Team GA - 136 for 8 in 18 overs
Shak Syed 17
Adnan Ali 23
Adam Badger 11
Callum Bird 26
Jack Wadelin 8
Saba Naseri 1
Louie Turpie 0
Jei Diwakar 19*
Eitan Fifer 11
Gregg Arrand 0*
(Miles 3-0-28-1, Amit 3-0-22-0, Lockyer 3-0-25-3, Abbas 3-0-24-0, Malik 3-0-18-0, Pardeep 3-0-16-0)
Team JL - 122 for 9 in 18 overs
Rizwan Mohammed 7
Kasim Abbas 8
Masood Khan 15
Matt Wright 0
Abbas Usman 5
Amit Patel 1
Jack Lockyer 0
Pardeep Ruprai 1
Javod Malik 20
Miles Davies 39*
(Shak 2-0-16-1, Badger 2-0-16-0, Turpie 2-0-23-1, Saba 2-0-21-0, Wadelin 2-0-8-1, Diwakar 3-0-16-3, Eitan 2-0-7-2, Bird 3-0-13-1)
TEAM GA WON BY 14 RUNS
The first innings began with the opening partnership of Adnan (23) and Shak (17) using their licence to thrill and playing numerous attacking strokes; Shak in particular played murderous drives straight down the ground and through midwicket. Shak was eventually dismissed ‘obstructing the field’ when he offered an easy return catch to the bowler Amit, but screamed out in a high pitched voice to distract him. The catch was subsequently dropped by the bowler, but umpire Alan Hyatt immediately raised his finger to indicate the batsman was dismissed for obstructing the field. U17 Adam Badger (11) proved solid in a partnership with U13 Callum Bird before Callum dropped the ball into a gap at midwicket and called for a single. Badger was initially reluctant to take the run and was slow off the mark, resulting in a clear run out. The middle order offered little staying power before under 13s Callum and Jei Diwakar put on a partnership against a bowling attack full of players with senior experience, rotating the strike with supreme understanding. Following Callums’ eventual dismissal for the top score of 26, Eitan Fifer came to the crease and scored 11 runs before getting out with one delivery of the innings remaining. Young Jei promptly hooked the final ball behind square on the leg side for four runs, finishing his innings unbeaten on 19, and the team score on 136 for 8 from the allocation of 18 overs. Jack Lockyer was the pick of the bowlers, collecting three wickets in his spell. Miles Davies also showed great promise, thundering down the slope to intimidate the junior batters he was bowling to. The second innings began with Shak being struck for two consecutive boundaries by left hander Kasim Abbas; both shots were technically perfect drives through the covers for four. This enraged the bowler and the following delivery Shak bowled one of his fastest balls of the season, scorching through the defence of the batter and obliterating the off stump. Rizwan still proved a threat and youngsters Louie Turpie and Jack Wadelin were introduced into the attack, having earlier registered a duck when batting. Rizwan was visibly distracted by this move, refusing to play his natural game and attack the young bowlers. This worked to the advantage of the fielding team, Rizwan eventually getting frustrated and coming down the wicket and the ball hitting full on the pads. The subsequent lbw verdict enraged the batsman, but from the umpires view it was stone dead. Masood Khan played solidly for 15 before his dismissal, and Abbas Usman scored only five runs before he was out. Matthew Wright, the Saturday 2nd team opening batsman, was out without scoring, as he hit an uppish drive from the bowling of U13 Jei Diwakar high up in the air where it was caught by Adam Badger, backpedalling at mid off. Whilst Saba Naseri was thundering down the hill Eitan Fifer was introduced into the bowling attack up the slope to bowl big turning off spinners. The final ball of his first over was bowled to the left handed Amit Patel; it was a very full delivery outside the off stump and after pitching turned away slightly more. It was an ideal delivery to punch into the covers but instead Amit tried to sweep – the ball taking the top edge and looping up in the air to the vacant short leg position. Thankfully the locum wicketkeeper Adnan Ali shimmied round the stumps and took a low catch in his gloves. This was Eitans’ first wicket in a match for Kings Heath and he showed his delight by lifting Adnan over his shoulder and promptly dropping him on the floor, doing what could have been serious damage to his head and neck. In Eitans’ following over he was bowling to the opposition skipper Jack Lockyer, who was yet to face a ball. A quick fielding restructure had placed men put to cover the short legside boundary, leaving only one man in the covers. Eitans first delivery to Lockyer was short outside off stump, the batsmans eyes lit up as Lockyer carved the ball into the gap between point and cover with all his might, certain of a boundary. However the fielding captain Gregg Arrand was the fielder at cover and took a step to his left before launching himself off his left foot and propelling himself towards the ball, safely catching the ball in both hands with both feet off the floor, horizontally parallel to the ground, leaving Lockyer astonished and out for a golden duck, and Eitan with a hat trick opportunity. The hat trick never came but when Pardeep Ruprai was dismissed for only a single it left Under 17s Javod Malik and Miles Davies at the crease with a big target to chase. Malik was on strike down the hill and the start of the over there was a 5/4 leg side field. After each of the next four dot balls an off side fielder was subtly brought across to the leg side until all nine fielders were standing on the leg side. The batsman Malik has always lacked tactical awareness and still had not noticed and kept trying to hit the ball through cow corner. When Malik was eventually dismissed Miles was allowed to keep batting in order for the full 18 overs to be delivered, with Malik used as a runner. Had Miles been dismissed then batting captain Jack Lockyer had most of his top order padded up, ready to enter the fray again. Miles was not dismissed, and completed the innings on 39 not out, albeit with the intensity of the match already flooded away. This secured a win for the team fielding second by a convincing 14 runs.
