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GCC-ODI, Game # 5, 2001
Edmonton and District Cricket League - Premier Division
Greenfield v Victoria Park Cricket Club
Victoria Park, Edmonton
Sunday, June 03, 2001 (37-over match)

Result : Victoria Park won by 6 wickets.

Toss : Greenfield
Umpires : O'Neil Smith & Vijay Muttoo
Greenfield MoM : Zaufer Marikar
Scorer: Nuhad Hussain

Greenfield Innings	How Out	Bowler	Runs	4's	6's
V Subramanian		b I Qureshy	16	0	0
J Ramkhelewan	lbw	b I Qureshy	14	2	0
+R Nair	st. K Sri-Thakur	b R Patel	16	0	0
A Prasad	lbw	b S Dasur	10	1	0
Z Marikar	c *S Dutchin	b M Bath	45	0	2
*A Rauf	lbw	b R Patel	17	0	2
S Barran		b R Patel	0	0	0
R Maikala	not out		9	0	0
S Turner	not out		13	1	0
EXTRAS : b 15, lb 8, w 3, nb 0			26
TOTAL : (for 7 wickets, in 37 overs)			166	RR: 4.48

Bowler	O	M	R	W	wd	nb
Imran Qureshy	9	2	17	2	0	0
Justin Charles	6	1	15	0	0	0
Surender Dasur	7	1	34	1	0	0
Mappi Bath	9	0	33	1	3	0
Rasik Patel	5	0	36	3	0	0
*Steve Dutchin	1	0	8	0	0	0

(31 Overs - Target 122 runs)
Victoria Park Innings	How Out	Bowler	Runs	4's	6's
B Samaratunga	c Z Marikar	b S Turner	11	1	0
R Hansraj		b S Turner	17	2	1
*S Dutchin	c +R Nair	b V Subramanian	16	0	0
D Persaud	c S Barran	b V Subramanian	8	0	0
+K Sri-Thakur	not out		14	1	0
M Bath	not out		43	2	1
EXTRAS : b 3, lb 4, w 6, nb 0			10
TOTAL : (for 4 wickets, in 30.2 overs)			122	RR: 4.60

Bowler	O	M	R	W	wd	nb
Ram Maikala	3	0	19	0	0	0
*Arees Rauf	6	0	29	0	0	0
Steve Turner	9	0	26	2	3	0
Venkat Subramanian	9	0	28	2	2	0
Arvind Prasad	3.2	0	14	0	1	0

