Billed as the battle of the season so far, on Halloween weekend, the only fright the Wanderers had was whether they could muster the 10 needed off the final over to beat rivals Exiles. Enter Ashley Connick to scare off any demons.
Facing only his second ball, and knowing he needed to find a boundary, Connick was the coolest kid in town.
Ball one of the 20th over was smashed through extra cover for four.
6 needed, 5 balls left.
Tensions on the boundary were at fever pitch; Connick remained calm. Ball two went for four as well, caressed to the wide long-on fence.
A wide followed to bring the scores level, and Connick played out a dot ball before sealing the victory with a scampered single, the vice-chairman pumping his fists in delight and being embraced by his batting partner Nav Naidoo, as the tension was released and cheers erupted from the Wanderers side and fans watching.
Game won, by two wickets with two balls to spare. Connick the hero!
Earlier in the Wanderers run chase, things had looked far more comfortable when opening batters Jack Luffman and Ben Willgoss had set about hauling in the Exiles’ target of 174 with positivity and consummate ease. Willgoss was his usual busy self, running well between the wickets and pouncing on anything loose while Luffman was in destructive mode, customarily quick to seize on any chance to power the ball into to the leg side and find the gaps on the off side. However, with the score on 79 from the first 10 overs, Luffman found the hands of cover point for 47 from just 33 balls.
At this juncture, the scoreboard pressure began to tell somewhat as Wanderers gave their counterparts a sniff of victory as they slipped to 105-3 and then 107-4 when Willgoss was unfortunate to receive a ‘grubber’ that accounted for him LBW for 36. Skipper Dave Adams joined 15-year-old Ethan Dsouza who had settled to his middle order role nicely. These two had begun to get the chase back on track with smart strike rotation, before Adams was unfortunately run out following a mix-up. Cameos from Will Parkinson and Kamran Shaheen followed; meanwhile, Dsouza remained calm, picking off the ones and twos and latching onto anything slightly loose, hitting two huge sixes in the process. However, just as it looked like he would take his side home, he was caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary for 36 from 28 balls.
Enter Connick from stage-left, and the rest is history.
In the field the Wanderers had had another good day, none more so than Dsouza himself who had taken two of the finest catches you are likely to see on any cricket field. First, at point, he took a full-length effort from a full-blooded cut shot to help reduce Exiles to 10-3, and then later in the run chase, showed his flexibility with a running, diving effort at deep mid-wicket. These moments, coupled with his fine innings, earned him the DSL Player of the Match award.
At 10-3, thanks again to fine opening spells from Naidoo and Shaheen, Exiles looked in some trouble but as is the way in this format on a flat wicket, a partnership ensued. Opposition captain Shayan Khilji was the more dominant of the pair, and was the linchpin of the Exiles innings. He eventually finished unbeaten on 101, a fine innings, but a total of 173 was always going to be one the Wanderers fancied chasing down. The bowlers had stuck to their tasks manfully and spinners Sid Jhurani, Avi Karia and that man Connick were particularly impressive. Clint Berkenshaw and Naidoo returned to bowl at the death with their ever-increasing confidence and consistency to ensure the total stayed well below the 200 mark.
Another win and the Wanderers march onto the Fab Four of DSL 9 starting this weekend.
For the full scorecard click here https://cricheroes.in/scorecard/2399892/Wombats-DSL-Premier-3A/Exiles-CC-DSL-vs-Dubai-Wanderers-DSL
For action shots of the visit please visit the Wanderers' official Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=DubaiWanderers&set=a.145227701164369
Ash Connick receives the Wanderer of the Day award from skipper Dave Adams following his final over heroics.
15-year-old Ethan Dsouza was awarded the Player pf the Match award for his classy 36 and two extraordinary catches in the Wanderers' victory.
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