Last year we played a match which I will long remember. It was played at the invitation of famous cantonment Cricket Eleven. We reached the Cantonment Club. George, the captain of the other team shook hands with our captain. He led the party to the field. Our captain lost the toss. We then took our positions in the field. Near the stumps lay the red ball.
The batting began. A stout young man came in to bat. He played for a few minutes only and was then caught. One wicket was down with no runs. We were also very excited. Was the opposite team going to be defeated so easily? Presently, the second batsman appeared. His very first stroke showed him a skilled player. His batting was firm and swift. He began piling up runs. We did not lose heart. We changed our bowlers, alternating fast with slow ones. At last our bowler, Raj came forward. With his second bail he too the batsman by surprise. Before the batsman could strike the ball. It had clean struck one of the stumps.
The batting continued, but no other player of the opposite team played so well as the second. They played a good game but our bowfers proved too strong for them. The sixth batsman seemed to be in good form. He added considerably to the score. The Cantonment team was all out by lunch hour. The score stood at 207.
Lunch being over, the umpires again came to the crease, the players of The Cantonment team took the field. Now our side went into bat. Our first batsman made a poor start. After cutting a fast ball or two he seemed to lose his grip on the bat He could not score many runs. Our two wickets feil in quick succession. Cricket is a game of chance. So we thought it was too early to lose hope. As Ramesh, one of our best batsman, went forward, we hoped that he would recover the lost ground. He started well, brought the score to 50, but then a fast ball struck him on the face. He was carried away unconscious from the field.
After brief interruption the game was resumed, our side went on batting, raising (he score, Shanti our eighth batsman proved the hero of the day. With great confidence he hit back every ball for full two hours- He scored a century and twenty runs. Our score had already exceeded that of the opposite team. Before the stumps were drawn our captain declared at 375. The last man was not out- We thoroughly enjoyed the match. Though we won, we appreciated the game of the opposite team. Victory or defeat does not matter.
