Pirates of the St Lawrence versus West Island Whackers
Saturday 12 June 2010

Hugue St-Jean became the first Pirate and the first French-Canadian in history to claim five wickets in an innings as the Pirates clinched a nailbiting 7-run win over the West Island Whackers on Saturday. Employing a series of subtle disguises, The Saint bamboozled the Whackers’ top order after Rich Horne had slapped his second fifty of the season.

Batting first, the Pirates lost St-Jean early doors, when he played down the wrong line of an in-swinging half volley. Richard Horne joined Cap’n Bell at the crease and the pair cautiously and effectively pushed the score past 50 in the 11th over. Only four times in the partnership did they find the boundary, Bell almost killing umpire Matt Legault with a pull shot and Horne blasting the ball off the back foot through extra cover.

The introduction of Gorpal’s grenades wreaked havoc on the Pirates’ plans. Rich Horne was dropped on the long on boundary in Gorpal’s first over, only for Bell to loft the ball high to the same fielder next ball. This time the Whackers clung on. Phil Roche then batted pleasantly for 2, before spooning a lollipop off the back of the bat to short midwicket.

Next in was Marie Aime’e, former Kenyan international keeper, debuting for the Pirates. Aime’e and Horne arrested the rot for five overs, pushing the singles. Horne teased the fielders on three more occasions, being spilled twice in succession by cover off Gorpal.

Dangerman Sahil, lurking in the shadows with his black t-shirt, cleaned up Aime’e’s stumps with the score on 99, leaving the Pirates faltering.

Doc Savage looked in cavalier form as he and Horne smote a further 54 runs in quick time. Savage, coming off the back of a successful Philadelphia series, slashed high and hard over the infield, racking up 16. Horne raised his second half-century of the season with an elegant push down the ground. Yet again, though, a run out ensued, as Savage struggled to get his bat down over the line returning for a second.

Horne fell selflessly in the slog, caught at deep cover after notching 85 – his highest score for the Pirates.

With Erfan Chowdhury and Matt Legault at the wicket, there was never a dull moment. Legault was left for dead without facing a ball by a Chowdhury kamakazee single, only to be saved by a fielding blunder. He was a happier man to be bowled for 1 next over.

Chowdhury scampered down the wicket and back each ball, confusing Ben Finkelberg no end. When he tried to steal a single to the wicketkeeper, it was a risk too far, and he was run out by the length of the pitch for 8.

Phil MacLeod and Finkelberg swatted the final balls in fine baseball fashion to take the Pirates to 171 for 8 in their 40 overs.

Sweating profusely, the Pirates struggled to make an early breakthrough in the field. Phil Roche beat the bat time after time, but fellow Pirate Paddy Mahon was unmovable in the popping crease. Both Roche and Legault were frustrated by several harsh wide calls.

Daddy Sukhdeo was in imperious form, making the ball dance off a length. Barely a run was scored off his 7 overs and he made the first breakthrough on 55, bowling Pama for 27.

At the other end, the introduction of spin-twin St-Jean put the skids under the Whackers. In his second over he struck twice in two balls, bowling the powerful Sahil with a peach, then trapping the hapless Surinder dead in front first up. Mahon survived the hattrick ball after drinks break and the Whackers began to rebuild.

Bell further stymied the run flow, but with only five an over needed for victory on a fast outfield, and with the Whackers batting right down to 12, it would be a fight to the finish.

St-Jean, eager to return to his pregant partner, cleaned up Karan to make the score 93 for 4. Two balls later, he finally did for Mahon. After an innings as long as Ulysses, the Irishman was stumped by Aime’e for a brave and bruising 28.

Aime’e swooped to claim a superb bottom edge off Bell next over, only for the appeal to fall on deaf ears. St-Jean then took what would have been his fifth wicket of the innings – a juicy (but legal) full toss, beautifully pocketed by ball-magnet MacLeod at deep square leg – only for the umpire to call ‘no ball’ mistakenly. The match appeared to be descending into farce.

With his missus’s water threatening to burst at any moment, St-Jean, quietly spitting chips, lured Rajesh into a spiralling top edge. Four fielders charged in for the catch, Aime’e bounding forward with the gloves to pouch it. St-Jean punched the air. The quiet Frenchman, in only his second full season of cricket, had made Canadian cricketing history with 5 for 33.

Believing their work to be done, Sukhdeo and St-Jean left the field, replaced by super-subs Finkelberg and Karan. But the Whackers continued to chip away, TJ and Naresh finding the fence with ease.

