ICC vs Wayne State Unniversity (Trial Game 3)

Sunday, 29th April, 2001,

Halmich Park.

The ICC team won the much delayed show-down with the Wayne State University students in style. The match was reduced to 20 overs after both teams showed up almost an hour and a half late and the ICC itself playing with a depleted side after Bahauddin was held up due to some personal circumstances. However, his cousin Zubair, who was a loaner from the WSU students, filled in his shoes.

Shrini, captaining for Pradeep, lost the toss and WSU prompty decided to field first. Shrini using his authority to prove his capabilities, opened the innings with Makarand to give the ICC one of the best opening stands of the season so far. Both executed some breathtaking shots to post an opening stand of 70 runs in a mere 9.5 overs till Shrini holed out at mid-wicket in an attempt to further accelerate the score. Makarand, aided by the stylish southpaw Girish, added another 44 in 6 overs till Girish was declared lbw off a ball pitched outside the leg stump. Makarand was caught immediately after and Babu was bowled off the first ball to bring back the scare of a collapse. Sridhar however continued the assault aided by yours truly, Anil, Sanjeev and Anurag to post the score of 139/7 in 20 overs.

Yours truly took the advantage of Pradeep`s absence to open the attack and started with style to have an aggressive Sajjad caught behind off the second delivery only to be turned down. As many as three skiers went to the grass after that as 9 were scored in the first over swining the momentum in WSU`s favor. However, Anurag came in next to bowl Sajjad off his fiirst ball to put the heat back on. Yours truly bowled Imad in the next over after Imran got runout responding to a non-existant run to have WSU reeling at 14/3 in 3 overs. Anurag got Ashar next to have them at 20/4 in 4. Iftekhar, Akhtar and Tanveer carried the fight from there on The latter, especially, needs to be mentioned here as he nearly blasted his way through before an Anurag yorker got him. Sridhar got Akhtar caught and bowled, while Anil and Sanjeev executed a good caught behind to dismiss Iftekhar. The WSU team slid down from there to be bowled out for 94 in 15.4 overs.

Special moments:
a) Yours truly, going for a massive heave and missing, and walking off assuming a stumping
   with the ball well past the slip cordon only to be run-out by a direct hit from the slips.
b) Makarand judging and eyeing a catch very well with the sun in his eyes and looking down 
   with his hands on his hips as the ball came downwards to miss the catch.
c) Anurag bowling the opener off his first ball only to be no-balled for under-stepping.
   The decision was reversed and he got the wicket.
d) Two vital catches taken off no-balls.
e) Five sixes and six fours were hit. Makarand had 2 sixes and three fours, Shrini had one
   six, Sridhar had two fours and Tanveer had two sixes and a four.

Apart from a good batting display, the players exhibited a tendency to relax with the fall of a few wickets and this nearly cost the ICC the game. The outfield catching ability is still largely suspect and the need to overhaul the fielding will definitely be Pradeep`s biggest challenge.

The team also wishes Sanjeev a very Happy Belated Birthday and Makarand a Very Happy Birthday! We all wish them a long and successful life and of course, an illustrious 2001 cricket season.

SCORECARD

First innings:

139/7 in 20 overs 

Batting:
Shrini c Tanveer b Iftekhar 30 Makarand c Imaad b Rehan 55 Girish lbw Akhtar 11 Babu b Rehan 0 Sridhar notout 14 Mohan runout 3 Anil runout 0 Sanjeev b Tanveer 2 Anurag notout 2 DNB - Satish

Extras : Byes - 2, NB - 7, Wides - 10

Bowling:

O M R W Tanveer 4 0 21 1 Rehan 4 0 20 2 Jaffar 4 0 30 0 Imran 3 0 19 0 Iftekhar 1 0 18 1 Akhtar 2 0 13 1 Ashar 2 0 18 0

Second Innings:

94/10 in 15.4 overs

Batting:

Sajjad b Anurag 8 Ashar caught b Anurag 6 Imran runout 2 Imaad b Mohan 0 Iftekhar c Sanjeev b Anil 20 Akhtar c&b Sridhar 12 Tanveer b Anurag 24 Rehan runout 0 Syed runout 3 Jaffar lbw Anurag 1 Asad notout 2

Extras : NB - 5, Wides - 9

Bowling:

O M R W Mohan 2 0 13 1 Anurag 3 0 11 4 Satish 3.4 0 22 0 Sridhar 2 0 20 1 Anil 4 0 18 1 Babu 1 0 10 0

(Mohan Kamath)

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