Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Stoney Creek Cricket Academy
Sunday 3 July 2011

Pirates of the St Lawrence fell tantalisingly short of victory in their battle for Ontario on Sunday, losing to Stoney Creek Cricket Academy by 27 runs on a Hamilton minefield.

Arriving at the ground sandwiched between the QEW, the glorious Hamilton Cathedral and a stinky sewerage works, the Pirates helped gather hay from the field before electing to bowl.

Roche was the first to find his purple patch, making the ball hiss and spit off a length, but it was Legault who produced the spell of his life. Bustling in with his family watching from the trees, the big man was frequently unplayable, beating the bat, rapping the pads, and eventually uprooting Raman’s middle stump.

Brodie teased with his flight and guile, inducing three stumping opportunities in succession to remove the dangerous Vishal. Aided by his spin twin Milot, the pair ripped the heart out of the Stoney Creek middle order.

At the other end, Babar looked unfazed, playing an innings of grace and flair. On a truer pitch with a flatter outfield and shorter grass, he would have been a joy to watch. As it was, he was content to lift balls over the trees, down the hill and into the forest. He finished unbeaten on a faultless 79 after some tight bowling from the rest of the spin quartet. The innings closed on 197 for 8.

A bizarre 45-minute lunch break (in addition to the 45-minute delay at the start) ensued, with no sign of the promised pizza. But with various batsmen shadow batting in the middle, urging fielders to join them, and car engines revving, play recommenced.

Brodie was bowled second ball to a rock that hit a brick and cut him in half. Using the facilities to perfection, the Stoney Creek pace attack was able to extract incredible bounce and seam from the wicket, shooting long hops along the deck, producing leg cutters that flew over third slip, and rattling the helmets with length balls.

With no option, Bell and Milot advanced from their crease and swatted to the fence at every opportunity. But when felled, at 66 for 4, the Pirates looked to be in considerable trouble.

Looking to banish the daemons of his early season, Legault dug in while tour pro Louis joined in the boundary fun. They batted from the 11th to the end of the 25th over – longer than any other pair in the game – adding 92 magnificent runs that pulled the Pirates back from the brink to the cusp of victory.

Requiring 40 off 30 balls, with Louis set on 50, the field spread, and the keeper failing to stop bombs flying to to the fence, the Pirate supporters were on their feet. But Stoney Creek, bringing back their openers, strangled the remainder of the resistance. Stranded at the non-striker’s end for 18 balls, the indomitable Louis, and then Savage, fell selflessly in the slog with 28 required off the final over.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Stoney Creek Cricket Academy
Sunday 3 July 2011
Cathedral Park, Hamilton, Ontario
Match type: 30 overs per side
Weather conditions: Good for hay making
Result: Stoney Creek won by 27 runs

Stoney Creek Innings

Babar not out 79
Vishal st Bobby b Brodie 35
Raman b Legault 1
Dev ct Louis b Milot 7
Jassa ct (Deo sub) b Milot 5
Rai ct Milot b Bell 17
Harneck st Bobby b Middleton 1
Sikandra ct (sub Ram) b Louis 12
Jassa ct (sub Deo) b Bell 9
Raman not out 0
Rajeev DNB

Extras 31 (Byes 2, Leg Byes 2, No Balls 0, Wides 27)
Total 197 for 8 in 30 overs

FoW (1-71, 2-72, 3-87, 4-97, 5-138, 6-140, 7-166, 8-183)

Bowling

Phil Roche 3 overs, 0 wickets, 10 runs
Tom Wisden 3 overs, 0 wickets, 28 runs
Matthew Legault 5 overs, 1 maiden, 1 wicket, 25 runs
Daniel Brodie 3 overs, 1 wicket, 20 runs
Thiéry Milot 3 overs, 2 wickets, 13 runs
Robert Savage 3 overs, 0 wickets, 25 runs
Roy Middleton 4 overs, 1 wicket, 27 runs
Angus Bell 4 overs, 2 wickets, 22 runs
André Louis 2 overs, 1 wicket, 19 runs

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Daniel Brodie b Babar 0 (2 balls)
Thiéry Milot ct Raj b Dev b 17 (3×4, 22 balls)
Angus Bell (c) b Bobby 31 (5×4, 1×6, 23 balls)
Phil Roche b Raj 1 (6 balls)
André Louis c&b Bobby 56 (4×4, 4×6, 60 balls)
Matthew Legault b Babar 21 (3×4, 46 balls)
Tom Wisden not out 5 (19 balls)
Robert Savage ct Rajeev b Raman 0 (2 balls)
Roy Middleton DNB
Bobby (wk) DNB

Extras 38 (Byes 5, Leg Byes 6, No Balls 6, Wides 21)
Total 171 for 7 in 30 overs

FoW (1-0, 2-29, 3-60, 4-66, 5-158, 6-170, 7-171)

Bowling

Babar 6 overs, 3 maidens, 2 wickets, 24 runs
Dev 6 overs, 1 wicket, 30 runs
Raj 3 overs, 1 wicket, 14 runs
Bobby 3 overs, 2 wickets, 21 runs
Jassa 4 overs, 0 wickets, 21 runs
Raman 4 overs, 1 maiden, 10 runs
Har 1 over, 0 wickets, 17 runs
Vishal 3 overs, 0 wickets, 21 runs