YAADBOYZ CRICKET CLUB: ENGLISH CORNER UPDATE

The first team I played for at the beginning of my softball career was at the end of 2007 when Starlite CC allowed me to join them under the leadership of Anoop Basdeo. The first 2 seasons were very tough trying to learn how to adjust my hardball game and score runs but after numerous innings of failures it finally came good with Starlite who I will be always grateful to for allowing me the opportunity and believing in me that I was capable of scoring runs for them. Thanks to Buddy and Rajin for the vote of confidence. After winning the Fall Championship in a final that was the first to be played at Broward Regional Park I left and joined Berbice CC for 2 years where I was fortunate enough to play in a very good side led by Munesh Suklall before taking over the captaincy and going out with a win against Superkings CC and joining Hustlers 2 CC now Yaadboyz CC where I have been since the start of 2012.

Listed below are some of my personal and team accomplishments in my short time playing in South Florida.

Career 50’s (Hustlers 2 only)

C.Arjoon 60 v D Diamond CC (2012)
C.Arjoon 80 no v Primetime CC (2012)
C.Arjoon 78 no v Guyana Heat (2012)
C.Arjoon 80 v Warriors CC (2013)
C.Arjoon 70 v Takers CC (2013)
C.Arjoon 78 v Guyana Heat CC (2013)
C.Arjoon 66 no v Breakaway CC (2013)
C.Arjoon 79 v Miami Royals CC (2013)
C.Arjoon 52 v Raiders CC (2013)
C.Arjoon 62 v Diamond CC (2013)
C.Arjoon 64 v Berbice CC (2013)
C.Arjoon 69 v FiveStar CC (2013)
C Arjoon 86 v Breakaway CC (2014)
C Arjoon 79 v Miami Royals CC (2014)
C Arjoon 51 no v Renegades CC (2014)
C Arjoon 56 v Hurricanes CC (2014)
C Arjoon 61 v Miami Royals CC (2014)
C Arjoon 67 v Presidents CC (2014)
C Arjoon 75 v Lehigh Indians CC (2014)
C Arjoon 67 v Vikings CC (2014)
C Arjoon 61 v Starlite CC (2015)
C Arjoon 62 v Berbice CC (2016)

Career Centuries All Teams

C.Arjoon (H2) 105 no v Warriors CC (2012)
C.Arjoon (H2) 109 no v Miami Royals CC (2013)
C.Arjoon (H2) 102 v Lehigh CC (2013)
C.Arjoon (H2) 107 v D Diamond CC (2013)
C.Arjoon (H2) 101 no v Starlite CC (2013)
C Arjoon (BB) 113 no v Hustlers 2 (2009)
C Arjoon (ST) 112 v Renegades CC (2008)
C Arjoon (BB) 109 no v Alliance CC (2010)
C Arjoon (BB) 102 v Superkings (2011)

2013 Div 1 MVP of the Year Stats

NAME	INNS	NOT OUT	50'S	100'S	HIGHEST	RUNS	AVE
C. Arjoon	25	3	9	4	109*	1166	53

For Starlite CC

12 Scores of 50 plus

1 Century

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For Berbice CC

9 Scores of 50 plus

3 Centuries

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Total of 43 scores of 50 plus (present)

Total of 9 Centuries (present)

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2011 Fall Final MVP v Superkings with 64 Scored

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2013 Div 2 MVP of the Year

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Starlite CC Div 2 2009 Champions Summer

Berbice CC Div 2 2009 Champions Fall

Berbice CC Div 2 2010 Champions Fall

Berbice CC Div 2 2011 Champions Fall

Hustlers 2 Div 2 2012 Champions Spring

Yaadboyz CC Div 2 2016 Champions Fall

SFSCL Florida Cup Masters Champions 2012

SFSCL Florida Cup Masters Champions 2014

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Top Batsman / 2009 Div 2 Highest Run Scorer Summer

Top Batsman / 2011 Div 2 Highest Run Scorer Spring

Top Batsman / 2013 Div 2 Highest Run Scorer Summer

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First player to hit back to back centuries in 2 games v Miami Royals 109no & Lehigh 102 in the SFSCL 2013 Spring Season ( just now equalled by Vivian Khan for Outlaws CC 2016).

