WE ARE THE
CHAMPIONS! - NCF DIV. B (2008)
Match
report: Vålerenga Cricket Klubb vs United CC
Saturday
August 30th 2008
- Venue:
Rommen 9:15am, Overcast 19 degrees
For the first time
this year i really dont know where to start, so let me start by saying
"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS" and congrats to all of you who have
both played or been a part of VCC this year. Now lets go back to how it
all started, The last game of the season turned out to be the
"GRAND FINAL" suprisingly enough, the winning team would be
Division Champions regardless of what would happen with the other teams
in there final matches, United won the toss and elected to bat, for Vålerenga
it didnt matter really either way because we had already qualified
through till Div 2 next year win or lose, we had 2nd place tied down no
matter what the outcome, however the desire to win was still there just
as it had been for the rest of the season. A last minute talk and Vålerenga`s
12 were ready to rumble, walking out onto the field in any grand final
is always a buzz......... you seem to grow 6 inches taller and your
shoulders become bigger and much wider (we should have batted first), As
usual Vålerenga opened the attack with the seamers, Ali and Waqas. The
opening overs were tight, and in the 4th over the pressure took its toll
with United`s opener taking a big swing at a beatifully pitched ball
from Waqas, under the bat and clean bowled. Wickets became hard to come
by in the remainder of the opening spell as United dug in and with
Danish warming up for first change the score sat at 1 for 32 off 7 overs.
Talib was brought on with Danish and together they were really making
United earn there runs, however it was Talib in the 10th over who broke
the partnership, United now 2 for 42. For the next 5 overs it was all Vålerenga,
an over throw on the last ball of the 12th was eventually retrieved by
Waqas and turned into a Run Out "Direct Hit", in the 14th
Talib took 2 and also set up Vålerenga`s only "Hat Trick"
ball of the season, and Isamath picked up a wicket in the 15th. At the
drinks break Vålerenga seemed to be in complete control with United at
6 for 67.
The first over after the break was another good one for Vålerenga as
Talib picked up another, straight into the Captains gloves. But this
would be the last good over of the day for Vålerenga. With United now 7
down for 68 after 16 overs we really thought we had them done for under
100 no worries, but it seems United`s one remaining batsmen and the tail
had other plans. In the next 10 overs United more then doubled there
score, They really went after our bowlers and no matter what we did they
just kept on hitting boundaries, Talib remained the best our bowlers
picking up another in his final over and making it 5 for the day,
however a big 8th wicket partnership unfolded for United and for a while
it seemed like there was no end to the onslaught, at the end of the 24th
over United were 8 for 122 and the job of bowling out the innings was
handed to Ali and Danish. The next over went to United, but this would
be the last! Danish struck in the 26th breaking the partnership which
had really put United back in the game, and Ali made no mistake in his
follow up over trapping United`s NR11 in front of the stumps LBW, United
all out for 142 off 27 Overs. Despite the tables completely turning in
this innings, and Vålerenga for the first time this season really
getting smashed for runs, this was due to no fault of our own. Our
bowlers were bowling well, and apart from a couple of mistakes our
fielding throughout the game was spot on! Catches were held by Arshik,
Chris and Bilal, some nice work on the boundary by Anees turned a few
certain 4`s into 2`s, most of the wides found there way into the keepers
gloves before finding there way down to fine leg and in general Vålerenga
did a good job over all. United came out on fire after the break, and
most teams would have just given up. But not us, we kept on hangin in
there and we rolled em for 142 in 27 overs, thats 2 overs and 10 runs
better then the last time we played them ( all out for 152 off 29 overs
), Heads up Vålerenga, although you might not have thought so at the
time, you all did a great job out there!
Unfortunately i was to busy thinking about all the sixes i was going to
hit to stop and take the time to have lunch today, so i have no
recollection of this part of the game at all, so thanks for
lunch.................... ???
Well this is the part of the report were i just fast forward to the good
stuff because in all due fairness the first 15 overs of our innings is
almost not worth writing about, sorry guys buts thats just the way i see
it! but for the sake of our readers then here goes.......... The first
wicket fell in the 4th over, Vålerenga 1 for 12. The second wicket fell
in the 7th over, Vålerenga 2 for 16. The 3rd and 4th Wickets fell in
the 10th over, Vålerenga 4 for 19. A couple of 4`s from Arshik before
he fell in the 14th over, and at drinks Vålerenga were in all sorts of
trouble at 5 for 39, Yep thats right, no bullshit 5 for 39 off 15 overs.
Here`s the part were you can all start reading again. The 16th over was
a maiden so Vålerenga now needed 104 runs off 14 overs to win the
Match, with 5 Wickets in hand. Now we all know that In games were you
need big run rates to win then everyone in the team has to hit! no
matter what. Traditionally Vålerenga has never really been a
"Hitting" side, with the exception of Talib (Mamu). From
memory Mamu has always been our "Hitter", however this was
about to change, along with the fact that mid way through the season Vålerenga
picked up Waqas another Pakastani "Hitter", Vålerenga were
about to score the fastest 104 runs in the entire clubs history. It was
in the 17th over that Vålerenga started to claw there way back into the
game.......... at the crease and looking solid we had Ali, and at the
other end we had Waqas who had already hit a six, after a nervous start
the partnership was now about to blossom as Ali played the part of
holding up an end and putting the bad balls away for runs, and Waqas set
about trying to belt the cover off everything, but they didn`t have it
all there own way, United fought back with a few tight overs in the
18th, 19th and 20th, The next 3 overs went for 21 runs, but Waqas was
caught out in the deep going for another big one, putting an end to a
6th wicket partnership of 43 runs which had now at least saved Vålerenga
from a total disgrace, and also given us half a chance of winning. Next
man in was Bilal, but his time out in the middle was short lived going
for a duck, Vålerenga`s 3rd of the day. At the end of 24 Overs Vålerenga
were still a long way from home at 7 for 80......... then in walks Mamu.
So do the maths, Vålerenga now needed 63 runs off 6 overs to win the
game with just 3 wickets in hand, for most people that works out to
something called "No Chance" but not according to Mamu, he had
other plans......... 7 runs came off the 25th, and 7 again from the
26th. Mamu had now warmed up, and was about to really give it to em! The
26th over went for 19 runs, as Mamu belted 3 fours and a six. This was a
big turning point in the game, as you could see the worry start to show
on the faces of the United players, it also took a big chunk out of the
runs needed to win and all of a sudden we could smell victory. Vålerenga
now needed 30 runs off the last 3 overs to win and the atmosphere at the
ground was so intense you could cut the air with a knife. Unfortunately
Mamu was run out on the first ball of the 28th, not quite being able to
match the pace of his much younger nephew Ali, but Anees picked up where
Mamu left off belting 16 runs off about half as many balls which
included 2 fours and a big six, however he was caught out on the
boundary by what we all thought was obviously a six. The umpires thought
it was a six aswell stopping the game and asking the fielder to stand
his ground but unfortunately it was a little to late as he had already
taken 2 steps back into the field of play. Now im not about to start
calling anyone a cheat but 9 times out of 10 you can tell by a players
reaction what the real story is and this guy didn`t look to convincing
to me when he caught the ball, but anyway benefit of the doubt given to
the fielder (only in norway) and Mortaza was the last man in for Vålerenga
with approximately 1 and a half overs left to go. Mortaza got straight
off the mark with a 2 and the rest of the over was pushed away for
singles, Vålerenga now 9 for 135 needing just 8 off the last over to
win. First ball of the last over was a much welcome wide and from there
it became a game of hit and run, Ali edging one away for 4 and winning
the game for Vålerenga with just 2 balls to spare, Vålerenga 9 for 143
off 29.4 overs.
