Another sub-par score for ZCC, bowled out for just 231.
The day started poorly for the visitors when Shah-boss popped Ivan Lam to cover for a first-ball duck in the 2nd over. It got even worse next over, when Heshan de Mehlo called Sajith through for a 2nd run on an Agnes Chow misfield, only to be run out by a direct hit from her bullet arm! ZCC 5/2 in 3 overs!
Sajith D Estandau and Zack Yattack then rebuilt, showing their class during a 118 run partnership for the 3rd wicket. After 25 overs ZCC were 123/2, and looking good for a score in excess of 250. That's when Zack, batting on 61, mistimed a slog off a ball that might have been a wide had he left it. Instead he found the safe hands of Kovrig in the deep, giving FHK their 3rd breakthrough. Raun Shkorer looked decent during his stay at the crease, despite his lack of touch, while Sajith brought up his 50. Raun was dismissed soon after we crossed 150 tho, dragging the ball onto his stumps, and after 34 ZCC were 161/4. 16 overs to go, 250 very much still on the cards.
27 runs came off the next 3 overs as Sajith and Danial Ahsan stepped on the gas, but recently-capped BD National player Lester Shum struck in the 38th over to remove Sajith stumped for 79! Jalal and Ahsan threatened a strong end to the innings, but were both runout in consecutive balls by the bullet-arm of FHK skipper Tin Yau! That snuffed out any chances of a 250+ score, and 205/5 in 40 overs petered out to just 231 all out. Wickets were shared all around for FHK, with LOY (2/39) the pick of the bowlers.
Facing a possible 3rd consecutive defeat to FHK at 5DNOL in row, ZCC came out hard with the new ball, but Agnes Chow and Qasim Abdullah blunted the first 11 overs for 40 runs. Former SA Nat offspinner Luke Giddings was tossed the ball in the powerplay, and paid dividends in his 3rd over, removing both Abdullah (great catch by keeper de Mehlo) and Chung (bowled by a beauty)! FHK now on the backfoot. Tin Yau was unable to follow up his efforts in the field, and fell playing a poor shot off 'partnership breaker' Chung Yiu just a couple of overs later. I give you the commentary of his dismissal in full:
| 14.1 | W | Chung Yiu to Tin Yau | 84.9 mph | GOT HIM! Nagging line for this ball, Just helped on its way by Yau. He's early on it and it's in the air. Furqan pouches a clean catch, OUT!
The bowler looks embarrassed to have that wicket, but that is how cricket goes, sometimes rubbish takes wickets. |
Yes sir, sometimes **** gets wickets, and this was exactly the kind of luck ZCC needed. FHK 54/3 after 15 overs, and suddenly they had a sniff!
Tim Chester was persisted with in the XI, despite his recent struggles, and didn't make an appearance to the bowling crease until the 23rd over. Nathan Law had joined Agnes Chow in the middle, and together they had taken to score to 101/3. Agnes had brought up her fifty -picking up from her 142 in the SOD yesterday and continuing her recent rich vein of form - and the asking rate was under 5. ZCC were in need of another breakthrough, and Chester provided it in his first over! Nathan Law thumped his 4th ball for 4 but gloved the 5th behind to de Mehlo, who took another sharp catch! A few overs later, and it was ZCC's turn to snag a runout, with Shah-boss nailing a direct hit to run out Kovrig for just 7. That'll make up for the first ball duck. Tim Chester then wrapped up an outstanding first spell by dismissing Agnes caught behind for 70, yet another sharp piece of glovework by Heshan! FHK 136/6 in 30 overs, and a ZCC win now seeming like a mere formality!
To FHK's credit, they did not give up the chase. Ivan Lam (22), Lester Shum (18) and Pong Nam (12*) battled away to inch their side closer and closer to the target. But it was ZCC's day, and they hung on to bowl FHK out for just 197! A 34-run win and the losing streak broken for ZCC. Great way to start CWC4!
As for FHK - they'll be gutted to not secure this win when it mattered. Those 7 overs in the chase where they lost 3 wickets for 35 runs proved to be crucial, as well as losing 3 wickets in the first 15 overs. Luke Giddings finished with 3/33 in 10, and Chester went a long way to redeeming himself for some poor performances lately, taking 2/37 in his 8. Nice little 3-fer for Chung Yiu as well.
) was the chief wicket-taker, grabbing 3 of them. Both teams are dead on with the expert ratings. HH have just struck with the first wicket with 27 on the board.
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