11/18/14
It's been awhile since I posted here in the English corner and since then we at Hustlers 2 CC have managed to reach a Div 2 final but lost to Warriors and also found ourselves taking regular beatings in the summer season in Div 1. We took our losses well and ended up back in Div 2 where we should be. Our team is an aged team and as much as we think we can compete in Div 1, in reality we can't compete against the younger sides in the top flight. Sticking together through thick and thin is the Hustler way for our core players and that is why this team will never fold up. The same core of 8 to 9 players will give it their all most of the time but with father time ticking quickly for them all, playing and trying to compete every sunday is a big job on it's own for us.

Players have come and gone but with the Fall season now coming to an end we find ourselves in an interesting position. Not only have we lost more games than we have won this season, but we somehow find ourselves in a quarter final playoff position. We will meet the number 1 seed Vikings CC in a game nobody has given us a chance. It will be a battle between the young and the old. A good contest is expected from us though.

All season we have struggled to field an 11 due to the fact of idle promises before the season started. Players calling us saying they want to join and at the last minute appear in other teams colors. I guess the randomness of a phonecall pre season and false promises are just that and that will never change. Big men with families carrying on like little children rather than being honest and straight up with either a yes or a no answer is too much for them. They then expect to be welcomed with open arms when we see them as nothing had happened. Well guys, not in this house.

Disciplinary issues are still a big problem on the cricket field here as well. Players arguing with umpires is about as regular as the sun shining in Florida everyday and nothing seems to change that attitude. Banning, fining, suspending does not do a thing to curtail that.

Our last game saw an opposing opening batsman clearly run out by a country mile and his own umpire instantly gave him out because he was so far out, even he couldn't change that decision. Not until the run out batsmen started arguing with him and refusing to leave the pitch the umpire then reversed his decision saying he was now in. Umpires need to be protected in this league but when they make a good call and then reverse it under player pressure, then it is them at fault just as much as it is the players. It could have changed the outcome of the game but luckily for us that batsman was out the next over bowled comprehensively with two of his stumps on the ground with him looking for square leg to call a no ball , I guess. Not so lucky this time mate !!!!

I was wondering if that happened to one of the more aggressive teams in the Division if they would have acted the same way we did and just accepted the bad call. I and most people around the league know that other teams would have caused a bigger problem and almost certainly caused a bigger scene.

Another game we played this season ended up as a rain affected game with the home team running to their cars from a light shower knowing that if they cried hard enough then they would get a share of the points rather than getting zero as there was only going to be one winner between us and them. Not only did they blatantly lie to the DC about what happened a few days later, the DC decided to sit on the fence like they always do when a tough decision is there to be made with playoff positions still being available. It was a poor effort from them both. As for the team running from the light shower, they never made the playoff they were wanting this week. A message to them from me......come and watch us play if you want as you have nothing else to do this sunday. We promise to bring extra umbrellas for you if it rains !!
Chris

3/19/14

Five games into the season and Hustlers have continued with their impressive form with two more victories against Warriors and Starlite cricket clubs.

The win against Warriors was a top drawer performance against argubly the best side in the Division thanks to a brilliant knock of 91 from Ravi and a 5 wicket haul from Mukesh.

The Florida Cup came and went this month with the SFSCL Masters squad taking the championship this time around. I was priviliged to be part of that squad and with my fellow Hustler Mike, we walked away with the top honours. Selecting a Masters or representative team is never easy because of all the different personalities involved as well as the availablity of the top players. This time around after much deliberation the 15 was selected with all the usual dramas but as soon as the tournament started, everybody played as one and joined together. The winning was not from just talent alone but was accomplished with a team unity and the 100% effort and commitment the players stuck and played with. We won the final against a top Betterhope team when most of the spectators thought we would fall short. We proved most people wrong with a fine finals performance to avenge the defeat the Betterhope team gave us in the group stages.

