The Final Match: Stoners vs CSCA

October 26, 2014. Our field was buzzing with anticipation and nervous energy. Players from both teams looked focused and determined, as they warmed up and discussed their final strategies. The most heartwarming part for us as organizers was to witness the passion for the game that these cricketers had brought to the field for the month-and-a-half of the tournament. 

Stoners in a huddle

Here are players who have jobs, commitments and families, and yet they dedicate every Sunday morning to cricket. This is why we love what we do!

Stoners won the toss and elected to bowl first. It was a smart decision. Bowling is their strength and they were banking on restricting Team CSCA to a manageable total. CSCA, on their part, have proved to be an adaptable side, and they are led expertly by Raman. They are constantly willing to alter batting and bowling orders, depending on the match situation and opposition.

Devender hit a rapid fifty

This time Devender and Rohit walked out to bat, and as expected left-arm seamer Rakesh, Stoners’ best athlete and quickest bowler, had the ball in his hands.

Devender punished a couple of boundaries in the first over and that set the tone for their innings. The two openers gave their team the best start of the entire tournament, putting on 97 for the first wicket in 8 overs. Devender raced away to 57 from 26 balls, before he was run out in the 9^th over. That brought wicket-keeper Bhaskar out to the crease, another solid batsman. CSCA were looking at 200 plus at this stage. However, the one thing we know about Stoners is that they fight, and it is hard to write them off. Left arm spinner Rachit came on to bowl and struck a double blow in the 10^th over, getting opener Rohit (38) and Sandy off consecutive deliveries.

Rohit on the attack

With 3 wickets out in quick succession, Stoners pulled the run rate back a bit, and CSCA started playing more cautiously. They still had enough fuel in the tank, though, for a final burst, and Bhaskar (33), Amardeep (23) and Ajay (23 from 14 balls) pulled them up to an impressive 188 from their 20 overs. Rakesh (0/23 from 4 overs) and Rachit (3/27 from 4) were the best bowlers for Stoners.

Stoners had their work cut out. They needed a big score from Ayush and fighting performances from the others. They sent pace bowler Rakesh out to open the innings with Akshar. They hoped that the left-right combination would throw fast bowler Abhishek’s radar off a bit. Abhishek had taken 4/9 in the group game against Stoners. This time the batsmen were prepared for his pace and he didn’t get those many wickets up front. Nevertheless, he kept the batsmen on a tight leash, and he finally sent Rakesh’s middle stump cart-wheeling in the 5^th over. This was an impressive sight! 

Abhishek, a genuine quick!

That brought Ayush out to the middle. He held the key to the Stoners’ innings, and as usual, his first few balls were likely to be his most nervous moments. Sure enough, Abhishek beat him outside the off-stump four times in his over. Left-arm spinner Ajay came on to bowl in the 6^th over, and after conceding a boundary, he too struck, with Akshar caught off the last ball. Stoners looked in serious trouble at 2 for 29 at the end of the 6^th over. But, crucially, Ayush was still there. His contest against Ajay was a highly anticipated one. These were the two front-runners for the Man of the Series award, and we knew that this would be the decisive moment of that battle.

Man of the Match Devender

Ayush, having seen off a few deliveries, smacked a six off Devender, and once again the ground was buzzing with anticipation. There was to be no stand-and-deliver punishment this time, however, as Devender had him caught in the deep in his next over. At 4/47, in the 9^th over, that sounded the death knell for Stoners. Ajay ran through the middle order once again, picking up Sumit, Mustafa and Kartik in quick succession, and no one offered any further resistance. Stoners capitulated to 90 all out in 14.2 overs. Ajay got 4/16 from 4 overs, and Devender got 3/36 from 4. Abhishek, impressive with his pace once again, bowled a miserly 1 for 10 from his 3 overs.