Before i go on to awarding our Man of the Match i would just like to
mention that Ali really held our innings together and it was deserving
that he in the end was the one to hit the winning runs for Vålerenga,
ending the match as Vålerenga`s top scorer on 31 N.O. Ali really showed
both myself and the rest of the team today how much he has matured as a
batsmen and im looking forward to opening up in the first game of next
year with him......... should he accept the challenge! But without
further delay our man of the match was Mamu, Mamu was simply on fire
today! Bowling up a storm ending with figures of 5 for 15, Vålerenga`s
only 5 wicket haul of the season. With the bat he turned the game in the
space of just six balls and ended up with 24. All i can say is that if
this is an example of how you start to play cricket when you are pushing
50 years, then i cant wait to join the seniors club! Only joking mate,
Mamu you dont look a day over 21.
Report
by: J. Solberg
Match
report: Vålerenga Cricket Klubb vs Strømsø CC
Sunday
August 24
- Venue:
Ekeberg I, Sunny 22 degrees
First
of all... CONGRATULATIONS to everyone!
Vålerenga
have secured promotion to division 2 in a nervous victory against Strømsø
on Sunday. After the Aliens' defeat to United the day before, the
situation was such that victory for VCK over Strømsø would secure an
unassailable lead over Aliens, guaranteeing at least second place and
thus promotion to the next division. Apparently the pressure was
affecting us - we pulled through in the end, although personally i could
see the victory slipping out of our hands until the very last ball.
Definitely the most nervous I've seen us play all season, and it almost
cost us. But, fortunately we ended up being just a little too strong for
Strømsø despite wasting a lot of chances and giving away a lot of
extras (as usual...)
The
day started well: the weather was good, and we won the toss, putting
ourselves in to bat. Missing Johno, it was Talib (henceforth Mamu) who
volunteered to join Danish at the crease. It would turn out the be the
innings of his career, but it started off a bit shaky – Danish was
caught well out of his crease just a couple of overs in, and we had lost
our first wicket of the day with the score at just 16. As usual it was
myself, Chris, who walked in at 1 down. I got off the mark with a
beautiful top-edge for four straight back over the keepers head (earning
a slightly bitter remark from the Aliens umpire who, understandably,
seemed a little upset at the result from the day before). Some more
fairly quick runs were added, but just when it seemed that a good
partnership was getting underway, the other umpire got into the action,
giving me out LBW in a decision with which I still respectfully
disagree... a disturbingly large bruise where the ball hit me right next
to my groin suggests that the ball might have been heading over
the stumps, but, nonetheless, I was back in the “pavilion” before
long, and Arshik on his way out. What followed was a good period for VCK
with plenty of “Ranatunga-ish” walking between the wickets, as Mamu
was starting to feel the effects of too little training this year. His
score was moving along very well, however, causing vice-captain Tafseer
sitting outside the boundary to get more and more nervous – his fear
being that uncle Talib would pass his own top score of 41, in which case
he would never hear the end of it... Meanwhile, the score was ticking
along nicely (we were 78/2 at drinks) until Arshik suddenly got the same
treatment from our friend umpire number 2, given out LBW after a
typically well-played 23. Anees came in and looked promising, while Mamu,
long since sick of standing in the sun, decided to go for it. He did end
up passing Ali' 41, but in the end got bowled out only 2 runs short of
his first half century for VCK. He really held the innings together
though, and his innings was crucial – so well done Mamu! Ali joined
Anees at the crease, but at that point we didn't really get going the
way that we were looking for. Anees got caught going for a big shot, and
Ali showed that he had been eating “too much chappati” in Pakistan,
getting run out for 5. Waqas came in and started to move the innings
along, hitting some good quick runs, including a huge 6, before getting
bowled out going for another one. Shayan picked up where Waqas left off,
and in the end we got a decent finish to the innings. Although Murtaza
had also been eating too much chappati in Pakistan, and got run out as
well, on the last ball of the innings. We finished with 160/8, a decent,
but by no means intimidating score.
Lunch
for the day was thanks to Murtaza (or Murtaza's mother maybe?
Nevertheless, well done and thank you!)
The
second innings started in perfect fashion for VCK, as our openers
immediately did the job, picking up 3 wickets straight away. Batsmen
number 1, 2, and 3 were out for 0, 0, and 2, respectively, and it looked
like it was going to be an easy job for Vålerenga. Waqas bowled with
good control, but the bowling of Tafseer really deserves special
mention. Not wanting his Mamu to run away with all the glory, Tafseer
was really fired up, and bowled with genuine pace and great accuracy
(maybe he wasn't just eating chappatis in Pakistan?). Tafseer, well
done: keep it up and you'll be taking plenty of wickets next year! The
initial flurry of wickets might have caused us to let our guards down,
however, because the Strømsø batsmen suddenly started looking
comfortable and picking up quick singles and doubles a little too
easily. Our fielders were kept far too busy – particularly Per Olav, a
full member of the squad for the day, who had a couple of exhausting
overs at fine leg – enthusiastic and dedicated as usual, but
nonetheless not able to stop the flow of runs. Hard chances kept coming
– Christian Miller was unlucky not to pick up at least one, as some
difficult catches were put down – but as the scoreboard moved along
and we started abusing easy run-out possibilities, the mood on the field
turned more and more nervous. Anees came on after drinks, bowling
particularly well, restricting the runs and frustrating the batsmen –
but still the runs were coming, and the target was looking increasingly
getable.
Fortunately,
however, it was meant to be our day, and as Talib, Anees, and Danish
picked up a wicket each, we exposed the tail, and were back in some
degree of control. Wasim from Strømsø took the fight to the very end,
but without enough support from the other end it was always going to be
difficult for him. With 1.3 overs remaining, and 21 runs required, Wasim
had to go for it, and some great bowling from Waqas made sure of things
as Wasim was bowled out, ending the Strømsø innings.
Credit
to everyone for hanging on, even though it got a little bit too exciting
in the end... some good catches were held by Arshik, Anees, Shayan,
Danish and... sorry, can't remember the last one, but well done anyway!
No easy catches were dropped, so that was good. Now the season finale
awaits, with our game against top-placed United on Saturday. They are
the only team who has beaten us this year and if we beat them on
Saturday we pass them and gain first place in the table... and give
Aliens a theoretical chance at promotion, if United should lose their
last game. So – plenty of motivation to come out 100% on Saturday and
prove that we are the best team in the division!
