Reds 40 over season report - part 1

It was September of 2023: as everyone keenly checked the results of our opposition’s match to see if we would indeed be qualifying for the Superettan, shouts of dismay rose. The match had been forfeited, and another team had qualified in our place, by the narrowest of margins. That was how our 2023 T40 campaign ended.

Come 2024, even before the winter training started, boys were very eager to start their winter training sessions, raring to go. A few months of training and it’s the first of May: game time!

Game 1: Reds vs Tullinge Heroes

The first game of the season usually feels rusty. But today, the boys were charged up and ready to go. Having won the toss, I chose to bowl first. The summer hadn’t set in yet (in face, it had snowed just days before) and the field was littered with dew. Moreover, the Reds made a habit of bowling first and destroying oppositions in 2023. We started off well with both Shaz and Ben starting off with a fiery spell. It almost looked like they were competing with each other, the way they were bowling jaffers, one after another. Shaz picked up four wickets in his 8 overs and just conceded 18 runs. Ben on the other end, having only conceded 8 runs off his 4 overs, was extremely unlucky to not pick up any wickets. The opponents only managed a mere 18 runs for the loss of two wickets off their opening spells. In came the spinners, Prashant, Shrikanth and Deepak, who gave hell to the opponents and dismissed them for 89 runs, each of them picking up 2 wickets. The batting started well with Andy getting to a quick fire 24 and the rest chipping in to reach our target in just 16 overs. A few late wickets belied some rustiness in the batting, but nonetheless it was a comprehensive win. Good start to the season.

Game 2: Reds vs RPCC Thunder

The second game was almost identical to the first. The opponents won the toss and decided to bat first, a decision with which we were delighted. Again, the two pacers started going at the opposition, much like the game before. The opponents were left struggling at 33/4 at the end of 10 overs, Shaz had picked up 3 wickets of his 5 overs and Ben picking up 1. In came the spinners and troubled their batsmen with Shrikanth picking up a wicket and Deepak with 2. Shaz then came back into the attack and cleaned up their tail, ending up with a fifer. At the end, he bowled 7 overs, conceded only 8 runs and picked up 5 wickets. The opponents were dismissed for just 103 in 20 overs. This time the batting was much better with the top 3 each getting to their 20’s quickly. We managed to chase down the target in just 15 overs. Another comprehensive win and we make it two out two. The Man of match being awarded to Shaz for his bowling effort.

Game 3: Reds vs Upplands Bro

After a 4-week break, the reds were back! This time playing an away game at Kungsängen. This hasn’t been a friendly ground to the Reds in the past, so we had to give our everything in this game. It started positively with the opposition winning the toss and choosing to bat first. A few fresh faces joined the team, but this didn’t really change anything. We went with the same energy. This time we started off with pace at one end and spin on the other with Prashant back in the side. At the end of their first spell, Ben picked up 2 wickets from his 4 overs and Prashant picked up one in his 4 overs, leaving the opponents at a precarious 43/3. In came Nabo and Shrikanth, Shrikanth picking up 2 quick wickets in one over and Nabo picking up a crucial wicket. The opponents were left at 60 for the loss of 6 wickets. Like a cat being backed into a corner, the opponents started going after the spinners. It was time to counter-attack them and had to bring back Prashant into the attack. It worked! Prashant, as usual, delivered and cleaned them up. They were dismissed for 114 with Prashant picking up 4. We started our chase aggressively and were 35 with no loss of wickets in just 4 overs. Soon we lost our first wicket, but then walked in Deepak and smashed a couple of sixes out of the park. We were able to reach the target in just 15 overs with Ankit being the pick of the batsmen, staying unbeaten on 43 with 8 boundaries to his name. Prashant was awarded the man of match for his figures of 4/16. Seems like things are finally turning for us at Kungsängen. We move on to game 4.

Game 4: Reds vs Mälaren CC

We were back in Skarpnäck, a ground we know very well and a ground we call home. It started off well with us winning the toss. Any guesses as to what we chose? Yes, we bowled first. It was an easy decision. With a few of our regulars missing, we had to rope in some of our players from our first team. It started off well, with the spin and pace combination of Prashant and Anvesh. They managed to restrict the opponents to 35 runs in 8 overs, the batsmen managed to be very selective with their shots and played them off carefully. We were left without any wickets and had to try something different, we brought in Shikhar to try his medium pace, but it still wasn’t cutting it. Then, we decided to slow down the ball and went with our spin attack. In came Deepak and picked up our first wicket in his second over. Then, Aman struck in his first over to leave them 70 runs with 2 wickets down in 14 overs. Deepak and Aman bowled a few tight overs, trying to pile up the pressure. They managed to build up the pressure and something had to give, Deepak striking at regular intervals to break the back of their batting order. Spin seemed to be the key and soon Prashant and myself (Karthik) picking up 2 each. They were dismissed for 156 with Deepak being the pick of the bowlers with a fifer and ending up with figures of 5 for 41. The target of 156 was the highest so far for us to chase. Andy opened with a new batting partner in Prashant. Prashant had been working hard on his batting and was waiting for an opportunity to showcase his skills. He did not disappoint as he went after the bowlers and eased us towards our target, smashing 76 off just 57 deliveries with seven 4’s and three 6’s. We won the game with 4 wickets in hand. The Man of the match being awarded to Prashant, but I felt that the award should have been shared by both Deepak and Prashant.

This left us in a very healthy position in the league table, but with our biggest challenges yet to come! Stay tuned for part 2.

Pierre Du Plessis Sekreterare