Nomads' winning streak comes to an end

The seven match winning streak of the FNCC which was continuing since their loss to Winterthur in an away fixture last season, came to an end at the home fixture against the Pak Freiburg Cricket Club. 


PFCC this time around fielded a much changed team. It was great to see the older players making way for the younger lot. And that where perhaps we ended up doing a miscalculation. Perhaps we underrate the new players and PFCC reaped all the benefit. 


Saghir led the FNCC team in the absence of Vijay. We won the toss and decided to bowl because we considered our batting stronger than the bowling on the day owing to the injuries of Adnan and myself. Still not give an psychological advantage early on I started the bowling. I was felling ok but not at my best. Still we had a decent start. The first signs of things going wrong appeared when Fawad smashed Nila for 19 runs in the 15th over just before the drinks. Still the score of 91/3 in 15 over was not so alarming. After drinks we took wickets regularly but somehow we took our eyes off the scoring rate. At one point in 24 overs the score was 130+ and 6 wickets down. That time I left the field and some PFCC ended up with 198 in 30 overs. Last six overs or so we gave away nearly 60 runs. This was very unfortunate bowling. Everyone was trying but perhaps a bit too hard. 


Fawad along with two new players enjoyed our bowling a lot. Fawad made a well deserving half century and although he was dropped twice, once early on by Raghav. Later Zeb and Tanvir took our bowling apart in the lat few overs.


When we started our chase we knew that we had conceded 20 runs too many. This was expected to some extent given the injury list. So we shuffled our batting line up. Purav opened with Beau. They both stayed on the wicket until after the drinks, thus giving us a solid platform. But, they could not accelerate as was expecting from them. Beau continuously hit to the fielders. Purav because a touch too desperate. Loss of Pandiyan was a very big blow as we know how fast he can score and demoralize the attack. Raghav took a few too many bowls to set his eyes. When Saghir went in we were short of about 100 runs and had only 10 overs. This was a big ask. Our batting simply crumbled under this huge pressure. We were looking for few big overs but that happened only when Adnan went in and scored 17 runs in the 26th over at a stage when we needed 16 an over. His cameo gave us a respectable total but it was too little too late. 


The end of match left us pondering where things went wrong. Clearly it was a case of miscalculation not of abilities. We underestimated at what rate PFCC score was moving. We failed to appreciate that lower order can also score. We underestimate how slow our openers were scoring after they looked set on the wicket. We could not bowl to the field or could not set the field to bowl. 


Our lead up to the match was struck a big blow when Adnan pulled a muscle in his right hand and was reduced to a spectator for most of the match. I had earlier injured my calf muscle, Vijay was away... So we were really not our best team but this is not an excuse. We have players of great ability and they should have turned the match but sometimes it just does not happen and last Sunday was such a day. 


But as I always say, loss in a match brings that rare opportunity to review the strengths and particularly the weaknesses which invariably enter in a team winning continuously. 
This loss has now reveal clear cracks in our fold. 


The biggest problem I see is our second line of bowling and batting. Our bowling started well but the follow up from the second and third bowling changes was not strong enough to convert the start. Instead we gave way too many extras. When the PFCC batsmen were going after our bowling there was no plan in the bowling to stop that. Thats an important area to work on.


Likewise, our batsmen failed to convert the start. It was a good solid start that required attacking batting but we succumbed to the run-rate pressure. Adnan showed a glimpse of what might have been but only a bit too late. Ability to change gears without any hiccups is an important aspect of a good batting line up and we need to work on it. 


Fielding was a bit of disappointment but I would blame the bowlers for either not bowling to the field or not setting up the right field. Yes, we need to work on our throws. Beau showed how i should be done and we all can learn a lot from him.


But the most important aspect of the match was that it ended without any incident. This is really important that the two teams in Freiburg maintain a friendly relationship. Last few encounters were marred with several unfortunate incidents. The apparent change of guard in the PFCC is a very important development. I am very much looking forward to play more matches with PFCC but we should remember that too much familiarity brings contempt and this never more true when dealing with the 'desis'. But this match could mark a new start in our relationship with PFCC.


In this match Beau, Ehsan and Md. Ashraff (Angelo) made their debut for the FNCC. I would also like  to welcome Walid Butt who decided to become part of the FNCC. With such new players coming into the team and the club we are growing stronger and there is not reason that we can repair the crack in our team and put the loss behind us.