report
by Chris Brekke
August 20th 2008
MATCH REPORT - Vålerenga CK vs
Fjord CC
The 12th game of the season was against second
last place in the league Fjord C.C, however being Fjords
first year in the comp it comes as no suprise that they are on the
bottom of the ladder, as we all know here at Vålerenga C.C, it takes
time to build up a good solid cricket team....... Fjord won the toss
and elected to bat, they got off to a good start 0 for 16 off the
first 2 overs, but it wasn`t long before our opening pair of Danish
and Adil found there groove and the first wicket fell in the 3rd over,
With our openers now finding the right line the runs dried up aswell
for Fjord and at the end 6 overs we had brought them back from scoring
at 8 an over to 4 an over with the score now at 1 for 24. Isamath and
Waqas were both brought on in tandem as first change and Isamath
struck straight up taking a wicket in his first over, and then another
one in his second over. After just 2 overs Isamath had figures of 2
for 3 and he really had Fjord`s batsmen in trouble with his menacing
"on the spot" bowling style, Waqas at the other end did a
great job in support and picked up a well deserved wicket in his 3rd
over, and at the break Vålerenga were in complete control
with Fjord C.C at 4 for 53. Anees was brought on after the break and Vålerenga
had now decided that we were not going to chase down more than 100
runs so things were tightened up a little in the field, Anees struck
in his second over sending the bails up into the air, and Isamath
picked up another in his final over of the day, however this almost
led to a collision out in the field between Adil and Danish as both
had there eye on the catch. After a run out in the 19th over thanks to
some quick fielding from Adil, Fjord were now in real trouble at 7 for
75, there last chance of hope resting on the shoulders of there very
aggressive NR 6 batsmen who was still at the crease and was
scoring 90% of all Fjord`s runs. But in the 21st over we got him, and
Vålerenga could now see the end with Fjord now at 8 for 81. Bilal
pitched in with an over, and Waqas was brought back on to finish
things off in tandem with Anees who was bowling superbly and giving
nothing away, Another smart piece off fielding from Mike led to the
second run out of the day and Waqas knocked over the stumps
picking up the final wicket of the day. Catches were held by Waqas,
Danish and Bilal and after 27 overs Vålerenga had achieved what
they had set out to do, bowling Fjord out for 92 runs, 8 runs short of
100.
Very Sorry, but i have no idea what was
for lunch today, or who provided it! But thanks goes out to you
anyway.
Unfortunately our innings got off to a
really bad start, Vålerengas Top Order crumbled into a heap with
Danish (13) being the only one of our first four batsmen making double
figures, and at the end of the 7th over Fjord had Vålerenga in a bit
of a pickle at 4 down for 30. But when Waqas walked out to the middle
to greet Isamath who had only just got there himself, the ball game
soon turned back in our favour as yet another great 5th wicket
partnership unfolded for Vålerenga C.C. Isamath who along with Arshik
have now claimed the title of "The Specialists" never looked
like going anywhere as he played another balanced and well thought out
innings, and Waqas on the other hand played a very "Shahid Afridi"
type innings, always looking to get bat on ball, finding the boundary
on 4 seperate occasions and finishing off Vålerengas innings
beautifully, smashing a big six straight back past the bowler! Isamath
(19 n.o) and Waqas (29 n.o) put on 63 runs for the 5th wicket in just
7 overs, ok they had some help from a good share of extras but never
the less! This was the partnership which won the game for Vålerenga.
Vålerenga winning comfortably 4 for 93 off just 14 overs.
Man of the Match goes to Isamath for a
good all round performance in general, a very nice spell of
"on the spot" bowling (3 for 19), and another solid innings
with the bat (19 n.o).
by Jonothan Solberg
August 3rd 2008
MATCH REPORT - Alna CC vs Vålerenga CK
Oslo - showers, 21oC
The 11th game of the season saw us up against Alna C.C, after a great
week of sunny weather it was so typical that rain had been forecast for
match day, and after winning the toss Vålerenga elected to bat. Little
did we know at 09:15 on that Cloudy Saturday morning that Vålerenga C.C
were about to have there best innings with the bat so far this
season......... The pace was set early on with an opening partnership of
31, and at the close of the 7th Over Vålerenga C.C were 1 for 31 with
the Captain now back from holiday and squaring up at the crease with his
"New Bat". As Chris was starting to get his eye in at one end
Danish decided to open up at the other end keeping the run rate ticking
and pushing his score on into double figures, but just like myself after
making a start he was unable to go on with it and at the end of the 10th
over Vålerenga C.C were 2 for 48. Arshik was now on his way out to the
middle to greet his favourite umpire and after a nervous start he
finally started to get some bat on ball, at the same time Chris now had
his eye in and was starting to find the boundary, however the Captain
was beaten by a nice delivery in the 14th over and at drinks Vålerenga
were 3 for 75 with Arshik and Waqas at the crease. It wasn`t long after
the drinks break that Arshik finally found touch hitting his first
boundary of the day, this seemed to mark the start of another great
innings from our little Smiling Sri Lankan. Waqas held down the other
end for a while scoring his first runs for Vålerenga, but Alna`s first
change bowler gave his stumps a rattle midway through the 18th bringing
Isamath to the crease, and at the end of 18 Overs Vålerenga C.C were 4
for 90. The game had now balanced out and it really could have gone
either way from here as we had done a good job of scoring runs, but on
the other hand Alna had now taken 4 Wickets and looked keen to set about
disposing of our middle order. But with our 2 middle order specialists
Arshik and Isamath out in the middle the tide soon turned as the Sri
Lankans went on the attack, a huge partnership of 71 runs followed as
both batsmen started scoring freely, this was not only a joy to watch!
but it really broke Alna`s back as you could see the life slowly start
to drain away from the fielders, and the sting was taken out of there
bowling attack aswell. However all fairy tales must end, and Isamath was
taken out in the deep at the start of the 27th, Vålerenga now 5 for
161. Anees was the next man in and the message was clear, with only 3
overs to go the boys were swinging at everything, in the last 3 Overs Vålerenga
scored 21 runs, but it came at a price! With Arshik falling in the 29th
after a great knock and his second 50 of the season, and Anees being
taken at mid wicket with only 3 balls to go. Our N.O batsmen for the day
were Talib and Bilal who finished off Vålerenga`s innings in stlye
smashing 7 runs off the last 3 balls. Vålerenga 7 for 184 at the close
of the innings.
Lunch for the day was provided by Chris, thanks mate but your definately
no Australian when it comes to barbecuing! Ha Ha Ha
Danish opened up the bowling with Waqas, and it was obvious from the
outset that the wet ball was going to make things difficult for our fast
bowlers today. However despite the difficult conditions our openers did
a great job, Danish keeping things tight as usual giving away little
from the station end, but it was Waqas who struck first from the forest
end picking up Alna`s opener and putting early pressure on, after 5
overs and with the rain still coming down our biggest concern was
getting through 15 Overs quickly so that we at least had a chance of
defending the big total we had just posted and hopefully walk away with
a win, So Anees and Isamath were brought on early and Vålerenga took a
gamble, Anees was the next man to strike sending Alna`s Nr 3 batsmen
back to the dressing room and not long after Isamath took a well
deserved wicket, and with Alna now starting to fall behind and the run
rate required on the rise Arshik`s favourite umpire decided to stop play
and we all were treated to a 15 min "Tea Break". Play resumed
and after another Wicket to Anees was stopped again, at this stage of
the match we had Alna 4 for 45 with 11 Overs complete and could smell
victory however we had to pray and hope that Arshik`s best mate wouldn`t
ruin our day. Suprisingly our prayers were answered and play resumed one
more time, pushing up to about the 15 Over mark Alna started to claw
there way back a little through a solid but aggressive 5th Wicket
Partnership but when Anees took out there best Batsmen ( Alna`s Nr 4 )
it was the beginning of the end and with Isamath and Anees out of overs
the job fell onto the shoulders of Talib and Adil to take out the Lower
order and mop up the Tail, and they did so taking 2 wickets a piece,
Alna all out for 105 from 25 Overs. In the Field today Vålerenga were
nothing short of brilliant with Isamath and Danish both holding absolute
beauty`s, Isamath held onto a running knee slider coming from Long off
to take it at Mid off, and Danish wrapped his hands around a rocket at
Point! Awais held one and Bilal was solid as a rock at Long off picking
up a pair. To our Bowlers i would just like to say great job with the
wet ball today, i have never seen Danish or Waqas bowl 2 wides in the
same Over, and i have never seen Isamath bowl a wide at all, as
difficult as the conditions were you all pulled out that little bit
extra today and backed up what we did with the bat. It seems like Vålerenga
C.K are back!