I enjoyed representing the league and this time around I actually felt part of the team. It was a great accomplishment to be part of this squad this time around and hopefully we can defend the Cup next year.

2/12/14

A quick follow up from me after a 2 month break saw the SFSCL have it's annual Presentation Awards Night in January and the new Spring Season 2014 start.

The Awards night was a big surprise for me personally as I was presented with the MVP Trophy for Division 1 after having a good year with the bat. It's always nice to be recognised by your peers but I would gladly have swapped that one for a Championship win with my team instead. Who knows, maybe we will surprise some teams this year with a win.

Other news in our camp saw Basil staying on as club captain and Mike coming back after rumours of his retirement proved to be false. Mukesh and his brother Sanjeev have comeback to us also to strengthen our numbers and already after 3 games played our performances have stepped up. We lost our first game against Breakaway but won our next 2 games comprehensively against Vikings and Miami Royals.

This season sees our annual Florida Cup once again upon us and I would like to wish our respective league teams the best of luck in the competition.

There are another 7 league games to be played in our division and early signs are good for our squad as we look to go further this time around from past seasons. The real test for us is if we can have regular availability when the games arrive. If we do, then we can be a match for any team.

Wish us luck and see you all next month with another update from the English corner.

12/13/13

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 and been with us all year and I would like to say a special thanks 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.

English

10/21/13

The Fall season has started and after 5 rounds of games Hustlers have won 2 but lost 3. Making a playoff spot is looking a very distant prospect right now as we have played badly in important games so far this season. Our bowling is a major concern this season as we have given up 253 and 250 runs bowling first in 2 games which simply is not good enough. We may have a star studded batting lineup in our ranks with the additions on Mike and Johhno this season, but to be asked to chase down scores in excess of 200 plus is always going to be tough.

Our bowlers need to step up and try and bowl with more consistency and be more accurate and realise if things are not going right for them on the pitch, then they need to be big enough to realise this and make the skipper's decision easier by telling him today is not their day with the ball and go ahead and try something else with some other option.

If we want to be competive in our division then sheer talent will not always win you games. Wise heads and percentage cricket doing the basic skills week in week out will win you more games than what you lose.

9/10/13

The Summer season has finally settled for the Hustlers 2 camp with Diamond becoming Champions after knocking us out of the competition in the semi final. They proved that they were the best team when it mattered most even though we beat them in the regular season game and good luck to them back in Div 1 next season.

Interesting noise around the SFSCL grapevine going around right now is that we will now have 3 divisions with teams of the same standard competing with each other week in week out. This may prove to be a masterstroke by the President of our league and may see more games going down to the wire rather than teams getting blown off the park due to mismatches. There may also be less teams giving walkovers towards the end of the season knowing that they have something to play for. The verdict is still out if the 3 divisions will work. Give it time and let's see what transpires.

Other interesting news about town is that Hustlers have set the recruiting machine in motion and have already gained 3 additional top players for their side next season. Not only will they strengthen our squad but they will now keep us up on par with the other sides as we look to compete against all of them. I will not reveal their names just yet, but watch this space and all will be revealed in good time as to who they are. This indeed is an exciting time for the Hustler team.

On a personal note, I would like to thank all the well wishes I have received from players from around the leagues congratulating me on my run count for the summer season. Batting involves some talent, skill, and application, but most importantly a lot of luck which I have plenty of when I take guard and bat. If it was not for luck then there would be no century against D Diamond CC, no fiftys against Breakaway, Raiders, Guyana Heat, Miami Royals, or Diamond CC's due to dropped catches early in those innings of mine. A lot of people say I'm a lucky batsman, and I agreed with them all but check the book and check the scores in 5 years time and it will still show the same score under my name. I hope I continue to get my fair share of luck as I once again venture out to league cricket next season for Hustlers 2 CC.

The new season is pencilled in to start on 22nd Sept.

8/19/13

Another 4 games have flown by with 4 wins out of four played with the help of 2 walkover games against Takers and Renegades. Our first win was against the 6 - 0 Miami Royals where we chased down their tricky score and secured a last over victory.

