Once upon a time, there was a movie made about bunch of cricketers who struggled in a match to remove their LAGGAN (Govt. Tax) ….on only one condition …if they win ….or else ….face a triple LAGGAN. At the end of LAGGAN movie, the man batting at 11, a batsman with only “one hand” , stood on the crease to support his  other partner  ….and won the game on their last wicket partnership.

This movie of LAGGAN situation appeared to be the case when St. Catharines batsman Amit Sharma, batting at 11 with only “one hand” functional, walked up to the crease and saved the game as he formed…….. a 22 runs last wicket partnership with Rizwan Aslam. St. Catharines won the tense and pressure game ….which went to the wire …by one wicket. Sharma was a last minute inclusion in the team as St. Cath was having trouble raising a team of 11 on a Saturday league game scheduled to be played away at Hamilton.

Hamilton Colts won the toss and elected to bat first. Hamilton scored 147 runs in the span of their 34 allotted overs of batting, reduced from 40 overs due to rain fall interruptions. Ayaaz Ali batted very well for Hamilton and scored 59 runs. Imran Aslam (3 wickets) , Tawab Ikram (2 wickets) , and Ash Jhanji (2 wickets)  bowled well from St. Catharines and were the leading wicket takers.

In reply, St. Catharines batting line up looked very confident,  as they approached 83 for 3 with Imran Aslam and Ash Jhanji both batting in their aggressive 32 and 39 rune respectively. However, St. Cathariens middle and lower order batting collapsed…. brought the game to a strangle hold grips of Hamilton Colts. Hamilton could smell a sure victory when St. Catharines collapsed batting line up stood at 126 for 9 ….well short of 22 runs  !  That was when Amit Sharma with his left palm and arm fully wrapped up due to 18 stitches (4 inch wide and 1.5 inch deep cuts and chewed injury – a result of a Pitbull Dog Attack, occurred  2 days before the game) was asked to go in. Sharma, having the strength in only one right hand, faced the Hamilton Colts attack bowling with his other tail end partner Rizwan Aslam. They both fought hard every ball, played sensibility, managed the enormous  pressure …and at the end had the courage to save the game …while both young cricketers remained not out on the last wicket partnership of 22 most valuable and hard fought runs to bring the league game home for St. Catharines.

Well done boys.