Medics Achieve Dream Double

March 27th. A day most will ascribe to the beginning of daylight savings time. To most, a regular Sunday. To most, a day that may have been a lazy one, in bed, watching a movie, or snuggling a loved one. Maybe a wedding or a christening, or perhaps work as usual. But, I am not most. I was at the International School of Prague, Nebusice, to support my beloved 2nd Faculty Cricket team through what had promised to be an outstanding day of indoor cricket. And what an emotional rollercoaster it was.

Three games; Two knock out matches; one grudge match. The schedule was set, willow linseeded, the air cool, the atmosphere expectant.

Round One: Fight
LF1 MedSoc were the first opponents for the 2nd Fac Medics. After all the spice, banter, politics and verbal sledging, it was finally time to let bat and ball do the talking. Captain Dev called the coin toss correctly and elected to field. Dev opted to play an extra bowler in Was, being called in for specialist keeper Jinx. The line up was strong: Dev, Mo, Kamar, Firas, Waz, and Erfan. But so too was LF1 MedSoc's rapscallion bunch of athletes: Captain Shach, Abu, Hassan, Khalid, Kiran, and Rushi. Someone was looking for a knockout punch. LF1's openers, Hassan and Abu, squared up to 2nd Fac's bowlers, Firas and Mo. The first over was seen out comfortably by the batsmen, then in the second over Mo struck; Abu's furniture removed. One bunny back in the hutch. First blood to 2nd Fac.

Shach entered the arena, arguably LF1's best cricketer. With him and Hassan at the crease, they began to steady the ship with controlled shots. By the end of the 5th over LF1 were on 44. With Dev and Erfan now bowling LF1 looked to push the scoring, but at the end of the 6th over Erfan took the wicket of Hassan, who drove hard but upishly to Mo in the covers, and Mo took a belter of a catch. The cricket saying of ‘one usually brings two’ bore fruit, and 3 balls later Dev took the prize wicket of Shach with an outstanding caught and bowled. That ball was travelling and then some. Two new batsmen in, Rushi and Khalid, and soon both were walking back to the players enclosure having been dismissed. By the time Firas had come back in the 10th over, 2nd Fac were definitely on top. LF1 were 83. For the last 5 overs, Kamar and Mo kept it tight and did not allow the LF1 batters to launch a counter attack. LF1 ended on 120.

Firas and Kamar opened the batting for 2nd Fac, and the start of the innings could not have gotten off to a worse start. Kamar playing all round a delivery from Hassan. Mo replaced him at the crease. Firas and Mo began to play extremely well, working the shorter deliveries and driving the fuller ones. By the end of the 5th over 2nd Fac were neck and neck with LF1 at 44. In the 7th over, Firas had to retire after he had made 30 runs. Was came into play, and almost immediately Mo got out to a steepling delivery from Hassan. A grin on his face he went to congratulate his team mates knowing that this was an important breakthrough. With Dev and Was at the crease and still a fair amount of runs still to be scored, LF1 played a gamble and bought on their best bowlers. Dev and Was responded by working the walls and with quick, decisive running. By the time Waz had departed to Kiran, the pair had put on 24 in 2.3 overs. By the 10th over 2nd Fac were on 109. The last five overs were a blur, with the adrenaline pumping, 2nd Fac reached LF1's score in the 12th over and set about decimating the bowling attack. 2nd Fac ended on 173, beating LF1, comprehensively by 47 runs.

Speaking with Rushi and Hassan after the game they commented on how to eat a little more humble pie ‘Yes, no doubt that we were beaten by a far superior outfit. They were better drilled, more organised and just hungrier. I guess our plans of trying to wind them up backfired. Next time, we will have more respect for our opponents. I wish Dev's boys all the best for the semis; Bring home the trophy for Charles University.’ They do say you learn more in defeat than in victory.

Round Two: Fight
With the ‘warm up’ match done away with and the 2nd Fac Medics victorious, it was time for business. The real deal. English College Boys were the semi final opponents. Dev made a few changes with Erfan and Waz making way for the specialists, Jinx and Sanjyoth. Dev won the toss and elected to bowl.

Dev used the same tactics as last week, perhaps, maybe, because they worked so well as Medics cantered to victory then, but this time, ECB, were more than prepared. A place in the finals wasn't going to be so easily wrested from their grasp. Firas and Mo opened the bowling and ECB started flaying away, scoring easily. Sanjyoth came on in the 3rd over and immediately began to gain prodigious swing and seam movement from the new ball. So much so, that at first he was struggling to control it. Once he had settled into a decent rhythm, he had the ECB batsmen in trouble and took wickets consistently. At the end of the first five overs ECB had moved to 37. Dev came on in the middle overs with his off spin. He was having serious issues gripping the ball, complaining of mid morning dew on the outfield and wasn't bowling to the best of abilities. Wide, short balls and drag downs aplenty and ECB feasted on the pies that were offered to them. At the end of ten overs ECB were on 83. The death bowlers were up and they showed Dev how it should've been done. Kamar and Mo bowled classic niggling lines and lengths tempting the batsmen into false shots. From what had been a good start ECB limped to a mediocre 105, despite the aid of some rather lenient umpiring decisions.

