Faculty Cricket - Staffs Masters Tapeball Twenty Twenty

FCET MSc students have a tradition of playing cricket as a counterpoint to their studies and
this year saw the start of the Staffs Masters Tapeball Twenty Twenty SMasTT a game loosely based on 20-20 cricket. 

Each game lasts for 20 balls(!!!!) rather than 20 overs so this really is fast and furious using a taped tennis ball to lower the bounce and enhance the swing whilst removing the physical danger. 

Each team member (except the wicket keeper) bowls 4 balls and, played on a small area such as a tennis court, runs are scored for hitting walls/fences as well as by running.

Bonus points were scored for totalling more than 50, for bowling the opposition outor for winning in fewer than 16 balls.

There were seven six-a-side teams, Lahore Badsah, Stafford Rockers , Deccan Chargers, Princeton Rules, Sixsters , Tamil Titans, Blue Bloods and after two enjoyable weeks of rounds the final had to  be postponed from 13 May until 3rd June due to typical English summer weather and impending exams.

After almost 7 days of warm sunny weather,  it was finals day under grey skies and in a strong chilly breeze- less Caribbean and more Siberian!

With very little separating them in the points table  Lahore Badshah met Deccan Chargers (not the real ones!) in the winner-takes-all final.

Chargers batted well and definitely learned from the hard times Lahore had fielding on the larger area we used for the final. 

Final result- Deccans won by 22 runs after a hard-running 57-3.

Play resumes in September!