DCL Match 1: Stoners vs SRP XI

Brief Scores

SRP XI:                                                               5/176 in 20 overs

                                                                        Dinesh 45 (40)

                                                                        Rajnish 35 (18)

                                                                        Jaideep 26 (20)

                                                                        Sid 1/20 (3)

                                               

Stoners:                                                           87 all out in 14.5 overs

                                                                        Mustafa 46 (27)

                                                                        Rajnish 3/10 (3)

                                                                        Robinson 2/19 (2.5)

                                                                        Anuj 3/30 (4)

                                               

Man of the Match:                                             Rajnish (SRP XI)

Best Performer for Stoners:                              Mustafa

JOSH TALKS Impact Performer Award:            Dinesh

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

Dinesh and Rajnish Star in Emphatic SRP Win

This match, the first of the Delhi Champions League, kick-started tournament action in 2015. Stoners were coming back for their third tournament, while the SRP squad was partially drawn from the Flamin Starz team that finished runners up in the LiveSport Festival League. Stoners won the toss on a fresh and slightly damp wicket and understandably elected to bowl first.

SRP Openers JD and Dinesh Put On Solid Partnership

Opener Dinesh scored a solid 45

With the ball stopping on the surface a bit, Stoners expected to extract early advantage. However, that hope never materialized. Openers JD and Dinesh began watchfully, waiting for loose balls and capitalizing on whatever opportunities were presented. Opening seamer Shreyans in particular was guilty of erratic bowling. He generally bowls his gentle medium pacers just short of a driving length, but he erred on both sides this morning.

Dinesh lofted a full ball for a straight six in the 2^nd over, before dispatching a short and wide delivery for four over cover. In the 6^th, JD swung two successive straight sixes off full deliveries. Left-arm seamer Rakesh, steady and brisk as usual from the other end, was unable to engineer a breakthrough either, and when JD pierced seamer Varun’s off-side field for a cover drive in the 8^th, 61 / 0 looked worrying for Stoners.

Leg spinner Sid finally picked up the much needed wicket of JD for 26, caught by Rakesh at long on off the last ball of the 9^th. A rapidly tiring Dinesh, however, kept out the effect of exhaustion long enough to whack Varun for a six over long off in the next over, before cutting Sid for another boundary. His solid knock of 45 was finally wrapped up by crafty spinner Mustafa in the 12^th over, as he walked out of his crease for a slog and was stumped by wicket-keeper Bhaskar. At 92/2, however, the later batsmen had the perfect launch-pad, and Manjeet and Rajnish played the kind of cameos the situation demanded.

Manjeet and Rajnish Cameos Lift Team to 176

Rajnish was the MoM for his all-round effort

Manjeet put together a string of boundaries between the 14^th and 16^th overs, picking Mustafa and Rachit through the offside twice each, even as the side lost another couple of wickets. Big hitting Rajnish, walking out in the 15^th with the score 113, contributed an invaluable 35 not out (18 balls). His rapid knock consisted of three lofty sixes in the last quarter of the innings.

Sidharth was dismissed by Rajnish for a boundary and a long off six in the 17^th over, and Mustafa copped the same punishment in the next. Agonizingly for the Stoners skipper, Sanit dropped a straightforward catch and Rajnish spanked a mid-wicket six next ball. 52 runs came off the last five overs as SRP XI finished at a challenging 176/5.

Stoners’ Top Order Collapse

In reply, the Stoners top order slumped to a rapid and total collapse, and even a fighting 46 from captain Mustafa – the highest score of the match – could not resuscitate the innings and thrust life into the run chase. Opener Akshar was the first to take the long walk back, run out off a suicidal attempt to get off the mark from a sharp push to Jaideep at mid on. Seamers Akki and Bangar gave nothing away in the opening spell, bowling a tight line, just back of a length.

Mustafa scored more than half his side's runs

The pressure of the stagnant scoreboard finally got to Sid in the 3^rd over, as he lifted Akki high but only as far as Bangar at mid off. Sanit slammed two emphatic drives to the boundary in the 4^th, before chopping Bangar’s last ball on to his stumps. The biggest blow of the innings came in the very next over as left-arm spinner Rajnish, introduced early, picked up the prized scalp of Ayush caught at deep cover. In the 6^th, Kartik lifted a soft catch to extra cover, leaving his side reeling at 26/5.

Mustafa Stars with Lone Hand

Stoners were so far behind in the game that attack was pretty much the only option left to Mustafa, and he delivered a stinging counter-strike, which, unfortunately for his team, turned out to be a solo act. Dinesh was knocked back for a boundary and a six, both in the mid-wicket region, in the 8^th over, before Mustafa smoked an off-drive for four and a straight six off Robinson in the next over. In two overs the skipper had nearly doubled his team’s total, and Stoners went into the halfway mark at 68/5, with some hope restored.

All-round Star Rajnish Dismantles Counterattack

Rajnish pegged the opposition back immediately, however, picking up Bhaskar and Shreyans off consecutive deliveries in the 11^th, both caught by Dinesh at cover off loose shots. Mustafa fought on valiantly before he was finally the 8^th batsman to be dismissed, caught at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Balle in the 14^th over. That proved to be the final nail in the coffin as the batting side capitulated for 87 in the very next over.

Rajnish was the obvious choice for the Man of the Match, with his outstanding bowling figures of 3 – 0 – 10 – 3, and his belligerent 35 not out. For team Stoners, Mustafa’s batting easily made him the best player.