I won't say that it wasn't expected. After all we are just weekend cricketers and seem to have no inclination on improving our game. We can only fare well against candies like Kandy boys, but if the teams are slightly better, then I see no hope.
I don't think that any batsman or bowler is so good that he can just wash his face in the morning, arrive at the ground, pad up and start scoring or taking wickets against better line ups.
Asif was late, so Waqar and Nisar had to open the innings. Nisar started playing his shots but his weakness on leg was exposed as the bowler changed his side and got him bowled.
Asif went in next and had a golden duck as the bowler went through his defenses and uprooted the stumps.
Waqar and Samir Bhai played watchfully initially and then Waqar started playing his shots. Samir Bhai got too defensive around the 10th over, and wasn't able to take singles and rotate the strike, which is a cardinal sin in any form of cricket.
Samir Bhai was out on a very good shot, which was taken on the boundary, resulting in the start of Waqar's and Akmal's partnership in just around the 11th over. Waqar got bowled while trying to hit one in the orbit. Akmal looked good initially as he struck well timed boundaries on the leg side, but in the end he tried to force a shot on the leg to a ball which was either moving away or on the off side. He spooned a catch which was easily taken.
Bilal & Zeeshan played and ran well to drag the score across the 150 mark.
We could have only won the match, if we could have taken early wickets. But none of our 4 top line bowlers were good enough to do so. Waqar was unable to find his line and length against better batsmen, Anees Bhai bowled well, but managed to bowl a few half trackers in each over, which were immediately dispatched to the boundaries taking the pressure off of them, Akmal started miserably because of 'cold' shoulders (probably forgot that bowlers usually stretch and warm up before bowling, too good that we didn't bowl first, otherwise those shoulders might have stayed cold forever), Nisar started well initially and got a wicket as well, but couldn't maintain the pressure and was hit for boundaries as well.
Catching was again miserable. Basharat was the first to drop one, but in his favor, the ball bowled by Akmal was too shot and the batsman had played a full blooded pull shot, and with the wind the ball probably travelled in nano seconds to Basharat on the square leg boundary, who in the end could only pop it out. Sameer Bhai dropped one, after judging it to perfection. Asif too dropped one at a very vital point, when we could have come back into the game.
Akmal bowled well after those shoulders became warmer. He took the first wicket for us and continued to trick the batsmen, with his variations. Nisar got us the second wicket. He managed to weave a spin spell against the batsmen and was successful most of the times. But in his middle overs went for a few boundaries. Zeeshan too started well and got a wicket in his first over. But the batsmen grew braver as they approached the small target and hit him for a few sixes. He came back well to salvage some pride by getting one more wicket.
In the end none of us were good enough to take the wicket of one of their openers, who played a very good innings with some calculated risks which he took only when they were required.
In the end it was an enjoying day of cricket, as we shared a few laughs, discussed 'strategies', boasted about the old glory days and oh yes played some cricket as well.
