TCC3's XI

Report by:
Satyajit Velaskar

First match of the season for TCC3's; Away at Northwich CC. After some frenetic planning for lifts to Northwich, all ( well almost all but we wont dwell on that too much) turned up at the ground for a 12 pm meet time. Jamie (13) playing his first match for TCC3's rocked up (new shoes and all) and dramatically brought the average age of the team from a dismal circa 45 years to an almost acceptable 30 years. As a novelty, (something previously unheard of/alien)some TCC3's players actually ran a lap of the ground to warm up , and undertook prematch high catches practice, mainly encouraged by the professional looking prematch training practice by Northwich and spurred on vociferously by Piyush ( some of us did moan and whinge but Piyush was having none of it). This could become a regular routine for TCC3's, but then pigs can fly, I have heard!

Under windy conditions, Mr Garg lost the toss and TCC3's were invited to bat first. Batting order was agreed upon without much ado, and Girish and Piyush opened the batting. Rakesh and Connor Minton opened the bowling for Northwich. Piyush was out first LBW to Connor Minton and left the ground whingeing and moaning ( enough to seriously dent Swaraj’s umpiring career aspirations). Raja departed next caught behind to Rakesh James, leaving TCC3's reeling at 8 for 2. Kiran and Girish then steadied the innings with a 72 run partnership, Kiran scoring 32 ( including scoring 20 runs in one over), Swaraj and Satyajit were out quickly thereafter, and TCC3's were soon at 105-5. Girish and Sanchit then added 45 quick runs, before Sanchit was out bowled by Rakesh James scoring a brilliant 46. Girish was out next for a superbly compiled 59, Wickets of Raghu, Vipul and Jamie fell thereafter with CJ remaining unbeaten on 2. The innings wound up for 187 in the 38th over and Vipul’s dream of the team playing off the entire 40 overs remained unfulfilled!! Rakesh James ended up taking 4 wickets for 22 runs while Anil, Connor and Trystan shared the rest of the spoils equally…

Lunch was the uncharacteristically uneventful, and Sreekanth and Thusyanthan opened the batting for Northwich. Thusyanthan was first to depart LBW to Raghu at 15 for 1 and was soon followed by M George caught superbly at point by Piyush off Raghu ( that prematch high catch practice certainly helped) leaving Northwich at 19-2. A Kotecha and Sreekanth then steadied innings and added circa 90 runs before A Kotecha was bowled by Vipul for 32. Rakesh James then joined Sreekanth with the score at 107-3. Both treated the TCC3's bowling with disdain and added 50 brisk runs to the total ( including a towering six by James into the hockey pitch abutting the ground). A win for Northwich looked imminent until Sreekanth was out next for a sublime 73, caught by Satyajit at the cow corner boundary of what was a sure six runs ( that prematch high catches practice helped, again) off Raghu, James was out next for a quick, belligerent 46, bowled by Sanchit, leaving Northwich at 168 for 5 but with victory still within their reach. Connor Minton and Henry Melrose added another valuable 15 runs scoring 5 and 9 respectively; Connor superbly run out by Sanchit off his own bowling and Raghu bowling Henry out. Anil was run out next for 1, which left Northwich needing 4 runs off the last ball of the match with 2 wickets in hand. Northwich managed only 1 run off the final delivery and TCC3's won by 3 runs. What a win…. too close for comfort though and definitely not for the faint hearted, elderly in the team!

All in all a great all round performance but the ground fielding left a lot to be desired, may be something to be considered in the warm up sessions going forward..

Eventually, despite the loss, Northwich managed to get 15 points and at no.2 on the league table despite the win and TCC3'S managed only 10 points and languishing at no.8!! which makes us think is there more benefit in losing????? I hope it will fixed soon.

Onwards and upwards; Next match against Knutsford @ Home on the 30th, we’ll do this again!!!