Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Colonial Cavaliers of Boston
Saturday 16 July 2011
By our Irish correspondent Samuel Mulligan

Pirates of the St Lawrence welcomed the Colonial Cavaliers of Boston to The Candy Fields for the first of a two-match series on Saturday. During a day of blistering sunshine, a keenly contested battle was played out between the sides. Despite a fine performance from the Pirates, the men from Massachusetts held their nerve to seal a three-wicket victory.

After winning the toss, Pirates’ captain Bell, mercilessly, asked the visitors to field under a baking Mont-Saint-Hilaire sun. Bleary-eyed, the Bostonians’ opening bowlers did well to hit their areas immediately. Tutton swung the ball in, threatening the pads and stumps every ball, Montgomery produced steepling bounce and seam. It wasn’t until the sixth over the Pirates let loose, Bell, with his broken bat, dispatching two full-pitched deliveries from Montgomery straight over the bowler’s head for six, plundering 19 off the over.

Bell and Palmer’s start was slowed by more tight bowling from the Boston seamers, who maintained pressure from both ends. Ravipathy and Andrew continued to get the ball to swing and bounce. Nevertheless, they managed to keep the scoreboard ticking along at 4 an over. It wasn’t until his 33rd delivery in the 12th over that Palmer got off the mark, with a cut for four off Andrew.

Amidst the pressure, the Cavaliers could not find a breakthrough, despite three clear cut chances. Palmer and Bell were put down in quick succession by the keeper, Bell later smashed one through the hands of backward point to reach 50.

On 74 for 0 after 20 overs, Bell and Palmer opened their shoulders. Moving up through the gears, the pair pierced the Cavaliers’ field and Palmer cleared the square-leg fence with two lusty hooks off his nose. The hundred partnership – Bell and Palmer’s fourth – came up in the 25th over, and rapidly advanced to 138 when Palmer fell victim to a direct-hit run out from mid-on. It was the third highest partnership in the club’s history.

In his final match for the Pirates, Daniel Brodie came in at No.3 and continued the acceleration, scoring at a run a ball. At the other end, Bell continued to find the boundary with regularity. Registering no less than 12 fours and 3 sixes, the Pirates’ captain raced through the nineties in two balls to bring up the third century of his career.

From 190-1 at the start if the 37th over, the Pirates tumbled to 195-6. Brodie’s dismissal by Ravipathy for 13 (off just 15 balls), caught by mid-off, brought the second wicket partnership to an end for 52. Ravipathy soon had a second, as Bell finally holed out to long on for 113 (from 119 deliveries). His fine knock was the joint highest innings in Pirates history, equalling Roche’s 113 against Bengal United in September 2010.

Ravipathy – the pick of the bowlers – was ably supported by Whitelam, who ensured the Pirates lost five wickets for only five runs in the space of 17 balls. Varying his pace, the Bostonian removed Roche, debutant Julius and Tolson in the space of one over.

It was left to Mulligan and Bousfield to see out the remainder of the Pirates’ 40 overs. The pair scampered a series of ones and twos to see the home side post a total of 204-6 – a score that always looked 20 short on a lightning fast outfield.

After lunch, the second innings started brightly for the Pirates. The Montreal Metronome, Matt Legault, got the first breakthrough when he had Paul caught behind by Palmer for 4.

Wisden made it 41-2 when he had Whitelam swat a long-hop straight to Roche at mid-off.

Ravipathy joined Kiwi pro Tutton at the crease, and together they added 70 for the 3rd wicket. Tutton favouring the leg side, Ravipathy the off, the pair looked like they would finish the match by four o’clock.

Debutant Julius, bowling big leg breaks with remarkable control, struck to remove Ravipathy, well caught by Mulligan at cover. He didn’t have to wait long for his second victim, as he caught and bowled the injured Andrew next ball.

Throughout his spell, Julius was well supported by spin-twin Sakrani at the other end. The New Zealander reduced the visitors to 132-5 when he grabbed the wicket of the Cavalier’s captain Fry. Fry fell for a duck, top edging a simple catch to Bell at short mid-wicket. Julius then had to leave the match to take his girlfriend to work, confident he’d done enough to secure victory.

