When: 15 June

Where: Ekeberg 1

Haugenstua Cricket Club 138/9 (20.0 ov)

Aliens Cricket Club 128/9 (20.0 ov)

Haugenstua Cricket Club - Won by 10 runs

See the scorecard at CricHQ

Pre match preparations were particularly shambolic even by usual Aliens standards, with only 5 players being present for the toss and only a further 2 for the schedules start. Fortunately a combination of the weather and some sensible umpiring (it was a midweek game) delayed the start, meaning by the time the first ball was delivered we had a respectable 10 players, one name less member was particularly late due to completely forgetting there was a match at all.

Once things did get underway (in a reduced 20 over game) the went very much aliens way, with Initially Damon (4-1-26-1) and then Steve (4-0-10-4) tearing through the Haugenstua top order to leave them reeling at 16-3. Som sensible batting by young Shakoor steadied the ship and allowed Wajid and Ali the freedom to play a few big shots late on, that, combined with some good running and dubious fielding allowed the visitors to creep up to a very defenable 138-9 at the the close of their innings. Other wickets went Dennis (4-0-23-1 and Mitch (2-0-28-1), credit also to Toufiq for some wiley death bowling the deserved better results than 4-0-29-0.

Aliens regular opening pair (and scorers nightmare) Gazdowicz and Kuhlwilm got things off to a good start, a combination of butting the bad balls to the fence and putting the fielders under pressure with their running left the score on 61 from 8 overs before Dave hung his bat out to dry and gave the keeper the chance to take an excellent catch. As so often happens the fall of a wicket brings another as Simon was also caught behind the very next ball looking to cut.

Dennis and Damon rebuilt steadily before Damon ‘Watson’, managed to get his big front leg in the way of a straight one with no reviews available. 90-3 quickly became 90-4 as Steve lost his off stump to the nagging Shakoor who was causing all batsmen issues. The skipper and debutant Jamie tried to get things moving again but the RRR continued to creep upwards and 29 was required from just 3 overs by the time Jamie was clean bowled.

Going into the final over Aliens required 12 runs, and in International games (or boys own stories) that would probably have been reached with a couple of lusty blows, and preferable a 6 from the final delivery, however with the aliens wit went a little like this.

Ball 1 – Toufiq run out coming back for the second, 11 needed from 5.

Ball 2 – New batsman Mitch miscues and we scamper a single to get the skipper on strike

Ball 3 – Dennis is cleaned up looking to find the boundary required, 10 needed from 3

Ball 4 – Marcus is run out 10 needed from 2

Ball 5 – Simon is Caught and Bowled

Ball 6 - A dot ball

This was defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, but credit must also go to Haugenstua’s young legspinner Badar Bin Shakoor who was the games undoubted MotM with 27 runs and then a masterful spell of bowling (4-1-15-4).