The 2 walkover games then came and went by leaving us a visit to the dangerous Raiders side who made us work very hard to make the 120 for victory.

The CPL is in full motion with packed grounds at most of the games as the West Indian fans enjoy their cricket. England once again win the Test Match against the Aussies. Nope, I'm not going to feel sorry for the Aussies as I still remember Steve Waugh's, Mark Taylor's, and then more recently, Ricky Ponting's teams whipping the English most times they played in past years.

Well it's one last regular season game for us against a tough Diamond CC with a win securing a no 1 position for us in the playoffs. The table is so tight that if we lose we drop down to the third position.

Next month's roundup will be just in time for the playoffs as the season becomes to hot up.

7/24/13

Round 6 has just completed and our side has notched up another 2 wins to go 5 and 1 at the mid season mark.

We beat the then joint top side Breakaway with our best performance of the season and came away with an eight wicket victory. Our bowlers finally clicked as they bowled out Breakaway for 135. Our run chase went without any major concerns as both Deo and I hit 50 plus scores.

Our next game was against my old team Starlite and once again we took the win with a 9 wicket win. I once again enjoyed the batting conditions at the Yard as I hit my second century of the season. Cliffy scored 65 in our opening stand of 144 as we saw that the 193 needed was reached within 25 overs. It was good to see my old team mates Buddy, Mahendra, Naresh, Richard, and Uncle Singh as we shared a few drinks after the game.

Other cricketing news around the globe have seen the West Indies taking licks at home against Pakistan in the ODI's and England demolishing Australia in the first two Ashes Test matches being played in England to go 2 nil up. England defitnitely look the stronger team and this series will be over pretty soon unless the Aussies show some fight and also some batting form otherwise the summer will be an extremely long one for them.

5 more games to go and 3 more wins will guarantee the Hustler team a playoff position in this seasons tournament. No game is easy so we will have to produce strong performances the rest of the season if we harbour any playoff ambitions.

Catch you all next month with more news from around the Hustler camp. Wish us luck.

7/2/13

After 4 games played our side has won 3 and lost 1. We sit nicely in the top half of the table and now look forward to a weekend off from league cricket due to the Independence Cup in NY.

Beating Guyana Heat was a good win for us to start the season as they can be a very dangerous side on any given day. We then faced Warriors CC and took revenge on them for last season and beat them comprehensively this time around. Lehigh Indians was another easy win for us but this week we hear some bad news coming out of Lehigh. It appears rumours are surfacing that their team is on the verge of folding up and pulling out of the SFSCL league. I seriously hope that these are just rumours and they still continue to play as they are a great bunch of guys.

Our last game was against D Diamond who beat us in a great run chase with yours truly hitting 107 in our losing cause..

Personally, I am feeling my age catching up on me and the day of recovery after a game has now evolved to 3 days of recovery. I may need to cut back on the late nights or cut down on a few after game liquid refreshments which is always the norm. Either way, let's see how the rest of the season pans out for both my team and also my aging limbs before I make any hasty decisons about going into semi retirement.

Catch you all next month guys for more general chat as a Hustler.

6/8/13

The new season is upon us once again and the big news at Hustlers is that I have been replaced as captain.

In my opinion it was an unexpected change but I have no problems from my fellow team players who made that decision in a team vote. The only issue I had was if the team needed change and a fresh input, then why go back to a captain who was already in charge of Hustlers a few seasons ago? Maybe it was not about new input and fresh ideas by the players who wanted the change. Either way, what is done is now done and we shall all move forward and play cricket again together.

Basil takes up the captaincy post once more and I wish him well in his new role. I will support my captain as much as I could with my experience I can give him and look forward to a season without the worries of the captain's armband on my sleeve.

This season is an important one for not only myself but for also the entire Hustler squad. Every season we all have ambitions of making playoff positions and championships finals and somehow always fall short. Experience and age may run through our entire team but what really is needed is a winning mentality, which at present, is hiding somehwere. If we can find that winning mind, then who knows what we are capable of this season.

