Weekend and match report - Formosa Cup 2006

The bus was supposed to leave at 5:30am but some high ranking officials made sure we didn't get going until 6:30am.Despite this FCC had everything ready, for the 8 team tournament, at 8:45am. FCC was in the same group as TUCC, Chang Hwa and Kris' team that were mainly baseball and ice hockey players. 12 over games were played.

First match FCC vs Chang Hwa

Chang Hwa 78 for 5

Sohail 2/2 off 2

FCC 80 for 1

Paul 45*

Craig 20*

FCC wins.

In this match the bowling and fielding was of a very high standard. There were still a few too many wides but everyone was switched on. Sohail bowled the Chang Hwa opening batsman off the first ball, and although the new skipper was struggling with his rhythm (nobody knows why), there were enough other bowlers to step in and limit Chang Hwa to the above mentioned 78.

Paul decided to make up the lost time and went on the attack from the first ball. He was not out at the end and after Darren's unfortunate departure, Craig stayed with the run machine.

Second match

FCC vs TUCC

TUCC 78 for 6

Craig 2/10 off 1

Cilliers 2/13 off 2

FCC 79 for 3

Paul 48

FCC wins

If anything, in this match the bowling and fielding was even sharper. The TUCC openers were playing well and heading for a good score when our bowlers moved up a gear and pecked them back.

Darren was a little slow when Paul called him for a suicide single, so to make up for it Paul attacked again and took the game away from TUCC. He ended up with 48, and was a little upset; because someone told him he had 50 already.

These two victories meant that FCC had already qualified for the semifinals and the boys and girls headed back to the hotel for a rest and later a bite to eat and some dancing and drinking.

Third match (Sunday morning)

FCC vs Kris' team

FCC 130 for 4

Ravi 26

Tom 26*

Ed 21

Kris' team 50 all out.

Ravi 2/7 off 3

Ric 1/11 off 3

Vini 1/1 off 1

FCC wins

The honourable Premasaurus Rex was captain for this match and he was ably assisted by his VC the dancing king - Vinit. FCC decided to show no mercy to the part timers and good scores by Ed, Tom, and Ravi help post the second highest score of the tournament. The famous opening batsman Hardeep didn't perform this time, but is was probably just a temporary thing.

The captain's liberal bowling strategy and even a 12 ball over by Grant couldn't help Kris' team and they were all out.

Semi-final

FCC vs the dangerous Hsinchu Whistlers

FCC 132 for 7

Charl 65

Darren 34

Whistlers 127 for 6

Shoaib 2/16 off 2

Cilliers 2/19 off 3

FCC wins

Paul fell early this time, but Darren found his range and scored a confident 34. When the Wolf was controversially run out, Charl walked in and took the bowling apart. He scored 65 off 21 balls and hit 7sixes. Every one of those runs turned out to be crucial.

Hsinchu came out of the blocks at some speed, and hurt our opening pair and an unlucky Salim. The Wolf and Shoaib managed to slow the flow of runs and at the end Sohail had to defend 13 runs off the last over. It was done successfully.

Final

FCC vs Taichung Trojans

FCC 121 for 8

Darren 21

Paul 18

Charl 13

Taichung 91 for 4

Ric 2/16 off 3

Great batting by Paul, Darren and Charl, and a little from everyone else helped FCC to post a competitive score. It was a good team effort. Some thought it would not be good enough against the awesome Trojan batting line-up.

Fear was present when, after two overs they were already on 22, but then Salim made a comeback, and the captain and vice-captain remembered that Rick (the strawberry) was fielding quietly on the boundary, and brought him into the attack. These two guys bowled without equal and Taichung just couldn't score. At the end they had no chance and Charl and Sohail could relax in the last 2 overs. FFC were the Camps again!!

Mentionables:

Salina our great scorer, who was always there for us.

Players who were not selected to play every match, or who played only one game, never stopped supporting the team.

High spirits all weekend long.

The tequila queen.