Jaise filmon mein hota hai, waise hi drama tha Kia Oval pe – Chris Jordan ne aakhri ball pe boundary thok ke Kent ke muh se jeet cheen li. Lekin thodi der ke liye socho, yeh Kent ke liye kitna bura laga hoga? Itni mehnat, itna paseena, aur fir bhi haath khali! 171/7 ka score banaya, Joe Denly ne 40 run thoke, aur Wes Agar ne 3/26 ke saath Surrey ke batsmen ko pareshan kiya, fir bhi haar. Yeh cricket hai, ya koi dil todne wala reality show?
Ab thodi baat Kent ki. Yeh team bhi koi chhoti-moti nahi hai, bhai. Zak Crawley, Daniel Bell-Drummond jaise naam hain, jo kabhi bhi match palat sakte hain. Yaad hai 2023 ka woh T20 match jab Kent ne Hampshire Hawks ko 8 wickets se dhoya tha? Crawley ne 75 run mare the 43 balls pe, aur Bell-Drummond ne 61 run ka saath diya. Aisa laga tha jaise Kent kisi bhi team ko hara sakti hai. Lekin Surrey ke saamne, woh jadoo kahan chala gaya? Daniel Bell-Drummond aur Tawanda Muyeye ne shuruat toh zabardast ki thi, 46 run jod diye 5 overs mein, lekin Jordan ke ek short ball ne sab kuch badal diya. Bell-Drummond out, aur wahan se Kent ka momentum dheema pad gaya.
Fir bhi, Kent ke liye ek chhoti si khushi thi – Joe Denly. 40 run banaye 22 balls pe, aur ek waqt aisa laga ki woh Kent ko 180 ke paar le jayenge. Denly ne Dan Worrall ke against teen chauke mare aur Nathan Smith ke ek over mein teen chhakke lagaye. Yeh wahi Denly hain jo 2018 mein Kent ke liye ek match mein 102 run bana chuke hain Essex ke khilaaf, jab koi aur batsman 30 bhi nahi paar kar saka tha. Aisa player jab form mein ho, toh dil khush ho jata hai. Lekin Jordan ne firse apna jadoo dikhaya, Denly ko caught behind karwaya, aur Kent ka sapna toot gaya.
Ab Surrey ki baat karte hain. Haan, yeh team badi hai, paisa hai, star players hain – Jason Roy, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan. Roy ne 56 run banaye 30 balls pe, aur Laurie Evans ne 46 run 29 balls pe. Dono ne chase ko sambhala jab Surrey 109/5 pe thi. Evans toh waise bhi clutch player hain – yaad hai 2022 ka Hundred final jab unhone Invincibles ke liye 67 run banaye the? Aise hi, is match mein bhi unhone Tom Rogers ke ek over mein do chauke mare, aur Surrey ko jeet ke kareeb le gaye. Aur Jordan? Woh toh Superman the – 4 wickets liye 10 run deke, aur fir bat se match khatam kiya. X pe toh fans pagal ho gaye, koi likh raha tha “Jordan is a legend!” aur koi bol raha tha “Evans ne match bacha liya!”
Lekin ek baat toh banta hai – Kent ne Surrey ko khoob takkar di. Wes Agar ne Roy aur Curran ko ek hi over mein out kiya, aur Grant Stewart ne Tom Curran ko run out kar diya. Ek waqt toh aisa laga ki Kent jeet jayega. Agar Matt Parkinson ke aakhri over mein Kent ke fielders thodi aur tez hoti, ya agar woh overs time pe khatam kar lete, toh shayad baat alag hoti. Kent ke fans X pe bol rahe the, “Humne dil se khela, bas luck nahi tha.” Aur yeh baat dil ko chhoo jati hai.
Cricket ka yeh husn hai – kabhi dil jeet leta hai, kabhi tod deta hai. Jaise 2003 mein Surrey ne T20 Cup jeeta tha Adam Hollioake ki captaincy mein, aur fir 20 saal tak woh khushi nahi mili. Waise hi, Kent ke liye bhi ek din aayega jab woh bade stage pe chamkenge. Lekin abhi ke liye, Surrey ke fans party kar rahe hain, aur Kent ke fans soch rahe hain – “Aur kitna intezaar?” Yeh match ek yaadgaar kahani thi, lekin Kent ke liye ek aur miss hua mauka. Agli baar, shayad Kent ka din ho. Ya fir cricket ka yeh drama firse kisi aur ka dil todega.
