... but this weather was cold. Actually, it was Jalfreezing!
Tulsi 107/10 (19.4), P Fernando 4-19 (4), D Croft 2-15 (3)
Wildcats 108/1 (11.1), T Buchan 25 (22), A Hampshire 25* (10)
After a nice holiday break the Wildcats returned to winning form in the first game of 2017. This was a local derby and a game of several firsts: The Wildcats first game against Karori Tulsi, and the first game on Karori #4 (in the middle of the park) in living memory, if ever. It was also the first time we'd started a game half-an-hour late as Tulsi's stumps hadn't arrived.
Knowing that Tulsi had previously chased down some good scores (like 180/1 in 13 overs) we sent them in to bat. It paid off. Tom Buchan's tight lines troubled their openers and they tried to sneak a single to Timbi 'Powerarm' Poon at square leg. He saw one stump and hit one stump. Opening partnership broken for 7.
Nando chipped in with one bowled and two caught behind. Then Timbi was in the game again - Nando bowed it, the batsman flicked it to mid-wicket, Timbi caught it, and thinking it was a bump-ball (it wasn't) threw the stumps down again... for a dramatic double play. Tulsi were 5-30 and naan too happy about it.
Will and Kurt skewered the middle of their innings like a delicious kebab, with 7 back-to-back tight overs. This created a tandoori load of pressure for Tulsi. That lead to several mix-ups. Sharp Wildcats fielding from Rhys and Kurt got us three more run outs, making it four for the innings.
The final course involved Rupert and Crofty casting a spell with slow-stuff. With Tulsi struggling to find the boundaries Crofty capitalised causing a catch at short leg and taking a running high caught and bowled. The innings was over at 107. It was a very impressive fielding effort, and although we conceded several wides (25), much of that was caused by the brutal cross-winds and their umpires sometimes overly-strict rulings. But korma can come back to bite you ... as Tulsi discovered very soon.
Rhys and Tom opened the batting and faced an extraordinary first over featuring two 4s, one 2, three dots, and 18 wides. Yes, eighteen wides (one went for four, and for three of them we ran 2s). At 28-0 the run chase was looking good. Tom was in fine form stroking four 4s. Rhys played a steady innings and kept out the tough stuff. When Tom was caught for 25 (22) the Wildcats were 58-1 after 7 and feeling calm.
Alex, Rhys, and Extras kept the scoreboard tikka-ing over. With Alex in vintage form hitting 25* (10) and Rhys making 21 (33), the remaining overs went for 11, 16, 10, and 11, to finish the chase at a canter. At the end of 11.1 overs Tulsi had eclipsed our wides with 33 of their own, plus another 5 byes/leg-byes, making extras the top-scorer by 12 runs.
Special mentions to Rupert for an entertaining and harrowing chase to catch our scorebook: it was collected by the wind, and flew the entire length of Karori #5 next door, narrowly avoiding a watery doom. Hats off to several Wildcats too, whose hats flew off in the strong winds.
Today's write-up brought to you by Tulsi, Contemporary Indian Cuisine:
