A blue end to the ECS

As we finally got to our last day of ECS action for at least 9 months, we also finally got to face our biggest rivals in the tournament. We were already mathematically out of the tournament but there was certainly pride to be played for against table-toppers Men in Blue, as well as giving a couple of guys a run out. Shriram had to sit this one out, so James Bentley stepped in as skipper again. 

Game 1
James lost the toss and we were put in to bat. Ash Reynolds posted his third 50+ score of the tournament as he carried his bat (55* off 24), and was ably supported by a rapid innings from Imran Fareed (39 off 12). Ash also had a 60 run-partnership with Umer Razi (24), although his strike-rate was a pedestrian 150. Umer and James were dismissed off the penultimate and last ball of the innings respectively, to leave the momentum with MIB. We posted a respectable score of 132/4 but could definitely have done with two boundaries to finish with (and more than the measly one no ball and no wides that they offered us)!
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Their number two batter and wicketkeeper also carried his bat throughout the innings as MIB completed the chase relatively easily. Vishesh Gajjar would pick up the only wicket of the innings in the fourth over, and no one would be more “economical” than Zain Bashir’s 0/28 off 2. We just about clung on to the losing bonus point as they completed the chase after 7.3 overs.

Game 2
MIB again won the toss but this time chose to bowl. As has happened too frequently in this tournament, our performance (especially with the bat) suffered in the second game. Imran (17) once again had a mega strike rate, but could only last for six balls before getting out LBW. Umer, batting at 5, scored a helpful 21 (at a slower strike-rate than in the morning) as wickets fell around him. Otherwise, only James and Zain managed double-figures as we were bowled out off the last ball of the innings for just 85, Caspar Oliver having the privilege of being the last man out run out without having even faced a ball on debut!
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The first five balls went for 17 and it seemed the game would be over very quickly. Amazingly the next seven balls went for just four runs and contained three wickets (one for Kieran O’Donnell and two for Jones Paulson). Zeeshan Dildar then got a wicket in the next over and those of us watching from home/ work started to dare to dream, even as a couple of catches went down. Sadly, that would be the end of the fun and the game was done in the sixth over, with Caspar again there to end the innings with a bang!

Our tournament was done and dusted and we became firm Men in Blue fans for the rest of it, given our good relationship since their creation a few years ago. They managed to get to the final but lost to Pak Barcelona there. Our congratulations to them! We will be back for more ECS action in November, which gives us plenty of time to practice our big hitting!

​Sam Phillipps