Joe takes 8!
Gahanga Stadium, Kigali, 2/25/2020
Strongroom won by D/L Method
Strongroom: 96 [D.Abizera 4-21]
Rwanda A: 52-8 [J.Rahman 8-16]
View the Scorecard
Day three! Dave P won the toss, and so we batted first in this 50-over format. Jon G and Jimmy put on 33 for the first wicket in 10 overs, and all seemed well, but then we lost 10 wickets for just a further 63, and were bundled out for 96 in 34.5 overs! Rwanda A possessed an excellent pace attack, and bowled with impressive swing and bounce. Only Jon G (13), Mitch (17) and Tim (14) got into double figures. Dave G was unlucky to get out as a bead of sweat sluiced into his eye at the point of delivery, and his withdrawal from the crease came just a fraction too late for a dead ball to be called. Rwanda A fielded brilliantly. For us, this really was a very disappointing total, and the only solace (for meat-eaters) was Chef’s tasty lamb skewers for lunch.
In response, Rwanda A got to 14-0 and all seemed to be under control. However, Joe Rahman had other ideas, and achieved a level of accuracy and control that Rwanda A simply didn’t know how to respond to. They were somewhat captivated, and Joe ran through them like a machete through a trailer of water melons. Joe ended up with 8-16, and in doing so snatched the best-ever Strongroom bowling performance from Grant Dixon, supplanting his 7-fer against the yeoman of Lustleigh! Joe clean bowled five and trapped two lbw. Mention should also be given to Mohmed Godhi (10-4-23-0), who must have beaten the bat about 40 times from the banana plantation end, and kept up the pressure throughout. However, at 2:27pm heavy rain forced us from the field of play, and we never made it back. A few hours later the umpires awarded the match to Strongroom, courtesy of the D/L method. It was a shame we didn’t have the opportunity to take the final two wickets, but our second victory after 23 attempts overseas was not to be sniffed at!
Written By: J.Gower
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