CSCA:                         6/188 in 20 overs

                              Devender 57 (26)

Rohit 38 (27)

Bhaskar 33 (22)

Rachit 3/27 (4)

Rakesh 0/23 (4)

           

Stoners:                      90 all out in 14.2 overs

                              Ajay 4/16 (4)

                              Devender 3/36 (4)

                              Abhishek 1/10 (3)

                             

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Devender

Stoners had lost the game, but they had reason to be proud of their effort throughout the tournament. They had a couple of crushing victories, and they had held their nerve and come through a tied game in the group stage. Ayush with 238 runs from 5 innings, including 3 fifties, was clearly the best batsman of the tournament. His imposing presence had given many bowlers lumps in their throats over the last month and a half. For future tournaments, Stoners need their other batsmen to make bigger contributions.

Bhaskar, the best wicketkeeper

All-rounder Devender, wicketkeeper Bhaskar, captain Raman, fast bowler Abhishek, and Man of the Series Ajay were the star performers for Team CSCA. Devender and Ajay, especially, are feisty competitors, and apart from their skill with bat and ball, they are smart cricketers who read the game well and are prepared to make rapid adjustments. As a team, CSCA were by far the best fielding unit of our tournament. They did not drop any catches to speak of, and wicketkeeper Bhaskar, who walked away with the Best Fielder of the Tournament award, impressed everyone with his technique and quick hands. Without his reliable presence behind the wicket, Devender, Raman and Ajay would not have picked up so many wickets. CSCA walk in as the favorites for the LiveSport Festival League, our white-ball T20 tournament that begins next Saturday. Good luck!

Semi-final Action!

And then there were four. After a month of thrilling action, the teams left standing at the final weekend of our 1^st LiveSport Open T20 Challenge were Vedic Naturals, Stoners, CSCA, and Globex International. Both semi-finals were lined up for Saturday, with the final match to be played on Sunday. This is where performances really matter, and we eagerly awaited 44 motivated players to take the field over the course of the day.

Semi-final 1: Vedic Naturals vs Stoners

On paper this was an evenly balanced game between two strong all-round teams.

Ayush smacking a six

Devraj, Cristy and Kuldeep from Vedic Naturals, and Ayush, Mustafa and Rakesh from Team Stoners held the key to their respective teams’ fortunes. Vedic Naturals won the toss and elected to field first. They started off on a good note too, with Arun picking up Kartik’s wicket in the third over. This brought Ayush to the crease, Stoners’ best batsman. We know now that Ayush takes a while to get going, and his first ten balls are his most nervous moments. Unsurprisingly, after 5 overs, Stoners were 25 for 1. In the 6^th over, this could have got worse – a lot worse – when Ayush spanked a shot straight down Kuldeep’s throat at long on. Kuldeep latched on to the catch, before, to the disbelief of his entire team, the ball spilled out of his hands. 

Was this going to be a costly miss? We all sensed the answer to that question, and Ayush confirmed the fielding team’s worst fears, belting 15 runs off the 7^th over. From there on, it was one way traffic, as the ball was carted all around the park and into adjoining properties. Ably supported by Akshar (36) and Sumit (37 not out), Ayush belted a rapid 79 off 41 balls, highlighted by 7 sixes and 7 fours. Stoners ended their innings at an impressive 189 for 5.

Cristy looks on

Vedic Naturals, and especially Cristy and Devraj, had their work cut out. Binoo and Ashwini were knocked out early by Sumit and Rakesh respectively, but the big blow was delivered when Mustafa came on to bowl the 9^th over. He had Cristy caught in the outfield off his first ball, and he got rid of NP Singh three balls later with a straightforward return catch. Kuldeep and Devraj put together a 46-run partnership to restore hope, but Kuldeep (24) and then Kapil (10) were both stumped off the bowling of Rachit. Then Rakesh came back to pick up the crucial wicket of Devraj (22) in his last over. This was the final nail in the coffin,

Rakesh set to deliver

and Stoners won by a comfortable margin of 36 runs in the end.

