Glenmore Cricket Club News story


Dan Brennan Blows Away Crown Cobras!

24 May 2015

On Saturday night Daniel Brennan was asked whether he was happy with how the ball had come out for him in his first game. "Nah, not really" was his reply. Surely he was feeling more satisfied after a startling performance at Riley Park on Sunday where he rewrote the Glenmore record books and blew Crown Cobras away with a devastating spell of 9 for 10!

Few could have ever played in a game quite like this. Only four batsmen making double figures. Ten ducks in the match. Nine wickets to one bowler. And a team rolled out for just 26!
It all sounds like non-stop chaos in the middle but in fact there was a long period of sedate, quiet cricket and it was in that slow period that Glenmore really managed to get a foothold in the game. But let's take things back to the start.

It was a bright, warm day for Glenmore's first game at Calgary's cricketing home, Riley Park. A few of the guys were nursing some aching limbs following the previous days efforts, while Adam Knox was looking and feeling far more healthy than 24 hours before! Glenmore won the toss and decided to have a bat. Whereas previous games this season have seen Mark Turner and Alex Storey get the team off to a pretty fast start, it much slower progress on this occasion. The pitch at Riley this year isn't as flat as it could be, and as always the long grass doesn't encourage too much traditional strokeplay. However, Turns still looked to take the initiative and managed to smack a few big shots to the fence. 

The Glenmore openers had negotiated the early exchanges well, which might explain why Crown resorted to trying to 'mankad' Turner at the non-strikers end. Unfortunately it was a moment that got a few tempers flared, and the game became a little feisty.

More importantly the very next delivery saw Storey given out caught behind to leave the scoreboard reading 26-1. Sharma and Bajwa were bowling well and run scoring opportunities were few and far between. It was obvious the Glenmore batsmen would need to work very hard.

Things did not go quite as planned though and in the 17th over Glenmore were struggling at 47-4. Turner had been caught at long off, Adam Knox had been run out trying to get back for a second, and Waseem Altaf couldn't resist having a swipe at Afridi's legspin only to be snaffled at slip.

Glenmore needed to play some conservative, sensible cricket and were fortunate to have two experienced campaigners in the middle...Jonathan Bray and Anjan Singh. Few Glenmore cricketers could have played more games at Riley Park down the years, and their calm heads proved invaluable as they set about rebuilding the innings. 

Together Jonno and Anjan put on 61 runs in 21 overs, easily the biggest partnership of the day and absolutely pivotal to get Glenmore back into the game. Surrounded by close in fielders, they concentrated hard to see off the Crown bowlers, all of whom were accurate. Anjan was the more aggressive of the two, twice managing to to swing the ball to the square leg boundary for some vital runs. With every over that passed, and every run that was scored, Glenmore inched closer to a position from which they could compete. In fact, at 108-4 with 12 overs left it was hoped an attack could be launched to get the score up to 160 or more. But, it was at that point that Anjan was dismissed for a superb, patient 32 from 83 deliveries. 

Unfortunately the remaining wickets fell for the addition of just another 9 runs. Jenkinson, Brennan, Reinhardt, Suki and finally Rich Harvey all perished to leave Jon Bray stranded on 22 not out (from 81 balls). The final four wickets went with the score stuck on 117. It was a disappointing conclusion to the innings following all the hard work and endevour shown by Bray and Anjan, but at least those two had given Glenmore a glimmer.
If Reinhardt's gazebo wasn't enough, Glenmore also enjoyed the luxury of a beautiful chicken biryani lunch courtesy of Waseem Altaf (with a little help from his wife). It was a magnificent feast that scored a definite 10 on the Lunchometer!
The food must have given the Glenmore boys a spring in their step as there was a noticeable feeling of positivity as they went out onto the field to defend their small total. That positivity went through the roof when the first ball of the innings, delivered by Brennan, swung back into the dangerous Afridi and wrapped him on the front pad. All the Glenmore fielders went up and immediately afterwards so did the umpire's finger. It was certainly a sign of things to come as Dan continued to pitch the ball up and swing it back late into the right handers. 

Looking at how Shahi approached his batting it appeared as though he'd learnt nothing from the Bray/Anjan partnership because there was zero patience on display. He tried to have a heave at everything, with every delivery looking like finishing him off. But, he was still there and at the non-striker's end for the fifth over, which proved to the one that absolutely turned the game on it's head. The first ball of the over swung back at H.Sharma and knocked out middle stump. The second swung back at P.Sharma and struck him infront of middle stump. Bang bang, and Dan was on a hat trick. U.Khan came out to face the music, played and missed at a few and then had a hoik at a length ball and edged through to Storey's gloves. Three gone in the over, Crown teetering at 9-4 and Glenmore fired up!

Amazingly Dan's next over started just like the last! Shahi decided he wouldn't change his methods despite his side being in a hole and hit the first delivery straight to Suki at mid-off. It was back to the usual mode of dismissal next ball as Dan pitched it up, it snaked back late and hit the skipper Salman Khaliq flush on the toe. Another huge appeal and another raising of the finger! A hat-trick for Dan spread over two overs. 6-14 and all six wickets gone to Dan Brennan.

Dan only joined the club two weeks earlier, keen to play some cricket during his Summer stay in Calgary. A few overs in an inter-club game on Wednesday, and now he was dismantling the Crown batting order with a sustained spell of perfect left arm swing bowling.

Any hopes of Dan claiming all ten wickets were lost in the 8th over when Mark Turner hit a perfect length on off stump. The ball leaped off a length, hit the Sami Choudhry's glove and looped to gully when Waseem took a smart catch moving forward.

With Glenmore on the brink of a famous victory you could understand if they took their foot off the gas a little, but it certainly wasn't the case. Dan sure wasn't doing anything differently when he got the ball in his hands again, and for a third consecutive over he was on a hat-trick by the third delivery of the over. First ball Muneeb Cheema tried to go over the top and Suki took a good catch running round from mid-ff. Second ball Bajwa was clean bowled. Nine wickets down and Glenmore were going nuts!

Quite rightly it was left to Dan Brennan to wrap things up, taking the final wicket with yet another searing inswinger that gave him his fourth lbw, and ridiculous figures of 5.2 overs, 2 maidens, 10 runs and 9 wickets!
Crown Cobras were all out for 26 in 10.2 overs. Six ducks filled their scorecard. 
It was an astounding win for Glenmore and spoke volumes of their spirit. Huge credit must go to Jon Bray and Anjan Singh, but it was Dan Brennan who was the undoubted hero. Back-to-back wins, and a return to the top of the table.

Massive thanks to everyone who came along to lend their support (Lisa, Annaliese, Farid, Robbo, Greg, BJ, Rebecca, Martyn, Sherj, Terry and 'Schubacher')...it's very much appreciated.

In the pub afterwards Dan came up with with another interesting quote..."I'm actually more of a batsman than a bowler"!!! Who knows what the next match report might have in store!