Man of the Match today goes to Arshik, another 50 and another beautiful
middle order innings which helped set Vålerenga up for an easy win. And
a special mention must go out to Alna C.C, for good sportmanship in
general and for not trying to fix the result. It is always a pleasure to
play against a club which has there feet on the ground.
By: Jonathan Solberg
July 20th 2008
MATCH REPORT - Aliens CC vs Vålerenga
CK
Ekeberg II, 3:15pm Sunday -
Heavy Rain, 14oC
The tenth game of the season turned
out to be the biggest Anticlimax of the season, a much
anticipated clash between rivals Vålerenga and Aliens, there
was a lot of hype going into this match and it was the cause
of much discussion, both for the teams involved and others.
The rivalry between Vålerenga and Aliens has been building up
for about 2 years now, so it was this combined with the fact
that only a single point seperates the two on the League
Ladder which had everyone talking, and as much as we felt that
Aliens were lucky to get 2 points off us today we
have more respect for them then any other team in the League
and a sensible decision was made by both Captains to Declare
the Match a Draw and share the points. The conditions today
were nothing short of shocking and in my home country the
teams would not have even turned up at the Ground, let alone
consider playing cricket! It rained overnight and constantly
throughout the day, only giving up for short periods of about
15 mins or so making the game a total Wash Out! Anees thank
you for the cup of tea and for taking the time out to make the
food, and thanks to the other 11 who came as play or not
you still need a team to turn up so that the officials are
happy and the paperwork is in order. Well after 10 rounds we
are still in second place boys, with only 4 games left to go
we are coming into the final stages of the season so lets just
keep on doing what were doing, Keep it cool and take it as it
comes (one game at a time). 16 points still available, Lets
take them!
Report by: Jonathan Solberg
July
14th 2008
Vålerenga CK v Grorud CC
SUNDAY 13th JULY 2008 - 9:15 am
Rommen Cricket Ground, Oslo - 19oC wet, overcast
Yesterday saw Vålerenga CK get back to winning ways after 4
weeks of bad weather and a couple of unlucky results. The
players arrived in Rommen under a cloudy sky with a 90% forecast
of rain. Grorud CC won the toss and cleverly elected to bat
first.
The first 20 overs saw Vålerenga make a very comfortable start.
Picking up wickets at regular intervals after some fine fast
bowling. Then came the first sign of rain. The players (as last
week) ran into their respective porta-cabins and waited.... and
waited... Then finally after one hour or so and a very early
lunch Grorud decided to carry on with the match after much
persuasion. They sent their 10th and 11th batsmen back out to the crease
to face just 3 balls which ended their innings on 94 all out
from 21.3 overs. Wickets came from all over the field but a
mention must be made of Adil Mahmood for taking his first wicket
for Vålerenga CK and to Isamath Hassan who bowled very well taking
3 middle order wickets and deserving a couple more. Only 4
extras were conceded by Vålerenga during their fielding spell
which is the most accurate bowling during a match this season.
Then came the rain again, this time more of a constant drizzle.
Again this was discussed over drinks in some length with the
opposition Captain and it was decided that the game should be
reduced to a 20 over contest. All agreed. Grorud CC had now set a target of
just 64 runs to win from 20 overs. A win was now finally
possible, if only the weather permitted. The rain however continued
and a repetition of last weeks' result was looking almost certain.
Vålerenga CK padded up as quickly as possible and started their
innings before Grorud had time to work out a way of legally
drawing the match. At one point they looked very set in
cancelling the contest complaining that the pitch was now very
difficult to control. Vålerenga reminded them that this was
actually of advantage to bowlers as it was the batsmen who would
suffer from poor vision and a very slow out field and not the
Grorud Bowlers and fielders. (It 's carpet, not a grass wicket).
Opening this week were Johnny Solberg (30) and Danish Ashfaq
(1). They created a good first wicket stand, easing into the
innings slowly but methodically. Then Danish was bowled out
middle wicket giving 3rd batsman Adil Mahmood (2) his chance to shine in the
rain. Unfortunately he totally misjudged an in-swinger and was
bowled out for just 2 runs, which has effected his explosive
start for the club after 2 matches in 3 weeks.
Next batsman in was Isamath Hassan (3). It just wasn't to be for
him this week as his wicket fell quickly (maybe a problem with
his hand? which was hit by a rocketing ball as he tried taking a
caught and bowled wicket whilst on the fielding side). He left
the crease for
just 3 runs.
Fifth in came Talib Hussein (5) who showed his strong character at
the crease. He steadied the ship with Johnny who was still at
the crease and batting superbly. Talib was caught at long mid-on
after a high slog towards the soaked boundary. Four's were just not
going to happen today and the boys tried very hard dropping
short by a few feet on various occasions. The long, wet grass
deciding how many were to be scored today, not so much the batsmen and
opposing fielders.
After Talib returned to the changing room, in went Michael
Airley (0) who was determined to kick start his 2008 season after One
or Two unlucky games and a mini-drought. (Basically wherever
Mike is placed on the field this season, the ball is hit just out of human
reach) Anyway he was run out in very
dubious circumstances. Mike is a very honest person and when he
says ''I was in, my bat was down behind the crease''. I, for one
believe him. Maybe the only mistake he made was walking away without
disputing the decision. Anyway it was another duck for Mike and a good reason to
channel the anguish and hit back.
The last man in needed to secure victory and it was left to Anees Rauf (7), Anees
had a short but vibrant innings scoring 7 fast runs and putting
Vålerenga CK past the winning post. He finished not out. Johnny Solberg also batted out to finish the match on 30
runs unbeaten. A much needed
addition to his season statistics and a fine display, leading
the batting from the front. This and a fine left handed catch
whilst wicket keeping gave him his first man of the Match award
of 2008 and better still gave him a grin from ear to ear all the
way home.
The match was won after Vålerenga scored the necessary 64 runs
in just 80 balls (15 overs). Vålerenga CK stay in 2nd place for
another week after round 9 with 29 league points, maintaining
their slight edge over Aliens CC below in 3rd place.
NOTE: Having just read their new homepage forum, it would seem they're
starting to think about beating VCK handsomely. Whatever happens
we all look forward to a fine game next Sunday at Ekeberg I,
Oslo.
report by: Christian Miller
JULY 6th 2008
MATCH REPORT - Sinsen B
vs Vålerenga
CK
Sunday, July 6th - Rommen, 10oC, Overcast, Heavy rain, Heavy
drizzle.
Norwegian Rain Stops Play!
Vålerenga CK have drawn
their match in round Eight of the 2008 NCF league. Rain stopped play
against Sinsen (B) CC after only 50 minutes of cricket.