Stoners:                      5/189 in 20 overs

                              Ayush 79 (41)

Sumit 37*(24)

Akshar 36 (31)

           

Vedic Naturals:               153 all out in 20 overs

                              Cristy 27 (21)

                              Rakesh 3/17 (4)

                              Rachit 2/18 (2)

                             

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Ayush 

Semi-final 2: Globex International vs CSCA

We all expected this to be a really close game, but it turned out to be one of the most one-sided matches of our tournament. With this game, CSCA announced themselves as clinical performers par excellence and front-runners for the title.

Zubair in flight

Winning the toss and electing to field first, CSCA immediately handed the ball to Abhishek, their pace spearhead and easily the fastest bowler of our tournament. He wasted no time in delivering the first blow, as he got Deepak to nick one to the wicketkeeper of the second ball of the match. To our surprise, left-arm seamer Zubair came out to bat one down, and he has some skill with the bat. He used Abhishek’s pace and width beautifully, knocking him for four boundaries square of the wicket on the off-side. At 58 for 1 in the 8^th over, Globex seemed to be building a steady platform. However, off-spinner captain

Raman, bowling his second over, struck a double-blow. First he had Zubair out caught for 44, and he immediately followed it up with the wicket of Atul. Those two wickets triggered off the most sensational collapse of our tournament, as Globex slumped from 58 for 1 to 88 all out.

Ajay, chief destroyer with the bat from the previous game, wreaked havoc with his left-arm spin this time. He bowls a nagging

Pace and fire

line and length with a high arm action, and is very hard to take away for runs. In this game, one after another, batsmen tried to get him away for runs and perished in the attempt. Ajay ended up with the tournament’s first and only 5-wicket haul, with figures of 5 for 20 from 4 overs.

89 is no target for a good batting side, and the match was as good as over by the time CSCA came out to bat. CSCA knocked off the runs in 11.5 overs for the loss of 2 wickets, with opener Devender topping the run chart with 47 (33 balls).

Ajay sends a whizzer

He missed out on a fifty when he skied a catch to long on off the bowling of Manish.

Globex International:         88 all out in 15.4 overs

                              Zubair 44 (29)

Ajay 5/20 (4)

                              Raman 2/17 (4)

                             

CSCA:                         2/93 in 11.5 overs

                              Devender 47 (33)

                             

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Ajay

Finally, then, the tournament headed to its final Sunday and the two teams left standing were Stoners and CSCA. Both teams had taken contrasting paths to the

Devender prepares to hit

final, and they had already met once in the group stage. That had turned out to be a relatively one-sided encounter, with CSCA winning comfortably. Without doubt, CSCA were the stronger unit, but Stoners had proved to be resilient, and they were not to be taken lightly. We waited with bated breath. What was our final day going to bring?

The Eliminator Matches

The league phase over, we moved on to the eliminator stage – in other words, the business end of the tournament! We had a lineup of three exciting matches, with the three winners moving on to the semi-finals, where they would be joined by the best losing team (on points or Net Run Rate).

Match 1: Vedic Naturals vs Shekh Sarai XI

This was a highly anticipated game. Vedic Naturals has a strong batting lineup, led by opener-captain Cristy and their middle-order rock, Devraj. Shekh Sarai is a good all-round side, headed by opener-captain Digvijay, and Ajay (the Jacques Kallis of their team).   

Shekh Sarai XI won the toss and elected to field first, hoping to exploit early movement in the wicket. Cristy was not to be deterred, however, and he began by spanking two sixes off Anil Jha in the second over of the match. He looked in ominous touch during the powerplay overs, with 35 from 16 balls. But that is when Karamveer from Shekh Sarai produced a moment of brilliance. Cristy mis-timed a hoick over mid-wicket off the bowling of Anil Jha, and the ball skied towards the vacant field. Karamveer ran backwards from short mid-wicket, stretched out his arms, and took the most stunning catch of our tournament. Another wicket followed two balls later and Vedic Naturals looked in a bit of trouble at 46 for 3.

