Nomads lose to the Winterthur Cricket Club

The target was not big -- 152 runs in 35 overs on a good batting track. Maybe the slow outfield slightly amplified the target. Still with our batting line up it was a doable task. But all the batsmen chose to have a bad day in the field on the same day. In previous four matches at least one batsman scored 50+ and automatically there were several partnership around and soon we were able to chase three time successfully. This time WCC bowlers kept the FNCC batsmen in check and when the runs dried up, frustration piled up and wickets crumbled. Clearly, WCC bowlers knew how to bowl on their home wicket. Purab looked comfortable in blocking the new ball but runs did not come easy and he was the first to go when he failed to read a slower one. Rehan was very cautious but he tried to assert himself with few boundaries. But he also failed to spend enough time on the pitch. Same was the story of all other main batsmen, Pandiyan, Saghir, Vijay, Adnan, Feyas. Raghav who batted so well against the WCC in the home game was still recovering from a hangover. Saghir fell to a brilliant catch by Pepe on his own bowling. Vijay succumbed to his own over confidence. Rahul showed lot of character in batting and I am sure he will get a nod to go up the order. All the credit to the bowlers, particularly to Rahul and Nazeer who used the new ball to the best. Pepe bowled well and claimed six wickets. Nomads failed to take advantage of four dropped catches early on... so it was more or less inevitable that we fell short of some 45 runs.

The WCC score of 152 although reachable but it was about 30 runs more than the expectation. Last three overs WCC batsmen, Waqar mainly, did some classic limited over cricket slogging and scored nearly 40 runs. In the end that was the main difference. When I started my last over my figures were 6-1-11-2 and I finished with 7-1-30-3. Three sixes in an over... this is what we did not want. Saghir was also also expensive and it was relied when Raghav got Waqar caught by Saghir. For first 32 overs we remained on the top. Everyone bowled well. On a wicket when ball was keeping low, and outfield was slow because of the grass, it was clear that bowling wicket to wicket would be very useful. All bowlers were duely rewarded for that. Nila was great. Adnan was specially brilliant as he took 3 wickets for less than 20 runs in seven overs. I think its after a long time that he bowled to complete his full quota. In between there were patches when WCC batsmen opened up a bit and few boundaries were scored. But with Purab, Vijay and Saghir in point and cover area, and Rehan in sweeper cover, runs were not easy. Feyas saved 10-15 runs in the square leg region. Rahul took a brilliant catch but unfortunately, he was a step outside the boundary and that became the third six of my over.  I would also like to make a special mention of a catch Purab took in Point, superb reflexes.

Nomads should have won it and this loss will raise many questions. Previously I wrote that at some point our victory runs had to end. It has ended now, and we have to get on to a fresh start. Bowlers are doing well, at least we have cut down heavily on the extras, and we are able to bowl out the opposition. However, we need to have a bit more of killer instinct. We are not taking wickets in clusters, to break the momentum. Every bowler and especially I can, improve and we as a bowling unit reduce the job of out batting unit. In terms of our batting, our batsmen need to build some more temperament. In this match we failed mainly because we could not find singles in ground with a slow outfield. Thats now a well defined problem and we should specifically work on this. To some extent we are too much dependent on Saghir as a batsman and it is time that Vijay and Rehan step up to raise their game. The way they are batting they are clearly due for a big score. Coming Friday nomads will join for practice and I am sure there will be few suggestions to improve and get on to the winning mode.

A word for WCC for being a great host and we look forward to have more bilateral matches.

Changing landscape of cricket in Freiburg

I moved to Germany in 2002. Within a month I discovered that some Indian expats  play cricket and with great expectations I went to play with them. In a country full of sports parks and soccer grounds, those Indian expats were playing tennis ball cricket in a car-park, which was largely empty on Sundays. Of course they had to stop for people to cross the car park. They were all very enthusiastic that they had a chance to play cricket irrespective of the fact they were playing in such ridiculous settings. The passerbys did not care a bit for them as they showed no interest to know what we were doing, nor did they make any attempt to walk by faster. I played with them for a couple of times. At the end of the summer those expats left and with them their cricket.

