LFL Match 19: United Eleven vs Flamin Starz

Brief Scores

Flamin Starz:                                        7 / 260 in 20 overs

                                                            Kaushik 72 (27)

                                                            Himanshu 54 (24)

                                                            Anjeev 53 (28)

                                                            Kishore 2/37 (3)

                                                                                                                                               

United Eleven:                                      142 all out in 17.4 overs

                                                            Akshay 48 (38)

                                                            Kishore 42 (23)

                                                            Parveen PK 4/17 (4)

                                                            Gurdeep 2/19 (3)

Man of the Match:                                 Kaushik Gohain (Flamin Starz)

Best Performer United Eleven:             Akshay Raghav

Complete Scorecard:                            http://bit.ly/1Gif527

Flamin Starz Unleash Brutal Hitting, Seal a Place in Quarters

United Eleven showed a lot of spunk in their game against Amity, and in spite of their last gasp defeat late on Sunday evening, they arrived for this game knowing they had an outside chance to qualify for the knockouts. They arrived, sure enough, but they were never allowed to get going. With an intimidating display of destructive batting force, Flamin Starz shut them out without giving them as much as a sniff.

United Eleven were not helped by the fact that they were missing some of their key players for this encounter, including opener Varun, medium-pacer Tushar, and their captain Kamal. As it turned out, the batsmen would have been irrelevant anyway, since the game was as good as over by the halfway mark.  

Big-hitting Anjeev Gives Team Flamin a Rapid Start

The three destroyers (l to r) - Kaushik, Anjeev and Himanshu

Opener Anjeev gave them a taste of what was to come with a six over point in the first over of the day. The next over, however, yielded United Eleven’s first and only moment of the match, as Kiran trapped Naveen LBW playing across the line. Himanshu, the birthday boy and centurion from the previous game, joined Anjeev, and taking turns, the two batsmen produced bouts of heavy bombardment that never ceased during the remaining 18 overs.

Anjeev dispatched Kiran for two sixes in the 4^th over, then smashed another two off Kishore in the next. One of these just tipped over the fingers of long-on. Zainul came on for the 6^th over and immediately created a chance but watched despairingly as Anjeev was put down at extra cover. The opener was not to be deterred, however. A versatile batsman who blends his power and aggression with a stylish technique, Anjeev had measured up the bowling and made up his mind on destruction. He clubbed a four square on the off-side, and then reached his fifty with a powerful cut off Sumit in the next over. By now the score had raced along to 69 in the 7^th over. He was caught safely by Puneet, however, the very next ball off a mis-timed attempt to clear the long off fence.

Himanshu Takes Over

We gave Himanshu a b'day surprise!

Himanshu carried on from where his partner left, smoking a four and a six off Zainul’s next over and pulling the run rate above 10 an over after 8. The real nitro boost came in the next over, however. Jaideep began with a four and two big leg side sixes, and after he was caught at point off the fourth ball, Himanshu clubbed two further sixes. Twenty nine came off the over, and now there was no looking back. By the time Himanshu was trapped LBW by medium pacer Rahul in the 13^th over, the score had rocketed to 145 and he had contributed 54 in 24 balls. His departure was to be no relief, though, as Kaushik walked in next and unleashed a spell of heavy hitting that the bowlers are not likely to forget soon.

Kaushik Completes the Destruction

Kaushik combines exceptional footwork with timing but his most impressive asset is his bat flow. He plays straight and hits through the ball with a clear mind and a full swing of the bat. On the day he scored 72 in 27 balls, and his innings was powered by 7 scorching sixes. Twice he smashed a hat-trick of maximal strikes. The first of these came in the 15^th over, as he launched Sumit over the straight boundary off the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th balls of the over.

Kaushik after his innings

Dinesh added to the tally off the last ball, going over square leg and completing 25 off the over. Then in the 17^th, Kaushik delivered a boundary and another spell of 3 straight sixes. The over yielded 32 in all, including 5 wides, and the score now stood at an imposing 225.

In the four over spell between the 13^th and 17^th, Flamin Starz got 78 runs. Dinesh (25) and Kaushik were dismissed by Kishore off successive deliveries in the 19^th over but not before they had put on a partnership of 95 in 36 balls. PK closed the innings with a 17-run cameo off 5 balls, lifting the total to 260.

Akshay and Kishore Delay the Inevitable

Akshay, the Best Performer

The chase was never on, as seamers Gurdeep and Hoshiyar picked up Puneet, Rahul and Anil in the first 3 overs. All three batsmen were out caught trying to hit over the infield. Opener Akshay along with Kishore decided not to lay down without a fight, however. Playing in contrasting styles, they put together a rapid partnership of 82 in 44 balls. Akshay is an accomplished batsman with a compact technique, and his strokes to medium pace bowlers, especially his punches and drives on the off-side, are a coach’s delight. Kishore, on the other hand, waits for the right ball to plant his foot out and swing big. He hit four big leg-side sixes till he was bowled by Anjeev in the 9^th over for 42 (23 balls).

Leg-spinner PK Cleans up the Innings

Kishore’s wicket started a terminal slide, as PK picked up four wickets rapidly with his quick leg-breaks, including the prized scalp of Akshay (48 in 38 balls). PK is now the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 11 wickets in 3 games, and as yet no one has looked comfortable against his crafty changes of pace and precise wicket-to-wicket line-length. Kaushik, deservedly, walked away with the man of the match award, and Akshay was adjudged the best performer for United Eleven.

PK hands Kaushik the man of the match award