League leaders thrashed in action cricket
FONTAINEBLEAU – Action cricket's rules are similar to traditional cricket, except the game is played indoors within a rectangular, netted area. Eight players play on each team, and each innings lasts 12 or 16 overs.
Randburg Action Sports Arena, Fontainebleau, saw a significant upset on 07 May.
The arena hosts eight action cricket leagues of varying strength and one of the strongest teams at the arena, Shits and Giggles, who currently top the C1 league, was sorely wounded by fifth-placed Swart Mamba.
Action cricket’s rules are similar to traditional cricket, except the game is played indoors within a rectangular, netted area. Eight players play on each team, and each innings lasts 12 or 16 overs.
Batsmen can score runs off the side and back nets, and a wicket lost does not mean the end of a batsman’s innings. Instead runs are deducted.
Batsmen bat in pairs for four overs, aiming to make as many runs as possible and losing as few wickets as possible.
Swart Mamba won the toss and sent Shits and Giggles in to bat.
The opening pair played some nice shots, and ran hard, but were met with ferocious fielding and a few run outs meant that they posted 24 runs after four overs.
The second pair focused on playing shots against the side nets and brought the total up to 50 after eight overs.
The third pair had an atrocious first over, losing nine runs, and lost wickets regularly to reduce the total to 48 after 12 overs.
The final pair for Shits and Giggles played well and put pressure on the fielders, allowing the team to post a total of 72 after all 16 overs.
Needing 73 for victory, Swart Mamba’s opening pair played steadily, losing only two wickets, to reach 23 runs in their four overs.
The second pair worked hard, but the fielders did not give much away and the total was only 37 after eight overs.
Nevertheless, at the halfway mark in the innings, the batting side was on track to win.
The third pair upped the ante, and raised the score to 73 after 12 overs.
With scores level, all the last pair had to do was score more runs than it lost, for four overs.
But they applied more pressure on the fielders and finished with 100, winning by 28 runs.
Details: Randburg Action Sports Arena; 011 792 6313.