VCK did however make a
solid start with their opening batsmen Talib Hussein and Danish Ashfaq
scoring 41 before the 1st wicket fell off Eight overs. Danish swinging
violently to be bowled middle stump. He did score his season best though
leaving the crease on 17 runs. The partnership has shattered the
existing 2008 highest score and is a fine indication that VCK has good
strength in their all-round cricket ability. 3rd man in was Adil Mahmood
playing in his second innings for the club since his move from Strømsø
CC. He faced only Two balls (one of which was wide), before the heavens
opened up on the unkempt Rommen ground leading to the grass (?) become a
wet and muddy pit. I would also like to say that I bowled to Adil in the
nets today for a period and the lay of the Astro-carpet is a bit
shocking with lips and bevels. Players beware of ricocheting cricket
balls!
After two hours and much
friendly inter-team discussion, the team captains were forced to draw
the contest and each team decided to take the 2 consolatory league
points on offer. VCK do however retain 2nd place after Eight of the
Fourteen league games this season.
Thanks must go to Talib
Hussein for bringing the sandwiches, drinks and fruit. A much welcome
break to the tension of sitting in the away team hut waiting for the
Norse gods to shine some light on the 22 men in white. Unfortunately
they did n 't care to and Vålerenga CK lost their chance of having 27
points in the current league standings. Oh well, next week we play
Grorud CC and after a few hot drinks and a dry set of cricket whites, we
should be ready to shine again!
report by: Christian Miller
First
XI Player hint: Take your wet kit out of your bags or else it will
be stinking rotten by Friday!
JUNE 30th 2008
MATCH REPORT - United
CC vs Vålerenga CK
Saturday, June 28th - Ekeberg I, 19oC, Overcast/ Showers/ Sunny spells.
The 7th game of the season was a top of the table clash and our most
important to date, both teams coming into this were on big winning
streaks, We had won 6 in a row and United had won 5 in a row, so the
winners would be sitting on top of the table after the first round
complete, and leading going into the second half of the competition.
Well im not really sure what to say here but to put it simply we just
had a bad day, it happens to all cricket teams at some stage or another,
and today it happened to us. Right now im feeling worse then the day
Australia lost to Bangledesh which is even proof again that sometimes
its just not your day. It was not all bad though, our bowlers did a good
job overall, only giving away 13 Extras in 29 Overs, and at one stage of
the match we had them 6 for 77 going into the 18th Over, and we did
manage to bowl them all out. But unfortunately we let ourselves down in
the field and what should have been a run chase of no more then 120,
soon turned into 130, then 140 and at the end of the first innings
United were all out for 152.
Lunch for the day was about the same as the way we Batted, not much
there at all really, ha ha ha!
Padded up and ready to go once again Vålerenga failed to get off a good
start with both openers back in the stands after just 4 overs, and well
the wickets just kept falling and the run rate required just kept rising
and apart from a pair of cracking fours from Adil, a big six from Shayan
and a well balanced and solid innings from Isamath, Vålerenga failed to
deliver with the bat today. All out for 80 off just 21 Overs. However i
think losing today was not such a bad thing, we will definately learn
from this and if i know my team mates aswell as i think i do then we
will come back fighting, strong as Oxes! The 2 new guys in the team
showed a lot of promise, Isamath got some vital match practice so now he
is starting to look good, a new record breaking 10th wicket partnership
of 2 runs and our Bowlers only giving away 13 Extras in 29 Overs are all
positve signs of things to come, So despite how we all might be feeling
right now the day wasn`t a total loss. Heads up guys, still 7 games left
to go so lets put this one behind us and get on with what we are good at
- Playing Cricket!
Man of the Match today goes to Isamath, a good tidy spell of bowling (3
for 25), and the only one who really looked like a batsmen out there in
the middle, top scoring for Vålerenga CK with 22 runs.
Report by: J. Solberg
June 18th 2008
MATCH REPORT - Vålerenga
CK vs Strømsø CC
Drammen - Sunday, 15/06/2008 - 11:00am
Overcast, Wet, 12oC. Easterly wind - Field: cut grass, wet
Vålerenga CK arrived in Drammen with their Vice-Captain Tasfeer Ali at
the helm on a wet and dismal morning half expecting not to play at all.
The clouds did break for a spell though and just as the toss was won by VCK the
rain seemingly stopped. Tasfeer decided to bat first putting Strømsø CC out to
field under a cold, grey Drammen sky and as VCK were missing Two of their
key batsmen in Chris Brekke and Johnny Solberg. Tasfeer decided to alter
the batting line-up for the first time in 2008.
First in went Danish and Aiwaiz to open the innings. This seemed to be a
pretty smart move to give the wicket time to dry out and Danish scored 4
runs before Aiwaiz was taken for his second duck of the season (unlucky!) 3rd batsman in was Tasfeer himself, who with Danish started to
score the needed runs in the next 6 overs pushing the run rate up to 5.2
per over. The Strømsø bowlers helped the score along with a string of
wides and byes (they finished their 30 overs giving away a total of 33
extras!) Tasfeer was now on form at last and was looking very confident on
strike for the first time this season. This partnership lasted until the
9th over, when Danish lost his wicket in a brave attempt to smash 4 runs
to higher his personal best score of 10.
4th batsman at the crease was Arshik Nizar, who for the second time this
season remembered his batting gloves and would bat out scoring a brilliant 50 runs
on a very difficult artificial wicket. His confidence becoming very apparent after scoring 3
runs off the bat with reverse sweep shots! He scored 2 fabulous 6's too
and a string of valuable 2's, forcing the innings total up towards the
100 run mark.
After 11 overs the rain was back with a vengeance and the teams left the
field for a 10 minute break under the sparse shelter of 'The Tree'. Why
is it that Drammen and Ekeberg II have no shelter? We know it will
either be baking hot or raining throughout the Norwegian summer league,
so maybe it is time the NCF sorted it out and provide shelter for
players? It is only a matter of time before we are hit by lightning or
get sun-stroke at this rate. Anyway, the stoppage time for rain meant
that the drinks were not taken after 15 overs as the Two teams decided to
battle the weather and get on with the match.
The partnership of Arshik and Tasfeer lasted for 10 overs which saw the
2008 VCK 3rd-4th wicket partnership record smashed as they hit 58 runs
between them. and placing VCK into a much stronger position on 101 runs
for 3 wickets. Tasfeer scored a fine 41 runs (his highest score this
season and a welcome addition to his 2008 batting average figures).
Tasfeer was finally run out on the last ball of the 19th over. Still, he
had alot to smile about and actually started dancing around the team kit bags
whilst singing ''41 runs! 41 runs!''
There now came a string of VCK batsmen in the middle order who all
helped to partner Arshik towards his unbeaten 50 runs. Bilal (10), Anees
(6), Isameth (1), Shayan (8) and finally Murtaza (4) who finished the
innings along with Arshik, not out. Vålerenga CK finished their allocated
30 overs on a healthy 166 runs for 7 wickets.
At the lunch break the rain returned in earnest and the team devoured
some much needed fuel which included: sandwiches, fresh fruit, drinks
and chocolate biscuits. All prepared neatly by Bilal Ashfaq. It was
just what the damp, shivering team needed. Thank you Bilal and well done
mate, Shayan must be thanked for the great spicy filling too!
After lunch and with the weather much the same as the first innings. Strømsø
CC padded up and took to the crease. The first 6 overs were a bit of a
nightmare for VCK with many extras and a few cracking pull shots putting
Strømsø well on course for a very fast 50 runs on the scoreboard and
looking very calm and collected in the process. Then it happened! Wicket
after wicket fell in quick succession as Vålerenga pulled some fine
fielding tricks and throw ins' out of the bag and took 4 (Yes, 4!) run
outs, 4 catches and a fine LBW by Anees Rauf (who took 3 for 15 runs).
