Week six report
Over halfway through the league and things are shaping up. Spirit were looking to get back to winning ways after their surprising loss to Rockets in week five; Originals, Superchargers and Rockets were looking to maintain momentum after their week five wins; and Fire were aiming to get back to winning ways.
Game one: Spirit v Superchargers
Superchargers won the toss and elected to bat. The first pair had a slow start, with Hugo bowled in the first over by Nab, but Hugo and James put that setback behind them, recovered well, scored regularly and finished on 21/1. The next pair started well and, at halfway, Martin and Rod were 35/1, but good bowling by Charlie and Eddy pegged things back as they took two wickets apiece, so the score at the end of the second pair was 20/5. Srini and Prab were in next, looking to build to a defendable total. Disaster struck as they lost two wickets with their first two balls, and they were unable to exert significant scoreboard pressure despite their best efforts. The innings closed on 33/10.
Spirit started badly, losing a wicket in the first over, but big hitting from Matty, supported by good technical shots from Mo, meant they recovered to 14/3. Superchargers sensed an unlikely opening, but hope was short lived as Nab and Charlie added 38 for the loss of one wicket, leaving Superchargers needing wickets to win; at the end of over eight the score was 52/4. Eddy and Ansh built on that, adding 16 in over nine (including a seven for Ansh), but good bowling from Hugo and James meant three wickets fell and only ten more runs were added. Spirit finished on 78/7.
Points: Spirit 24, Superchargers 7
Game two: Spirit v Originals
Originals won the toss and elected to bowl. Matty and Mo had a strong start, scoring 20 off the first over, with Matty hitting two sixes, before Jas pegged them back in the second. More strong hitting by Matty, supported by good batting from Mo, saw the pair finish on 46/1. Three good overs from Ankur and Praf then had Nab and Charlie at 43/6, before they recovered to 61/6, with Nab hitting three consecutive fours. Sabir and Eddy built on that, scoring 32 for the loss of one wicket, and the innings finished on 93/7.
Originals knew they had a tough task if they were to win. Dan and Gordon started steadily, putting on 14 in the first two overs, before being pegged back in the third by Matty. They recovered to finish on 22/1, behind the rate but still in it. The next pair had a great start, with two sixes by Ankur in the fifth over, but wickets fell regularly and Ankur and Marcie could not quite lift the rate, finishing 40/4 after eight overs. Jas and Praf had a tall order, needing a record 54-run partnership to win. They started well, scoring 13 in their first over, but a wicket by Sabir in the tenth over slowed things; after ten overs it was 60/5, so 34 still needed. Praf hit a six off the first ball of over eleven and more good hitting kept them close to the rate, but a wicket on the last ball meant 26 were needed off the final five deliveries, which proved beyond them. The innings finished on 76/7.
Points: Spirit 24, Originals 8
Game three: Fire v Rockets
Rockets won the toss and elected to bat. Dharmesh and Phil started well with 14 off the first over, including a six by Phil, before tight bowling by Nipun restricted them to two in the second. The next two overs delivered another 33, including a six for Dharmesh, and the pair finished on 49/0, giving Rockets a strong base. Gus and Kasun carried on the fast scoring, adding another 39 for the loss of one wicket. Their four overs included strong hitting from Kasun, with one over bringing a six and three fours, and a six from Gus. The final pair came in at 88/1 and scored steadily against tight bowling from Prab, Nipun and Rudi; the innings closed on 102/3.
Fire had a difficult start, losing two wickets in the first over, and Dan and Honor struggled to recover. More tight bowling by Gus and Phil meant the pair finished on -1/3. Nipun and Shaman started brightly but then lost two wickets in the sixth over to leave the innings 2/5 at halfway. They staged a recovery to finish at 10/5. Victory was out of reach, but good hitting from Rudi, supported by Prab, restored some pride and the innings finished on 46/7.
Points: Rockets 23, Fire 5
Batters of the week
Bowlers of the week
- Ankur 4-17
- Phil B 2-7
- Nab 2-13
Another good week for Spirit, with two wins to stretch their lead. Rockets continued their winning ways and moved second, with two games in hand on Spirit. On to next week, when the top two play each other and Rockets’ second game is against Fire. The final game sees Originals face Superchargers.