The two top performers of the match, Ajay (left) and Devraj

Devraj (59) and NP Singh (31), however, steadied their innings, and they set themselves up for a strong final punch, ending at an impressive 186 for 9. Shekh Sarai had paid the price for a number of dropped catches. Ajay (2 for 18 from 4 overs) and Anil Jha (4 for 30 from 4) were their best performers with the ball. In the chase, Team Shekh Sarai suffered an early setback, with captain Digvijay out LBW out in the second over of the match off Kuldeep. Vijayant (46) and Ajay (66) then made sure that no other wickets fell in the early part of the innings. The partnership was finally broken in the 10^th over, when Vijayant was run out. From their Shekh Sarai lost regular wickets, but while Ajay was there, they were still in the game. 53 were finally needed from 24 balls – a gettable target in T20 cricket. However, that is when they lost Ajay’s wicket – also run out for 66 (38 balls). That was the knock-out blow, and Shekh Sarai lost by 15 runs.

Vedic Naturals:               9/186 in 20 overs

                              Devraj 59 (39)

Cristy 35(17)

Anil Jha 4/30 (4)

Ajay 2/18 (4)

           

Shekh Sarai XI:               7/171 in 20 overs

                              Ajay 66 (38)

Vijayant 44 (36)

                              Kapil 2/29 (4)

                             

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Devraj

Match 2: Hindustan Tiles vs CSCA

This match-up pitted two teams looking to go all the way. Both are strong bowling and fielding sides, and they had won their matches by choking opposition batsmen. CSCA won the toss, and unsurprisingly decided to field first. They did what they do best – bowl a stifling line and length, and after the 6 powerplay overs, Hindustan Tiles were a mere 33 for 2. Sameer (32), Alex (39), and Ajay (22 not out) got together to revive the innings in the middle overs, but the bowlers all chipped in to keep the total down to a very manageable 139.

Ajay (right) receiving his award 

140 was not a big chase, but the best bowler of our tournament, left-arm spinner Sudesh Kumar ‘Billa’ choked the CSCA batsmen for air with his stranglehold of line, length and flight. With 4 for 15 from his 4 overs, he ran through their entire middle order. After 12 overs CSCA were down and out at 63 for 7. We all prepared for an early wrap-up. That is when Ajay walked in, and he was in no mood to quit. Much to our surprise, he was no tail-ender either. Playing predominantly with a straight bat and employing a combination of deceptive power and timing, he delivered one of the best single-handed match-winning performances you would ever see in T20 cricket. He scored 53 not out from 26 balls, featuring 5 towering sixes. He was ably supported by wicketkeeper batsman Bhaskar, who scored 46 from 43 balls. Crucially, one of Ajay’s maximal hits came in the final over, with 7 runs needed off 3 balls. CSCA sealed the game with one ball to spare, and their post-match celebration would have befitted a world-cup winning effort.

Hindustan Tiles walked away shell-shocked, and who could blame them!

Hindustan Tiles:              9/139 in 20 overs

                              Alex 39 (36)

Sameer 32 (23)

                              Chirag 3/30 (4)

                              Devender 1/16 (3)

                             

CSCA:                         8/140 in 19.5 overs

                              Ajay 53* (26)

Bhaskar 46 (43)

                              Sudesh ‘Billa’ 4/15 (4)

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Ajay

Match 3: Globex International vs Stoners

The quality of cricket had impressed us in the first two eliminators on Saturday, and we had much to look forward to in the final eliminator match on Sunday. Once again, these were two strong teams, powered by sharp bowling attacks. Globex International won the toss, and they continued our tournament trend of bowling first. We had noticed how heavily Stoners had relied on Ayush’s bat, and he once again held the key to Team Stoners’ innings.

