Gloucestershire ka T20 Blast title defence ek baar phir se dhool chat raha hai! Tribe aur Kellaway ke spin jaal mein fasne ke bawajood, Bristol mein Glamorgan ne 40-run ki shandaar jeet haasil ki. Ye koi naya tamasha nahi hai – defending champions ka yeh haal aksar hota hai jab pressure unke sar pe chadhta hai. Par kya sach mein Gloucestershire itna hi bebas hai, ya is haar ke peeche kuch aur kahani chhupi hai? Chalo, thodi si khoj karte hain, aur dekhte hain ki is match mein kya hua, aur kya isse koi badi ummid jag sakti hai.
Glamorgan ke spinners Mason Crane aur Imad Wasim ne Gloucestershire ke batsmen ko aisa nachaya ki woh apne hi pairon pe khud gir pade. Crane, jo ek waqt England ke liye Test khel chuka hai, ne apni googly aur flight se Gloucestershire ke middle order ko pareshan kiya, jabki Imad ke tight overs ne run-rate ko rok diya. Glamorgan ke 189/6 ke jawab mein, Gloucestershire ke batsmen bas 149 pe hi simat gaye. Ollie Price (42) ke alawa koi bhi batsman unki bowling ke saamne tik nahi paya. Yeh wahi Ollie Price hai jiska naam County Championship mein 253 not out ke liye ghooma tha Lancashire ke khilaaf, par yahan T20 ke chhote format mein unka jadoo kaam na aaya.
Ab thodi si baat Glamorgan ki. Ben Kellaway, yeh 21 saal ka all-rounder, na sirf bat se (53 runs) balki apni ambidextrous bowling se bhi chhaya raha. Woh ek aisa khiladi hai jo right-arm off-spin aur left-arm orthodox dono daal sakta hai – aisa talent jo Covid lockdown ke dauraan usne khud seekha! Asa Tribe ne bhi 63* (28 balls) ki shandaar innings kheli, aur unka yeh aggressive andaaz Glamorgan ke liye game-changer bana. Yeh wahi Tribe hai jisne Kent ke khilaaf 94 run banaye the County Championship mein, aur Kellaway ke saath unki partnership (133 runs) ne Glamorgan ko us match mein bhi mazboot kiya tha. Ajeet Singh Dale ke 3/17 ke bawajood, Gloucestershire ke bowlers Glamorgan ke in do jawaan khiladion ke saamne bebas dikhe.
Par yeh match sirf ek haar ya jeet ki baat nahi hai. Gloucestershire ke liye yeh ek aaina hai jo unhe apni kamzoriyan dikhata hai. Defending champions hone ke bawajood, unka T20 Blast campaign ab tak ekdum suna hai – Hampshire ke khilaaf bhi woh sirf 119 pe all out ho gaye the. Yeh team, jo ek waqt Mark Alleyne ke netritva mein one-day cricket ka badshah thi, ab apne khiladion ke chhote-chhote contributions pe nirbhar hai. Cameron Green, jo Australia ka bada naam hai, ne County Championship mein Gloucestershire ke liye teen centuries banayi, par T20 mein woh bhi koi kamaal nahi dikha paye.
Ab thodi si baat ummid ki. Gloucestershire ke liye sab khatam nahi hua hai. Todd Murphy, Australia ka young spinner, ab team ke saath jud chuka hai, aur uska County Championship mein aana shayad team ko ek naya boost de. Murphy ne Australia ke liye 7 Test khele hain, aur 2023 Ashes ke Oval Test mein 6 wickets bhi liye the – yeh wahi mauka hai jahan usne England ke batsmen ko pareshan kiya tha. Agar woh T20 mein bhi apna jadoo chala sake, toh Gloucestershire ke liye ek naya daav khel sakta hai. Iske alawa, D’Arcy Short jaise explosive batsman ka team mein hona bhi ek bada advantage hai. Short ka T20 record (Big Bash League mein 2000+ runs) batata hai ki woh ek akela match palat sakta hai.
Par yeh sab ummidein tab hi kaam aayengi jab Gloucestershire apne core ko mazboot karega. Team ke bowlers, jaise Josh Shaw aur Dominic Goodman, ko ab bade clubs ke haathon chhina jaane ka dar hai, kyunki English cricket ke transfer window mein inki demand badh rahi hai. Yeh ek chhoti si county ke liye badi chunauti hai, jo apne khiladion ko bade paison ke aagey rokhne ke liye sangharsh karti hai. Surrey aur Lancashire jaise bade clubs inke talent pe nazar rakhe hain, aur agar Gloucestershire apne squad ko nahi bacha paya, toh unka future thoda aur mushkil ho sakta hai.
Toh kya Gloucestershire apna title defence bacha payega? Filhaal toh yeh team ek chhote se gaon ke ush cricket club jaisi lag rahi hai jo apne purane dinon ki yaad mein jee rahi hai. Kellaway aur Tribe jaise khiladi Glamorgan ke liye naye sitare ban rahe hain, par Gloucestershire ke liye abhi bhi waqt hai apne aap ko sambhalne ka. Murphy aur Short jaise naye khiladi shayad ek nayi kahani likhein, par jab tak team ek saath nahi khelti, yeh kahani adhoori hi rahegi. Cricket ka yeh khel aisa hi hai – kabhi ummid jagata hai, kabhi dil todta hai. Gloucestershire ke fans toh bas yahi dua kar rahe honge ki agla match unke liye ek nayi shuruaat ho.