Dev and Firas opened the batting and after last weeks' exploits with 96 from 5 overs against the same bowling attack, this game was in the bag. Surely; Surely not. Loose shots from Dev, who was having a game to quickly forget, and some inconsistent calling led medics to 24 after five. All to do. Kamar and Sanjyoth came in, and began as the previous two hadn't. Late cuts into the gaps and drives down the ground upped the scoring rate. Sanjyoth playing impressively for his knock; head down and sensible stuff from the Telegu Warrior. The pair had pushed the score to 66. Still not out of the woods. Mo and Jinx were in, and everyone held their breath. With 40 runs still to get, neither team had won nor lost the match. Jinx played a good hand with smart running clever shots. Then disaster stuck and there was a quick double wicket. Medics needed 21 runs from 12 balls. Cometh the hour; cometh a player. Thrice Jinx sauntered down the track to Baddiel and slapped him for three consecutive 6's. Big balls. Big player. Big hair. Even bigger headband. Relieved Medics could count themselves fortunate to have won this game. Not their most inspirational performance but they were relieved that they made it to the final.

Speaking with Was after the game he had this to say ‘Mate... We nearly lost to them geezers [ECB]. The running was dog [of poor quality] and as for some of the fielding and bowling. Skip [Dev] had an absolute mare [bad game]. I think he dropped like 4 catches. He's supposed be leading by example. But we're in the final. We're gonna up our intensity and focus.’

In the other semi final Dragons racked up 146 and had PCC in trouble from the off. PCC ended up losing by 66 runs.

So it was to be a Dragons 2nd Fac Medics final.

Round Three: Fight
So to the end, the final, the big showdown. 1st vs 2nd in the league. Like Arsenal United. Real Barcelona. Dev again made a couple of changes, choosing to use the same team that had comprehensively beaten LF1 MedSoc. And for the third time today he won the toss, it was as if the sporting Gods were shining down on 2nd Fac Medics this day. He elected to bowl.

Again the opening bowling pair of Firas and Mo sent the ball down with lethal accuracy and deadly pace. Dragons batters Prabhu and Vaibhav played extremely well not to have lost more than 2 wickets inside the first 4 overs. The ball was boomeranging around all over the place. The batsmen played and missed numerous times and Medics were unfortunate not to have found the edge more often. When Erfan came on to bowl in the 4th over, the batsmen took a liking to him and butchered 21 runs. Dragons were on 45 and going well. Sometimes, big games require big players with big cajones. Dev brought himself on. After the dismal showing against ECB he had a lot resting on his shoulders. With his short two pace run up, Dev walked in, gave the ball a rip and floated down a length delivery to Prabhu, who played all round it and had his middle stump removed. The crowd went wild. The team ran to congratulate him. It did not end there. Two balls later, there was another wicket, and a run out, Dragons had began to unravel in the cauldron pressure atmosphere. They ended their first five overs on 28. Erfan and Dev were all over Dragons, choking them, forcing them to make mistakes. The fielding was electric. More run outs and the wickets kept falling. Dragons had imploded. Medics were dominating them in all areas of the park. There was no answer from the Dragons, their fires extinguished. The next five overs had yielded a paltry 6 runs, with medics snaffling 9 wickets. The last five overs were a mere formality. Like putting down a lame animal. Kamar bowled an absolute peach of a delivery to Satya. Late out swinging, full, zeroing in on off stump. Probably the ball of the game, if not the tournament. Dragons had a total of 42.

Firas and Waz went off to like they had a train to catch. Some silly running cost the pair a few wickets but the lusty hitting more than made up for it and the pair ended on 41. Dev and Erfan, set the stall out, and for a moment, it looked like they might capitulate as easily as the Dragons had. But some neat straight drives from the two and they had pushed the score onto 58. Mo and Kamar, cheekily decided to toy with the bowling. It was only fair, after they had toiled so hard throughout the tournament. They lost some wickets too, but in the process played some delightful shots. I believe I saw Mo play a sweep shot, one that he has kept in his locker for a few years. 65 runs came off the last 5 overs as Dragons were not only defeated but hung, drawn and quartered, methodically and systematically.

Bonus Round: Epilogue
It was a one sided final, but in the context of the game and the tournament as a whole, it was a fitting end to a team that stuck together and played consistently. When the chips were down, at times, two or three people would stand up and be counted.

Speaking with some of the supporters after the match, some of them first time cricket viewers ‘I really enjoyed myself. I had fun, it was long yes, but we won. Yay!’ – Lobat Hasrat Nazimi Y4
‘Sure I didn't know much about cricket before but it makes me wanna see what the fuss is about now.’ – Jerry John Y6
‘The highlight of my day? There were so many. But I can remember Waz getting hit in the balls’ – Nighat Bhojani Y5
‘I don't love cricket – oh no – I love it!’ – Ray Hussam Abbadi Y3

Ending Credits
As I find it hard to single out any particular player for their outstanding contribution to the matches played, I have composed a player profile breakdown.

 
Chudree Udree
AIMS Sports Correspondent