By Marcus Uhe
Calls to build Harman Sahota a statue at Berwick Springs Recreation Reserve are emerging on the back of the Titans’ opening bowler’s extraordinary performance against Fountain Gate on Saturday.
Sahota claimed a maiden 10-wicket haul to help his side to an incredible upset win over Fountain Gate in the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 3 competition.
Sahota claimed every wicket in Fountain Gate’s first innings, finishing with scarcely-believable figures of 10/28 from 17 overs in the 15-run win after bowling unchanged with opening bowling partner Ethan Marinic all day.
The Gators were dismissed for just 79, chasing 94.
Bowling with aggression and without fear in the face of such a huge challenge, Sahota, whose previous largest wicket haul was six, said he felt he was in for a good day early in his spell after addressing a lingering neck injury from the week before.
The magnitude of a 10-wicket haul, however, was still sinking in in the hours after the feat.
“I had an inkling throughout the innings but I was so focussed on trying to get these 10 wickets and wasn’t thinking about when I’d get that huge bag, I just wanted the team to get the 10 wickets,” he said.
“I keep replaying the moments – it just fell in the right places today and I got bang for my buck.
“I was trying to put the ball on a handkerchief, you could say, try to draw the error and bowl in partnerships with Ethan (Marinic) as well.
“I believe the wicket of ‘Jas’ (Jasdeep Singh), I’ve never bowled a ball like that before; shaping away and then cutting him in half.
“That was before drinks and I think there were three wickets to get after that, and I was believing that I was going to get 10.
“I’m really happy to get the win first and individual accolades can come later but I’m really happy with how we went as a team.”
His first spell lasted five overs on day one, when his two valuable wickets of Zaki Mirranay and Shantanu Gupta gave the Titans a slim hope heading into the second day.
On day two, he bowled 12 overs unchanged, taking 8/13.
He began day two by removing John Mirranay for 27 and ending a dangerous 42-run stand in the process that threatened to take the six points away from Berwick Springs.
With 16 required for the Gators at the beginning of the 44th over with two wickets in hand, Sahota struck on the first and last deliveries of the over to seal the incredible feat.
“When I got the first two last week and then got the first two early today as well, I felt like I was ‘on’; my body felt good, the rhythm felt good and everything fell into place.
“(Being ‘on’ is about) the rhythm and the control; bowling to where I want the ball to land and bowling to a plan, trying to work out a batter, where their strengths and weaknesses (are).”
When asked if he could possibly replicate the feat, he said an extensive review into his pregame routine from this morning was already underway.
“We spoke about it at the end of the game, I sat in a different spot in the changerooms today, so I’m definitely not going to change that from now-on, that’s going to be my spot.
“I’m going to stick to that and hopefully try to get, if not, similar rewards when we’re out at Berwick Springs.
“I’ve got the match ball and I’ll be holding onto it forever.”