This astonishing comeback was more than enough to devastate any hopes
Strømsø had of getting some league points from the match. A special
mention must be made of Isameth Hassan, who after an unlucky batting
innings came back to take 2 wickets for 20 runs in his first match in
2008. Also to Aiwaiz who in only his 2nd game for the club as wicket
keeper held 2 fine catches.
Strømsø CC collapsed miserably and finished all out for 89 runs off 20
overs. The man of the match award was undisputedly awarded to Arshik
Nizar for a fine half century innings and for creating 2 very important
run outs at vital stages in the game. His all round solid cricketing
helped seal an important victory for the club and it takes him one step
closer to the much coveted 'player of the season' award 2008. Another
quick mention must be made to Per Olav who very kindly loaned his
umbrella to the team scorers, who with no other options for shelter
would have had a total nightmare filling in the match paperwork and
scorecards! Thanks Per Olav!
Vålerenga CK eventually won the match in some style by 77 runs. Maintaining an unbeaten match record in 2008 and staying firmly in
charge at the top of division C. (well, for at least another 2 weeks). A
great comeback from the brink of losing our first match in 2008 means
that this 3/4 strength team must take alot of credit for holding their
nerve under pressure and producing the right result in pretty dreadful
cricket conditions!
Six wins from Six matches! Well done and see you at
training!
Report by: Christian Miller (2008)
June 16th 2008
Pavillion Tent
Team plans are going ahead
this week to purchase a VCK Pavillion tent to be used at future First XI
matches. The 3x3 metre, the pavillion will serve a multi-purpose of
tasks on match day providing protection from the weather elements for
our players, scorers, caterers and team kits. The 'VCK' logo will also
be clearly visible to the public and will hopefully generate casual
interest from the many cricket fans passing in the distance!
June 15th 2008
Drammen - 15/06/2008 - 11:00am - Wet,
12oC.
Six straight wins!
VCK Vice-Captain Tasfeer
Ali maintained his match winning record as first XI Captain by steering
Vålerenga CK to their sixth straight win in the league against Strømsø
CC. The match was played in very difficult weather conditions in Drammen
today. Arshik Nizar won the man of the match award. A full match report
is coming soon!
VÅLERENGA CK win by 77
runs
Vålerenga CK - 166 for 7
wickets
Strømsø CC - 89 all out
by: the administrator
June 12th 2008
Great News for VCKs'
Promotion hopes!
A new Norwegian Cricket
Forbund ruling states that the first Two teams to finish the current
league season in Divisjon C are to be automatically promoted to play in
Divisjon B for the 2009 Norwegian Cricket season. Vålerenga CK are
currently looking very comfortable approaching the half way stage
in the current league season. Keep up the fine work on the field and let
's keep winning! We thank all our supporters, both at the games and here
online for all the valuable team support.
by: the administrator
June 9th 2008
MATCH REPORT - Vålerenga CK vs
Fjord CC
Ekeberg II - 08/06/2008 - 09:15am -
Sunny, 20oC.
The 5th game of the season saw us up
against another newcomer to the competition Fjord C.C, Fjord won the
toss and elected to bat and as usual it was Ali leading the attack for
Vålerenga, however it was Danish who struck first this time round
clean bowling Fjord`s opener. With Ali as always keeping the batsmen guessing
and bowling fast and tight from one end and Danish striking
again in his 4th over, at the first change of bowling Fjord were
in a bit of trouble at 2 for 22 from 8 overs. It was now time
for Mortaza to come into the attack and he followed up on the
good start from our openers keeping things tight, Talib from the other
end was not giving away much either and as the pressure was now
starting to build up for Fjord this led to some very loose "Swing
and Miss" batting from Fjord aswell as some very average
and hesitant run calling. The Captain had now decided that he wanted
to join in on the fun we were having out in the field, handing the
gloves to Awais. The energy levels in the field were high as everyone
was really focused and we could smell another wicket coming. Talib
struck in the 12th over, a nice catch taken by Mortaza at square
leg, and in the 14th over we were treated to the
"Highlight" of the day....... a beautiful piece of
fielding from Ali covering ground to get to the ball from mid
wicket, taking the ball on the fly and firing it in at the stumps
scoring a direct hit from side on sending another of Fjords
batsmen back to the stands. At drinks Fjord were 4 for 48 and Vålerenga
were in complete control of the match. After the break a few of our
part timers were brought on in tandem with either Talib or Mortaza,
there was a small period of about 4 or 5 overs were it looked like
Fjord might make 140 or so as they started scoring at about
6 or 7 an over instead of the 3 or 4 we had been holding them to, but
we never let them settle in as Wickets kept falling at regular
intervals, Mortaza taking a well deserved wicket in his 4th over,
Miller picked up a pair through comfortably taken catches by Awais and
the Captain, another Run Out courtesy of Talib and Awais and
after 25 overs Fjord were 8 for 113, Time to bring back on
the openers and Ali got the wicket which he deserved clean bowling
Fjord`s NR8 Batsmen, the next 4 overs went for only 10 runs as Fjords
tailend had no answer to Ali`s pace and bounce, and Danish`s line
and length. Talib was brought on to finish the job taking the final
wicket on the 3rd ball of the final over, Fjord all out for 124.
Lunch for the day was provided by
Myself, however i would like to thank Shayan for helping to make the
sandwiches and Awais for helping to peel the eggs as Lunch was
prepared at the ground prior to the match.
Our innings got off to a slow start as
Fjords opening bowlers turned out to be better then expected, an early
wicket aswell as swing from one end and pace and bounce from another
end had us playing safe but solid, i personally had 1 bowled
straight at my head (N.B) and another bouncer which almost took out my
teeth, maybe they just dont like Australians?, with some help from the
extras we found ourselves 1 for 40 after 10 overs with the first
change of bowling on the way. I feel that Ali and Chris feel much the
same as me right now when i say that this match in particular was the
perfect oppurtunity for one or more of us to make 50 as the rest of
Fjords bowling line up is very average, and after seeing out Fjords
openers myself and the captain both had 50 something N.O in mind but
it just wasn`t meant to be, The Captain falling in the 11th, and
myself falling in the 13th. At drinks we were 3 for 62, exactly half
the runs on the board, the Top order back in the stands and Arshik and
Shayan at the crease. Not long after drinks Shayan took one
in the head as Fjord were thinking maybe this guy is from
Australia aswell? Shayan batted bravely as its never easy to go back
after being hit but was clean bowled not long after bringing Mortaza
to the crease, This is the part were we really drove the nail into the
coffin as Arshik was doing his Sri Lankan thing, scoring runs and
starting to look like he might see it out. At the other end we
had Mortza doing his thing just casually playing the ball into the
gaps and keeping toe with Arshik in the run scoring, at the end of
a 5th Wicket partnership of 35 runs Vålerenga were now 5 for 114
needing just 11 to win off 6 overs, Unfortunately our Sri Lankan hero
of the day was unable to see it out as he got a little over keen with
6 runs to go and thought he would finish it off in one shot being
caught in the outfield, but Talib and Mike made sure we got there with
a pair of 1 not outs, as the game was won with a wide. Vålerenga 6
for 125.
