AN EXCITING CRICKET MATCH NINTH ESSAY

English Essay on "An Exciting Cricket Match"-Last Sunday a friendly cricket match was played between our XI and the Grammar High School XI on our field. The GHS won the toss and decided to at first. But the pitch unexpectedly favoured our bowlers. They were able .to dismiss the openings batsmen for only five runs on the board. One of them was run out for a single while the other was given out, hit wicket. The third and fourth batsmen tried to play cautiously. They held the fort for nearly half an hour without making any serious attempt to score. Two no-balls two byes and one leg bye however raised their total to 10 for two. Then one of them was in trouble with a good ball sent down by our captain, Ali a fast bowler. The batsman fumbled with the ball and the bowler shouted "How's that?" the umpire allowed the appeal and put up his hand to indicate that batsman was out leg before wicket. The fourth wicket fell to a 'Yorker'. The ball hit the central stake and dislodges the bails.

Things were pretty gloomy for the visitor when their captain Faisal came in to bat. 80th the batsmen played calm, cautious cricket. They took no risks with good balls out went all out to punish the losses one. Faisal hit a six off a no-ball and followed it with three boundaries in the same over. Off the last and sixth ball of the over five runs were scored as a result of two successive overthrows by our fielders. From now on our fielders were kept constantly on the run. If the field was spread the batsmen resorted to running between the wickets and scored many singles, which could not have been scored with the fielders being near. When the fielders closed in on them hit out or placed the ball over their heads for boundaries.

Seeing that the batsmen were too firmly dug into be dismissed easily, our captain made a new move. He called for drinks. After the drinks had been taken he took himself and the other bowler off and put in spinners. The move paid hand some dividends. In an attempt to bring off a big hit off the third ball after the drinks, Faisal who had so far played a real captain's innings, mistimed the ball, skied it to the silly mid-off who took an easy catch. The fifth wicket partnership had contributed exactly 60 runs to the total of 70 for 5. Faisal individual score was 45.

Since it was a. one-day match the remaining batsmen were directed to score as fast as they could so that their innings could be declared closed at, or soon after, lunch. The sixth batsman who had given valuable supports to Faisal soon followed his captain to the pavilion without any further addition to his score of 15. He left the batting crease to hit the ball, missed it and was stumped out by the wicket keeper. The tail Enders most 0 them bowlers, tried to score from every ball bowled to them. If they stayed on to face more than one ball each and, even scored few runs, it was because our bowling was not very accurate. One of them was caught by the twelfth man who was fielding in place of Raza on the boundary line. Another was caught in 3rd man region. The last two were clean bowled. Thus their innings came to close to a close at 75. For the home side Ali took seven wickets for 50 including 2 hat tricks. It was already time for lunch and our team escorted the last batsmen to the pavilion. The crowd gave a big hand to them as they approached the stands.

While lunch was being taken, the sky was suddenly overcast with dark clouds. Soon it began to rain heavily. The second half of the day's play was thus washed out and the match ended in a unfinished draw.