Match Report by Arvind Prasad: The A-league standings as on the eve of Greenfield (GCC) – Victoria Park (VP) match was, Gujarat leading the standings with 4 wins out of 5, followed by Millwoods with 3 wins. GCC and VP were tied at third place with 2 wins apiece from 4 outings. A win to either team would place them in the second spot with Millwoods. Thus it was a crucial game for both teams, since from past experience the final standings have been decided in the first quarter of the league, and both teams were eager to win. A word about the weather conditions would be in order. It had rained the previous night and the lush outfield was still wet and slippery. It was heavy overcast conditions with 70% chances of shower. With visibility down to minimum, the conditions were bad enough for the game to be called off in any other part of the world. Not in Edmonton since the city is known for such weather patterns! GCC went in with one change, Sohail being replaced by Jacob from Junior Colts. VP was without the services of their exciting batsman Kapil. GCC captain Arees won the toss and considering the brilliant batting performance by GCC in the previous match and their high confidence, he elected to bat. Venkat and Jacob started slowly but surely and after 10 overs the score was 21 without loss. Venkat was the first to go, yorked by Imran, followed by Jacob adjudged LBW playing half forward to the same bowler. By this time the drizzling turned to rain and the players had to go back. After 30 minutes were lost and play reduced by 5 overs, there was need to step up the run rate. Just before 50 was reached, Arvind was out, paying the price for playing across the line. Zaufer was promoted up the order to increase the run rate and he did it with style hitting three magnificent sixes. There was another 10-minute interruption due to rain and the game was further reduced to 37 over. Zaufer was eventually out for 45 unlucky not to have got his 50, but he had ensured that the run rate was more than 4 an over. Number 3 bat Rajiv, who was playing a sheet anchor role, was out in most unusual manner when he missed a wide delivery down the leg and the ball ricocheted off the wicket keepers pads and rolled on to the stumps. Arees made up for Sunil's wicket by playing a captains knock studded with 2 huge sixes. Ram and Steve stayed till the end and GCC finished with 166 for 7 off 37 overs. The GCC batting had clicked again and the score was exceptionally good, considering the fact that the wet outfield was painfully slow and also it is difficult to hit a wet and heavy ball. The VP innings started with a bang, their openers hitting with immense confidence and power. They were 25 without loss in 4 overs and Arees turned to leggie Steve Turner who got the breakthrough when Zaufer took a blinder at slips. In his very next over Turner clean-bowled the other opener and the pressure was back on VP with these quick wickets. VPs two best batsmen Steve and Damien were at the crease now and it was crucial that GCC got rid of them quickly. Turner was unlucky not to get Damien's wicket, when he was dropped at deep mid-wicket. Part time bowler Venkat surprised both teams with his nagging line and length and within 15 deliveries missed two caught-and-bowled chances offered by Steve. Venkat was finally rewarded, deservedly, when Sunil made up for Damien's previous missed chance by taking a spectacular well-judged running catch at deep backward square-leg. Hard work pays and Venkat was an example, when he finally found Steve's outside edge. Just over 50 runs and two of their best batsmen back GCC was well on top now. The two new batsmen played cautiously which did not bother GCC since the required run-rate crept to over 6 an over. After 25 overs they still needed 75 runs in 72 deliveries. It was almost 10 overs since drizzling had started and even after the break there was no respite from Rain-God. After the break, VP started to look to step the scoring rate but after 2 more overs the number of runs required was still more than the number of balls remaining. 66 runs needed off 60 deliveries. The GCC players were now spring footed as victory was well within their grasp. On a normal day 66 off 60 balls may not look daunting, but with a slow outfield and heavy ball it was going to be very difficult. 4 balls of over number 28 and it was then that the drama started. VP batsmen appealed to go out because of the continuing drizzling, much to the surprise and chagrin of GCC players who had batted in the exact same conditions and at certain times in a heavier downpour. It is true that batsmen had to run on a 22 sq. yard of slippery mat, but they had the option of running on the mud alongside the mat, which of course every batting pair had been doing so far. On the other hand each GCC player was patrolling an average of 1200 sq. yards of slippery grass without an inch of mud for firm footing. The batsmens appeal for not batting on this condition was really poor and weak, since GCC had also batted under the same conditions. The batsman with glasses asked himself to be excused because he had to wipe off the glass every over! There were three GCC players who had glasses on when they had batted under similar and at times worse conditions. Instead of making excuses they decided to go in with helmets (to spinners) or caps to ensure there was minimum of rain-drops on their glasses. Interestingly, the wicket-keeper batsman with the glasses did not remember to wipe off his glasses while keeping wickets. Removing and putting on wicket-keeping gloves is faster than for batting gloves, so there wasn’t a concern of delaying his team and incurring penalty for slow over rates!! Even as only two VP players would be on the field at any given time, all the 11 GCC players, wet, cold and drenched in the hour long drizzle, were risking personal injury dangerous enough to put them off for the rest of the season, to play a game of good, competitive and exciting cricket. Amidst chaos and mayhem, the most upsetting moment came when the umpire decided to call off the match. And since at the end of same number of overs, VP had more runs and also since minimum of 25 overs had been bowled, VP would be declared winners. This totally demoralized the GCC players who, after the initial blast from the openers, had played brilliant, top level cricket in rough weather conditions to put themselves in a winning position. Surprisingly, after players had packed and were ready to leave, the news came in that the play would resume! The most absurd thing ever, since the match was called off because of so-called ‘rain’ and by the same definition, it was still ‘raining’. There was a big confusion on the number of runs to score and the number of balls to be bowled and it was finally decided that VP would be given 20 balls to score 21 runs. Players were absolutely clueless about the criteria behind such a calculation. If it was decided that team batting second had to play 31 overs, following the most often used DL rule in international cricket, 6 overs of minimum runs scored by GCC should have been reduced and the target adjusted to something of the tune of 160 runs off 31 overs for VP, meaning 55 odd runs off just over 3 overs compared to 20 odd runs, which now had been decided! After all other international rules of cricket is followed, all-white uniform for players, number of overs to be bowled in certain amount of time, no spectator allowed near sight-screen, a paid umpiring job etc etc, it was amusing to note that homemade rule was brought into play in rainy conditions. Such weather condition is not new to Edmonton and the play should have been called off in the very beginning without a single delivery. If the play was allowed, at the very least, there should have been a guideline for this much claimed not-unusual wet conditions of play. GCC was totally devastated by this, came out and 'lost'. 'VP won', but the spirit of the game was lost. A poor display of sportsmanship by VP, who incidentally, were the champions last season! A disappointing approach by the star players in VP team, who have played at a very high level, but decided to keep mum even as the game of cricket was mocked and slandered for mere 2 points of table standings. A very sad event in the history of EDCL cricket where the loopholes, drawbacks and even lack of rules/regulations were badly exposed. There was confusion and chaos all over with the umpire having no authority over the situation at all. The lack of proper guidelines in the event of severe weather conditions, which is very usual for the city of Edmonton, was used in favor of one team and obvious disadvantage to the other. GCC lost to the weather for the second time in their 3 losses. There were several inconsistencies in this game, which the EDCL management must look into. On the positive side, a classic game of cricket played by GCC, being placed in the A division. After this great display of character and integrity shown by GCC players both on and off the field, the management would surely be pleased that GCC was allowed in the A division. After all, cricket (or any other team sport) is not just about winning, but about developing respect for talent, the ability to play honestly and diligently and having the courage to accept defeat gracefully. As is often said, "Cricket is a gentleman’s game"!