Singapore wins Saudara Cup after four years!!
When the sun was setting around Bandar Kinrara on May 20th Sunday evening, there was history being made by the young Singapore team. Under the cosh for most part of the day, the Singapore team led admirably by Chaminda Ruwan won the annual Singapore-Malaysia “Ashes” by a slender margin of 27 runs – the exact number of runs that they led their Northern neighbours after the first innings.
To term the victory as a miracle will belittle the efforts put in by the red caps.
To call the game ‘lost by Malaysia, more than won by Singapore’ will only be telling half the story.
To call it a ‘come from behind victory’ will be pedantic and
To call that cricket is a glorious game of uncertainties will be clichéd.
I would like to call this a victory of self-belief, a victory of never-say-die spirit, a victory of a quiet belief that I could sense in the team as I boarded the bus on that rainy afternoon on 17th May at Kallang.
For detailed daily reports, check the following links:
Day 1: When Munish ruled!
Day 2: Suresh and Stumpings!
Day 3: Dreamy Dharmi!
Saudara Light List
For the statistically minded, Singapore won the game by 27 runs exactly the number of runs it scored as the first innings lead.
But in my opinion, the margin did not matter. The victory did. The manner of victory did. In reality, this team should have steam-rolled the Malaysian team which was short on experience and talent as well. Nine out of ten times, this team would have done that exactly. But this year’s Saudara edition was the tenth one. In cricket, as in life, you do not get what you wish for. Under those circumstances, one has to gut it out in the middle, roll with the punches, grab half-chances, convert opportunities and most importantly, NEVER SAY DIE.
When the sun was setting around Bandar Kinrara on May 20th Sunday evening, there was history being made by the young Singapore team. Under the cosh for most part of the day, the Singapore team led admirably by Chaminda Ruwan won the annual Singapore-Malaysia “Ashes” by a slender margin of 27 runs – the exact number of runs that they led their Northern neighbours after the first innings.
To term the victory as a miracle will belittle the efforts put in by the red caps.
To call the game ‘lost by Malaysia, more than won by Singapore’ will only be telling half the story.
To call it a ‘come from behind victory’ will be pedantic and
To call that cricket is a glorious game of uncertainties will be clichéd.
I would like to call this a victory of self-belief, a victory of never-say-die spirit, a victory of a quiet belief that I could sense in the team as I boarded the bus on that rainy afternoon on 17th May at Kallang.
For detailed daily reports, check the following links:
Day 1: When Munish ruled!
Day 2: Suresh and Stumpings!
Day 3: Dreamy Dharmi!
Saudara Light List
For the statistically minded, Singapore won the game by 27 runs exactly the number of runs it scored as the first innings lead.
But in my opinion, the margin did not matter. The victory did. The manner of victory did. In reality, this team should have steam-rolled the Malaysian team which was short on experience and talent as well. Nine out of ten times, this team would have done that exactly. But this year’s Saudara edition was the tenth one. In cricket, as in life, you do not get what you wish for. Under those circumstances, one has to gut it out in the middle, roll with the punches, grab half-chances, convert opportunities and most importantly, NEVER SAY DIE.
And they proposed that they would like to dedicate the victory to the two late Singapore cricketers who epitomised that spirit - Mr Sathivail and Mr Dennis Meyer.Congratulations dear young warriors in Red Caps! You definitely deserve the kudos that you will be getting for this great victory. Ensure that you bask in that glory and ensure that that handsome trophy donated by the non-benders from both sides of the causeway for a princely sum of RM 33,000 in 1970, stays with us for years to come!
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