Freiburg Nomads start the season with a win over Basel CC

Summer has been very hesitant this year and only in the end of April we got to play the first game of this season. Basel Cricket Club very generously accepted our invitation as they were also looking for a warm up game. 

Have you ever seen a cloud pattern like this before. I hadnt.
It was a beautiful day to play cricket

It was a perfect day to play cricket. Early on it was a bit clouded but the landscape of clouds presented a beautiful and rare spectacle. Correction: I am not that romantic to see beauty in cloud landscape, it reminded me a phenomenon in neuroscience thats why it was so beautiful and I consider it worthy to put to picture here. As sun climbed up in the sky or actually as the earth moved around the sun the day got warmer and a bit windy.


On such perfect day Vijay won the toss for the FNCC and decided to bat first. BAsel showed signs of rustiness as their strike bowler sent in two wides. But they quickly corrected and it was FNCC who were looking rusted. This time Purav nicked the first legal delivery in the hands of the wicketkeeper. Cricket Season 2012 had just begun in Freiburg...


Pandiyan and Rehan did not let Basel take the advantage and built a good partnership. Pandiyan was in great touch. He was middling every ball and those were powerful shots. Rehan also matched him and as he fell we were out of danger but just yet. Saghir got runout with very little addition to the score.  Then came Raghav and changed to match completely. He was a bit circumspect early on but as his eyes set on the ball he and Pandiyan punished every delivery, literally. They were just damn good. Very deservingly both made half centuries. Pandiyan fell in an attempt to play a reverse sweep. It was not needed but it just shows the level of his confidence and it was very good to see him take risk in a safe situation. Later Adnan had a go on the bowlers. Although we did not play our full quota, the target of 210 in 30 over was quite good.


Basel bowler Amit who second time opened his bowling by conceding a six off the first delivery later said that they were happy with their bowling as for the first time they bowled us out on our home pitch. Indeed, they did well just that it was a day of Pandiyan and Raghav. Only thing they could have done better is in terms of saving some extras. They had a very  quick and correct fielder who ranout Saghir and who easily saved 20 runs in the cover and point area.


We  obviously started our bowling with great confidence. There was a confident appeal on the very first ball just to even up the things (as we lost our first wicket on the first legal delivery). Saghir took a wicket in his first over and then at the end of my first over I also had a wicket (LBW) and both openers were back. 


Then started a phase when Basel for the first time looked like set to take the advantage. Just like Raghav another left hander Beau [more on him later] started very cautiously and soon dominated every bowler. He got a good partner in Adeel. At the drinks break they were in a position to take a shot at the match. 

Vijay brought in Saghir after the drinks who took Adeel out. Then I came in for one over and Beau who by then had become the prized scalp, fell LBW. Now the match was all but over. Saghir continued and finished with a five wicket haul. Last wicket hung around a bit too much to our taste, but then thats cricket all about. Even when all looks set and certain you still have to finish it. Rehan took that honor. And with some super batting effort of Pandiyan and Raghav and excellent bowling of Saghir FNCC won the match quite comfortably.


I do not want to draw too much from the victory. Basel were short of several of their key player. It was their first match of the season. In fact they bowled us out only goes to show our weakness of not been able to take advantage of a good start. Next time when we play Basel in the second warm-up at their home pitch will bring a whole new challenge. Facebook updates from Basel CC are good indicative of how seriously they are preparing. So it is great that there are new challenges. 


One of the best things of the match was Beau (pronounce as 'Bow'). Although he played from the Basel CC this match he is the newest member of FNCC. He batted excellently that too against our match ready bowling attack, meaning he is very very solid batsman and his lefthandedness only adds to the advantage. I am very confident that he will strengthen our batting considerably.


The most negative aspect of our bowling was that they second highest scorer in the Basel CC inning was Mr. Extra. Everyone sent in too many wides. And if our training has to be trusted yesterday they was no real improvement. This is an area where we have to improve a lot. 


The knowledge of cricket still remains very sparse in Freiburg. Many visitors to the seepark stopped by and watched the proceeding but then gave up and moved on. This has been the usual. Sunday last was unusual as one indian lady whom we do not know took a lot of effort in trying to explain the game to some of the visitors. Thank you Ms. Anonymous. We need more like you who can educate Freiburg people to appreciate that the mostly brown guys in white clothes are doing something more than just amusing e.g. winning for Freiburg against Basel.


Victories only show weakness of the opponent and not the strength of the winner. And that is why, FNCC should set up their own targets, to reveal their weakness to become better and there is no doubt that they can do better...better than the last season 


Good luck nomads.