Sharjah

Today's match was played at the famed Sharjah Stadium on an international size/standard field. Captain Arman Khan chose to bat on a lovely track, but The Academy opener, Ross Hegginbottom, was dismissed for a 12 ball duck. While Fayz Siddiqui and Ruiaridh Russell attempted to resume normal order, the batting team were left reeling at 35 for 1 after the first 10 overs. However, Siddiqui gifted his wicket after scoring 9 off 17, and Russell departed to a misjudged delivery, to leave The Glasgow Academy struggling with 60 for 3 at the halfway mark of 15 overs. Enter John Oliver and Arman Khan, who fought to rebuild and leave a platform for our ruthless middle order to up the scoring rate. Things took an unfortunate twist at this point, when Arman Khan (11 off 14) pulled a muscle rendering him unable to bowl or bat for the rest of the game. Similarly, Oliver had to depart again after a patiently constructed 28 off 36 to an outstanding catch at backward point. However Jamie Percival (21 off 25) and Adam McMurray (17 off 9) took the score into their stride to produce a respectable 145 for 6 in 30 overs. Our usual middle order blaster Callum Bell could not repeat his previous feats when he fell for a first ball duck. As with the previous game, fielding was spectacular. Under the floodlights, temporary captain John Oliver opened with a brilliant spell of fast bowling full of finesse and swing to produce outstanding figures of 6-0-30-3. At the other end Ruiaridh Russell maintained the pressure (4-0-32-0) but was unlucky not to pick up a wicket. Jamie Percival took over from Ruiaridh and produced a wicket. He bowled a very short delivery, deserving of at least 4 runs through deep midwicket, but John Oliver had different ideas. With a flying, diving, jumping effort, he managed to bag his second stunning catch of this tour. Eventually, one by one, wickets were collected by Percival and Greg MacMillan (4-0-24-1). However, to win this game, a stroke of brilliance was required. The next section of this narrative only attempts to recollect the superhuman ability and determination of one player. John Oliver collected a hard hit shot at the midwicket boundary (international size boundary of the stadium) rolled over on his shoulder and knocked over the stumps to produce a direct hit I am privileged to have witnessed. It is not so much the physical prowess as the hunger to win, the desire for victory that impressed all eyewitnesses. Therefore, the game was held in fine balance, but a 57 run 8th wicket stand brought the two sides' scores level. At this point Adam McMurray bowled a delivery which would whirl a few kilometres above Adnan Iqbal at long on. With a look of fear, Iqbal took the catch. The next ball, the opposition chased down the target and won by two wickets. But Adnan's catch, Oliver's brilliance, Percival's calm strokeplay and Khan's determination to lead his side on the field meant that this was a day to remember. As a squad, the improvements are beginning to make vast differences to the score lines. Now to our last game in the same stadium against their very own eleven.Read more