Pirates of the St Lawrence versus St Columbas of Rhode Island
Sunday 5 August 2012
By the Dublin Death Star

Pirates of the St Lawrence were on the wrong side of a comprehensive drubbing at the hands of St Columbas of Rhode Island on Sunday. Despite a defiant half-century from debutant Sameer Malhotra, the home side couldn’t contain the visitors, who ran out winners by 79 runs.

St Columbas took to the field against the Pirates looking to exact their revenge for the Back Caps’ comfortable victory the previous day. Deputizing for the absent Bell, Mulligan committed the cardinal sin of captaincy, opting to put the visitors in after winning the toss.

The second match of the two-day tour began in blustery conditions, with high winds taxing the Pirates bowlers throughout the morning. With four debutants in the Pirates’ starting line up, two new recruits opened the bowling for the home side. Maxwell and Ali made the best of the unfavourable conditions in the opening overs, but were punished by the elements as even miss-timed shots carried to the boundary.

Picking up from where he left off the previous day, Abid was in devastating form. Aided by the hurricane winds, St Columbas’ opening pair of Abid and Pritesh put on 90 from the first ten overs. Faced with the daunting task of reining in the free-scoring men from Rhode Island, the Pirates’ spin trio of Chuttani, Carter and Wareing managed to halt the escalating run rate.

Chuttani was the pick of the bowlers on the day, finishing with 3-29. The wily off-spinner combined with the Pirates’ wicket-keeper, Malhotra, to trap Abid. Beaten in the flight, the corpulent opener was expertly stumped. The dismissal brought to an end the batsman’s second devastating innings of the weekend. As he had done the previous day, Abid brought up his century off only fifty-odd balls – collecting 18 boundaries on the way.

While Chuttani accounted for Pritesh and Amir, a third Pirates debutant, Gogoi, clean bowled Harsh. A flurry of wickets towards the end of the innings – one apiece for Carter, Wareing and Maxwell – helped the home side stem the flow of runs. Reaching 210 from their allocated overs, St Columbas’ innings was brought to an end by an excellent piece of fielding by Ali. The young allrounder scored a direct hit from mid-wicket after a one-handed pick up and throw.

Chasing 211 for victory, the Pirates were up against it from the start. Losing four wickets in the first five overs of their innings, the home side tumbled to 13-4. A fine 48-run partnership between Llewellyn-ap-Dafydd and Malhotra steadied the ship, but when the former fell to the first ball after a rain delay, the Black Caps were left with a near impossible task.

While wickets tumbled around him, Malhotra continued to score freely. Finishing with a well-made 68 not out – including 9 fours and 1 six – Sameer added an unbeaten 66 for the last wicket with Smith. Smith recorded his highest knock for the Pirates, finishing on 25 not out.

The final pair’s stand brought some manner of respectability to the Pirates’ innings and limited the margin of St Columbas’ victory to 79 runs.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus St Columbas of Rhode Island
Sunday 5 August 2012
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: 25 overs per side
Weather conditions: Max power hair dryer
Toss won by: Pirates of the St Lawrence
Result: St Columbas won by 79 runs

St Columbas Innings

Extras 10 (Byes 3, Leg Byes 0, No Balls 0, Wides 7)
Total 210 for 7 in 25 overs

FoW (1-102, 2-139, 3-145, 4-155, 5-184, 6-203, 7-203)

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Extras 22 (Byes 5, Leg Byes 5, No Balls 0, Wides 12)
Total 131 for 6 in 25 overs

FoW (1-9, 2-13, 3-13, 4-13, 5-61, 6-65)