Lamma Cricket Club came to Shanghai up 3-2 in the Breezer Challenge Series, but after a chastening 13-wicket defeat in 2011, the tourists had something of a point to prove.

The teams lined up for the traditional toss: a Bacardi Breezer boat race. The field was reduced to a mostly reluctant six, the Dragons being lead by captain Mike Tsesmelis, and followed by Russell Cool, James Keel, Bernie Hughes, Phil Mildenhall and Ben Lyons. A veteran of the Breezer Challenge, Mike kept pace with the Lamma captain, but when Russ started literally choking under the pressure, his masculinity simply not up to the demands of downing a sweet, fizzy girl’s drink from a bottle with straws, the Dragons seemed condemned to a long stint fielding in the July heat.

But the Dragons were as stunned as they were relieved when they were invited to bat first. Had Lamma determined, based on their and HKCC’s 2011 defeats, that SRFC is a “field first” ground? Or were they simply hoping that their big batting guns, Hussain Butt and Sher Lama, would knock off whatever total we could put on the board?

Bernie and Russ opened for the Dragons, with Bernie first to fall, bowled by Ben Cooper for 11 from only nine balls.  Ben joined Russ at the crease, and they took the score to 55 before Russ also fell to Cooper for 18. Lamma then introduced the spin trio of Hussain, Lama, and Brent McDonald, but Ben continued in the same vein, patiently waiting for and punishing anything short.  Darren Manning helped him take the score to 88 but was then caught off Lama’s wily off-spinners for 15.

Mike Tsesmelis was next in. With the team already 3 down in the 16th over of 50, some consolidation was required. While Hussain and Lama twirled away, boundaries became harder to come by. With Mike dealing exclusively in ones and twos during the hottest part of the day, the going was tough. Ben eventually succumbed for an excellent 77, top edging a cut to point off Hussain with the score on 146. Then, on 164, Mike, having gotten to 18, inside-edged Hussain onto his stumps to leave the Dragons 5 down in the 29th over.

This brought together the big hitters, Sanjay Anugula and Mike Hall, probably seven or eight overs earlier than ideal. Sure enough they both biffed a couple of large sixes on their way to a quick 32 and 35 respectively before becoming Hussain’s third and fourth victims. At 230 for 7 in the 37th there were already lots of runs on the board, but could we make full use of our overs and reach an impregnable total?

James Keel and Phil Mildenhall worked the ball around and ran well, but then both fell in quick succession, for 19 and 15, to the returning Ben Cooper – as did the next batsmen, Sameer Jolly (3) – and the Dragons were 268 for 10. With the tourists requesting 12 a-side, 11-bat/11-field, number 12 Santosh Yadav walked out and was bowled swinging wildly for 2, leaving Deepak Nautiyal on 8, and Cooper with 6 wickets. 281 all out was a strong total, but having more than 6 overs unused, the Dragons were left wondering what could have been had any of the six batsmen scoring between 11 and 19 had gone on, or if there had been greater application from the tail.

After a deserved tea interval, the teams retook the field. Darren and Sameer shared the new ball, and Darren quickly removed the “see off the new ball” opener for a duck. With the captain, Tom, and danger man Hussain now at the crease, a critical period ensued. Darren was bowling beautifully to Tom, swinging the ball both ways, while Deepak tied down Hussain at the other end. The pressure soon told as Tom nicked to Ben in the slips, and the Dragons were convinced they had the next man, Lama, caught behind two balls later but it was given not out and the batsmen stayed. Darren put the disappointment behind him and responded the very next ball with a cracker that comprehensively bowled the batsmen to give him his third wicket and leave Lamma 26-3. Their hopes now rested firmly on Hussain’s shoulders, but with precious little being offered by the bowlers, he was next to fall, caught spectacularly at point by Mike Tsesmelis off Deepak for 18.

At 35-4 and with all the key men out, it was left to the Dragons to cement their dominance. Darren completed his five for, a direct hit from Phil in the deep accounted for another, Santosh picked up two quickly and James took the tenth. As Lamma’s 12th bat had been injured in the warm up, the Dragons invited Hussain to bat again…but in keeping with the overall performance in the field, Mike Hall, chasing the ball towards the boundary trying to prevent a second run, turned and effected another direct hit to run Hussain out and seal an emphatic 218-run victory.