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[Vitas Cricket]

So, I've just calmed down from the excitement of a quarter final victory against a team who are flying in the Lincs Prem at the moment.

The Peterborough Midweek T20 Jaidka cup, or just 'The Jaidka'  (named after Dr Jaidka who founded the competition) is the competition that invites the best sides in the Peterborough area and gives them an opportunity to compete against each other. The likes of Bourne and Market Deeping play in the Lincs Prem, Peterborough Town play in the Northants Prem and ourselves and a few others play in the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Prem, so the Jaidka is fiercely contested. It's also a 'proper' T20 comp in that there is a powerplay, a fielding circle with limitations on the number of fielders allowed outside it, free hits, total strictness on leg side wides and many other rules which create a tense atmosphere.

Our draw saw us host Lincs Prem high flyers Market Deeping. In the run up to the game and also shortly before we were not overly optimistic, they had almost a full strength side and we were missing 3 key players. i would have been happy not to be embarrassed to be honest. We batted first and posted a respectable 95-8 on a pitch that was doing a bit. I was out for 2 trying to sweep one into next week. Then came their chase.

They had a lad who couldn't get a bat on our bowlers who slowed the start to their innings up beautifully, we started to turn the screw and wickets fell regularly, their 2 gun batsman were back in the shed without making too much of a dent in the total and we began to gear up for the crucial last 5 overs.

They needed a run a ball to tie with 3 overs left. A tie would have seen them win as they were only 7 wickets down. Inexplicably, a lad using a Mongoose MMi ran at one and missed it, easiest stumping I've ever taken, out by a good 6 feet, squeaky bum time.

With one ball left they needed 4 to win and managed to tickle one down to 3rd man, they ran 3 (to secure the tie and a super over as we were both 8 wickets down) and my appeal for the run out was turned down, I was in the process of asking the umpires what the result was when I realised neither of them had said 'over' and I also noticed the batsman trying to sneak the 4th run to win it. I raced back to the broken stumps, whipped one out with the ball and appealed, up went the finger and we had won, mass hysteria and a few beers!

[thedevil]

Hahahahaha sound like a great game, got to be happy noticing them trying to steak the 4th run

[Vitas Cricket]

First time I've played in a T20 where the number of wickets that fell was more than double the total number of boundaries scored!

A low scoring tense affair suits us at home, teams lose their minds trying to bat on a pitch that our Aussie describes as 'soup'

Was a great finale to be involved in. We've got Wisbech next, they are one of the teams dominating the division we play in on a Saturday, so we will need to make the most of home advantage once again!

[wayward_hayward]

While I completely agree with the assessment of your pitch, it does keep producing great matches!

[Vitas Cricket]

Yup she's a pudding, not as bad as the reputation suggests, but reputation is enough to get a lot of batsman out before they even get to the crease.

[vasiraju]

Thats nice. I remember one such incident happened with MS Dhoni, when he was playing for Chennai Super Kings. Though he did not appeal for a runout before calling a over by the umpire, he asked the bowler to hit the wicket only after the best of the two batsmen crossed the opposite crease. Here is the video link of it.

 

Dhoni's Brilliant run out

[Vitas Cricket]

I think I may have topped my own story.

We have been taking part in the Burghley Park Beer Festival Sixes Tournament all week. Set in the grounds of the famous house where the horse trials are held, it's a lovely place to play cricket. Tonight was finals night with 2 semis and then the final.

We made it to the final fairly easily as did the hosts, Burghley Park. We batted first and were progressing towards a par score (approx 80 off 5 overs is deemed par. wides count for 4 but all other rules are normal) until the final over.

I was the hat trick wicket in an incredible bowling achievement. 4 wickets from the last 4 balls as we set just under 80. We went on to defend it quite comfortably in a really great fielding display. I took a stumping to finish with tournament stats of:

4 games, 3 stumpings, 2 catches, 2 innings batted, 18 runs from 5 balls faced, including my first baller for the hat trick.

[Ayrtek Cricket]

Can't beat a good semi, as long as u went the distance and polished if off in style jake*

*too much Radio1 today!