After careful explanation that the $2 aussie coin did indeed have a tails side, even though there was a head on each side, Pinjarra won the toss and decided to bat.
The batting order had a new look. Ford was rested and Pack and Narayana opened the innings. Narayana got a single first ball. Pack left his first ball, only to see his off stump knocked out the ground. Pack claimed that the ball moved prodigiously off the wicket. (This was later refuted by the umpire who caught the bus back to Bangalore with us – he claimed it went straight and Pack had simply misjudged it – at most it kept a little low.) In any case, the dismissal brought much delight to room mate Ford, who had been dismissed in similar circumstances in Chennai – but he had managed to capture Pack’s dismissal on video.
Liddelow took to the crease and the score moved briskly, helped by a few boundaries on the lightning fast outfield, plus an over abundance of wides – the bowlers seeming to struggle in the breezy conditions. If the 5th over, Liddelow was bowled by Sadiq for 10 and the score was 2 for 45. Riley came to the crease and unfortunately failed to trouble the scorers, lbw on his second ball faced.
This brought Rawlings to the crease, who was looking down the barrel of his 3rd successive duck. And it nearly was – but the keeper was standing up to the medium pace of Stalin and the edge was put down. Rawlings went on to hang around for quite a while, making 15 off 33 balls before being stumped.
Meanwhile Hallyburton (or Hally Bruton as he is now known by the locals) came to the crease and managed 4 off 13 balls before being bowled by leg spinner Nadig. Nadig has modelled his bowling on that of Shane Warne, and claims to have met him several times. His action is amazingly similar and the only difference in his approach and delivery action observable to us was that was he doesn’t have blond hair.
Miller came to the crease and hit 8 off 10 balls but was dismissed off a long hop hitting it straight down the throat of deep mid wicket. This made it 6 for 75 in the 13th. Burley and Miles added a few while the sundry total continued to outpace the batsmen. Miles was clean bowled for 5 off 15 balls, and this time walked, much to the applause of his team mates. Burley remained not out (again) on 14 off 21 balls, and Danny Turner made 1 off just one ball.
Pinjarra finishing at 105 for 8 after their 20 overs, top scorers being extras (32) followed by Rawlings (15). But the tally was boosted by a penalty of 11 runs being awarded, due to the slow over rate of the hosts. The target was now 117, capable of being defended, but a little disappointing.
Lucky’s XI started confidently. McKay was getting good swing at his end, but Riley, having been given the new ball into the wind, struggled to get his line and length. After 4 overs the score was 0 for 32. The introduction of Danny Turner into the wind for the 6th over paid off immediately with a regulation slips catch to Narayana very first ball of his spell, opener Bakash gone for 21 off 17 balls. 1 for 42 in the 6th. Two overs later, Turner struck again, clean blowing Whaeed for 2. Pinjarra back in the hunt now with the score at 2 for 47.
Other opener Pradeep however was intent on asserting himself and smashed several boundaries in quick succession. Liddelow especially took some punishment. No4 Stalin then also decided to get in on the act. The score advancing quickly to 106 before Stalin was snapped up by a great catch by McKay on mid on for 28 off 21 balls to give Burley his first wicket on international soil.
The next over, Mukund on only 1 was clean bowled by Riley, who looked much better in his second spell.
But the damage had been done, and Pradeep and Yasir coasted their side to victory, Pradeep hitting the winning runs with a classic shot over mid off for 4, still with 4 overs spare.
Pinjarra 8 for 116 defeated by Luckys XI, 4 for 120.
There was then an hours break before the next match. During this time we presented cricket gear to some local children who wouldn’t normally be able to afford their own gear. This gear was donated by Meuleman’s, who asked for nothing in return. A great gesture and the smiles on the kids faces said it all.
After curries, parathas and rice for lunch, the toss this time was won by Lucky’s XI who decided to bat.
The tourists on this occasion looked much more threatening. McKay was getting good outswing, and bowled a very tidy first over. Turner was then given the new ball, and captain Miller was questioning his judgment when his first ball was dispatched for 6 over mid wicket. But the very next ball caught a snick to the keeper Pack making it 1 for 10 after 1.2 overs.
McKay then had opener Mukund caught at mid off by Burley for 2 and it was 2 for 14. Naveed was then clean bowled 3 balls later to make it 3 for 15 and the Pinjarra boys were elated. Stalin was looking dangerous advancing to 17 fairly quickly, but McKay had his 3rd wicket when he clean bowled him.
Two balls later, the run maker in the first game, Pradeep, was clean bowled for a duck and the tourists had the hosts reeling at 5 for 43 after 7 overs.
Rajesh had a couple of lives, a skied drive going very high and landing at the bowlers crease, only to be missed by Turner, and a chance at long off being spilled by Miles. The score advanced to 5 for 71 off 12.4 overs when the skies opened and drowned proceedings in monsoonal rain. The tourists were disappointed as they sensed they were on top and perhaps headed for their first victory.
Lucky’s XI 5 for 71. Match Drawn. This result meaning the hosts took the T20 challenge 1-0.
After pleasant exchange of trophies and mementos, and plenty of photos, it was back on the bus for the long journey back to the hotel. A good day of cricket but sad that it was cut short by the weather.
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