Two Scorching Defeats and One Damp Squib

2nd XI suffer two straight, sun-soaked defeats, while 1st XI endure disappointing washout.

With the Bell Tower at Maifeld undergoing renovation work and the stands being totally rebuilt to house an incredibly costly exhibition, there is now no respite from the punishing Berlin sun. And temperatures scraped 32° on Saturday, as the 2s faced a double header of T20s to kick off the truncated season.

In the first match, new skipper Vimal got off to a great start by winning the toss and electing to bat first. But after a bruising start – with Ivan and Yuvraj punishing anything loose – the innings began to stutter. Despite a solid middle-order contribution from Martin, we lost 5 wickets for just 14 runs to post a below-par 72 all out.

With some laser-targeted bowling up front, TAG e.V. got off to a slow start. And it looked like BCC might turn the tables when Yuvraj pulled off a one-handed return catch out of nowhere. But it was not to be – as the bowlers lost their lines and started bowling wides under the pressure of defending such a low score. Tim took two classic millionaire wickets – caught by Ivan on the long-on boundary – but TAG knocked off the required 73 with a full 5 overs to spare.

By now the sun was really beating down. In the second match against last season’s arch rivals, the Eagles, BCC were asked to field first. But conceded 146 thanks to some tired bowling – with 18 wides in 20 overs. The catching was also sub-par, giving the batsmen a stiff task in the searing heat.

Vimal and Ivan gave it their best shot – with 28 and 24 respectively. But the spinners bowled tight lines and restricted BCC to just 97 for 7 off 20 overs.

On the Sunday, the 1st XI were due to play Viktoria im the afternoon – but after the heavens opened up, only 2.2 overs of play were possible. Enough time, however, for Saddam to smash a four and a six to get us off to a great start. But the rain never really went away and, in the end, we had to settle for a no result.

So, after such a long wait, our start to the season was somewhat of an anticlimax. Nevertheless, there are plenty of matches left – and a top 4 position at the end of the first round will ensure either team goes through to the next round.

I’ll post more about the new format shortly. And talk about some of the teething problems we’ve had to deal with. Until then, try not to get injured at training.