Rehan hits his maiden century to win the first match of the Rhine Cup

Basel CC took the initiative to install the 'Rhine Cup' as a rubber between the Basal CC and Freiburg Nomads. Its a great idea that two close neighbors have a defined reason to play cricket regularly.

The weather had earlier abandoned the first match between Basel CC and FNCC. Sunday last again weather threatened to cancel the match. But few weather websites gave us some hope and we decided to play. But as always happens, predictions about cricket and weather dont usually work. The sky remained overcast all through the match, the start was delayed and twice the play was interrupted. With this I wonder if we should name the 'Rhine Cup' as 'Rain Cup'.

The tone of the match was set on the first ball of the second over. Amit overstepped, and Rehan showed his intentions and launched that ball over the head of the bowler for a six, without moving his steps. From that shot on the batsmen grew in confidence and bowler became increasingly defensive. The fact that we did not lose a wicket until the 22nd over says all. 

Rehan is a seasoned player and we are well aware of his potential as a batsman. Often he is unlucky to fall to some superb catches. But today his luck was with him on more than one occasions. And naturally he grew in confidence with every shot he played and went on to score his first hundred, an inning studded with some glorious cover drives, cuts and straight drives. 

Parthibhan was a surprise. He was sent in as a cover to save the main batsmen in otherwise difficult looking batting conditions. His start was a bit cautious but after his first gentle push gave him a double he knew he was in business. It was a great show of temperament from him as he carried on with patience and controlled aggression. He has a very straight bat and powerful arms. When the ball was not bouncing much, it was a perfect technique to score runs. His success once again had added to the problems of Vijay (only in a good way), who will struggle now even more to find a proper batting order. Nearly everyone who has been tried had delivered in a big way.

After such attacking start, it was obvious that few wickets will go cheaply. Pandiyan who came at no. 3 was fresh but Rehan was not and in process of maintaining the run rate of 8 an over, Pandiyan ended up getting himself run out. Saghir was licking his lips when he came to bat as Jason and Saj, two spinners were bowling. His first scoring shot that ended up outside the the mid-on boundary showed his intentions. But he failed to read a low flighted one from Jason and was bowled and he was the most disappointed person in the world at that time.

Arpit and Rahul kept their heads down and supported Rehan and FNCC continued to score at a healthy rate of 6.5+ per over. After Rehan was run-out Vijay and Rajesh took scoring at a different level. Rajesh's smart running between the wicket converted ones into threes. it was great to see Vijay into runs again. He ended with well deserved 30+ not out. In the last over they scored 25+ runs. We finished with 298 on the board. As such we could have scored more. But it was a very satisfying scored. 

All through the innings we scored with at least 6 an over. In the first spell we scored 8+ an over when medium pacers were bowling. Then in 17th over came the smart move of bringing in the slow bowlers. Jason added a new dimension to the bowling, literally. He would toss the ball in the air very high, but with a great control such that the ball would drop sharply near the good length area. It was very difficult to play him. Both Rehan and Parthibhan were batting so well and they were completely tied. Saj supported Jason very well and both reduced the scoring to 6 an over. Only when Saghir launched the two bowlers that the run rate went back to the 'normal' 7.5+ an over.

Basel started off with two boundaries off the first two balls. Zaheer, their star batsman who had scored a double century in the previous game, gave them the first real hope. But it was a false dawn. I took two more balls to adjust my length and then the fifth ball came into kiss the stumps and took the bails along. Two overs later, Saghir bowled a super delivery that again kissed the middle stump and Shubhu was on this way back to the pavilion and it was clear how the match would end. There was a short rain interruption but it did not change the conditions much. After the break, Arpit, who once again bowled orthodox left-arm spin took three wickets at regular interval. He was duly supported by Nila, who had a bad first over, but returned strongly to end up with three wickets.  Rajesh, who is still nursing his knee injury, took the one remaining wicket. There was some resistance by Saj and Rudy but the score was too much and asking rate was too high and confidence too low and wickets too few. 

The rain meant that conditions were not good for cricket. In the end FNCC score indicated that it was a batting wicket but no, it was just the brilliance of Rehan and Parthibhan. The way Basel failed to read the wicket while batting suggests that it was a bowling wicket. But a pitch cannot be friendly to both bowlers and batsmen at the same time.

Basel team had a completely off day. First they struggled to find proper field placements. Earlier in the innings Rehan and Parthibhan and later Vijay and Rajesh completely exposed the poor field placements. Second, they were completely surprised as the ball started to bounce in the second inning. But they have shown all the signs of a good team and this match has no indication of how they will play when they host us next week. If at all they will try to bounce back strongly and the next match of the Rhine Cup would be a much close one. 

For now, Freiburg Nomads are more than happy to keep the Rhine Cup, Rehan and Parthibhan are happy to relish their 100 and 50, respectively. Well done Nomads.

Records

- 298 is the highest score in a 35 over match at the Seepark Freiburg Ground.

- First wicket partnership of about 150 runs is highest for the FNCC

- This is the first time that FNCC did not lose a wicket until 22nd over

- 225 is the highest margin of victory for the FNCC in terms of runs.

- Rehan's 121 is now second highest scored for the FNCC after 128* by Pandiyan.