Jags fail to scale the heights, as Sumit does the damage for Sharks

 Jags (107-10, Parrish 28*, Fardell 21, Sumit 4-16, Brown 3-24) lost to Sharks (111-1, Jeeva 26*, Brown 25*, Rammers 21*, Brett 1-31) by 9 wickets

We've had many a close and exciting game over the years versus the Sharks. In our early history they generally clubbed us, but graciously I must say. In our recent history they have been close and well fought games. We beat them twice last year in the ridiculously shortened summer we had owing to the pandemic. They clearly wanted revenge. They most definitely got it. This was a paddlin'.

It started so well. Parrish and Fardell opened the batting for Jags on a return to the lovely Queens and Robinson College ground, having won the toss. Sharks opened with the contrasting pair of Matt L and Manny. One fast and straight and aggressive, and the other was Manny. A few freebies in the first couple of overs settled nerves early, saw the Jags race to 50 odd from 4 overs. A hook, a pull for an all run 4 (it was a long boundary one side), and some Parrish biffing is what I remember most, including a sumptuous skip and wallop from Matt for 6 to long on. Good start, good rate, we're on it chaps.

Parrish retired in his usual fashion, bringing Barker to the crease. Matt L found his lines, and he and I had a little bit of a battle for a bit. I say battle, he won hands down, and it was a cricketing miracle that I didn't get out to him. I even played out a maiden including 4 played and missed and 2 actual intentional defensive shots. It was rather good fun. The rate was good, so we were ok though.

Then Sumit came to the bowling attack and boy did he change things. I holed out to him on 21 to mid off, Ant then strolled in and cut him to point for a first ball shiny one, and Phillips survived the hat-trick ball only to be bowled next one. He's a dangerous fella, that Sumit. 

I also cannot remember a single fielding error. It was like the Sharks had taken PCP before the game and watched The Meg together for motivation. If you haven't seen it, great film. Watch it now. Jason Statham, what a lad.

Brett and Barker stayed together for a bit before Barker perished to the left arm round the wicket in front of the umpire bowling that Brown does, probably just to be different. Barker was caught off his bowling and Jags were struggling to score at all at this point. Brett was bowled and Venkat and Hopper had a nice little spell. Venkat absolutely spanked the leather off one to long on for 6, which was a surprise to me as I had been told he was a bowler.

Both fell shortly thereafter, Hopper caught brilliantly at long on trying to push on, and Venkat was bowled by Brown. Cob and Sap hung around for a bit, cob given out LBW (sorry, Cob), and Sap also caught brilliantly at slip. Skip came back in with Tyler at the end, and they pushed us to 107, but that is a low total on a nice pitch. Defending it would be hard.

So we didn't.

I thought this was actually a great Jags fielding performance overall, good bowling, mostly excellent fielding, but Sharks got the chase just right. Jeeva and Zak played it really well to start, pushing hard for the runs and finding ways to score. Brett and Venkat were bowling good lines, the scoring was steady rather than spectacular, but really well paced.

Liam got the single wicket of the evening, getting Zak out trying to push the pace. There were some notable fielding contributions from Mr Parrish, Tyler and Sap. Sharks carried on scoring at a clip with Jeeva soon retired, he hit some lovely deft strokes tonight, as he often does, One late cut will sit in the memory for a while. Brown was in and Jags started to slow the scoring with Hopper and Brolia proving difficult to score from. The result was really not in doubt, but it was nice that we kept going at it like the professional outfit that we pretend to be.

And let me stop for a moment to talk about two things unrelated to the Sharks procession to victory. 

Firstly, Tommy Hopper, on his Jags debut no less. 3 great overs, but oh my goodness his fielding is different class. He makes balls look catchable that no one else would get near, and his throwing, it's like a missile honing in to destroy something strategic and important.

The other topic I would like to share here is the umpiring. I want to emphasise, this is not sour grapes, it had no impact on the result, and there is no suggestion there was anything malicious here at all. We are reliant on the judgment and good grace of fellow players to adjudicate on the finer points of cricket, everyone does there best, and umpiring is really hard. Still... a couple of the wides were hilarious. One Sharks umpire, I'm going to call him Manny because this is sort of his name, gave a wide for one that passed about 3 feet over middle stump. His own fellow umpire at square leg asked if he was sure it was wide, it was that sort of decision. There was another that, almost hit off stump (like as close as this), but was also adjudged to be wide which sent smiles around the team. We're not winning tonight, so let's enjoy what we can.

That's a wide.

I am sure the Sharks would have similar commentary - I didn't give an LBW that was very close off Brown's bowling. I am as certain as a man can be that it wasn't an LBW, but I am not a professional umpire and we do not have cameras at the ground.

The Sharks carried on. Brown got and Rammers got them there with the minimum of fuss off 17 overs. Tyler and Sap both had good spells, but it wasn't to be tonight. There was a dropped edge of Brown, but it made no difference.

Well played, Sharks. I think think people retired to the Red Bull for pizza, but I had some parenting to do, so skedaddled early. Next week, Dobblers.