1-0 down in the series. Chasing 186 in Game 2. 5/41 after 7 overs. Season over. Unless you're the Cannons!
From this hopeless position on Saturday, Touseef Mahmood Fahim (72* off 37, 3x4, 8x6!) and Zeeshan Ansari (60 off 31, 5x4, 4x6) put on 123 for the 6th wicket off only 9.2 overs to steal a win from the jaws of defeat, a partnership that will be remembered for a long long time. Amazingly, we got the runs with 7 balls to spare having earlier had an asking rate of above 11. Earlier, Abhilash Chandran (2/27 off 3) and Shahdab Ahmed (1/27 off 4) were the best of our bowlers, while Fahim also chipped in with a wicket as Halifax Titans Cricket Club put up 6/185 off 20.
With the series back to 1-1, we had 30 mins to enjoy the miracle win before we had to get back to business, being sent into bat for Game 3. We fell to 2/27 in the 5th, but this time it was Grant Whitcombe, capping off a great individual season with 57 off 46, and rookie Glen Hook (51 off 35) putting on 88 in 9.5 overs to get us on top. More big hitting from Fahim (18 off 10), Zee (15 off 8 ) and Dhruv Mohta (14* off 6) took us to a very competitive total of 6/182 off 20, but one that would need a great bowling and fielding effort in gusty conditions.
Our bowlers been great in almost every game this year, and they provided one last effort. Daksh Talwar and Sunny Patel kept it tight early on, then Shadab and Abhi conceded only 45 runs off their combined 8 overs picking up a wicket each. With the required rate soaring, Titans had to attack, and Zeeshan put the final chapter on an amazing personal season by holding his nerve in the face of aggressive batting to take 5/17 off 4 overs - the first 5 wicket haul in club history, and what a time to do it. We ended up keeping Titans to 9/126, with a series of incredibly high intensity finally easing off as we could soak up the last few overs safe in the knowledge that the championship was ours!
Finally, Halifax Cricket Club has a trophy in its hands since forming for the 2019 season, and its the big one - HCL Division 1 Champions! Having earlier lost the Deo Cup on NRR by a handful of runs, and being well out in front on the standings table, it was a well deserved victory. Skipper Matt Webb has done a great job building a team that was able to bounce back from coming 4th last year, and when he lifted the trophy it was the culmination of a lot of work by him and the others who have been involved in creating the club over the last couple of years. The win belongs to all our players, and the wonderful supporters who have cheered us on all season, even on the windiest of days.
Game 2
Halifax CC 7/187 (18.5) (Touseef Mahmood Fahim 72*, Zeeshan Ansari 60, Glen Hook 31) def Hfx-Titans CC 6/185 (20) (Abhilash Chandran 2/27) by 3 wickets
https://cricclubs.com/NSCA/viewScorecard.do?matchId=434&clubId=7625
Game 3
Halifax CC 6/182 (20) (Grant Whitcombe 57, Glen Hook 51) def Hfx-Titans CC 9/126 (20) (Zeeshan Ansari 5/17) by 56 runs
https://cricclubs.com/NSCA/viewScorecard.do?matchId=435&clubId=7625
Halifax CC win the series 2-1!