The Union cricket team conceded yet another loss to the UAlbany team, and this time around, everyone collectively blamed the rain.
The club cricket team took a running start to this academic year, with a significant increase in their membership, and more frequent practices. So, with a fresh new team, the match with UAlbany was one that was highly anticipated.
As the team arrived in Albany, a slight drizzle overtook the pitch. However, both captains agreed to proceed with the match, seeing no hope of the weather clearing out. Union lost the toss, and it was decided that Union would ball first. The situation with the pitch, as Musa ’27 describes it, was “unpredictable and hard to gauge,” he goes on to say, “Because of the muddy conditions, the bounce and the swing of the ball left our bowlers in a conundrum”.
However, the bowlers rallied on, and the captain, Muhammad Farooq ’24, ended our innings with a hattrick, leaving the score at 110 for 8. Even so, lady luck didn’t appear to be on Union’s side this time, as the weather took a turn for the worse. The pitch lost all its bounce, and the ball started skidding, leading to many deliveries having to be repeated.
Lady luck didn’t seem to be on the cricket team’s side, because as soon as the opening batsmen walked into the pitch, the rain got worse. Still Nabeel Naqvi ’27 and Ansh Singhal ’24 put up a good fight, collectively coming up with 65 runs. Sadly, the pitch became impossible to play, leaving Union short of 20 runs at the end.
Syed Muhammad Ali ’27 reflects on the match: “Definitely, there were a few disagreements on the pitch, but cricket’s always a heated game, and we had a good time”.
A special mention to the cheer team that tagged along, who screamed and cheered on the Union players for the entire three-hour match. Sitting through the rain and the cold, Union’s spirit really shined through their chants.
Union hopes to welcome UAlbany on its own home ground next month for a rematch. Affan Amir ’26 remarks, “There were gaps in our strategy, but us Union students always have a way of coming back stronger, and we’ll be back better than before.”