See you all at the parks this season.

5/20/13

The long season has finally come to an end and Berbice CC are crowned Div 2 Champions once gain.

As for us, we finished down the table in 5th position but still take many positives from our season.

Terry bowled well all season and took 19 wickets to finish in the top 5 of bowlers in the league bowling stats. Ravi, Cliff and myself all finished in the top 10 for the batting runs scored list as well.

Amar, Mohan, Boom Boom all bowled well in different games and the surprise player of the season was Retesh who started bowling with good control and pace. Michael fielded brilliantly all season and every game he shows improvement which holds Hustler 2 in good stead for the next season.As for the rest of us in the fielding department.......let me keep quiet on that one.

Bit part players Deo, Sukraj, Derek, Jai all helped out when available during our 11 game season but for Hustlers to continue at a competitve level, they will need to regroup and hopefully recruit some additional players.

Players need to learn that games are not always going to go to plan and the captain will always make a choice on the field of play with his vice captain to change the game in their favour. Captaincy requires thinking 3 overs ahead of the game and also trying the unexpected to confuse the opposing team as well as taking a gamble sometimes. Players may not agree all the time with the choice but it is very important to still support and encourage your other team mates during the game. If it is all about personal glory and playing for league trophies irrespective of how the game is going, then that is not what our team needs. Players tell you that they are a team player first and do not play for their own glory, but this season I have seen and experienced the opposite.

Hustlers 2 will come back again next season with a few opposing teams already looking at what we are doing off season and who we add to our roster. We may add a few or maybe not, but what is a certainty is that Hustlers 2 will be back again for the Summer season raring to go.

4/13/13

Seven games into the season and the Hustlers find themselves lagging down in a mid table position after losses to Berbice, Warriors, and Takers cricket clubs.

The Berbice game was a one way contest as my old team out batted and bowled us. The game against Warriors was another bad day at the office as our bowlers struggled to defend 209. Our last game against Takers was another one sided contest as we bowled badly and then batted badly in our run chase.

For all our experience between us in our squad, we still seem to be playing badly in all forms of the game. Our fielding is never going to be electric but you still expect players to do the basic things to their best ability and make their catches and field as best as they can. Backing up the wicket, throwing to the right end, walking in with the bowlers, and anticipating batsmens hitting areas are all basic requirements of a fielder.

Our bowlers are also struggling to find consistency on where to bowl and are giving too many loose deliveries away for opposition batsmen to feed on. As for our batting, we are just not clicking as a unit.

All this talk about playoff positions is affecting our team when in reality we need to go back to basics and do that well first before calculating division positions. We are never going to be the worst side in our division but if we want to step up and compete every week the mentality of the players need to change. Just turning up on a sunday for a game of cricket and not improving yourself as a cricketer and trying to learn will always be a downfall to our team.

If our team performances gets better before the season ends then that is all we can expect from our aging squad and that is all I ask. Players have simply got to realise they need to play hard and play to their best abilty. If they do this week in week out then the rest of it will take care of itself with the results.

3/12/13

Four games into the Spring season we find ourselves in a healthy position with 3 wins and one tied game. I managed another score of 102 against Lehigh Indians which turned out, when I was reminded afterwards, that my back to back centuries was the first time that had ever happened in the SFSCL. Pat on my own back for making history, I guess.....

We couldn't have imagined such a strong start from our squad of players after searching high and low pre season for players to honor our fixtures for the season. We seriously thought that numbers every week would have been a big problem fielding a side to compete but with new players Deo, Sookraj, and Shaun with good availabilty from the core see us having selection problems every week.

This is when we really find out who are our true team players and who are really only concerned about if they play over anyone else. Normally we don't have that problem with the players we have available every week but trying to keep everyone happy is always going to be a problem. Players whether young or old have to realise we are just not a team of only 11 but a squad of players who all will be given a chance to play and when it's your turn to sit and support us, then don't get upset.

If we all could play every week then we would all play but in reality that is never going to happen. Bide your time guys as your turn will come eventually and we will fit everybody in during the regular season games.

