Match report 2021

Match Report Catus versus Toulouse Bears, 1st August

 

Life feels complicated and confusing enough without Toulouse being able to field two teams, Bears and Wolves, which have the same pool of 45 players to choose from, with no requirement to utilise two separate teams within that number. Soon they will be loaning players out to other clubs such is their strength in depth and some players not getting a game. Bears appear to be playing the sportsman's game, however, the two teams fielded against Catus were broadly the same.

Nevertheless, this is cricket and any team can have a bad day or play their socks off. That was the state of mind as Catus approached this encounter needing to win this fixture and their remaining game against Eymet, with other results going Catus' way, to have any chance of winning this year's reduced league.

The ground at Toulouse is a converted football field, It has a new strip, probably the best in the league, and enticingly short boundaries, surrounded by an annoying wire chain link fence which makes is difficult to view the action. Needless to say, a par score for a 35 overs game is in the region of 250.

Bears won the toss and elected to bat and from the start were determined to utilise all their overs. Accurate bowling and energetic fielding restricted the home team to 123 runs from the first 25 overs. Some classy batting from skipper Vidit (85) and big hitting from Abhishek and Uchchal pushed the Bears to a gettable 266 for 7 after 35.

Gettable providing 35 overs are properly batted out that is.

In reply, Catus started brightly but lost wickets at regular intervals. Rahim hit a handy but risky 17 and were on 123 for 3 after only 11 overs with Saqib looking solid on 33 and some exciting hitting from Atiq. Saqib was upset to be given out LBW, and Atiq was caught in the deep on 55 moments later. Only Rhaman of the remaining batsmen got to double figures (12*) and Catus finished on 157 all out after only 20.5 overs.

A loss of 109 is hugely disappointing in a game that Catus controlled for the first 25 overs and should have been able to chase down the 266 runs they were set.

There is no competitive game next week although there are plans to have some kind of fun game at the Lac Vert. The final league fixture is at home on 15th August

 

Ken Sutton.