- Match Report
- Scorecard
- Highlights
AQCC KO TWCC @ YCAC
by Dean Abbott
The first T20 game of the 2017 season for the Wombats versus defending champions Alpha Quashers, unfortunately, didn’t end in success under difficult conditions at a cold and wet YCAC. However, on a positive note, 5 players made their Wombats debut – the highest number of debutants since the Wombats’ “early years”.
With a drizzle in the air at the start of play – and the promise of finer weather to come by 3pm – captain, Evan “Branson” Hitchman won the toss and elected to have a bat.
Due to wet conditions the Alpha bowling attack had to come off shorter run-ups and be careful of their footing on the all weather track, allowing opening batsmen Alex Patmore and Yusry Mohideen – with some powerful shots over the top by Yusry and some classy strokes by the Alex – to race to an opening partnership of 58 off of 6.5 overs. However, their partnership wasn’t without incident early on. Due to some questionable calling, Yusry found himself having to show his speed and agility to narrowly avoid three potential run-outs.
Unfortunately, after they had found their calling groove their partnership came to a questionable end with Yusry (25) succumbing to an unlucky LBW decision. Described by the man himself as a, “BBW”, to clarify – that’s Bat Before Wicket (minds out of the gutter please). The aforementioned BBW not only resulted in a Yusry bat throw, but the collapse of the Wombats batting line-up.
The next 6 batsman (Jaime Payne (0) – run out; Dean Abbott (0) – bowled; Augstine Jacob (2) – run out; Narendar Madhavan (3) – caught; Solaiman Haque (0) – LBW Double plum; Ken Oiwa (2) – not out) scored a combined total of 7 runs off of 8 overs. During that time there were some unlucky run-outs, a few poor shot decisions, 3 ducks and a rain delay – resulting in a reduced, 15 over game.
In stark contrast, opening batsman (and eventual Man of the Match) Alex Patmore defiantly anchored the Wombats throughout the innings with an array of impressive batting strokes, eventually finishing on a brilliant 78 not out (50, SR 156) and leading the team to a respectable 133 off of 15 overs.
With the Alpha Quashers needing 134 off of 15 overs, the Tokyo Wombats went into the rain soaked field – including five debutants – with the confidence of a win or at least taking the game to the wire against the T20 defending champions, however, this would sadly not be the case with Alpha Quashers securing victory in the 11th over.
Narendar Madhavan opened up the bowling with some controlled leg spin under wet and challenging conditions. He was joined by Wombats debutant Adam Cronin – A.K.A. “Croners”, “Cronin”, “Croninburg” and “The Crow”- from the other end.
In the 4th over, thanks to a brilliant one-handed, jumping catch by captain Evan Hitchman, it was both the first wicket of the innings and Adam’s first wicket for the Wombats – congrats Adam!
Then entered Alpha’s impressive no. 3 batsman (V Perumalsamy (40 not out)), who showed his experience on the YCAC track by repeatedly dispatching balls pitching on middle/middle-off to the square leg boundary. However, even with this increased pressure the Wombats kept the Alpha Quashers to a manageable run rate until the 9th over, enjoying some successes and close calls along the way. Including a combination effort run-out (by Jamie, Alex and Dean) of the other opening batsman (6.1ov); some tight bowling by Wombats debutant Solamain Haque (2-0-10-0); and a couple of testing dropped catches, one bullet shot to Wombats debutant Augustine Jacob (AJ) at point; and a brilliant try by Ken Oiwa trying to take a catch from on high over his shoulder while on the run.
It is unclear whether the eventual outcome would have been different if we had taken those chances. Then again, with captain Evan Hitchman and Mohit Budhiraja joining the bowling attack causing the Manhattan RR graph to resemble a big middle finger, I’m inclined to say maybe not. On a positive note the leg side deliveries put Wombats debutant keeper Dean Abbott through his paces; and Mohit managed to take his first wicket for the Wombats with his first delivery – well done Mohit (1-0-25-1).
Despite the quick decline of the bowling attack, we must applaud the Alpha batsman for clinically putting away the bad ball, taking advantage of the nine free hits throughout the innings and punishing our bowling over the last 2 overs. Which culminated in the Wombats conceding 60 runs for 1 wicket and allowed the Alpha Quashers to achieve victory by reaching 136 in 11 overs.
Yet even with such heavy scoring in the last few overs all Wombats showed great spirit in the field in the miserable conditions, were solid in their encouragement as a team, and fought until the last ball. Great stuff considering five new players were in the team.
