#6: The finest moment

Slipping on my white trousers, strapping on my pads, and adjusting the one essential piece of protection that no man can leave without- the guard, i strolled onto the pitch ready to open the batting for my team. The score to beat- 136 runs in 15 overs.

It was the final of a cricket tri-series and we had just given the favourites of the tournament a good thrashing, which resulted in their eleimination. OUr school were up against the hosts, and despite this being our first final our team weren't bobbed down by the anticipated hype. Me and my opening partner put on a glorious exhibition of cut shots, drives, pull shots, leg glances, and the most intense running in between wickets, until the first wicket fell- I was run out. Looking back now pushing hard for two runs at that moment was kind of irrational, as witth any flashback one asks him/her self "what if..." and then to our dismay as the runs piled up, so did the loss wickets. We were losing our momentum and as the sun began to set our run rate required rose. We needed 31 runs in the last two overs of the match. As i watched despairingly as my lower order batsmen could only muster 4 runs in the second last over the end result seemed inevitable.

The last 6 balls of the match were about to be bowled of the tournament. Six and another six! my slogger batsmen had just beautifully struck two amazing shots and our spirits were lifted high. There was still hope of victory, it was within our grasp, and yet 11 runs in two balls was just too daunting. We lost, they won end of story. Whilst they may have won the battle, we won the war, I look back on my team that was, the beauty was that the team didn't compromise of players from one nationality, but of many. Indians, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, British, and South Africans, we all were unified for the love of one sport. That boundary of racial divisions didn't exist, but as I look back, how we reached the final and came to a nail- biting finish where we lost by a mere 6 runs was hard to stomach, but even though they were the winners, we had the moral victory. It was the finest moment, it was our finest moment.