10. Essay A Cricket Match (10th/12/2nd Year/BA/B. Sc) by AG Ahmad

 Essay No. 10                         

-- A Cricket Match --

A cricket match is always interesting whether it is played at national level or international level. Everybody takes much interest in this game. Modern media has made this game more popular. At school level, it is also liked and played. As it is wisely said,

“Cricket is a gentleman’s game”.

It is very popular and enjoyed all over the world. It is my favourite game. I like it very much. I play it and like to see it being played either on the ground or on the television. This noble game is full of excitement, thrill, discipline, team- spirit, co­operation and hard work. As it is rightly said,

“Most games are skin-deep, but cricket goes to the bone”.

This is the most popular sports event in our school. The school teams including three inter board-selected players while The Model School comprised the best players of the city who had sound experience of cricket. Cricket brings many people closer to create harmony and peace. As it is wisely said,

“Cricket can be a bridge and glue.

Cricket for peace is my mission”.

Last Sunday, a very interesting and exciting cricket match was played between School Eleven and Model School on the ground of our school. On that day, our headmaster the staff, almost all the students, and a large number of old students were present. At 9:00 A.M., the match started. The captain of Model School won the toss and decided to bat first.

“Cricket was my reason for living”.

Waqas and Hashim opened the innings for Model School. Our fast bowler Majid opened the attack. He bowled quite fast but his length was quite erratic. The batsman hit him to the boundary twice. From the other end, Mohsin bowled the second over to Hashim. His very first ball uprooted the middle stamp. Spectators went wild with excitement.

“Cricket more than any other game is inclined

towards sentimentalism and cant”.

The next man appealed to be more confident. He sent the first ball to the boundary, over the head of the bowler. He flashed at the next ball and snicked it through the slips. However, the last ball of the over beat him and the ball went to the wicket keeper. At the other end, Majid proved very expensive. He conceded eighteen runs in the third over.

“Cricket is the greatest game that the wit of man has yet devised”.

Noveed, however, was in great form. In the first two hours, he claimed four wickets for forty-three runs. The other entire bowlers failed to get more than one wicket. The Model School declared had run up a respectable of 130 for five wickets. The next hour produced 80 more runs for the loss of two wickets. At the lunch interval, the Model School declared their innings at 230 / 7. Their captain, Zahoor Ahmad had played a great innings. He had scored 102 runs. As it is wisely said,

"I've never seen anything killed by a cricket ball before."

        After the lunch, our team went into bat. Our openers Aatif and Ajlal played steadily and scored sixty runs in the first hour. Then both were out in the same over. After that, a collapse set in and wickets began to fall at regular intervals. The score moved at a snail’s pace. Model School’s slow bowler, Asad was in a terrific form. No batsman could face him with confidence. The last eight wickets fell for only 120 runs. Asad claimed 7 wickets for 58 runs. As it is wisely said,

“Cricket is a game full of forlorn hopes

and sudden dramatic changes of fortune”.

        The supporters of Model School were very happy over their success. The spectators were happy too, for the game had been very interesting. Our team was not disgraced .They knew that they had lost to a better side. It was a friendly match which created excitement, thrill and peace among the students of both schools. As it is wisely said,

“If Satan had learned to play cricket,

the world might now be a better place”.