Next season, I found out about the Freiburg Nomads, a club run mostly by English and Australian expats. So naturally it was a far more organized effort, there was full gear, white uniforms, proper cricket bats, leather ball and interestingly, a plastic mat (flix pitch) to function as a cricket pitch in a soccer field. Despite all that, it was still a social affair. We used to host teams from Switzerland and visit them in return on Sundays. Everyone was happy that they could play cricket and no one cared for wins or losses. Every match ended with drinks with the visiting team.

Much has happened since that first season. The first big change can be seen is in the composition of the Freiburg Nomads. In 2002, three Indian students joined and there was one Sri-Lankan in the team. Most members were English or Australians. Next season we had even more diversity, as players from South Africa, Pakistan and New Zealand joined. It was a great place to be, where else one could find such heterogeneous people all brought together by one common passion Cricket.

Now in 2011, essentially all the team is composed of Indian and Pakistani students (Desis) with one South Africa and a German!!. It is still an interesting group of people. Clearly, the average age of the team has decreased at the expanse of increased IQ and competitiveness. Now we win more matches (well, lets leave out last two seasons).

But the matches are less of a social affair. Innocence is lost. Now cricket is more competitive. We play to win not just to make or maintain friendship with the opposition team. Afternoon tea is replaced with a rice and curry based meal. We do not set up a tent in the morning for the kids and families who used to come along with the players. Only rarely a new batsmen in the middle is greeted by the fielding team. We no longer clap off the visiting team at the end of the inning. There are no group photos with the visitors. The fridge from the pavilion is gone, as we no longer share a drink with our teammates or with the visitors. Now a losing a match hurts. Earlier it did not matter who won as we would leave the field in a happy state of mind.

No, I am not moaning about the glories of past. I am just recollecting the changes. There is no better teacher than Loss in a cricket match after a good fight. Winning a hard fought match triumphs all. Independent of its social aspects, Cricket survives on the energy of competition.

This change is not just a Freiburg phenomenon. For some reason in every team in Germany, there is a domination of Desi cricketers and English and Aussies are becoming endangered species on the cricket field. This trend is less visible in Switzerland where teams still have at least 50% crickets from England, Australia and South Africa. Fortunately, in Switzerland there is more organized effort and kids of the expats who are being brought up in Switzerland get an nurturing atmosphere to learn and play cricket. This is not the case for Germany in general, and Freiburg in particular.

The increase in Desi players is directly related to the fact that now more of them are coming to Europe to study. But it is not clear why there is a decrease in the interest of expats from other cricket playing nations. Maybe they do not find the excessive competitive attitude of the Desis at this amateur level appropriate. Maybe because Desis don't like to hang out after the matches to share a drink with the team or with the opposition…

With lack of English players, cricket has become less and less organized. This can be seen in the organizational failure of the Baden Wurtemberg League which moves from one dispute to another.

With all these changes, Many things are still the same. We still play in the same soccer ground next to the lake. We still have the same plastic mat to as a make shift cricket pitch. Despite years of experience it is impossible to bowl a good rising delivery on this wicket.
Like always they are many visitors to the matches, mainly because of lake and locals hang out in that area on weekends. They still don't know what we are doing. Perhaps they show a bit more curiosity now, i.e. what those brown colored people are doing in white clothes in a soccer field. Some stay for few minutes and try to decipher the game. Then they have their epiphany-- Ah, its cricket and then they leave. Some people would compare cricket with baseball and still leave… Few rare ones do take the initiative to come to us and ask about it but still they leave… 

Fortunately, for us, Cricket is here to stay and with all the changes cricket is still a common denominator for many expats and brings those different people together at least once a week.

