Ismail hammers Lanna’s colts side for 150* as United finally win a match

United CC 258/3

Ismail 150*, Tanveer 50, Yod 2/21

Lanna Colts 108/6

Jason Bray 33*, Min 16, Shaffi 2/7, Suhail 2/18

United CC
won by 150 runs

United CC have lost four matches in succession to different Lanna sides over the last month so they clearly were looking for victory when they arrived at Gymkhana Club on Sunday for a friendly match against a Lanna team largely made up of young boys who have only been playing hard ball cricket for a few months.

We have seen that the full strength Lanna Juniors side is more than a match for most men’s teams but Sunday’s Colts team only had two regular junior players on show. United batted first as is there preference and they promoted Ismail to open. Ismail is a quality player but he batted carefully against Chanchai and Jun as Chanchai bowled another fine opening spell of 5-1-10-0. Jun was more expensive but claimed the wicket of Iqbal before the fifty came up in the 10th over.

Hugh Williams, one of three adults in the team, started well with his left-arm swing and both Ismail and Tanveer were dropped just before the drinks interval off the bowling of Por who was looking sharp. The Colts XI could be pleased with a rate of just 5 runs per over at drinks.

Everything changed after drinks as Ismail began to go for his shots as he took 21 off the next over and he hit a succession of fours and sixes as he raced to his fifty and then to his hundred against some very inexperienced bowling. The fielders scattered and a few more chances went down but Tanveer also made his fifty even as he gave most of the strike to Ismail.

Yod finally broke the second-wicket partnership of 195 when he bowled Tanveer for 50 and Asif followed in the same over caught by Chanchai but Ismail reached his 150 from 84 balls from the last ball of the innings. United CC had scored 258 for 3 in 25 overs as 198 came off the last 13 overs as some young bowlers took some heavy punishment.

Lanna Colts’ reply never got going as they faced a rate of over 10 runs an over. Hugh attempted to play the sheet anchor role but made only nine from 21 balls and Chanchai’s run of fine scores came to an end. When Jun was out for 11 the score was 45 for 4 and it looked like the Colts may be bowled out.

Jason Bray, after recovering from keeping wicket, stood firm to make an unbeaten 33 with five fours and Min hit the ball cleanly to make 16 out of a partnership of 29. Beer lasted only two balls but 12-year-old Ti can be applauded for facing 22 balls for an unbeaten 3 as helped Jason take the score above 100 with six wickets down.

It was perhaps a Pyrrhic victory for United as they had finally won a match but against a very young and inexperienced side. Ismail has played many better innings against stronger bowling attacks but the scorecard says he made 150* in 25 overs as United won by 150 runs. He was exactly the difference between the two sides on a day when the youngsters finally met their match.

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