Write up by Mohit Talmaki

Another Saturday and another dominating performance by the 3s to brush past a confident and experienced looking Fringford 2. On a cloudy and overcast afternoon with more rain and thundershowers predicted there were big smiles on the faces of an experienced looking Fringford side after they won the toss and elected to bat first. Looking at the number of youngsters in the KCC side the oppo was quite chirpy even as they went in to bat putting the home keeper Nadeem on the spot by reminding him " So you again, you are the one who chatted a lot in the last game". KCC 3s did have a feeling that it might have been a good toss to loose and that was proved correct by our opening bowlers Arnav Bharti and Anish Kanchan. Arnav Bharti took the ball away from the batter and Anish Kanchan was bringing it in at an alarming angle. I think Anish was aiming for the box more than the stumps.
After a few overs of a swing and a miss and getting hit in the box with those lethal in-swingers, the oppo chirp soon quietened, and the smiles were replaced with a grim looking foreheads. The chat about finding the gaps and scoring fast soon turned into needing an inner thigh pad. The ball was not swinging it was going bananas. It was tough to bowl as well, but the two KCC opening bowlers had control of a para glider. Nadeem was solid as always behind the stumps ( only 3 byes on a swinging day).
After 6 overs and 7 runs on the board, I think they were praying to get out, and their prayers were answered. Arnav kept one straight and got their captain chopped on, and the other opener soon followed, done by a 30-degree inswinger. BOWLED. The next two batters were cautious and occasionally cross batted the ball to the leg side boundary. KCC skipper Shan commented to Mo Talmaki during the end of the over change, " I am going to get them out, I know how to". That he did, in his first over. the ball skidding on to the stumps the oppo were 22 for 3 wickets. The second change, Jo Campbell, was the cheat code. After a few tight overs, JO Campbell blew the oppo middle order away with a brilliant Hattrick. He almost had 4 in 4. Shan was replaced by Mo Talmaki on the other end struck in his second delivery and then again in his second over, a well judged catch by Anish Kanchan to a very badly bowled ball, there were a few more of them in the spell. By then, Shan, who had come from the other end, kept ploughing through the lower order. The last wicket resistance saw Fringford reach 99 all out in 36 overs.
Knowing it's going to be tricky to bat, KCC started cautiously. But all know what happens when Raz has the willow in his hands. In a blink of an eye he reached 20 out of nowhere. Abbas had an unlucky grass cutter, which did not bounce after it hit the ground. In went Jacob and started off with a fluent cover drive. When Raz was lbw at the other end, James joined his older brother, and what followed was a display or controlled Strokeplay, so pleasing to the eye. Not the running so much. With telepathic calls between them,
the two brothers respected the good balls and punished the bad ones. Their timing was so emaculate that even with the slow and soggy outfield, the ball regularly reached the ropes. The score was 70 odd in 13 overs. Some of the oppo started cheering on an occasional dot ball like they have won the game, but the Lal brothers had only one thing on their mind,....get the runs, get home, get fresh and PIZZA TIME. That's what they did. 18th over with the drinks wasted, the game was won with a fantastic 6 by the Sr. Lal, who was not out for 61 and was well supported by Junior Lal who was not out on 14.
A comprehensive victory is an understatement. The game had everything, a Hattrick, a 50, catches, swings and even a superb diving stop by Abbas at mid on, yaaa, you read that right. Abbas with a full stretch dive to stop a sure boundary was an event in itself.
Another 25 points and the 3s juggernaut continues. TOP OF THE LEAGUE !!!!!!