Left-arm seamer Zubair began proceedings, and he delivered a blow with the first ball of the innings, clean bowling opener Shreyans. The killer punch came in his next over, as he knocked out Ayush for 4. From there on, Stoners never managed to gather any momentum, and they were bundled out for 106. In response, Globex International were 67 for 3 in 10 overs, and the match seemed to be a shut out. What followed were the ten most infamous overs of our tournament, and it is hard for us to explain what exactly happened and why. Globex had already qualified for the semi-finals, even if they lost the match, and it seemed like they took that statistic to heart. Opener-captain Faiz and Ajay gave up their intent to win and they finished at a shocking 98 for 4 from 20 overs. After much deliberation, Globex International was found guilty of deliberate negative cricket and unsporting conduct, and as per ICC rules, captain Faiz was banned for one game.

As organizers, we hope never to see a repeat of such cricket at our tournaments, and if a team is found guilty of deliberately losing a game, the organizers commit to taking strong action.

Stoners:                      106 all out in 18.5 overs

                              Zubair 3/13 (4)

                             

Globex International:         4/98 in 20 overs

LiveSport T20 Challenge Edition 1: Points Table

Team                           P     W      L     NRR      Pts

Group A

Globex International           3     3      0    +1.949    6
Vedic Naturals                 3     2      1    +1.212    4
Foreway                        3     1      2    -1.788    2
DIT                            3     0      3    -1.340    0

Group B

CSCA                           3     2      1    +0.947    4
Stoners                        3     2      1    +0.513    4
West Warriors                  3     1      2    +0.300    2
Invincible XI                  2     1      2    -2.455    2

Group C

Shekh Sarai XI                 3     3      0    +1.126    6
Hindustan Tiles                3     2      1    +1.739    4
SRT XI                         3     1      2    -0.586    2
Delhi Donuts                   3     0      3    -2.593    0

Matches

Match 1: DIT lost to Vedic Naturals by 8 wickets

Match 2: Globex International beat Foreway by 8 wickets

Match 3: West Warriors beat CSCA by 12 runs

Match 4: Globex International beat DIT by 8 runs

Match 5: Globex International beat Vedic Naturals by 4 wickets

Match 6: Foreway beat DIT by 3 wickets

Match 7: Hindustan Tiles beat SRT XI by 32 runs

Match 8: Shekh Sarai XI beat Delhi Donuts by 7 wickets

Match 9: Stoners beat West Warriors on Bowl-out (Match was tied)

Match 10: CSCA beat Invincible XI by 3 wickets

Match 11: Invincible XI beat West Warriors (Walkover)

Match 12: CSCA beat Stoners by 6 wickets

Match 13: Vedic Naturals beat Foreway by 52 runs

Match 14: SRT XI beat Delhi Donuts by 3 runs

Match 15: Shekh Sarai XI beat Hindustan Tiles by 3 wickets

Match 16: Stoners beat Invincible XI by 76 runs

Match 17: Hindustan Tiles beat Delhi Donuts by 7 wickets

Match 18: Shekh Sarai XI beat SRT XI by 5 runs

Final Weekend of the League Phase

The final weekend of the league phase had an enticing line-up of 3 matches – Stoners vs Invincible XI, Delhi Donuts vs Hindustan Tiles, and Shekh Sarai XI vs SRT XI. All 6 teams were still in the fray, and we were looking forward to some close and exciting encounters!

Saturday: Stoners vs Invincible XI

The final game of group B was a straight knock-out. Both teams were locked on 2 points each, and the winner would join CSCA in the eliminator stage. Invincible XI won the toss and chose to field first.  

Ayush the Man of the Match

Openers Sandy and Akshar gave Stoners a steady start, putting on 32 from the first 4 overs. However, in the fifth over of the innings, Invincible XI delivered their first and, as it turned out, only punch of the match.  Ashish picked up Akshar’s wicket, and that brought Ayush to the crease. Ayush is a batsman with a calm and imposing presence and massive power. He had a fifty from his first game, and as he slapped 2 boundaries from his first 4 balls, he looked focused and threatening. Invincible XI knew they had to get him early. They could not, and what followed was absolute carnage. Ayush hammered 83 not out from 45 balls (the highest score of the tournament) and towards the end of the innings, he was joined by Sid, who blasted 39 from 15 balls. Stoners got 90 from their last 6 overs to end up with an impressive 197/5.