Man of the Match, A real team effort
here and a tuff decision as everyone pitched in doing something to
help us take the 4 points, All our bowlers took wickets, All our
batsmen scored runs, And apart from a couple of drops the whole team
did a great job in the field, However there were 2 players who stood
out just that little bit more then the rest so for the first time in
club history we have a split decision. Arshik takes one half of the
vote for keeping our run chase alive, and making sure that we got to
where we needed to be in order to win the game comfortably, Awais
takes the other half of the vote, a good debut as wicky, big shoes to
fill here as our Captain does set a high standard, we are proud to
announce that you are now our official reserve wicket keeper, well
done mate.
Report by: J. Solberg
June 2nd 2008
MATCH REPORT - Vålerenga CK vs Alna
CC
Ekeberg II - 31/05/2008 - 3:15pm - Sunny, 24oC.
The 4th game of the season was a much anticipated one, up against
newcomers to the competition Alna. No one really knew what to expect, only that
they were winning games and would therefore be hard to beat! We won
the toss and padded up, Getting off to the best start we have had all
year with the bat, an opening partnership of 15 runs although mainly
due to extras is our best effort to date and this was followed up by
another great partnership, Myself and the Captain put on 60 runs for
the 2nd wicket and at the drinks break Vålerenga seemed to be in
the drivers seat at 1 for 75, However disaster struck straight after
we resumed play, starting with the Captain falling clean bowled,
followed up by Arshik having problems putting on his make up! He was
so keen to impress the umpire that he over did it a little, smudging
his lipstick and putting on way to much eye shadow, in addition to
this he scratched a finger nail trying to put on his gloves. By the
time he made it out to the middle it turned out that the umpire was
not impressed at all with what he saw and sent him straight back to
the dressing room. That's the official version of the story, its ok
Arshik we all know the truth mate, so for arguments sake we will say
that you retired for 0 N.O, being unable to face a ball. A brief
partnership between myself and Anees followed before I bottom
edged one back onto the stumps trying to hit out after an
exhausting 18 over innings, this was the start of the most feared
thing that all cricket teams both International and Club can face
" The Batting Collapse". We went from being 3 for 82 in the
middle of the 18th over to 6 for 88 midway through the 20th over, but
when Talib joined Anees out in the middle our fortune changed. With
Anees now starting to see the ball and pushing for runs like a
steamtrain, and Talib as always eager to hit, a 7th Wicket partnership
of 27 runs not only stopped the flow of Wickets but breathed some life
back into a crumbling Vålerenga innings, Mortaza was next man in and had
a nice lower order knock both in supporting Anees and pitching in
with some nice strokeplay keeping the runs flowing. Unfortunately
Anees was unable to see it out to the end, and at the end of another
great Sri Lankan middle order innings, combined with Mortaza`s 17 N.O
and Shayan wagging the tail with a nice 4, Vålerenga posted 8
for 164 after 30 overs.
Lunch for the day was supplied courtesy of Arshik, but remember that
behind every great man stands an even greater woman, so we would like
to thank Mrs.Arshik as well.
As usual it was Ali once again who lead the attack picking up a wicket
in the 1st over of the match, smashing Alna`s NR1 batsmans stumps.
What Ali has failed to do with the bat this year he has definatly made
it up with the ball, his next over was just as devastating as he took
the Wicket of Alnas' number 2 batsmen sending both openers back to the
stands. Ali was fired up big time and bowling like a true Pakistani
paceman, always having the batsmen baffled and consistently finding
the edge he was unlucky not to go home with 5 for the day. Danish was
brought on early and contributed with a Wicket, a wise decision by the
Captain backed up by good line and length from Danish payed off, but
then out came Alnas' NR4 and the game changed. From what i saw of
Alna`s innings this guy is definatly there backbone as he set about
destroying our bowlers and single handedly put Alna right back in the
game, supported by a less talented but solid batsmen at the other end
Alna clawed their way back to 3 for 91 at the drinks break and it
seemed now that it was Vålerenga who had to dig deep. And we did just
that! coming out after the break pumped up and ready to rock we
applied "PRESSURE" and lots of it, we gave them nothing,
Credit here goes to all our bowlers and the support they recieved in
the field as we dried up the runs the mistakes came leading to the
Run-Out of Alna`s NR4, Some very tight bowling from Murtaza the
"Spin Doctor" lead to 2 more Run-Outs and a Catch, and
at the end of 24 overs the pressure was right back on Alna as they
were now 7 for 120 needing 45 of the last 6 overs to win. Another good
decision by the Captain to keep Talib in the attack, backed up by
Talibs on the stumps bowling saw Alna`s tail crumble in a heap, as
Talib took 3 Wickets in his last 2 overs. 2 clean bowled, one caught
and bowled! Alna bowled out in 28 overs for 136.
Man of the Match goes to Murtaza, a good knock down in the
Lower Order (17 N.O), some great fielding and a beautiful 6 over spell
of Spin Bowling were all key factors in turning the match Vålerengas'
way
Report by: J. Solberg
June 1st 2008
Match Report: Vålerenga CK
vs Aliens CC
18th of May at
Ekeberg II - 9:15am - overcast, 14oC.
- Field: dry.
The guys were excited ahead
of what promised to be an excellent match against the Aliens, assumed to
be one of the strongest opponents in the division. Winning the toss,
Chris put VCK in to bat first on a cold but fortunately dry morning. We
knew from last year that the Aliens have a strong bowling attack, and
they demonstrated that immediately, catching opener for the occasion,
Murtaza, in the third over of the day. Chris came out to the crease, and
together with Ali started very cautiously, playing out several maidens
from the accurate Aliens attack. Ali eventually edged one to the keeper,
who took a good catch, and VCK was in a difficult position. Shayan
played in his usual fashion, scoring some quick runs before getting
bowled out going for another big shot. Balal joined Chris at the crease,
and the two managed to hold on until the drinks break, taking drinks at
50/3.
It could have been even
worse, as Chris was given out by the umpire early in his innings for
edging the ball in a very unlucky decision. Fortunately, the Aliens'
keeper and first slip both recognized that the decision was incorrect,
and the Aliens captain agreed to call Chris back. A great act of
sportsmanship and a display of the “spirit of the game” that is too
rare in Norwegian cricket's third division. The Aliens must be commended
for this!
Following the cautious
start, Vålerenga started pushing the scoring rate after drinks. Balal
played an excellent knock for 36 before finally being caught well at the
boundary by ex-Vålerenga player Clive Delport. Anees came out to the
middle and also played an important innings, smashing a strong 6 before
getting out for a well played 34 right before the end. Chris eventually
ended on 62 not out, after picking up his scoring rate after drinks and
surviving a few close calls. All in all, the Vålerenga innings went
excellently, despite the slow start, as we ended on a very competitive
169/6.
We
knew that early wickets were important in the second innings, and after
a few slow overs we got the important breakthrough as Christian Miller
caught the dangerous Aliens captain for 9 off Danish's bowling. Ali and
Danish continued to keep it tight, Danish picking up another wicket in
the 11th over. Clive Delport, the former Vålerenga opener,
eventually came to the crease for the Aliens, and looked solid to begin
with. Well aware of his capabilities, we were thrilled when Shayan
caught him at mid-off with one of his trademark one-handed catches! The
initiative was with Vålerenga from then on, but the Aliens refused to
give up the fight. Despite regular wickets, including a
caught-and-bowled by Balal, the Aliens batsmen kept the score ticking
over, and edged closer and closer to the target of 170, led by Abid, who
played well for 44. What eventually tipped the scales was the
introduction of our new Sri Lankan all-rounder, Kasnee. Coming in at a
crucial stage, Kasnee kept a cool head, picking up 2 important wickets
and bowling excellently. Ali was also brought back on, bowling well to
keep the scoring down. The Aliens in the end required 12 runs from the
last over to win. Ali was scheduled to bowl, but there was a
disagreement between Chris, who thought Ali had one over to go, and the
scorers, who had already recorded 6 overs in Ali's name. In the end, it
was agreed that Kasnee should bowl the last over. He did so excellently,
denying the Aliens the required runs. Vålerenga won the exciting match,
in the end, by only 8 runs.
