Corfu 2 – Atlas
Sun 2 Oct Corfu Tour – Atlas Won by 53 runs
We 193/5 in 30 overs (Gore 80*, Oppe 36*, Mantha 19, Misfoot 2/20)
They 140/10 in 28 overs (Sher Ali 27, Kugiumzlou 25, Gramenos 16, Amar 3/20, Kidwai 2/10, S.Thomas 2/20)
KCC’s last match of the season was played in glorious, warm sunshine amidst the historic splendours of Corfu town. After an excellent Saturday night out on the tiles, not only were spirits high but also blood alcohol levels. Skipper Chris Ledger won the toss and chose to bat first. Chris, Steve Thomas and others nursing bad hangovers didn’t trouble the scorers for long, and so by halfway through the allotted 30 overs KCC’s innings was looking distinctly precarious at 89 for 5. Cometh the hour, cometh San Gore. Having opened the innings and watched with raised eyebrow as five wickets fell in quick succession at the other end, San was joined byMark Oppe at number seven, and together they compiled a superbly judged and executed century partnership to rescue the innings, and get KCC to a competitive total of 193. As the last batting partnership of the season, it was certainly one of the season’s best.
The Atlas innings was strangled at birth as the result of a very tight opening spell from Furquan Kidwai, and after he’d taken 2 wickets and conceded just 10 runs in 5 overs, KCC were very much in the ascendant. If Atlas thought that they might get some respite with a bowling change, they soon discovered otherwise. Cometh first change, cometh Sunil Amar. The old swinger was neck-and-neck to take most wickets in the season with Akhilesh Shailendra, also playing on the same day in the UK. As it turned out, Sunil would need 3 wickets to win the prize. After 5 overs and 5 balls of his allowed 6 over spell, he’d taken 2 wickets for 20 runs, leaving Atlas on the verge of defeat. And so, with Sunil’s very last ball of the season, he needed to get a wicket to win the Bowler of the Year prize. Somehow it was written in the stars, and KCC’s very own Roy of the Rovers propelled the perfect outswinger towards his unwitting victim at the other end. A rank leg-side ball, the batsman thought, and shaped to sweep it down to backward square leg. Already committed to the shot, by the time he saw the late swing back in towards the stumps it was too late. Falling over himself as he tried to readjust, he ended up in an inelegant heap in front of the stumps as the ball thudded straight into his box. The umpire’s finger shot up – BBW, box before wicket, and to the delight of all Sunil had won his richly deserved prize!
By the time our trip ended we had fallen in love with the island. We’d played cricket on two stunning grounds, bathed in Corfu’s sunlight, moonlight and its sea, eaten delicious food, been showered by local hospitality, seen the night-life and made many new friends. We thank our sponsors Puma and Johnnie Walker for their merchandise that our kind hosts greatly appreciated. We look forward eagerly to a return visit.