Five wickets win for the Nomdas and a half century to Saghir

Cricket returned to Freiburg today. After playing three away games we had a home fixture. There was lot of excitement among the player. There was some anxiety as well, because several regular player were away for the long weekend. In fact we did not have an XI and two players Lucky and Pathiban made their debut today.

Also there were expectations, for the first time this season, despite the missing player. After winning three matches in a row, of course there are expectations. So its very satisfying that we won again. This time, even though Saghir was adjudged the man of the match (what a surprise) it was the bowlers who set up the match for us.

Bowlers did a great job when Winterthur (WCC) was restricted to 126 runs in about 32 overs. The pitch was not easy to bat but it was more difficult to bowl. We know that there is little bounce in our wicket but today it kept exceptionally low. Batsmen when they understood it, it no longer remained difficult for them except for staying in. For who are supposed to make things happen it was very difficult to keep the momentum. After the first wicket on the last ball of the first over, WCC kept their heads cool for another 12 overs. Then Adnan started off his amazing spell with a wicket. For a change Adnan conceded only 2 wides in four overs and only one on the leg side. He was a discovery today. His third over set the tone of the match as he claimed two wickets. From then on there were wickets coming on regular intervals. 

Because the WCC were short of a player, we let their not out batsman continue after the 9th wicket. Rohit who had had a great match with until then couldnt add much to the WCC score and fell in attempting to clear the boundary. Given the conditions John, Rahul and Rohit did very well for the WCC, if only other batsmen could support them well enough... but here comes the role of Nomads bowling attack. For once all bowlers worked within their limitations and never allowed the WCC batting a chance to recover after the second wicket partnership. 

After a long time I took three wickets in a match although I was not bowling well. Saghir was also not in a good touch. Later we both thought that our ball was not well suited for our wicket. The ball went rather soft after a couple of over and if you use that on a dead wicket, well... But credit to Raghav and Rajesh who bowled in good areas. Adnan had a great spell... He was clearly the pick of the bowling.

We knew that score was not that big and that we have the ability to chase 126. Still Vijay wanted to be safe and asked his batsmen to play the full 35 overs. Meaning there was no pressure on the batsmen. We introduced yet another opener in this match, Lucky. I saw him yesterday playing with 'tape ball'. Clearly he has the ability to bat and hit quick runs, so we asked Saghir to bring him along as were short of the XI. Both, Lucky and Rehan started very cautiously. WCC bowlers Rahul and Steve were showing us how to bowl on our own wicket. The ball moving and cutting of the wicket also the odd balls bounced. Lucky was unlucky he was run out while attempting to complete a double. Pandiyan als had an off day today he was beaten by the pace. Rehan followed him in the same over. So at one point there was a panic as we had lost three wickets with 23 runs on the board. 

Then started partnership between Raghav and Saghir. Raghav frustrated the bowlers with his dead bat and Saghir attacked them whenever there was a loose delivery. Once Raghav started middling the ball he gain confidence and then runs started to flow at a healthy rate of five per over and we were cruising along at 94/3 in some 20 overs. Then we had a double jolt. Raghav was run out to a beautiful piece of fielding and Vijay to a very good catch. 

For Nomdas until Saghir is there in the middle, there is no panic. Adnan who joined him remained very calm and composed as Saghir continued to mlik the bowling. Saghir completed his second 50 of the season with a six over the log on boundary and then a wide and a single took us to 127. 

Yet another win. There was not much drama in this one. Again everyone chipped in. Because of the holiday season were short of several regular players, so, this win as I said last week, proved our bench strength. FNCC are developing in to a very good team. There is something in the players that we they are entrusted with a responsibility, they step up and show that they are there for the team. Today Raghav and Adnan showed just that. 

