English round up for the 2013 Year

 

 

So another year has passed in the SFSCL and another season from Hustlers 2 of promising so much at the beginning saw us deliver very little at the end.

Key moments during the season saw availability of regular players hurting us in big games when they were not present. Relying on the same handful of players to produce match winning performances were few and far in between mediocre batting and bowling efforts. Availability of the big names in our side really do benefit us but at the same time we still have to play with whatever we have on the day and there were times when players were just going through the motions expecting a win without a 100% commitment. Commitment and mindset on match days are what wins you games as well as your fair share of luck which we were lacking for most parts of the year. Players at our advanced years we have reached, will never get better as they simply are too old to learn new tricks and improve their own game. In an ideal team we should always encourage youngsters to come and play and learn the game the way it should be played but with not many youngsters coming through the ranks, we at Hustlers 2 find ourselves in a difficult position in the future. Hopefully that will change soon.

Recruiting is always a hard task in our league and the most you will get is a few stragglers coming from other teams using our team as a stepping stone for better things for themselves later on which we must look at and take into consideration when we allow those individuals to join. Long term additions is what we expect. I always believe that team harmony and unity is top criteria in picking your squad and if you can all play together as one then you can be a match for anybody you face. 

We also need to get more tougher on the field and play harder, we have to play like it is a final every game, and most importantly be big enough to know when your form is not good and to allow your captain to make the correct cricketing decision when it matters. Remember, he is your leader and what he sees during the game is not always going to be what you see as a regular player. We need to support him and go with his decision when things are not going smoothly on the field of play. It is not always about getting your allocated overs or batting where you think you should be batting, there is more to winning games than that. Cricket games can be looked at as a team game but in reality it is not. When you have a bat in your hand, it is only down to you to bat and also when you have the ball in your hand to bowl. These two disciplines of the game are individual and it is up to you as an individual to take the game by the scruff of the neck and do what you have to your best ability. If that happens then results will change over the course of time.

The Yard used to be our fortress when no team liked coming to our place to play. Now we see everybody lining up taking tickets eager to come to the Yard to give us a tough time. We simply have got to go back to the basics of the game and do them well from start to finish if we want to compete once more. Thinking like a competitive cricketer and behaving like a cricketer doesn't always come naturally to everybody and that is where you need to accept guidance from the experienced players and not show that you know everything and don't need advice. Everybody needs advice and it is only the real players who take in that advice who succeed.

If that can happen consistently, then we will be everyone's nightmare once again and bring fear to the opposition with our strong batting lineup and bowling attack.

Players such as Retesh have come on leaps and bounds since the start of the year and is gelling into a very nice opening bowler capable of causing problems to batsmen all around the league. If he carries on in the way he is improving right now, he will become a very good player for us in seasons to come. Ravi as always does his usual thing by getting wickets and scoring runs in his own casual manner. Whatever anyone says about him, I think he is useful in our side still....lol 

Hustler stalwarts Basil and Cliff have scored runs throughout the year as per norm but both of them will be the first to admit that they can both of done better individually with the bat as their returns should have been more.

Terry, Mohan, and Amar have led the bowling attack all year and somedays they all look unplayable and fearsome but too many times they have looked pretty ordinary. With a little more control they could be dangerous as a unit and we look forward to a bit more improvement from the three of them.

Deo, when available, was a big plus when he played with his contribution with the bat and also with his mouth shouting pointers to our bowlers from deep mid off. Jai, Derek, Keshore, and King all chipped in when necessary when numbers were short.

Hopefully, Mike thinks twice about his retirement plans as he still has alot to offer Hustlers as both as a batsmen and also with his years of experience and knowledge. Johnno is another one who would be the first to admit his batting form was way below his normal returns and we are sure he will be out to impress next season.

As for me, I am pretty happy with the year I had as a batsman even though there were times when I could have done better for my team  by not throwing my wicket away at crucial times. I need to concentrate more at the crease which I'm planning on doing next year.

The ladies, Satti, Joanie, and Devya have been with us all year and I would like to say a special thank you to them for all their support and help they gave our team.

 With that all of my chest, I would like to wish everybody at Hustlers the best of luck.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all in the cricket world and enjoy this beautiful game when your turn comes along. See you all next year.

Chris