Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Gujarat CC
Saturday 3 August 2013
Penned by Norts Porridge
Photo by Mark Rodmell

REMARKABLE RELATIONSHIP STRIKES UP BETWEEN PIRATES AND GUJARAT CC

It was a day of cricket for the record books—and not for the reasons you might expect.

When Pirates of the St Lawrence welcomed Gujarat CC to The Candy Fields, the visiting team arrived early, resplendent in their kits of orange. If their punctual arrival was not miraculous enough, their instant offering to help prepare the wicket certainly was.

Gujarat CC and Pirates seemed to enjoy an almost instant kinship and respect (despite sharing but a “rat” between their names.) Food was shared, families were introduced, and a fascinatingly friendly cricket match – in the true “Spirit of Cricket” meaning of the term – ensued.

And the match itself was chock full of amazing moments. Gujarat CC took to bat first, and were caught off-guard by the ferocious opening bowling of Patterson and Bhawalkar, who removed the prized early wicket of Niles, caught behind.

The defensive onslaught continued, with superb bowling from Dinesh, Julius, Captain Bell, young upstart Raj (son of Dinesh), and especially Kelly Morton, who claimed three wickets – his best figures to date – with booming outswingers.

By the end of the Gujarat innings, which included elegant stroke play from Minesh, an end-of-innings cameo from junior Hershey, and a brutal 54 from the left-handed Hemant, they had amassed a mere 147 runs in 45 overs: an easy target.

But not so fast – the men in orange were about to put on a clinic in efficient bowling themselves.

With Pankaj taking the early wicket of Kelly Morton, caught at midwicket, and then 14-year-old Dharmik clean-bowling the formidable Varma with his very first ball in organised cricket, followed shortly by Hasan and Dinesh, the match turned on its head. Prime Pirate batsmen tumbled like sails in a gale, as the Pirates faltered to 16 for 4 in 12 overs.

Debutants Richard ‘Man of’ Steele and 14-year-old Raj added 48 for the 6th wicket, in a persistent and valuable display. Steele demonstrated his English affinity for elegant cover drives, flicks, and gap-seeking singles. The precocious Raj showed bravery and technique beyond his years. But eventually, both succumbed to the Orange Tide in the space of two balls, leaving the Pirates 64 for 6 with 19 overs to go.

Bell and Julius ramped up the run rate with sweeps and drives, bringing up the 100 in the 34th over. But just as the Pirates looked set for victory once more, the captain was undone in the cruelest fashion, dragging on a long-hop that scuttled through at ankle height. Julius then fell selflessly in the slog.

A courageous stand was mounted at endgame with Greyhound-owner and Master-Bouncer Bhattacharya partnered with Bhawalkar, but it was too little, too late.

Notwithstanding, some of the most important Candy Fields records were broken on this day: most people with the same name (14), most father and son combinations on the field (3), highest attendance for a Pirate match (hard to quantify), and the greatest Respect ever shown from a visiting team.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Gujarat CC
Saturday 3 August 2013
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: 45 overs per side (11 wickets)
Weather conditions: We were told it was going to rain, so were thrilled when it didn’t
Result: Gujarat CC won by 24 runs

Gujarat CC Innings

Extras 12 (Byes 5, Leg Byes 3, No Balls 0, Wides 4)
Total 148 for 11 in 44.4 overs

FoW (1-4, 2-40, 3-43, 4-50, 5-64, 6-74, 7-84, 8-91, 9-134, 10-144, 11-148)

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Extras 15 (Byes 6, Leg Byes 2, No Balls 2, Wides 5)
Total 124 for 11 in 42.3 overs

FoW (1-10, 2-10, 3-13, 4-16, 5-64, 6-64, 7-100, 8-113, 9-123, 10-123, 11-124)