Besides this there is a huge dedication among player for cricket and to develop the team. One example of dedication is Vijay who this morning drove from Luzern (3.5 hours drive) just to play the match. He was supposed to be accompanying his parents who are visiting `him' from India for few days. Another example is Saghir, who should have been tending to his two years old son Sabir's injury, was playing and scoring a 50 to win the match for the Nomdas. Later, after the match Saahir told that yesterday evening his son got injured, he stayed in the hospital until 0400hrs in the morning. Very rightly he dedicated his 50 to his son. And we also wish that his son recovers fast.

Our guests were very good. It was a pleasant experience to play with a team that had a balance of players from England, SA, Aus and the Indian subcontinent. Else these days most teams are dominated by players from India and Pakistan. WCC bowlers and three or four batsmen were really quality players and, on a better wicket they will for sure give us a run for our money. The match was played in a very friendly atmosphere.  WCC and FNCC have played cricket for a long time now,  of course many faces have changed but, very important, the friendly spirit and respect for Cricket has remained. I look forward to our visit to Winterthur.

It was funny when the match ended. During the match there were 13 players on the field and two umpires. As soon as the match ended, some 50 footballer swarmed the field like honeybees. These people know that we have the rights to use the ground on selected Sundays till 2000hrs still.... These people just dont understand why we need such a large field when most of the action happens on a 20 meter long strip. Its one of the oddities of the playing cricket in Germany where the whole country breaths football and some mutant foreigners want the fresh air of cricket.

It fourth win in a row, first at home. We can no longer be considered as underdogs. We are a strong team as the record speaks. With that comes a responsibility to carry this mental. Sooner or later we will also loose but for now our job is to play good cricket and play it better than the opponents. Next match will be against one of the strongest teams in this region and if we win that then we can be proud.

An epic inning from Pandiyan: Nomads beat KCC by four wickets

Winning is important but it cannot be a goal in itself. If you give it a thought, you will find that win is only a by product of doing the right things. 

  

That is what Nomads did in the last match in Karlsruhe against the Karlsruhe Cricket Club. When we finished bowling we found that we had conceded at least 100 runs too many and none in their sane mind gave us a chance to chase 259 runs in 35 overs and win. So, Vijay and other senior players decided that we need to play 35 overs, no matter what. It was a right thing to do, this is not just an opinion in retrospect.

In the third match of the season we had our third opening pair. This time it was Arpit and Rehan. Arpit saw off the first over without scoring anything off the bat, but runs came as extras. Rehan failed to read the bounce and was hit on his helmet. But the next shot was a true testament of the positive mindset of the Nomads. On a rising delivery Rehan made room and guided the ball to third man fence. The tone was set... a good chase was on its way.

Rehan fell after a positive start to a lazy shot to a non-bowler (Adeel). That brought in Pandiyan. A couple of over later Arpit also departed to the same non-bowler as he failed to read a slower ball. But runs were coming in the from extras and also from the bat of Pandiyan. Saghir started off in a way only he can. At one point when Sagir and Padiyan were batting we were 75 runs off 10 overs, going well with the asking run rate. Still, at that point there was no hope or expectation of win although there was a glimmer. Soon after that Saghir miscued a ball from the spinner and the non-bowler took an easy catch. So the guys who was not supposed to be a bowler was involved in first three wickets that fell. Next man in was Fayas who was playing cricket after four years and made his debut for the Nomdas, started off very well, but unfortunately couldnt continue with the good start he had. But, he showed that he has the potential to be a strong hold of Nomdas' batting.

Vijay joined Pandiyan who had been dropped once thus far, and immediately the two brought a feeling of calm to the chase. They started playing their shots. Pandiyan grew in confidence. So did Vijay who returned to form after two consecutive ducks. Those two back-to-back boundaries were a proof of his class. Without being aggressive in a visible manner Pandiyan and Vijay continued to take more than seven runs an over. Pandiyan, particularly made sure that he got at least a single as long as the ball touched his bat. But he deserved those, as his powerful shots forced the opposition to protect the boundaries. Despite that, on average, every over brought us a boundary and few wides and couple of singles. 