Despite the alarming run rate with 15 overs remaining, the Pirates seized control when Mulligan picked up back-to-back wickets to leave the visitors reeling at 155 for 7. The first came courtesy of a sharp stumping by Palmer, who whipped the bails off to dismiss Mallison for 10. Mulligan then had dangerman Tutton caught by Bell at short mid-wicket for 65.

The Pirates’ fortunes began to change when Bell trod on a wasps’ bike while searching for a Hudson six in the tall grass of the forest. Stung from head to toe, his screams had both teams scrambling over the ditch and each other back to the centre of the field.

Hudson, magnificently supported by Montgomery, smote a wave of boundaries to bring the scores closer. Nervy Pirates could do little but spray wides either side of the wicket and retrieve the ball from the fence, as the pair added an heroic unbeaten 50 in 9 overs.

Roche produced a barrage of pace but could not break the stand nor bones, and the Cavaliers cantered home with three wickets and 31 balls to spare.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Colonial Cavaliers of Boston
Saturday 16 July 2011
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: 40 overs per side
Weather conditions: Like removing a roast from the oven
Toss won by: Pirates of the St Lawrence
Result: Colonial Cavaliers won by 3 wickets

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Eddie Palmer (wk) run out 41 (1×4, 2×6, 80 balls)
Angus Bell (c) ct Tutton b Ravipathy 113 (12×4, 3×6, 119 balls)
Daniel Brodie ct Fry b Ravipathy 13 (15 balls)
Phil Roche ct Tutton b Whitelam 2 (3 balls)
Matthew Julius ct Montgomery b Whitelam 2 (4 balls)
Andy Tolson ct Hudson b Whitelam 0 (2 balls)
Samuel Mulligan not out 4 (8 balls)
René Bousfield not out 2 (5 balls)
Matthew Legault DNB
Aneeq Sakrani DNB
Tom Wisden DNB

Extras 27 (Byes 4, Leg Byes 1, No Balls 2, Wides 20)
Total 204-6 in 40 overs

FoW (1-138, 2-190, 3-191, 4-195, 5-195, 6-195)

Bowling

M Tutton 8 overs, 3 maidens, 0 wickets, 37 runs
M Montgomery 5 overs, 0 wickets, 43 runs
M Ravipathy 8 overs, 2 maidens, 2 wickets, 28 runs
J Andrew 6 overs, 1 maiden, 0 wickets, 21 runs
D Hudson 2 overs, 0 wickets, 6 runs
J Fry 6 overs, 0 wickets, 32 runs
P Whitelam 5 overs, 3 wickets, 29 runs

Colonial Cavaliers Innings

Tutton ct Bell b Mulligan 65 (5×4, 2×6)
Paul (wk) ct Palmer b Legault 4
Whitelam ct Roche b Wisden 8 (1×4)
Ravipathy ct Mulligan b Julius 28 (2×4, 1×6)
Andrew c&b Julius 0
Fry (c) ct Bell b Julius 0
Mallison st Palmer b Mulligan 10 (1×4, 1×6)
Hudson (wk) not out 40 (3×4, 1×6)
Montgomery not out 16 (3×4)

Extras 32 (Byes 2, Leg Byes 1, No Balls 1, Wides 28)
Total 205 for 7 in 34.5 overs

FoW (1-19, 2-41, 3-111, 4-111, 5-132, 6-147, 7-155)

Bowling

Phil Roche 6 overs, 1 maiden, 0 wickets, 17 runs
Matthew Legault 7.5 overs, 1 wicket, 45 runs
Tom Wisden 5 overs, 1 wicket, 40 runs
Matthew Julius 5 overs, 3 wickets, 27 runs
Aneeq Sakrani 5 overs, 0 wickets, 32 runs
Samuel Mulligan 3 overs, 2 wickets, 13 runs
Andy Tolson 2 overs, 0 wickets, 12 runs
Daniel Brodie 1 over, 0 wickets, 8 runs