Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Concordia University
Saturday 23 July 2011

Prologue – Friday, 10.30 pm.
”We don’t need lifts anymore. We’re going to take the metro and bus in the morning.”
”Do you know where to get off?”
”It’s okay. We’ll just ask the driver to take us to The Candy Fields…”

A bouncy wicket, a staggering 53 extras, and an industrial hair-dryer wind cost Pirates of the St Lawrence victory in their virgin clash with Concordia University. Newly reformed after a 15-year hiatus, the Concordians cake-walked to a 31-run win at The Candy Fields, inflicting the ninth defeat of the season on their hosts.

It was hailed as a miracle when Concordia skipper Bikram Sidhu telephoned from the Esso garage at 10 am, announcing the arrival of 12 cricketers by bus in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. Barely into set-up mode, the Pirate cavalry was dispatched down Ozias Leduc to scoop them up.

A 10.45 am start was unusual, a wicket before 11 am this season unheard of. Wisden rediscovered some of his form, bagging Aman for a duck, well caught by Sakrani at mid-off to make it 9 for 1.

Unfortunately, the Pirates seemed to have been struck by some kind of extras disease, leaking wides, no balls and byes to the fine leg fence. Highly contagious, the condition spread among the ranks even after ample warnings by Cap’n Bell before the game that several cases had been reported in the area.

Wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. Shanghai Express Naresh Ludhani steamrolled the middle order, his off-cutters proving unplayable.

Nic Hoolahan, returning from two years’ work in the Mines of Moria, struck with his very first delivery. Whanging the ball in halfway down the wicket, he surprised the batsman with pace and bounce. A thick edge was gobbled one-handed by Roche, leaping high in front of slip with the gloves on.

It was the first of four remarkable catches by Roche. His second came flying down the leg side to pouch a glance of Ludhani. The impressive Rashid, whose top spinners continue to wreak havoc, then had dangerman Bilal caught behind after a bottom edge ballooned off his boot. The fourth saw Roche back-pedalling for a top edge when Umar went for a six too many off Bell.

Matt Legault came in the 29th over and immediately picked up the over rate, running back to his mark to make up for arriving four hours late.

Bell cleaned up the innings with three quick wickets, claiming his 100th victim for the Pirates.

Chasing 178 at The Candy Fields in mid-July with 11 wickets is never a daunting prospect, but the Pirate pursuit began disastrously, with Ludhani and Milot back in the hutch within four overs. The former flicked to squareleg, where the ball hovered agonisingly in the gale-force wind. Milot then missed a straight one with an attempted booming drive off the unplayable Qasim.

Handicapped by tennis ball bounce from the dryness in the wicket, the situation worsened rapidly for the home team with the introduction of left-arm paceman Khan. Ripping the ball from a foot outside leg to first slip, and aided by the ferocious Free Montreal Doctor, he soon had Bell snaffled by the diving keeper and Bhola bowled around his legs with a slower ball.

Sensing the futility, Roche launched into assault mode, experimenting with some range-finding with his new bat. Five fours and a six were lashed before he, too, edged one low to gulley where the ball was caught brilliantly by Bikram.

Legault straight drove handsomely to the fence and again to the hands of long-off to make it 68 for 5 in the 16th over.

Enter Ship Surgeon Savage. Short of runs this season, the Kent Spitfire produced his bravest and most skilled innings to date. Over after over he battled, wearing balls on his chin and all the while whittling away at the target. Sweeping lucratively to the boundary and stealing singles, he knew if the innings went to 40 overs the Pirates would triumph.

Hoolahan trebled his run-count for the Pirates and in the process played the shot of the day – a blistering pull for four – before being castled by Qasim.

Sakrani provided invaluable support for Savage, taking the Pirates over the hundred mark. With Qasim and Khan running out of overs, a remarkable victory appeared on the horizon.

Alas, Khan cleaned up Sakrani in identical fashion to Roche after a superb 10 off 21 balls.

Rashid, blending patience with blazing strokes, brought the Pirates closer to shore. But the beacon of hope was virtually extinguished when Savage saw his stumps rattled by Bikram after contributing an heroic 25 off 45 balls.

Khan and Qasim had claimed 9 for 25 between them.

The Pirates innings came to a cataclysmic end with the suicidal (and entertaining) direct-hit run out of Milot, taking strike for a second time in the match, 32 runs and an English Channel adrift of victory.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Concordia University
Saturday 23 July 2011
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: 40 overs per side
Weather conditions: Industrial hair dryer
Toss won by: Concordia
Result: Concordia won by 31 runs

Concordia Innings

Aman ct Sakrani b Wisden 0
Salman b Ludhani 13 (1×4)
Zeeshan ct Roche b Hoolahan 15 (2×4)
Zaem (wk) ct Roche b Ludhani 0
Bilal ct Roche b Rashid 19 (4×4)
Qasim b Ludhani 21 (5×4)
Ashfaq lbw Rashid 2
Bikram (c) ct Milot b Rashid 4
Umar ct Roche b Bell 41 (6×4, 1×6)
Nina b Bell 1
Waqas not out 6
Shahid b Bell 2

Extras 53 (Byes 15, Leg Byes 5, No Balls 3, Wides 30)
Total 177 for 11 in 34.4 overs

FoW (1-9, 2-48, 3-50, 4-65, 5-112, 6-114, 7-122, 8-141, 9-153, 10-171, 11-177)

Bowling

Phil Roche 5 overs, 0 wickets, 21 runs
Tom Wisden 4 overs, 1 wicket, 22 runs
Naresh Ludhani 7 overs, 1 maiden, 3 wickets, 24 runs
Nic Hoolahan 2 overs, 1 wicket, 22 runs
Aneeq Sakrani 2 overs, 0 wickets, 14 runs
Ahmad Rashid 4 overs, 3 wickets, 12 runs
Angus Bell 5.4 overs, 3 wickets, 27 runs
Robert Savage 2 overs, 0 wickets, 24 runs
Matthew Legault 2 overs, 0 wickets, 6 runs

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Angus Bell (c) ct Zaem b Khan 18 (2×4, 34 balls)
Naresh Ludhani ct Umar b Qasim 2 (12 balls)
Thiéry Milot b Qasim 0 (4 balls)
Phil Roche (wk) ct Bikram b Khan 39 (5×4, 1×6, 34 balls)
Sarran Bhola (wk) b Khan 1 (11 balls)
Matthew Legault ct Waqas b Khan 5 (1×4, 8 balls)
Robert Savage b Bikram 25 (3×4, 45 balls)
Nic Hoolahan b Qasim 6 (1×4, 6 balls)
Aneeq Sakrani ct Bikram b Khan 4 (21 balls)
Ahmad Rashid ct Khan b Qasim 10 (2×4, 16 balls)
Tom Wisden not out 1 (6 balls)
Thiéry Milot run out 3 (6 balls)

Extras 33 (Byes 10, Leg Byes 3, No Balls 3, Wides 17)
Total 146 for 11 in 34.4 overs

FoW (1-12, 2-12, 3-43, 4-60, 5-68, 6-82, 7-105, 8-118, 9-136, 10-142, 11-146)

Bowling

Bikram 7 overs, 1 wicket, 42 runs
Qasim 7 overs, 2 maidens, 4 wickets, 9 runs
Khan 8 overs, 2 maidens, 5 wickets, 16 runs
Umar 4.5 overs, 0 wickets, 28 runs
Ashfaq 8 overs, 0 wickets, 39 runs