Virender Sehwag once said that any point in time more than 90% of the field is unguarded and Pandiyan and Vijay showed us what he meant. The KCC was struggling to place field in their own home ground.

At one stage when we needed 106 runs of 13 over and Pandiyan and Vijay were going strong there was first a glimpse of hope. But more important, they both ensured that we were going to bat through the overs. From that point on, with the aid of fast outfield and spread out field we scored nearly 10 runs an over. Vijay contributed 29 runs but when he came out we needed 21 runs off  21 balls. This says how dominating Pandiyan was who by now had completed an amazing hundred. There was celebration but with every ball he was becoming more and more determined and he save his celebration for the end.  
Now the victory was a certainty. Adnan who replaced Vijay, first gave strike to Pandiyan but then he also opened up and took us very close to am amazing win. When Adnan returned we needed just three runs. I got a double of the first ball I faced and in the next over Pandiyan hit a beautiful and powerful drive. Only he was supposed to hit that and then came that roar which should have come at when he reached his 50 or 100 or when he hit that six. But Pandiyan was so committed that only a victory could stop him.

Before all this, we won the toss and elected to bowl first. It was a very deliberate decision taken by Vijay, Saghir, Rehan and myself. We started off very positively. Again Arpit was a bit uneasy with the new ball. He compensated for it in his second coming. Saghir was just brilliant as he started his spell and immediately there was a catch dropped. Nila who was given a longer spell today bowled really well and in fact, his bowling improved with every ball he bowled. Finally, he ended up with two well deserved wickets and the first one, which was also his first for the nomads, was just a beauty. Rahul and Fayas, were a bit expensive but so was everyone else. The ground was oddly shaped and out field was rather fast. Moreover, we were bowing on a true wicket and in general we struggled with out bowling lengths. But credit also to the KCC batsmen who did very well to keep our captain busy with fielding and bowling changes. Irfan, Waqqr, Chopra and Adeel batted well. Two friends of ours, from the Pak Freiburg, Zeb Bhai and Rezwan also played for the KCC as they were short of players. Zeb bhai showed his class as he struck Saghir and me for boundaries. Rizwan was not as successful. In the end Nila and Vijay got two and Saghir and myself ended with one wicket each. We did miss one extra bowler. 258 was a big score. 

In our pre-match discussion we thought to restrict the KCC to 150 or so. Evidently our bowlers could have done better but it was a new ground and pitch, and we struggled with out consistency in finding right length and proper field placements. But I do not mean to say that we made serious fielding error. Everyone, including Nikolaus, who made his debut in the match, was fully committed. Nikolaus later mentioned how the ball surprised him at times in the field. We could have taken a couple of catches but then at this level of cricket such errors are bound to happen. But I am sure everyone learned from this experience and our next effort on that wicket will be more true to our abilities as a bowling unit.

I have to admit that KCC was perhaps not at their best, perhaps their best players were not available. In fact they played with 10 fielder for first 13 overs. Perhaps they also did not take us seriously, maybe because they thought that 258 was too big a total for us...All this maybe true but its not an easy act to chase 259 runs not matter how easy and inexperienced the opposition is. We reached target with 5 wickets and 11 balls remaining, this show how well we played, how Pandiyan dominated the opposition and how winning was not our target but it came to us as a by product of our good game.

In any case it was good to be on the winning side. It for the first time in the history of Nomdas that we have had three consecutive wins in away games. without a doubt, Pandiyan was the hero of our victory but even he will agree that everyone contributed to this win. The spirit are very high and players are happy to each other perform and I think thats what we mean by the word 'Team'.

Despite this record win some cracks have now become more visible in our side and all players are aware of those as was clear in the post-match discussions. So, Nomdas are going from strength to strength. Now they have a home game coming up on the coming Sunday and they are charged up to continue. This will be a test of our bench strength as several players are away due to a long weekend.

I would like to thank KCC for being great hosts and for providing plenty of water on a hot and humid day and excellent food. Its a pity that our vegetarian teammates could not taste that.