Long John Middleton struck in his first over, the ball driven high to Richard Horne at long off. The New Zealander, uncharacteristically without his keeping gloves, bagged the catch comfortably. ”It must have felt like going in without a condom,” Bell observed.

The captain then bowled Sandeep for 3, to leave the Whackers reeling at 121 for 8. But Vicky and TJ then swung the game back in the visitors’ favour, adding 35.

With the ball flying off the edges for four off ‘The Rocket’ Phil Roche, misfields and overthrows mounting, the Pirates looked set for a cruel death. The Whackers needed only 22 runs off 24 balls with 3 wickets in hand and the field spread. Bell brought in the troops, forcing the enemy to go over the top.

Roche bent the ball past the bat to string an over of dots. The Highlander Phil MacLeod, under intense pressure, then bowled immaculately from the Terminal End.

With 16 needed off the last three overs, and the Pirates’ ship sinking in the doldrums, Erfan Chowdhury decided to bowl the over of his life. A full toss first ball was top edged and taken by Aime’e on the sprint once again to account for TJ. After some frantic 2s, Vicky then slapped another full toss at Finkelberg at short midwicket.

It was all down to last man Gorpal and bowler MacLeod, with only 10 Pirate chips left to play with. MacLeod made no mistake, strangling the opposition to hold onto a famous 7-run victory, and proclaiming, ”There can be only one.”

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus West Island Whackers
Saturday 12 June 2010
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: 40 overs per side
Weather conditions: Sweaty then special
Toss won by: Pirates of the St Lawrence
Result: Pirates of the St Lawrence won by 7 runs

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Angus Bell (c) ct Sahil b Gorpal 25 (2×4)
Hugue St-Jean b Pama 2
Richard Horne (wk) ct Gorpal b Narash 85 (4×4, 1×6)
Phil Roche ct Vicky b Gorpal 2
Marie Aime’e (wk) b Sahil 4
Robert Savage run out (Sahil) 16
Erfan Chowdhury run out (Sandeep) 8
Matthew Legault b Sandeep 1
Ben Finkelberg not out 2
Philippe MacLeod not out 2
Roy Middleton DNB
Bhajooram Sukhdeo DNB

Extras 24 (Byes 1, Leg Byes 3, No Balls 0, Wides 20)
Total 171 for 8 in 40 overs

Fow (1-7, 2-80, 3-84, 4-99, 5-153, 6-158, 7-161, 8-169)

Bowling

Sandeep 8 overs, 1 wicket, 29 runs
Pama 3 overs, 1 maiden, 1 wicket, 6 runs
TJ 3 overs, 0 wickets, 25 runs
Vicky 8 overs, 0 wickets, 17 runs
Karan 2 overs, 0 wickets, 15 runs
Gorpal 6 overs, 2 wickets, 34 runs
Sahil 4 overs, 1 wicket, 20 runs
Naresh 6 overs, 1 wicket, 25 runs

West Island Whackers Innings

Pama b Sukhdeo 27 (2×4, 2×6)
Paddy Mahon st Aime’e b St-Jean 28 (3×4)
Sahil b St-Jean 16 (1×4, 1×6)
Surinder lbw St-Jean 0
Karan b St-Jean 5
Rajesh ct Aime’e b St-Jean 2
TJ ct Aime’e b Chowdhury 24 (3×4)
Naresh ct Horne b Middleton 6 (1×6)
Sandeep b Bell 3
Ashok st Horne b Granville 6 (1×4)
Vicky ct Finkelberg b Chowdhury 11 (1×4)
Gorpal not out 4

Extras 38 (Byes 7, Leg Byes 3, No Balls 1, Wides 27)
Total 164 for 10 in 40 overs

FoW (1-55, 2-77, 3-77, 4-93, 5-94, 6-102, 7-110, 8-121, 9-156, 10-161)

Bowling

Phil Roche 8 overs, 1 maiden, 0 wickets, 34 runs
Matthew Legault 3 overs, 0 wickets, 23 runs
Bhajooram Sukhdeo 7 overs, 2 maidens, 1 wicket, 14 runs
Erfan Chowdhury 4 overs, 2 wickets, 17 runs
Hugue St-Jean 6 overs, 5 wickets, 33 runs
Angus Bell 8 overs, 1 maiden, 1 wicket, 24 runs
Roy Middleton 2 overs, 1 wicket, 10 runs
Philippe MacLeod 2 overs, 0 wickets, 9 runs