For a relatively weak batting line-up this chase was next to impossible, and Invincible XI never looked like they were in the game. Manish (25) and Yatin (20) put up a brief resistance, but ultimately Invincible XI were bowled out for 121 from 18 overs. Stoners captain Mustafa topped the bowling charts with 4/21 from his 4 overs. There was absolutely no doubt as to who the SPARTAN Man of the Match was going to be!

Stoners:                      5/197 in 20 overs

                              Ayush 83* (45)

                              Sid 39* (15)

Vikas 3/39 (4)

           

Invincible XI:                121 all out in 18 overs

                              Manish 25 (13)

                              Mustafa 4/21 (4)

                              Varun 2/19 (3)

                             

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Ayush

Sunday: Delhi Donuts vs Hindustan Tiles

The Group C scenario was complicated, with all four teams still in with a chance to qualify. Delhi Donuts had to beat Hindustan Tiles by a big margin, and then hope that Shekh Sarai beat SRT XI. Delhi Donuts won the toss and elected to bat first. However, as it often happens in a do or die encounter, this one turned out to be an anti-climax.

Sudesh from Hindustan Tiles

Opener Rahul was the only one who put up some runs on board with 31 from 24 balls. The rest of the batsmen walked in and out in rapid succession, as the entire team was bowled out for 69, the tournament’s lowest total. Sudesh ‘Billa’ (4/15 in 4 overs) and Bunty (3/22 in 4 overs) were the chief destroyers. Hindustan Tiles had to chase the score in 9 overs to be guaranteed qualification, irrespective of next match’s result. That they did easily, knocking off the target in 8.4 overs. The man of the match without any doubt was left-arm spinner Sudesh.

Delhi Donuts:                 69 all out

                              Rahul 31 (24)

                              Sudesh ‘Billa’ 4/15 (4)

                              Bunty 3/22 (4)

                             

Hindustan Tiles:              3/75 in 8.4 overs

                              Sachin 26 (25)

                              Sameer 18* (7)

Prateek 2/31(3.4)

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Sudesh

Sunday: SRT XI vs Shekh Sarai XI

The excitement that was missing from the first two games of the weekend, was delivered in some style in the tournament’s final league game that pitted two evenly matched teams against each other. SRT XI had a win and a defeat from their first two games, and Shekh Sarai XI had 2 wins. Hindustan Tiles had already qualified, and SRT XI had to win and win big, in order to knock Shekh Sarai out. Shekh Sarai XI won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to put up a big total and shut out the game.

Paras the Man of the Match

Opener and captain Digvijay was a crucial performer for the batting team, and when Harshit knocked him out in his first over, it was a big blow for Team Shekh Sarai. The trouble was compounded when Akshar was sent packing by Dhruv in the 5^th over. Shekh Sarai were 27 for 2 at that point. Ajay and Junmeet, however, steadied the innings and bolstered the run rate. They both scored 37 each, and with small supporting innings from the rest of the batsmen, they took the Shekh Sarai total up to a fighting 162 from 20 overs. Siddhant (3/39), Paras (2/29) and Harshit (1/17) were the key bowlers.

Net Run Rate calculations followed as both teams waited anxiously. The equation was that SRT XI had to chase down the runs in 14.2 overs in order to qualify. In other words, they needed no holds barred hitting from ball one. However, at 23 for 2 from 4 overs, it seemed like another dull encounter was about to follow. Paras and Mohit Rawat had other ideas, however. With 140 needed from 62, they unleashed a deadly cocktail of power and timing. They put on 74 from the next 6 overs, and Gaurav, the top wicket taker of the tournament, was being carted all over the park for boundaries and sixes.

