Useful debut

Here's the official report from my first ever match for Basel Cricket Club, a friendly versus the Zurich Sri Lankans (written by Club Secretary Mr Anthony Boschin). I don't know about the bit about me "bowling slow". Didn't think I was that slow. Nor was my bowling that metronome. Ah well. Maybe I'll get a bit quicker once I get my accuracy sorted. Anyway, my final bowling figures were 4 overs, 2 wickets for 15 runs.
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Bachgraben, Sunday, April 29th, 2007.

Friendly: Basel C.C. v. Zurich SL C. C (35 overs).

The first game of the season started with a slight hiccup as originally there were 12
players signed up to play but only 10 actually showing up.

Luckily ZSLCC had brought about 15 players so they graciously gave us one of there
players for batting and rotated a fielder when Basel fielded.

With most of the players arriving on time, we set to work setting up the field and within a
short time the grounds were ready for the first official/friendly game of the 2007 season.
Jay won the toss and decided that Basel should have a bat first.

Bhas and John opened that batting and Bhas was the first to fall, bowled for 4, with the
score on 14. John was next out, caught at 2nd slip for 4, with the score on 26 in the 8th
over. Nikhil managed to get 6 runs before he was caught low down with score on 37 in
the 11th over. Anthony and Unmesh managed to stabilize things a little and took the score
to 79 before Anthony was out bowled for 25 (the ball edged the bat, deflected onto the
pad and then onto the stumps) off the last ball before tea in the 18th over. So at tea Basel
was 79/4 after 18 overs.

Jay was next man in after tea and he managed 4 runs before being caught behind off a
ball that pitched on a good length but rose sharply into him and in trying to prevent the
ball from hitting him managed to fend it off with the bat handle, only to see it loop over
his head to the wicket keeper. Basel was now 88/5 after 20 overs. Unmesh, who was holding the innings together, was bowled in the 23rd over with his score on 16 and Basel score on 99.

Sridhar was bowled with his score on 9 with Daniel going shortly after that, bowled for 4.
Vinod didn’t stick around too long and he was bowled for 0. Rizwan, the player from
ZSLL scored 5 before being caught, leaving Simon not out on 4. Basel were all out for 116 in the 29th over.

There wasn’t too much movement in the pitch and the Basel batsmen really need to
concentrate on playing straight. Numerous batsmen were bowled while playing across the
line.

A delicious lunch of chicken curry was enjoyed by all, with one or two players also
washing it down with a cold beer.

Nikhil and Anthony opened the bowling for Basel and after 4 overs apiece had not
managed to get the breakthrough necessary to slow the ZSLCC team down. After 8 overs
ZSLCC had 36 runs on the board. A change of bowling though brought the 1st wicket
with Simon, in his 1st over for Basel, tempting the batsmen with his slow balls just
outside the off stump. These were just too tempting and the batsman totally misjudged his
shot sending the ball high in the air to point, where Vinod took a great catch, also his 1st
for Basel.
Still frustrating the batsmen, Simon got an edge in his 2nd over with Bhas taking the catch
behind the stumps. After 12 overs, ZSLCC were 57/2.
In the 17th over with Daniel bowling, the ball was driven into covers, where Anthony
made a good stop and got the ball back to Bhas, who completed a good run-out, leaving
ZSLCC on 77/3 after 18 overs at the tea break.
In the 1st over after tea, Daniel found the edge of the ZSLL captain’s bat with Bhas taking
a good catch behind the stumps to leave the ZSLCC on 80/4.

Sridhar was next to get a wicket, bowling the batsmen with the score now 91/5.
Unmesh got the final wicket of the day for Basel, with another caught behind with the
score on 110.

The winning runs, a 6, were hit of Anthony’s 5th over with Basel losing the game by 4
wickets.

Defending such a low total, Basel bowled way too many wides, 22 to be exact. Extras
were the 2nd highest score for ZSLCC.
Pre-season friendlies are there to try and iron these things out, so hopefully the bowling
lines will tighten up as the season continues.
The Basel CC fielding was also not really up to scratch and this will also hopefully
improve in the coming weeks.

Match Report by Anthony Boschin.