vs Fjord B, T20 (Div 3) Match # 9
☀️ Oslo Summer Run-Fest Ends with an Alien Invasion at Ekeberg
7 July | Ekeberg 1, Oslo | T20 | 6:00 PM Start
Ekeberg served up one of its finest summer evenings as Fjord B and Aliens met under bright sunshine at Ekeberg 1. The weather was perfect, the outfield quick, and while Fjord B posted a formidable 174, by sunset it was the Aliens who had taken over Ekeberg.
Interestingly, there seemed to be only two genuine neutral spectators in attendance. Sitting comfortably in their camping chairs, they watched what turned out to be an excellent evening of cricket while everyone else around them was either playing, umpiring, scoring or passionately supporting one of the two teams.And what a game they picked.
Sometimes scorecards tell the story. On this occasion, Ankit Soni's blistering 90 and Pratik Agnihotri's unbeaten 89 were the innings everyone will remember. One looked to have propelled Fjord B to a match-winning total, only for the other to script a remarkable chase that left both teams with plenty to talk about long after the final ball.
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Ankit Soni Fires, Fjord B Post 174
After electing to bat, Fjord B found themselves wobbling at 66/4. The Aliens sensed an opportunity.
Then Ankit Soni happened.
His sensational 90 from just 43 balls—packed with 8 fours and 6 sixes—turned the innings on its head. Every over seemed to bring another boundary as he counter-attacked with confidence and flair, dragging Fjord B from a precarious position to a commanding one.
Deepak Kumar Koneri played the ideal supporting role with a composed 32 off 29, rotating the strike and allowing Ankit to dominate.
Fjord B eventually finished on 174/7, but there was a feeling in the camp that the total could have been even bigger.
The final five overs produced one of the funniest moments of the evening. As one batter struggled to shift through the gears, teammates on the boundary jokingly urged him to pretend he'd picked up an injury, retire hurt, and let one of the designated sloggers come in instead! The suggestion was, thankfully, ignored, but it summed up the mood perfectly.
For the Aliens, Dennis Peter kept things under control with an excellent 4/24, while Harry Waterston quietly delivered four economical overs for just 18 runs.
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Aliens Forget Their Last Score
If there was one person more confused than the opposition, it was Dennis from the Aliens camp.
Only a few days earlier, Aliens had been bundled out for 129 in a 30-over match.
Now they were chasing 175 in a T20.
As he exclaimed:
"I don't understand our team. Last game we were all out for 129 in a 30-over match... today we've chased 175 in a T20 with balls to spare."
Fair enough. Nobody else could explain it either.
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Pratik Takes Over
After an early wicket, Pratik Agnihotri produced an innings every bit as impressive as Ankit's.
His unbeaten 89 from 57 balls was a masterclass in pacing a chase. He never looked rushed, picked his moments to attack, and steadily wore down the Fjord B bowling attack.
When Harry Waterston joined him, the pair never allowed the required rate to become an issue. Harry's unbeaten 38 from 28 balls, including three sixes, provided the finishing touches as Aliens reached 176/2 in 19.2 overs, winning by eight wickets with four balls to spare.
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The Chances That Went Down
Fjord B will replay several moments in their heads.
The chase featured more than a few dropped catches, each one handing Aliens another life.
One drop, in particular, stunned everyone from Fjord B because it came from one of Fjord B's most reliable fielders—a player whose teammates insist never drops catches.
The chorus around the ground afterwards was unanimous:
"He never drops those!"
Well... until now.
As it turned out, those missed chances proved just as costly as any boundary.
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Score Summary
Fjord B – 174/7 (20 overs)
• Ankit Soni – 90 (43)
• Deepak Kumar Koneri – 32 (29)
• Dennis Peter – 4/24
Aliens – 176/2 (19.2 overs)
• Pratik Agnihotri – 89* (57)
• Harry Waterston – 38* (28)
Aliens won by 8 wickets.
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Final Word
This was one of those matches that perfectly captures the spirit of club cricket.
A glorious Oslo summer evening. Two neutral spectators enjoying the show from their camping chairs. Teammates trying to "retire hurt" one of their own batters for tactical reasons. A fielder dropping a catch nobody expected him to miss. And an Aliens side somehow producing one of their best batting performances just days after being bowled out for 129 in a 30-over game.
In the end, though, everything came back to two extraordinary innings.
Ankit Soni's explosive 90 gave Fjord B every reason to believe they had enough. Pratik Agnihotri's unbeaten 89 had other ideas.
Sometimes scorecards really do tell the story.