A small victory for the Wombats was the fact the standout player from both teams was clearly Alex Patmore with a brilliant batting display and real master class in how to bat in difficult conditions. He put on a show that everyone enjoyed and was impressive to see some reverse sweeps and scoops mixed in with some textbook strokes.
Finally, a big thank-you must go out to the umpires for enduring the cold and the rain and allowing both teams to enjoy a good days cricket.
| Tokyo Wombats CC vs Alpha Quashers Yokohama CC |
| Japan Cup 2017 (South Kanto), YCAC, Kanagawa, April 9, 2017 |
| Toss | Tokyo Wombats CC |
| Umpires | YCAC CC |
| Result | AQCC won by 7 wickets |
| TWCC MoM | A Patmore |
| Tokyo Wombats CC Innings: 133 (15.0 overs) |
Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
| A Patmore | not out | 78 | 50 | 15 | 0 | 156.00 |
| Y Mohideen | lbw b D Dhaka | 25 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 96.15 |
| J Payne | run out (N Kanungo†) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| D Abbott† | b M Govindasamy | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| A Jacob | run out (N Rangasamy / N Kanungo†) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| N Madhavan | c N Rangasamy b K Vellingiri | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| S Haque | lbw b MoGovindasamy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| K Oiwa | not out | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| A Cronin | dnb | |||||
| E Hitchman* | dnb | |||||
| M Budhajara | dnb | |||||
| Extras | (b 9, lb 1, w 12, nb 1) | 23 | ||||
| TOTAL | (6 wickets) | 133 |
| Fall of wickets |
| 58-1 Y Mohideen, 76-2 J Payne, 82-3 D Abbott†, 101-4 A Jacob, 107-5 N Madhavan, 118-6 S Haque |
Bowling | O | M | R | W | wd | nb | Econ |
| G Singh | 3.0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7.00 |
| N Rangasamy | 1.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.00 |
| K Vellingiri | 3.0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.33 |
| B Ramiah | 1.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.00 |
| D Dhaka | 3.0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7.00 |
| M Govindasamy | 3.0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 9.00 |
| V Jayakumar | 1.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Alpha Quashers Yokohama CC Innings: 136/3 (11.0 overs) |
Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
| S Pedada | run out (S Haque / J Payne) | 19 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 105.56 |
| V Jayakumar | c E Hitchman* b A Cronin | 9 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 90.00 |
| V Perumalsamy | not out | 40 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 173.91 |
| K Vellingiri | b M Budhajara | 38 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 190.00 |
| N Rangasamy | not out | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 275.00 |
| N Kanungo† | dnb | |||||
| G Singh | dnb | |||||
| B Ramiah | dnb | |||||
| D Dhaka | dnb | |||||
| M Govindasamy | dnb | |||||
| N Nagaraja | dnb | |||||
| Extras | (b 0, lb 1, w 9, nb 9) | 19 | ||||
| TOTAL | (3 wickets) | 136 |
| Fall of wickets |
| 23-1 N Kanungo†, 52-2 S Pedada, 111-3 K Vellingiri |
Bowling | O | M | R | W | wd | nb | Econ |
| N Madhavan | 3.0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.67 |
| A Cronin | 3.0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10.33 |
| S Haque | 2.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.00 |
| E Hitchman* | 2.0 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 24.50 |
| M Budhajara | 1.0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25.00 |
Catches
- Ev at mid-on, one handed, leaping!
Dropped Catches
- The hard wet leather going like a bullet at Augustine, who for a moment thought he had it….then poof! Floored it!
- Ken nearly holding an absolute dream of a catch coming from high over the shoulder whilst on the run.
Quotes
- Patmore after Ev’s catch: “That’s why I put Richie at mid-on”
- Patmore again: “Do you know how to call mate?” (when Naren arrives at the crease after the horrendous running between the wickets with Yus)
- He’s only played one match but Ev’s already come up with a list of nicknames for Adam: “Cronin”, “Croninburg”, and “The Crow”.
- Yuz was talking in Russian accent at Saku Hub for some reason and that triggered “Alexander Patmorski”.
- Yuz: “that was BBW – bat before wicket”
Dummy Spits
- Yusry not being allowed to vape in Sakuragicho Hub and taking it out on the student waitress: “You should fire yourself!”
Great Moments in Sport
- Patmore toying with AQCC’s bowlers for 78 not out
- 5 new debutants for the Wombats
- Spartan tenacity and dedication of the umpires, standing stoic in the rain and wind for 3 hrs (particularly the guy in the thin shirt).