Badalona under lights!

Scorecard

Catches win matches, is the old saying in cricket...

While stand-in skipper for the match, Shriram Bhosale, was winning the toss some light precipitation fell across the Carlos Perez campo de Beisbol stadium. It wasn't enough to dampen the spirits of BICC though, they took to the field full of vitality and vigour, after some pre-match drills. 

James "Brisbane express" Bentley opened the bowling from the concert hall end, with Shriram steaming in second over. It wasn't long before the debut skipper was rewarded with a wicket, an absolute beauty rearranging the stumps. The Brisbane express was coming off track, until an adjustment was made to the run up and soon found his line again. 

A change of bowlers often brings a wicket, and this time Joseph with Sam "baby faced assassin" Phillipps was no exception. Joseph bowling a nagging line and length tempted the Badalona captain into a lofty drive, as the ball sailed up into the evening sun, Shane "doesn't wear Ray Ban for nothing" Lightley was running in from mid off to take the catch. The catching practice session wasn't wasted from Saturday's nets session and within minutes Uswa "capitana" Syed was plucking one out the air at gully, giving Joseph a well deserved second wicket. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the baby faced assassin was rattling the stumps to get in on the action. 

Making her debut for BICC was our newly appointed women's captain Uswa Syed, introducing her spin to the attack, and with Bill "sticky fingers" Brooks lurking at mid wicket she soon picked up a couple of wickets that Bill gobbled up in his mitts. 

At this point it's worth mentioning how exceptional the BICC fielding had been, committed and with barely a misfield, let alone a dropped catch. And as the sun was low on the horizon Shiram took a screamer out on the boundary off of Uswa, to finish her spell with excellent figures of 3 for 11. Even Maroof "don't mention Madrid" Shaikh took a great catch at deep mid wicket, unfortunately it was in vain as the delivery was an above waist no ball. 

Joseph returned to finish his spell and picked up a third wicket, a tidy 3 for 26. Enter into the fray the ever ready Leo "the dentist" Español with a quick piece of fielding to extract a Badalona batsman with a run out. Not to go home empty handed the Brisbane express clean bowled a Badalona rabbit to pick up a solitary wicket and end the Badalona innings. 

Breaking fast

The BICC innings began after a short interval to break fast with Bill and Maroof, under the lights in full darkness. Bill fancied a long spell of umpiring so stood in front of the stumps and was dismissed LBW for the first of several ducks. Uswa was next and soon back in the dugout, without troubling the scorer. Now Bruce, to steady the ship with Maroof and set about the Badalona bowling. After looking settled Maroof chipped one back to the bowler and was out for 8, with Shubh in and out like a flash Shane was unexpectedly on his way to calm the BICC nerves. With Bruce and Shane in control the runs finally began to flow, Bruce executing a sublime cover drive to the boundary while Shane cutting outside off stump until a mix up in the running of a quick single ended the partnership, having scored 16. 

In came Shriram who didn't waste any time dismantling the bowling and hit hard, the run rate was creeping up though and with an unbeaten 25 not out it wasn't enough. Bruce's good knock came to an end, bowled for a well played 28. James had a little cameo with Shriram and finished with 11 not out. 

All in all a good team performance, but runs win matches, not catches. 

Shane Lightley

Pre-game catching practice in the drizzle

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