Unfortunately for SRT XI, though, with 55 needed from 21 balls, Mohit Rawat nicked one to the wicketkeeper. He was gone for 46. That knocked the steam out of the SRT innings, and although Paras fought valiantly for 64, SRT XI only managed to reach 137 from 14 overs. After fighting so hard this was a heartbreak, and although SRT XI needed just 26 from 6 overs to win the game with 7 wickets in hand, they ended up losing the match by 5 runs! Captain Digvijay (3/8 from 3 overs) and Karamveer (2/11 from 3 overs) bowled the final overs craftily. Paras from the losing side was our man of the match for fighting contributions with both bat and ball.

Shekh Sarai XI:               9/162 in 20 overs

                              Ajay 37 (30)

                              Junmeet 37 (24)

                              Siddhant 3/39 (4)

                              Paras 2/29 (3)

SRT XI:                       157 all out in 20 overs

                              Paras 64 (35)

                              Mohit 46 (26)

                              Digvijay 3/8 (3)

                              Karamveer 2/11 (3)

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Paras

LiveSport Open T20 Challenge, Matchdays 6 and 7

Matchday 6 started on a disappointing note, as the first match between Invincible XI and West Warriors was decided by a walkover. Team West Warriors could not make it to the ground, since a few of their players were unavailable. We used the match time for an open wicket practice session with Team Invincible XI. This turned out to be a lot of fun, and soon we were all set for the only match of the day – a group B match between Stoners and CSCA.

Match 12: Stoners vs CSCA

Both the teams had started of with a win on the previous day, and we expected this to be a close match. Team CSCA had other ideas, however.

Abhishek the Man of Match

Bowling first, they came with a genuine fast bowler in their team – Abhishek. He bowled a rapid opening spell, knocking out four Stoners batsmen in no time. At the end of the Powerplay overs, Stoners were staring down the barrel at 30 for 5. Things got a little easier, though, after Abhishek’s spell, and Ayush started to open his arms after surviving the opening burst. He scored an excellent 56, and managed to lead his team to a somewhat competitive 123 from 20 overs.

Stoners knew they would have to bowl well to make a match of this, and CSCA’s trouble chasing 99 the previous day gave them hope. There was to be no repeat of that performance, however, as openers Dinesh and Devender took the match away from their opposition in no time. Averaging 2 sixes every over, CSCA got one of the fastest starts of the season, and chased down the target in 14.2 overs. Dinesh scored the fastest fifty of the tournament so far in 18 balls! The man of the match deservingly went to Abhishek for his match-winning bowling

Stoners:                      123 all out in 19.5 overs

                              Ayush 56

                              Abhishek 4/9 (4)

                              Chirag 4/27 (4)

           

CSCA:                         4/127 in 14.2 overs

                              Dinesh 51 (18)

                              Devender 38

                              Mustafa 2/32 (4)

                             

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Abhishek

Match 13: Vedic Naturals vs Foreway

Saturday morning finally brought what T20 cricket is all about – runs! This match was a virtual knockout, with the winning team earning a place in the next round. Vedic Naturals batted first, and captain and opener Cristy seemed to have come all set for a slam bang performance.

Star performer Kuldeep

It was raining sixes everywhere as he blasted 81 from 33 balls. Kuldeep gave the innings a rocket boost towards the end, with 30 not out from 13 balls. The Vedic Naturals innings, that ironically began with a maiden over, ended at a whopping 229 for 4 from 20 overs.

Could this kind of a score be chased down? Top order batsman Sachin certainly believed so, scoring 78 from 39 balls. However, he got no support from the rest of his teams, and bowlers Arun and Rashid combined for 34 for 6 from 6 overs. That sealed the match and a place in the next round for Vedic Naturals. Cristy was the obvious choice for the SPARTAN Man of the Match award.

Vedic Naturals:               4/229 in 20 overs

                              Cristy 81 (33)

                              Kuldeep 30* (13)

                             

Foreway:                      178 all out in 20 overs

                              Sachin 78 (39)

                              Arun 1/11 (3)

                              Rashid 3/23 (3)

SPARTAN Man of the Match: Cristy

LiveSport Open T20 Challenge, Matchday 5: Down to the Wire!

