Lost by eighty-three runs
You will need to excuse the short report however, life has got in the way of the chance to write much these last two weeks.
Ultimately, there are times when you need to hold your hands up and admit where you went wrong. I was lucky enough to be captain for this match and while I knew it was likely to be a difficult match, I was confident, with a good start, we could win it in the end.
Highland won the toss and elected to bat and steadily built a total. Ronan bowled right through and delivered an excellent spell while the attack was rotated at the other end. By the half way point highland were on ninety-three. A couple of smart catches meant we were in with a chance of limiting them to less than two hundred and now would have been the time to alter our tactics.
Call it fatigue (having played the previous day) or simply a loss of concentration but in hind sight we should have move the field out towards the boundaries, we were playing with ten so there were a few gaps but by keeping in tight, Highland were simply hitting over our heads. In the end the second fifteen overs went for one hundred and fifty-nine.
While it was still possible, we would require four players to retire on thirty-five to really have a shot at winning the game. Nilesh, leading the team out to bat, put in a great knock finishing on forty (with two enormous sixes hit over the heads of the scorers). But we simply couldn’t keep up with the rate. When I headed to the crease it was already too late.
It is a disappointing loss, more so because a change of tactics could have made the difference. But, I live and learn and would hope to avoid such problems in the future.
Highland were a great side to play, a lot of smiles and laughter during the game. The pitch was immaculate and a testament to the hard work of Mark Dallas and his team at the Abbey. We can not thank you all enough.
Fort Augustus Cricket Club 