T20 Oslo 2021 Match 3: Aliens vs Vestli B
When: 24 July
Where: Ekeberg 2
Vestli B 131/9 off 20 ov.
Aliens 101/9 off 20 ov.
Vestli B won by 30 runs
Aliens suffer first loss of the season
Aliens were forced to admit that they were deservedly beaten after falling 30 runs short of the 131 total set by Vestli B. Our opponents won the toss and elected to bat on an Ekeberg 2 pitch that was bathed in sunshine, and in the end fielding first in the 30 degrees heat perhaps took its toll on a batting chase that never really exploded into life. Ultimately the ability to score boundaries left the Aliens wanting, and this proved to be the decisive difference between the two teams.
Aliens bowled and fielded quite well throughout, with wickets coming at regular intervals helping to prevent any of the Vestli B batsmen going on to score big. 29 off 21 for the #5 and 25 from 18 for the #7 represented their highest and most productive scores, with no one else able to muster more than 15. Vestli B posted 131/9 after their 20 overs, with a wicket apiece for Sudesh, Peter and Dennis, two for Benan, and three for the returning and impressive Navid. This presented a tough, but not insurmountable challenge for the Aliens, with the feeling that the recently cut grass would be slightly more conducive to run-scoring than the previous week.
Unfortunately the Aliens found runs hard to come by, and despite the genuine efforts of several who came and went looking to push the score on, we were unable to make it a close affair come the final stages. Crawf played well, scoring 44 from 44 balls, sticking around and providing what would have been the foundation for one or two others to contribute with a more explosive inning and accelerate the score. It was, however, not to be, and in the end the Aliens only struck 3 boundaries between them (all of which were 4’s). Vestli B had managed 9, with 1 of those being a maximum, resulting in a difference of 26 runs. This, together with 4 of the 5 additional extras conceded, accounted for the 30 run gap between the two teams (Aliens scoring 101/9 from 20 overs). Credit must be given to the opposition, who delivered a consistent and tidy bowling performance together with an energetic fielding display. This certainly made it tricky to gain momentum throughout the innings.
During the end-of-game team debrief the Aliens shared a sense of disappointment and a feeling that the game was there to be won. We congratulate our opponents and look to learn from this in the hope that it will help us to improve at chasing competitive scores in the coming weeks and seasons ahead. #UptheAliens