Matchday 5 turned out to be the most thrilling day of our tournament so far. The day started on a damp note (literally), as the wicket was soft and wet in the morning. Misjudgment on part of the groundsman and a generous helping  of overnight dew were equally to blame. As a result, we had a delayed start. Thankfully we had two very sporting teams in West Warriors and Stoners. They waited patiently for the wicket to dry, and accepted our apologies. After that, it was all excitement!

Match 9: Stoners vs West Warriors

Stoners won the toss, and as expected, opted to bowl first. As the batsmen took guard for the first ball, we looked on anxiously. We hoped the wicket would play fair and true. Actually, it didn’t turn out to be as bad as we feared, and the ball started coming on to the bat nicely. In fact, the West Warriors batsmen, led by a fine 32 (27) by opener Ratul, put up a fighting 147/7 from 20 overs. Siddharth, with his crafty medium pace bowling, topped the bowling charts (18/3 from 3 overs).

Rakesh from Team Stoners

By the time the Stoners came out to bat, the day was crisp and the wicket was dry. However, they couldn’t cash in on that advantage, and their innings seemed shutout at 59/6 in the 10^th over. Angad was the chief destroyer with 3/11 from his 3 overs. However, that was where the action began! Powered by a strong 37 from pace bowler Rakesh, stoners fought back. Some wayward bowling helped their cause, and the match went down to the last ball. One wicket in hand, 5 runs to win, and everyone held their breath... Batsman no 11, Hemant was on strike. He swung hard and missed. Despairingly for the West Warriors, the keeper failed to collect the ball and it raced away for four byes! We had a tie – the first of our tournament!

As per our rules, the tie was to be decided by a bowl-out. Six players from each team got one ball each to hit a set of stumps. The team with more hits would win, and that team turned out to be Stoners, winning by a narrow 3-2 margin. It was a heartbreak moment for the West Warriors, and Team Stoners celebrated as if they had won the trophy!

Rakesh from Team Stoners was the Man of the Match, with a fine all-round performance (2/20 from 4 overs and a match-winning 37). Winning and losing aside, this was a day none of the 22 players would ever forget!

West Warriors:                7/147 in 20 overs

                              Ratul 32 (27)

                              Dhruv 28 (28)

                              Siddharth 3/18 (3)

                              Rakesh 2/20 (4)

           

Stoners:                      9/147 in 20 overs

                              Rakesh 37 (30)

                              Angad 3/11 (3)

                              Ratul 2/29 (4)

                              Akshay 1/22 (3)

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Rakesh

Match 10: Invincible XI vs CSCA

Invincible XI and CSCA had a tough act to follow as the second match of the day. However, this one also turned out to be a pulsating thriller. Who could have guessed that when Invincible XI was bowled out for 98, and in reply, Team CSCA was 33 for no loss in 2 overs. We thought we were all in for an early finish. Devender (3/9 in 4 overs) and Raman (3/11 in 4 overs) had combined beautifully to destroy the Invincible XI innings. Invincible XI, however, had other ideas, and they delivered their opposition and everyone on the ground the hard lesson of cricket – it’s never over till it’s over.

Devender receiving his award

Ashish (2/14 from 4 overs) took out the first batsman in the 4^th over, and soon after, Ankit (2/13) and Akshay (3/17) came on to bowl from either end. They are both clever off-spinners with variations in pace and a teasing length. Team CSCA took them lightly, and suddenly they lost their way. A procession of batsmen walked in and out in quick succession, and soon the team was down to 80 for 7. Unfortunately for them, Team Invincible XI dropped a crucial catch in the very next over, and Team CSCA finally scraped home by three wickets.

Devender was the SPARTAN Man of the Match for his stellar spell of 3/9 from 4 overs. What a day!

Invincible XI:                98 all out

                              Devender 3/9 (4)

                              Raman 3/11 (4)

           

CSCA:                         7/103 in 17.5 overs

                              Akshay 3/17 (4)

                              Ankit 2/13 (4)

                              Ashish 2/14 (4)

SPARTAN Man of the Match:     Devender