Arsenal Get Pass Falcon In Their Clash

Eastern American Cricket Association’s Power40 competition
On a sweltering day where the temperature had finally felt like the summer, Falcon Cricket Club hosted Arsenal Cricket Club at the Hecksher Park.

Arsenal CC was couple of players short of their playing eleven. Falcon won the toss and sensing an opportunity to take advantage of Arsenal’s depleted side, elected to bowl first. Arsenal’s opening pair consisted of Fayzal Ahmed and recently re-activated ex-Bayshore Tigers’ Shawn Carter.

It was fortuitous but a great decision to send Shawn as an opener as he turned back the clock and started the game in a Gaylesque manner by hitting four boundaries in the first over. Shawn ended up scoring a quick fire 45 from only 11 balls. On the other end Fayzal Ahmed kept ticking the score and formed a useful partnership with Abid A. Hamdani.

Fayzal joined Shawn back as spectator having chipped in a useful 26 runs. In came Lisan Chaudhury. Both Abid and Lisan have been the most consistent performers of this season and on this occasion they lived up to their billing as the premier batsmen. Lisan the more aggressive one scored a useful 67 and Abid put in his shift and put up a respectable 67.

Arsenal concluded their innings at 263 runs in 39.1 overs. The bowling for Arsenal began with the skipper Ayyaz Chaudhary running in from the north end of the park and giving more than a few scares for the opening pairs with his usual combination of pace, accuracy and healthy dose of swing. Snaking the ball past the opening pair in the opening over and narrowly missing edges. On the other end Lisan started his over, however the heat and long innings while batting had taken its toll and his bowling suffered. The skipper quickly brought on the newcomer speed demon Fayzal and what a decision that turned out. Fayzal was coming in hard and with menacing pace and devastating chin music had Falcon’s batsmen ducking, dodging and hiding from the extreme pace.

Breakthrough came quick and combination of extreme pace from Fayzal and accurate swing bowling from Ayyaz resulted in quick succession of wickets falling. Arsenal fell into cruising and was unable to take the final 3 wickets; the rest of the inning turned into a drawn out process as is expected of young sides. However, Rehan Shahid’s premier leg spin mopped up any remaining resistance that Falcon had put up. This Arsenal side is looking like a good bunch how far they go this season is anyone’s guess.