The key issue on the last day of Canada’s drawn match with the United Arab Emirates in the ICC Intercontinental Cup was the failure to hold what would be regarded as straightforward catches and a couple of harder chances. But high performance program players aim to claim a high proportion of harder chances in order to reach the top, even where the top is in the ICC Associate rankings, and not the realms of the upper ranks of the ICC test playing, full members.
The Man-of-the-Match award went to Canadian pace-bowler Jeremy Gordon for his six wickets for 43 runs in the UAE first innings, including a hat-trick to end that innings. The award was appropriate in a game that ended up with three centuries, two by Canada and one from UAE skipper Khurram Khan, as it had opened up the possibility of Canada being able to make a first innings score and win the game. An opportunity that had to be earned due to the significant loss of playing time on the first two days. Photo gallery follows
Canada had mopped up the chances in the morning session of the game’s third day. Gunasekera made a start with 28 before being stumped to leave Canada on 61 for two in the 21st over. He made a start and was likely disappointed not to have moved on to a bigger score. Still, in the overall picture a stand of 96 between Kumar and Bagai carried Canada to a first innings lead and the first six points gained from play in the 2011-2013 ICC Intercontinental Cup for a country that has previously reached the tournament finals. Captain Hansra played a solid role during which Kumar achieved a well played century, before falling lbw after the partnership had added 51 runs. Daesrath settled in well and became the lead scorer in a partnership with Hansra that added 68 runs to the scoreboard by close of play, much to the delight of the Canadian squad, coaching and support staff.
A day of hope for Canada’s prospects not only in this game but for the upcoming important tasks of World T20 and World Cup 50-over qualifying tournaments over the Canadian off-season in 2013-2014. One might even take the closing score of 366 for four and see it as something of a leap forward after several disappointing results on the international scene for Canada in 2011 and 2012. A potential pun is included from the score 366, one more than the 365 days in most calendar years under the “Western” calendar.
It made sense for the Canadian second innings to continue at the start of the fourth day as the pitch could be rolled at Canada’s choice, and then rolled again after a declaration. The hope would be that any moisture in the ground near the surface, after the recent rains, might rise up and provide a little help on a day with clouds and more than a cooling breeze.
Jeremy Gordon quickly picked up the wickets of the two opening bats, who both had previous experience of the swinging ball in Canadian conditions. Khurram Khan told Abu Dhabi’s “The National” the UAE batsman had practiced batting against the kind of movements through the air that can take place in Canadian conditions. .Khan first played for the UAE in Canada in the 2001 ICC Trophy.
The story of Khurram Khan’s captains innings of 121 not out from 264 balls included significant elements of him playing well, including giving himself time between balls from the pace bowlers, backing away towards square leg to gather his thoughts. But, particularly from a Canadian perspective, it included missed chances in the field that allowed him to eventually garner a century, as well as not run out of batting partners.
UAE’s first innings top-scorer, Patil, hung a bat in the air and could have departed caught and bowled by Osinde in the 39th over. Patil then notched three runs but was out to the first ball of the next over. My angle of vision was not best for seeing the attempted catch, but time spent on the ground was an indication Osinde was disappointed not to have captured the wicket.
There is little doubt Khurram Khan expected to have been caught following a misjudged sweep when on 53 in the 44th over. Osinde failed to make the catch and the ball resulted in a “bonus” boundary for Khan. Khan had made 53 from 124 balls before this shot, but he regained his thoughts en route towards the century mark. Baidwan bowled Anwar for four to leave the UAE on 115 for four from 49 overs, with about 40 overs to be bowled provided there was no rain.
One of the two on-line scoring services from the game thought the incoming batsman, Mustafa, gave a chance in the 56th over before scoring. It looks like a sharp chance, and he gained a single, based on reviewing a couple of still photos. If one favours the notion there could have been a catch, the UAE would have been 117 for four rather than 11 8 for five. Mustafa might not have progressed to become a solid partner for his captain in securing a draw.
Canada’s two centurions had both found confidence in the nineties and progressed quite quickly through what are sometimes termed “the nervous nineties”. Khurram Khan cut Gordon’s opening ball of the 69th over past a diving gulley, Daesrath, for a boundary. A couple of balls later Kumar missed a chance at second slip. Khan ended the over with a single and then went quiet with the bat for a few overs.
The quiet phase ended with Khan on 99. He went for a quick single, Kumar’s throw, from the covers, hit the top of the stumps at the bowlers end, but Khurram Khan was ruled not out and reached his century. He also gained a couple of overthrows. The ball carried on toward the long-on boundary, for a left-hander, while the bails landed in the opposite direction in front of the crease on the pitch.
Almost twenty overs later, with the scheduled overs almost elapsed, Khurram Khan edged a catch to wicketkeeper Tariq, standing up. The UAE first innings ended with two catches in two balls from Hamza Tariq to complete Jeremy Gordon’s hat-trick and complete five catches for Tariq. But on Sunday the ball ended up on the ground.
In the good old days of playing cricket at various parks, my thinking – and possibly that of Canada on Sunday – would have been that if Khurram Khan had been caught after 88.4 overs there were still eight balls to take the last five wickets. Saturday, after all, had ended with UAE three wickets from three balls for Canada.
Eddie Norfolk (including comparison of CricHQ and Cricinfo commentaries with still photos)