All
in all, it was an important victory for Vålerenga, who now occupy the
top of the table alone with a 3-point margin to Strømsø, Alna, United,
and Aliens. Most importantly, we showed that we could beat one of the
strongest teams in the division, which is a good sign for the remainder
of the season! Some poor captaining from Chris meant that no-one had
arranged food, but we'll make a strong return to our proud VCK at our
next game against Alna on the 31st.
Report
by:
C.B.
Brekke
June
1st 2008
Vålerenga CK maintain their unbeaten
start to the 2008 season with a win over Alna C.C. After an innings of
164 runs for 7 wickets, Vålerenga went on to bowl out their opponents
for 136 runs. A full match report coming here soon!
May 31st 2008
Ekeberg II, Oslo - 09:15am 10/05/2008
MATCH REPORT
- Grorud vs Vålerenga CK
The second game of the Season got off to a shaky start, after winning
the Toss and electing to Bat we soon found ourselves down 2 for 16
after our openers showed they were more then happy to hit the ball but
unfortunately could not go on with it. With Ali already at the
crease but still fresh as a daisy, it was now my turn to spend some
time out in the middle and after a few quiet overs we were
starting to look solid but Ali was taken at Mid Wicket trying to pull
the ball and we found ourselves now 3 down for about 30, With the
Captain now on his way out to the middle the game plan was simple,
stop the flow of wickets, steady the ship and try to put some runs on
the board to give our bowlers something to Bowl at, Luckily the plan
worked! At the end of a 56 Run partnership it was now Arshiks turn and
he played just like a Sri Lankan always does, the perfect Middle order
innings, always looking to score runs and with support from our Lower
Order and Tail enders we managed to post 142.
At the break we were treated to fine dining as Miller decided to go
all "A LA CARTE" and fired up the barby! Grilled Chicken
Wings, Fresh Laks, Omelette and Pasta Salad. Well done mate,
cheers!
Out on the Field and ball in hand Ali lead the charge as always and
picked up the early wicket we were all looking for but a consilidating
partnership was just around the corner and Grorud dug in for a while,
an earlier then expected change of bowling seemed to be the spice we
needed as Danish picked up a Wicket with his first ball and with the
run rate required now on the rise Groruds' number 4 was now
starting to have a go but a beautiful caught and bowled by Ali soon
put a stop to that. With Danish now picking up were Ali left
off the game now seemed to be getting out of Groruds' reach with the
fall of a few more wickets, but then they dug in once again and at
the end of the 20th over Grorud were 5 \ 92 needing just 50 off the
last 10 to win, Some sloppy fielding and a big slide in moral and team
spirit followed and Grorud took advantage chiseling away at
the difference with ease until the Breakthrough, a beautiful one
handed catch by Shayan out at Mid-off saw the end of Groruds' Opener
and their last chance of hope as Vålerenga rallied together again as
a team seeing out Groruds' Lower Order and Tail end without a worry,
Bowling Grorud all out for 117.
Report by: J. Solberg.
May
18th 2008
Vålerenga battled well to
pick up Four valuable points against Oslo Aliens. A solid batting
performance of 62 runs by Captain Chris Brekke gave Vålerenga the advantage, They
went on to win the game by 10 runs. That's Three wins from Three games. An in-depth report is coming soon!
May
10th, 2008 Vålerenga C.K beat Grorud and claim another important
Four league points!
May
7th, 2008 Vålerenga Cricket Klubb starts an open group at:
http://www.facebook.com
May 3rd, 2008
Match report: Vålerenga
CK vs. Sinsen B,
3rd of May at Ekeberg I
The season started in perfect fashion as VCK put up a strong performance
to confidently beat Sinsen B by 7 wickets in our first league game of
2008.
Despite losing the toss and being put in the field, VCK immediately
grabbed the upper hand due to an impressive all-round performance in the
field. Wickets fell regularly and runs were kept at a minimum as all the
bowlers and all the fielders contributed in what was one of VCK's best
fielding outings in memory. The unexpected star of the first innings was
one of our newest additions, youngster Danish Ashfaq, who picked up 3
wickets in his maiden game for Vålerenga. Danish bowled the perfect
line and length with impressive accuracy, keeping the runs down and
frustrating the Sinsen batsmen into making mistakes. In addition to
Danish, the highlights of the first innings were many: Tafseer bowled
aggressively as usual, picking up a couple of important wickets. Bilal
bowled impressively, opening the bowling along with Tafseer and being
unlucky not to catch the outside edge on several occasions. Murtaza
bowled extremely well, beating the batsmen repeatedly and picking up
some well-deserved wickets at an excellent economy rate. Talib and Anees
were as always consistent and dangerous, and helped maintain the
pressure on Sinsen throughout the innings. In the fielding department
the whole team showed an encouraging spirit with everyone pitching in.
Highlights included a great high catch by Arshik, and a smart piece of
fielding by new-comer Christian Miller to get a run out. In the end,
Sinsen B were all out for 85 runs with a couple of overs remaining in
the innings.
The chase was never in serious danger after some solid partnerships.
Tafseer and Johno got the team off to a good start, Johno being
unluckily run out after making a confident start to the season. Tafseer
played the shot of the day, a beautiful straight drive for 4, before
being tempted into a big shot and getting caught. At the loss of the
openers, Chris and Arshik played a steady partnership to bring the chase
beyond doubt. Chris was lucky to be dropped on a couple of occasions and
Arshik eventually succumbed to temptation and was caught well by one of
Sinsen's youngsters. Nonetheless, Murtaza came in and saw the chase home
with Chris, leading VCK to victory with 7 wickets and almost 10 overs to
spare.
The perfect day was made even better by the presence of a group of
school children from Majorstuen school, who had been invited to watch
the game and learn about cricket. Under the inspired guidance of our
Norwegian enthusiast and 12th man for the day, Per Olav, the children
learned the game and played some tennis-ball cricket on the side of the
field. Helping kids from Norway and all other countries to learn and
enjoy cricket is exactly what VCK is about, so well done Anees for
inviting the kids! All in all, the season debut was a very encouraging
occasion, with several of our new adherents showing up to watch the game
and contribute to the positive and friendly atmosphere. With the
atmosphere in the team, particularly among the new players, and the
quality of cricket that was displayed in the first game after only 2
official practice sessions, it looks as if VCK is in for an exciting and
enjoyable season!
Report by: C. B. Brekke
April, 2008
2008 - Pre-Season training starts at Ekeberg I,
Oslo, Norway. Vålerenga Squad pre-season training.
New VCK player signings for the 2008
league season: Christian
Miller - England - Right Arm batsman, Medium paced bowler, Gully.
Shayan Malik - Pakistan - Right Arm batsman,
Medium paced bowler, Mid-off.
Danish Ashfaq - Pakistan - Right Arm batsman,
Fast bowler, Leg Gully. A. Ashfaq
- Pakistan - Right Arm batsman, Medium paced bowler, Wicket keeper.
|
"Chris"
Vålerenga C.K first XI kaptein