Selv om vi herhjemme rent bogstavelig sidder med det kølige
overblik og tålmodigt venter på informationer fra det varme
Namibia, kæmper det danske cricketlandshold ufortrødent og
næsten ubemærket videre i håb om at spille sig til det
endelige kvalspil i 2009 i de Forenede Arabiske Emirater.
I dag gjorde holdet i hvert fald hvad de kunne for at vække
cricketfolket op til dåd, ved at besejre Uganda med 21
points.
Det var det rigtige hold vi valgte at slå, for hvis ikke der
på en eller anden måde bliver lavet en form for
”matchfiksning” i den sidste kamp, hvor favoritten Namibia
møder Uganda, så ser det ud som om, at vi kan kvalificere os
ved at besejre Argentina i den sidste puljekamp.
Men denne spekulation kan vi jo sparre os vi går hen og
besejrer Oman i morgen. Oman stod nok for den hidtil
største overraskelse i denne turnering, da holdet i dag slog
Namibia.
Anfører Frederik Klokker tabte lodtrækningen og blev sendt
til gærdet. Dette viste sig at være et udmærket udgangspunkt
for det danske hold, der mistede det første gærde – Mickey
Lund – ved 28.
Mickey Lund
© ICC
Herefter
dannede Frederik Klokker og Carsten Pedersen en flot
gærdestand på næsten 100 points før Frederik blev bowlet ud
af Arinaitwe efter at have lavet 65 på 98 bolde. Carsten
(63) fortsatte sit gode spil hjulpet udmærket af Max
Overgaard (16 ) men blev ligeledes bowlet ud af Arinaitwe
ved totalen 156, som gjorde at vi havde de berømte
hårdtslående gærder i behold, da der skulle forceres til
sidst. Til denne øvelse har holdet som bekendt noget af et
par specialister i form af brødrene Lars og Morten Hedegaard
, og begge gjorde det meget flot – især rapporterer anfører
Frederik Klokker sin store beundring over Lars, som efter
kampen blev kåret som ”Man of the Match. Begge sørgede for
at det danske hold sluttede med en total på 234 for 5, og
som græspitch -eksperterne mente skulle være en innings på
200-230 for en vinder.
Lars Hedegaard scorede 46 not-out med 5 firere og 3 seksere
på 19 bolde og Morten scorede 24 not-out med 3 firere og en
sekser på 10 bolde.
Vi fik forholdsvis hurtigt de to første Uganda-gærder ud,
og vores pacebowlere Thomas Hansen og Henrik Saxe holdte en
fornuftig rate. Men først da Lars Hedegaard og den
genopstande Bobby Chawla, som har været langtidskadet, kom
ind i kasteangrebet kom der gang i det. Lars holdt totalen
flot nede, og Bobby Chawla bowlede, efter anførerens udsagn
som en drøm, med stor skruning og god længde i sin legspin
bowling. Bobby havde en så flot analyse som 4 gærder for 38
på sine 10 overs medens Lars Hedegaard sluttede med 0 for 22
på 10 overs.
En meget flot sejr over en kompetent modstander, og nu er
Danmark inde i varmen igen. Vi kan passende fortsætte det
gode spil ved at besejre den helt store overraskelse ved
dette VM-kval. Oman i morgen.
Jørgen Jønsson
Chris Rawson
skriver fra Namibia:
Denmark
back on track
Denmark put the disappointments of the first two matches
behind them today with a 21 run victory over Uganda.
Skipper Freddie Klokker lost the toss and was invited to bat
first by Ugandan skipper, Davis Arinaitwe. Openers Klokker
and Mickey Lund found the ball difficult to get away against
tight bowling from the Ugandan opening attack. Only 29 runs
had been added when Lund was caught off the bowling of
Daniel Ruyange. The experienced Carsten Pedersen came out to
join Klokker in a stand of 96 at just under 4 runs an over;
perhaps a little slow in the circumstances. After Klokker
was bowled for 65 (from 98 balls), the scoring rate slipped
still further. After 45 overs the score had crept up to 164,
way under par for this pitch. Enter the brothers Hedegaard.
Lars with 46 (from just 19 deliveries with 5 fours and 3
sixes)and Morten with 24 (from 10 deliveries with 3 fours
and 1 six) added 70 in the last 5 overs to leave Denmark
with a total of 234 for 5 in 40 overs. At least now there
was a total capable of being defended.
In the 4th over there was a very unusual incident that led
to the wrong batsman being dismissed. Opener Lawrence
Sematimba skied the ball toward Bashir Shah. While the ball
was dropping toward Bashir, the non-striker, Arthur Kyobe,
shouted ‘Drop it. Drop it’ which Bashir duly did, injuring
his moth in the process. On appeal and after discussion
between the two umpires, Arthur Kyobe was given out
‘Obstructing the field’. In most cases of Obstructing the
field it is the batsman who ‘obstructed’ who is given out
but Law 37.3 is quite clear – ‘The striker is out should
wilful obstruction or distraction by either batsman prevent
a catch being made.’. Sematimba could count himself lucky to
be still at the crease. Uganda were up with the asking rate
until the introduction of Lars Hedegaard in the 13th over.
His miserly spell yielded just 22 runs in 10 accurate overs
and after 29 overs Uganda had only reached 98 for 2 wickets.
. Two more wickets fell in the 30th over and another in the
32nd over reduced Uganda to 104 for 5 wickets. However
Uganda have a reputation for ‘batting deep’ and so it proved.
Useful knocks from Joel Olweny, Frank Nsubuga and Richard
Okia lifted Uganda to 193 for 8 after 47 overs. 41 runs
required from just 3 overs. Not impossible by any means. The
Denmark skipper then pulled off a master stroke. Whilst
everyone was expecting the re-introduction of the pace of
Henrik Hansen, skipper Freddie Klokker opted to take the
pace off the ball and entrusted slow left-armer Bashir Shah
with overs 48 and 50. Bashir proved himself more than equal
to the task picking up the wicket of Nsubuga (stumped by
Klokker for 43 from 30 deliveries) and conceding just 9
runs. The team breathed a collective sigh of relief – a
victory at last.
