LFL Quarter-final 2: SRT XI vs Flamin Starz

Brief Scores

SRT XI:                                                  102 all out

                                                            Rahul 33 (29)

                                                            PK 5/11 (3.1)

                                                            Rajnish 2/17 (3)

                                                                                                                                               

Flamin Starz:                                        3/107 in 10.5 overs

                                                            Kaushik 42 (24)

                                                            Vivek 30 (20)

                                                                                                                       

Man of the Match:                                PK (Vedic Naturals)

Best Performer:                                   Rahul (SRT XI)

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

Leggie PK Dismantles SRT Batting, Sets Up Easy Win

After the Vedic Naturals v Star XI game, we expected this to be a more competitive encounter. Flamin Starz are tournament heavyweights, and at their best, SRT XI are a spirited, fighting unit. On this day, however, SRT were far from their best, and Flamin Starz shut this game out without ever needing to get into top gear.

Far from top gear, in fact, Flamin Starz began their bowling innings with all the intensity of a post-lunch stroll on a sunny holiday afternoon. After pocketing Sachin's wicket off the innings' second ball, Gurdeep and Dinesh went through the motions of their opening spell at pedestrian pace. To compound the lack of intensity, they sent down 13 wides and the fielders allowed easy balls through, including one through the legs. It almost felt as if the side was daring the SRT batsmen to come at them and wake them up. Rahul was the only one among the willow wielders who looked to take up that challenge, beginning his innings with a smattering of boundaries.

Rahul Gets a Solid Start

The Wizard of Spin!

He got off the mark with a flick for four in the 1^st over, before unraveling a cover-drive in the next over followed by a couple of perfectly placed cuts behind point. Anuj was encouraged at the other end, and launched Dinesh for six straight back down the ground in the 4^th over. When he was caught at long on off the bowling of Anjeev in the 6^th over, the team score was a fairly healthy 48. Rahul and Amit began their partnership on a promising note, and 61 / 2 in 8 overs could easily have ballooned to a healthy total. However, application was the need of the hour, especially since Flamin Starz had 8 overs of spin in the bag.

PK and Rajnish Destroy SRT Batting

Left-arm spinner Rajnish and leg-spinner PK, both veterans of the game, control and vary their pace expertly, and constantly prowl around the off-middle line, waiting for mistakes. As it turned out, the SRT batsmen made plenty for them to feed on. Rajnish picked up wickets off consecutive deliveries in the 9^th over, his first. Rahul was the first to go, his promising innings of 33 brought to an abrupt end off a mis-judged pull shot. The ball stayed low and rattled into his stumps. Ravi was caught plumb first ball, as he stayed back to a quicker delivery.

The floodgates were open and PK cashed in. He did what he usually does – choke the batsmen with his tight line, and deceive them with his lack of turn. 19 balls were all he needed to account for Amit, Shivam, Gaurav, Addy and Kartik (31 – 1 – 11 – 5). Three of these batsmen were clean-bowled, Kartik was out LBW and Gaurav was caught at point. The SRT innings folded up for a paltry 102 in the 17^th over.

Flamin Starz Complete Easy Chase

PK and Rahul, the Best Performers

The chase began with half the side feasting on lunch at the other end of the field, even as Kaushik (42) and Vivek (30) satiated their appetite on the offerings dished out by their disheartened opposition. With no target to defend, the bowlers could not exert any pressure at all, and over the course of their rapid 63-run partnership, the two batters set the fielders on a leather chase all around the park. Between them they got 12 boundaries and 2 sixes, and Flamin Starz completed the target in under 11 overs.

PK, after tearing through the SRT batsmen, was the obvious choice for the man of the match award. He is now the leading wicket taker of the tournament. Rahul, the only opposition batter to put up a defense, walked away with the Star Performer award from the losing side. Flamin Starz go up against Vedic Naturals in the semi-finals, and we are expecting an explosive encounter!