Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Sukhdeo’s Select: A Guyanese XI
Saturday 5 May 2012
by our Irish correspondent Samuel Mulligan
Photo by Kat Roche

Pirates of the St Lawrence got the 2012 season underway with the best of possible starts, thanks to a convincing win against Sukhdeo’s Select: A Guyanese XI. Fielding no less than four debutants, the Black Caps delivered a polished performance to win by 33 runs.

After two early-season false starts, with the Candy Fields looking immaculate after some extensive pre-season groundwork, the two sides played out a full 80 overs in perfect cricket conditions.

Batting first, the Pirates’ opening pair, Matt Roberts and Andrew Barrett, laid a solid foundation for the home side’s innings. Faced with Sukhdeo’s Select XI’s lively seam attack, the debutants proved to be more than up to the task. While the visitor’s new ball pairing of Hari Sukhdeo and Kafe Khan found some movement early on and maintained a consistent line and length, Roberts and Barrett were steadfast in defence.

After a patient beginning, the openers soon began to find the gaps. With the scoreboard ticking over, the visiting captain, Bhajooram Sukhdeo, turned to his spinners to break the opening stand. The breakthrough came when Mohammed Saddick trapped Barrett in front, LBW for 27. The dismissal brought to an end an impressive maiden knock for Barrett, who notched up two boundaries during his 45-ball innings.

The fall of the first wicket brought another debutant to the crease. Playing in his first competitive game, New Zealander Brad Smith upped the run-rate and was unlucky to be adjudged LBW. The dismissal gave Saddick his second wicket and brought the Pirates’ captain, Angus Bell, to the middle.

Together with Roberts, Bell put on 41 for the third wicket. Roberts, who was eventually dismissed by Raj Sukhdeo for 25, put in a fine first showing at the top of the Pirates’ batting order. Coming in at number four, Tim Filer – another of the Pirates’ new recruits – gave the home side’s innings some much needed impetus.

Bell and Filer took the attack to the opposition bowlers, plundering a series of fours and sixes. Filer, a former Estonian international, found the boundary with ease during his quick-fire innings. Finally falling for 41 from 35 balls, Filer’s innings included 2 fours and 3 sixes.

Carrying an injury, Phil Roche came in at number six. Despite a valiant effort to bat through the pain, Roche was forced to retire hurt. Bell, who had continued to score at pace, was joined in the middle by Richard Horne.

Bell picked up where he had left off last season, and showed the fine form that saw him finish the top run scorer in 2011. Bell, who eventually retired not out, made 65 off 84 balls, including five fours.

Together with Hugue St-Jean, Horne scored at more than a run a ball, and guided the Pirates to a commanding total of 188 for 4 in 40 overs.

Well fed and suitably watered, the Pirates took to the field a few pounds heavier after lunch. The new ball pairing of Prashant Bhawalkar and Matt Legault bowled tight lines from the off, giving little or nothing away to the Sukhdeo’s Select XI’s openers, Raja Sukhdeo and Kafe Khan. Both seamers found some swing earlier on and were unlucky to pick up only one wicket during their opening spell.

Bhawalkar broke the visitors’ opening stand of 24 when he clean bowled Khan for 8. At the other end, Raja Sukhdeo made steady progress, until he was removed for 22 by the early introduction of spin. Looking to pick up the run-rate, the stylish left-hander latched onto a loopy full toss from Mulligan, only to find the man on the deep mid-wicket boundary. Never far from the action, the catch was well taken by Filer.

The decision to bring on a spinner from both ends paid dividends, as St-Jean dismissed the Sukhdeo’s Select XI’s No. 3, Rubel, for 12. The Quebecois off-spinner induced a top-edge, which was comfortably caught by Filer in the deep.

62 for 3 soon became 62 for 4, when Saresh went without troubling the scorers. Deceived in the flight by Mulligan, the Sukhdeo’s Select XI’s wicket-keeper/batsman lofted a tentative drive straight to Smith at cover point. Smith, who looked sharp in the field all afternoon, held on to a fine tumbling catch.

Much to their credit the visiting side managed to steady the ship in the middle overs. Hari Sukhdeo and Sato Panday put on 49 for the fifth wicket, but were forced to contend with a climbing run-rate.

Filer continued his impressive all-round display with a lively spell of medium-fast bowling. Throughout his eight overs he found sharp bounce, which kept the Sukhdeo’s Select XI’s batsmen on their toes. Filer was rewarded for his tight spell when he clean bowled Sato for 27 after drinks.

At the other end, the Pirates’ captain Bell produced a tidy spell of leg-breaks, which kept the pressure on the visiting side. Extracting prodigious turn, Bell had Saddick caught at mid-off by Barrett. Barrett was solid under the high ball and continued the impressive outing in the field for the debutants.

Despite consistent scoring from Hari Sukhdeo and his dad Bhajooram, who finished 22 not out, the Sukhdeo’s Select XI struggled to keep up with the required rate.

Smith completed the victory for the Pirates in the final over. His brisk medium pace finally brought Hari Sukhdeo’s innings to an end for 39. Smith hurried one through to Sukhdeo, whose missed-timed pull was well caught be Mulligan at mid-wicket.

The Pirates’ impressive display handed the home side a 33-run victory and provided the perfect opening for the new season.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Sukhdeo’s Select: A Guyanese XI
Saturday 5 May 2012
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: 40 overs per side
Weather conditions: Southern France in Spring
Result: Pirates won by 33 runs

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Extras 10 (Byes 3, Leg Byes 2, No Balls 1, Wides 4)
Total 188 for 4 in 40 overs

FoW (1-35, 2-41, 3-82, 4-148)

Sukhdeo’s Select Innings

Extras 21 (Byes 2, Leg Byes 5, No Balls 2, Wides 12)
Total 155 for 7 in 40 overs

FoW (1-24, 2-47, 3-62, 4-62, 5-111, 6-118, 7-153)