Fegocowosa CC ran into a very professional Ibeju Lekki outfit in their Super 4 clash at TBS today. Skipper Roland Ilube won the toss (if coin tossing was a competition, we would have been crowned champions a long time ago) and decided to go back to plan A and bat first. When the first three batsmen had returned to the pavilion with a combined total of zero runs between them, this didn't seem like such a good decision.
The Warri boys never really recovered from this disastrous start as the powerful Ibeju bowling attack continued to apply pressure throughout the innings. Roland got to 21 before he was castled and it was only thanks to a breezy 23 from Frank Omozejele that we were able to get past the 100 mark.
A target of 108 was never going to test Ibeju unless we got early wickets and a 40-run opening partnership basically sealed the outcome. Femi Olayiwole picked up both openers in a good 10-over spell and Emmanuel Olowookere beat Endurance Ofem in the flight but in the end the Lekki men ran out comfortable winners.
They are a good and well-drilled side, but unfortunately are beginning to pick up some of the more unsavoury aspects of South African cricket from their coach. I hope their management clamps down on this before something really unpleasant happens.
Sunday 14 March 2010
Sunday 7 March 2010
Wey dem?
After a run of 4 league defeats, the pressure was on in our EDL knockout cup match against Foundation CC at Unilag sports ground on Sunday. Our opponents also felt they had a point to prove, having just been relegated to division II.
Skipper Roland Ilube won his 9th toss in a row, and surprised everyone by inviting FCC to bat first. The early exchanges were even, with the red & gold clad batsmen of FCC scoring freely, but losing wickets along the way. However when their two gun players came together, the tide turned against us, although we did not help ourselves in the bowling and fielding department. Both Gafar and Olayinka chalked half-centuries as they put together a 130-run partnership that seemed to be taking the game out of our grasp. We rallied well in the last 10 overs to keep them to a testing, but gettable score of 229-8, when at one point it looked like 250 plus was on the cards.
Although 2 early wickets went down when our reply commenced, Friday Udoh was in determined mood, anxious to show that his run of ducks was a blip rather than a trough. He was joined by Obo Omoigui, still one of the cleanest strikers of a cricket ball on the Lagos circuit. The second century partnership of the match ensued, and even after Obo fell for 63, the force was now firmly with us. Femi Oduyebo kept the momentum going as Friday reached his 50, and then really began to motor, finally completing a magnificent hundred. Both of them perished with the finishing in line in sight,but the damage had been done, and victory was clinched with 10 balls to spare.
Skipper Roland Ilube won his 9th toss in a row, and surprised everyone by inviting FCC to bat first. The early exchanges were even, with the red & gold clad batsmen of FCC scoring freely, but losing wickets along the way. However when their two gun players came together, the tide turned against us, although we did not help ourselves in the bowling and fielding department. Both Gafar and Olayinka chalked half-centuries as they put together a 130-run partnership that seemed to be taking the game out of our grasp. We rallied well in the last 10 overs to keep them to a testing, but gettable score of 229-8, when at one point it looked like 250 plus was on the cards.
Although 2 early wickets went down when our reply commenced, Friday Udoh was in determined mood, anxious to show that his run of ducks was a blip rather than a trough. He was joined by Obo Omoigui, still one of the cleanest strikers of a cricket ball on the Lagos circuit. The second century partnership of the match ensued, and even after Obo fell for 63, the force was now firmly with us. Femi Oduyebo kept the momentum going as Friday reached his 50, and then really began to motor, finally completing a magnificent hundred. Both of them perished with the finishing in line in sight,but the damage had been done, and victory was clinched with 10 balls to spare.
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