The penultimate game of a wet season saw Clacks take on Kismet in an FCU game.  Ironically, the game was played in basking, hot sunshine.  Clacks travelled with 10 players to face a strong Kismet side, filling their team with ESCA Top Performers. Fair to say CCCC had at least 5 regular, but young, 1st team players playing - not every team uses this league to give their juniors experience, we choose to.
The home captain won the toss and elected to bat on a “green” wicket.  The Clacks opening bowling attack compromised of the inexperienced Auranzeb Alamgir and Club Captain, Graeme Anderson.  Auranzeb showed his maturity bowling ECSA Division 2 leading run scorer with a ball that the batsman dragged on.  Clacks were on a roll, an egg roll! having removed the other opening batsman, when   Anderson the bowler as opposed to Anderson the singer creating an edge which was gladly accepted by Alan Oliver at 1st slip, albeit on the second attempt!!  Kismet rocking on 1 for 2.  Arfan Yousaf (Just after a score of 252*) That whole issue has nothing to do with this competition or this club of course!, came together with his captain, Ash Ali. The two nudged the ball around, ensuring they kept on scoring the boundaries as well. Eh!   Predictably, Kismet refused both opening bowlers LBW decisions. As they are entitled to do and you were fielding where exactly! This allowed Kismet back into the game. As far as I can glean they weren't out of the game. Alamgir bowled through, finishing with 1 – 22 off his 4 overs.
Jamie McCann came on to replace Anderson and found it tough to begin with, but in his 2nd over, he removed the dangerous Yousaf with an in-swinger, bowling the batsman through the gap between wafting bat and pad.   At this point in the game, Kismet was scoring freely and it wasn’t until Graham Oliver came, that the scoring rate was tightened up.  His bowling, improving every ball, was too much for the Kismet middle order.  He removed the captain and then another two batsmen in an impressive spell.  A man-of-the-match performance, with the youngster finishing with 3 – 18. 
Greig Taylor bowled his unpredictable off-spin.  He was unlucky with 2 catches going down off his bowling and a plum LBW turned down.  Even the batsman didn’t know how he was still in!!! The unpredictable bit wouldn't have anything to do with not getting an LBW of course, real bowlers just shrug their shoulders and get on with it. Kash Ali bowled well, finishing with 2 – 9 off 2 overs.  His use of flight, spin and drift proved too much for the batsmen.  Anderson finished off his spell, 2 – 14 off 4 overs.  The innings ended on 130, with all the Clacks side putting in good performances on the field. After a short break, Clacks got ready to chase down the gettable target.  With the improvement of the junior players in the side the main priority of the game, Clacks skipper unselfishly placed himself number 10, to allow all the other players a shot at batting. And your point is?   Tipu Sultan (20) and Dan Smith (7) opened the batting. Both 1st team players Tipu took a liking to the bowling of Zubair Ahmed, by “dispatching” hum him? for 18 in over.  This gave Clacks the impetus that was needed. 
Number 3 batsmen, McCann, was surprised with his position but took it in his stride scoring 10 runs.  Alan Oliver batted at number 4 and found it hard going with the big turn the Kismet spinners were getting.  Some tight bowling from M.Sharif and M.Naseem saw Clacks slip behind the scoring rate. 
McCann was run out after a mishap in the calling between the batsmen.  A decision made by Taylor and G.Oliver to allow the big hitting Auranzeb to go in front of them. Jings how many captains in this side! The decision paid off when he thumped two consecutive 6’s right out of the ground.  The 2nd being the biggest hit some of us have seen for a long time.  With Oliver timing the ball well, the target for Clacks had now gone to 44 runs from 3.4 overs.  Auranzeb (12) was bowled trying to hit another big six.
 This brought Greig Taylor to the crease.  Oliver and Taylor kept on scoring runs, picking up runs here and there, running the first hard and creating the chance for a 2nd.  Eventually the target was 28 of 12 balls.  Oliver caressed the ball through the covers for a gorgeous boundary.  This brought the target to 24 of 11 balls.  The experienced T. Naseem bowled smartly and the pressure eventually became too much for Oliver as he was run-out, going for a quick single.  Oliver batted well, scoring 29 runs in a desperate attempt to win the game for the county side.  With the target 22 of 6 balls, some lusty blows were required.  These lusty blows were delivered almost, since the side didn't win, yes pedantic I know, as Taylor smacked a ball over mid-wickets head for 4.  The next ball he thumped a ball straight back over the bowlers head, landing 3 feet for a one bounce 4.  This took the score to 14 off 4. The next ball, he attempted to swat over deep square leg, but missed and was stumped for 14, with his foot dragging out of the crease. 
With 14 needed off 3 balls, Ali and Graham Oliver tried their hardest but could only score 2 runs as the Kismet fielders were throwing themselves around all over the place in an effort to secure the win. Surprise there then! Clacks finished on 118 for 5.  A valiant effort to chase down the runs, but what would have been the result if Clacks had that last body in the field. "Body in the field" the mind boggles! Who knows? Yeah Greig, I see where you are coming from and agree with a lot of it. Indulge my quaint sense of humour and a thank you from me for all the good work you do for the club, most of it unrecognised, if only more could do as you do.