This weeks game we venture out to play against my old team Berbice for the first time since we parted. It will be a good day out seeing the old crew again and hopefully a good result for us if all things go well. Meeting the old gang with a few drinks and a few old time stories will be the norm for the day after the game which I am looking forward to.

The Florida Cup went well for the SCI team led by Amar who's side ended up in an unexpected semi final spot where they got beaten by a very strong Betterhope team. Congrats to Amar and the rest of the squad for going so far and it was an enjoyable weekend playing with the lot of you. We had a lot of laughs between us and friendships were made against players we play against every week in the league. Playing on the same squad brought us together as one for the 2 days of the Cup and I look forward to playing again for the SCI team in months to come with the same squad when that time arrives.

More to follow next week.

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2/16/13

The new Spring season got off to a good start for the Hustler 2 sqaud with a solid win against Miami Royals CC. Somehow I managed to hit a not out hundred as I turned back the clock and showed the supporters that I still have some life left in my bat even in my advancing years. It is always good to contribute to the team with an individual performance which stands me in good stead for the rest of the season as I will try and reach those heights again in future games coming up.

During the pre season we saw Mukesh, Sanjeev, and Rasheed leaving us to go and play for other teams due to long distance travelling and moving house. We would like to wish all of them the best at their new teams and look forward in playing against them this season and catching up with a few beers and some old time stories.

Hustlers welcome Shaun to our squad who will be an added addition to our middle order batting as well as relieving me from keeping wicket duties. The old bones appreciate him joining our organisation.

I must mention a special praise to our ladies at our club. Satti, Joanie, and Devya always show their support for us and take turns in cooking week in week out to keep us growing men fed well after games. These unsung heroes of ours really do a great job and we are very grateful they are part of our team. Devya is now becoming a very good scorer at our games which again is appreciated for all her help.

So, as the season kicks off once again in the SFSCL, we look forward to sunday games at the park against all the other teams in Div 2 and hope we manage to surprise a few of the stronger sides this season. Winning is always nice but importantly it is all about the comaderie, the jokes, and the most important factor, the social and meeting up with good friends after games is what keeps us all going.

See you all at the park everybody......

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10/19/12

The season is now at the half way stage and the Hustler squad have managed to win 4 out of 5 games played. Neither one of the games were an easy win for us except for our trip to Lehigh where we took care of business in emphatic style chasing their modest score of 68 in 9 overs when we batted.

The new players for our team, Michael, Keshore, Sanjeev, Amar, and Reetesh, have this season managed to gel into our squad with success and each and everyone of them has shown the true Hustler spirit, before, during, and after games where the expected random jokes and put downs have all being taken with smiles all around.

For me the most pleasing aspect of our season so far is the position we find ourselves in after 5 games when at the start of the season most teams had the idea that Hustlers 2 were about to fold up and not play at all during the season due to losing 7 of their players from last season.

The run in to the playoffs start this weekend with a visit from the Warriors team who themselves are looking for a playoff spot. We all know that cricket can be a funny game at times and on any given day, any team can be winners if a few of their big players click at that moment.

Win or lose, our team has the right spirit within our camp to accept defeat when we are beaten by the better team on the day and also we know how to accept a win with just that same spirit.

As I get older as the seasons pass by me, I have seen some very interesting things on the cricket field in South Florida which need to be addressed, especially the plain disregard for umpiring decisions. Too many times I have witnessed players venting back at umpires for making a bad call when infact we all know some umpires are either just really bad and blind or they are just out there to assist their team. Who knows if this will be ever fixed or changed ? At the end of the day Championship teams come through all of that and do what they have to on the pitch with their bat and ball in hand.

I for one will accept all umpires decisions good or bad whether I am batting or fielding knowing that if they want to bend the rule book for their own teams gain, I will still show respect to this game and sleep well at night.

If we all play the game in the right spirit then our youngsters growing up playing in South Florida will also follow suit and make sundays a better day for not just the teams, but also to all the spectators and families who we want to encourage to come back and watch us all play at the weekend again.