes in vain

ZLCC lost to Winterthur CC in rain affected day on 02 Aug. 2020 at Deutweg, Winterthur

Back to back three games on Sunday 02.Aug.2020 had quite an intense pool lockup in Pool 1. Before Power super-powering both the games against Zurich crickets and Zürich cricket 2 were both one sided games which gave a huge boost and impetus to Power CC to keep alive their qualifications chances with quite a positive run rate.

Next match coming on was with home team Winterthur CC vs Zürich lions CC. While rain for sure was there to spoil the party both team wanted to will and bolster their chances to qualify for the next rounds. Match is supposed to start at the scheduled time at 1600 hrs.

Toss was won by Zürich lions CC and they decided to bowl first. Huge clouds in the Sky were hovering threatening to play a spoiler.

As anticipated with the gusty winds and clouds game started on time. With Winterthur CC openers on the strike the first four overs were equally balanced as Winterthur CC reached 4-36/0. It started to pour heavily and umpires decided to call off for the period of almost 40 minutes. As the drizzle got heavier the chances of getting a complete match was looking nothing but bleak. However after 40 mins a pitch inspection was done and umpires called both the captains and asked for their views. Zürich lions captain Senthil showed the sportsman spirit and agreed for a curtailed game of 18 overs a side. Given the damp conditions of both the pitch and outfield it was quite a risk to keep going on for play.

However both teams got back to the ground again. Bowlers from Zürich lions were trying their best despite the bowl getting too wet and heavy and pitch became easy to bat as bowl was nicely coming onto the bat. There were dampness in the outfield which also made fielding a bit tricky as the ball was not sticking to hands and became a bit hard to hold. Quite contrasting conditions before the match was started; couple of dropped catches gave the Winterthur CC openers few life’s which they made use of. They ran to 7-56 before a beautiful bowl from Mayur got Cheema bowled. While from one end Mayur was trying to contain from the other end the Zürich lions were trying hard to restrict. Halfway thru Winterthur CC were 10-80/2 when Prafull joined in middle. He played some aggressive innings and made full use of few dropped catches and struggle of the Zurich lions bowler due to weather conditions before he made a brilliant 75 of just 25 balls which included 8 sixes. The middle and last overs especially from bowling team allowed them to run amok and posted a mammoth total of 201/7 at the end of 18 overs of their quota. It was from 10-18 overs where Zurich lions where opposition scored almost 120 runs in 8 overs; quite a disappointment given the bowling attack. Lions tried everything but the conditions were absolutely different. Home team has advantage going in the first half. Lions were disheartened but life isn’t easy and one has to face such tricky and hard situations as to understand, play and improve in certain weather conditions and away games. Things are learnt in battlefield as in ground and one day you win and another day you learn.

Nevertheless the situation demanded nothing else but to go from ball one as target was quite steep and run rate was almost above 11 per over. Home team knows the conditions very well and sun shone made the life more easier for bowlers from them to take a grip and run into batsmen. Despite being aggressors the openers tried their best to put up a partnership before Kanishk departed and soon the last match half centurion Ankush was gone too. Winterthur is easily joyous knowing the fact it’s going to be too tough for lions. The scorecard read 5-37/3 before Sara was adjudged lbw quite a tricky decision which most of the times goes in batsmen’s favours. Senthil joined Mayur in middle and the duo wanted to salvage the pride in the chase however Senthil also fell cheaply by end of 7.1 56/4. One would easily only the formalities were remaining as the required score was 146 in 65 balls. Whenever I write the arrival of Mayur it’s nothing sort of fairytale. Same duo of Mayur-Lokesh and an impossible task to achieve. 99 out of hundred times its not possible but that 1 chance gives you hope. Mayur was troubled in beginning by few inswingers from fast bowlers but he took few balls to settle down. A class apart from him to take the charge and it was such a counter attack from him sent some shock waves to opponents for the time until when he was in crease. No one so far I have seen in the league plays the flicks and cuts better than him. He made 2 from first 6 balls he faced but then he had this belief of doing it again. Wouldn’t write it anymore as to how many times he has done it. Nonetheless he took charge and blasted some monster sixes, as usual one of his trademark square cut for six 2 of them today and flying sixes over square leg and midwicket. The outstanding brilliant innings of remaining 80 runs for 35 balls do tell a story of - believe, become. A champion of a sort given ample support from Lokesh wasn’t enough given he was the lone wolf in the fight for lions. He gave hope when he collected 26 runs in one over and brought down the equation of 4 overs 62 to achieve. Not being harsh on him but it was too tough given the conditions and little support left before he departed for an extremely well made of 82(41) which had 7 sixes and 6 fours. A huge round of applause for the herculean effort wasn’t enough for the lions to pull off something scintillating. Amit and Omed played some crispy drives especially Amit and Omed also tried to salvage some pride but in the end it was too much to achieve. Lions fell 39 short of target by reaching 162/18 overs of their quota.

When Lions would look back ; the tough damp conditions, dropped catches due to those (however not an excuse) and the last 6 overs for Winterthur allowed them to run away when they shoot upto such giant total. In the hindsight it’s quite a topsy turvy curves for lions as their streak of matches read W, L , W, L

Lions need to pull up their socks, don’t get disheartened and think positively and take whatever possible positive outcomes of the match as for the innings of Mayur, good penultimate over from Kanishk and given thrown into such tough situations; boys will learn a lot; how to fight the tough battles and to keep their positive mindset no matter what the result is. The lions play remaining their 2 matches which happens to be back to back on next Sunday. The pool table has become quite interesting and intense; as all there teams are fighting to be alive and reach the top or improve their tally. A lot will change by the end of next week. For every Zürich lion players - need to think and put what they do in practice. If that happens they will sail through. A boat is never afraid of storms as it’s job is to sail through doesn’t matter what may come; the boat is made to sail not to stick to the shore. From outside things looks quite easy but better easier said than done. Lads will learn a lot from such experiences and experiments thrown to them and am sure will come out much brighter and better than before.

No guessing for the MVP as it’s for consecutive times; time and again its Mayur for lions. A man of grit with steel and determination of a wall. Shaken but not broken; come next weekend and we’ll give lives to what we love most; our passion - our cricket. We shall shine again!

Brief scores:

Winterthur CC - Prafull 75, Cheema 38, Chamith 24; Kanishk 3/38, Sara 2/50, Mayur 1/31

Zurich lions- Mayur 82, Omed 14, Amit 12;

Jiyon 4/25, Cheema 3/13, Eliyas 1/22)

Hope you enjoy reading this report. Do take care in amidst this testing time outside and wish you all a pleasant start of next week.