DCL Match 4: Silent Assassins vs SRT XI

Brief Scores

Silent Assassins:                      7 / 160 in 20 overs

                                                            Rohan 68 (41)

                                                            Rahul Mathur 34 (31)

                                                            Kanwar 30 (16)

                                                            Sahaan John 2/26 (4)

                                                            Rahul Arora 2/31 (4)

                                                                                                                                               

SRT XI:                             2 / 164 in 16.5 overs

                                                            Sahaan John 58* (41)

                                                            Amit 32 (20)                                                      

                                                            Rahul Arora 28* (26)

                                                           

Man of the Match:                       Sahaan John (SRT XI)

Best Performer Silent Assassins:      Rohan

JOSH TALKS Impact Performer:       Kanwar (Silent Assassins)

Complete Scorecard:                   http://bit.ly/1EG6av4  

All-rounder Sahaan John Stars in Big Win for SRT XI

For the most part, this was an intense battle. Silent Assassins put up a serious fight for three-quarters of the game, but in the end they were over-powered by a stronger side. SRT XI struck the first blow when seamer Amit clean bowled Suraj Joshi in the 3^rd over. For the next 12 overs, however, Silent Assassins dominated the park with two aggressive partnerships.  

Rahul and Rohan Partnership Sets up Solid Base for Silent Assassins

Rohan starred with an excellent knock of 68

First, it was the left-right combo of Rahul Mathur and Rohan who put up 68 for the second wicket. Rahul began the onslaught with a straight drive and pull off his namesake Rahul Gupta in the 4^th over. Rohan joined the party in the next over with an exquisite cover drive off Amit, before knocking back off-spinner Sahaan John for two straight sixes in his first over. After 6, the score had motored on to 52 / 1.

Amit dropped Rohan at long on in the 7^th over, and the heavy hitting batsman made them pay. He launched Sahaan for another six over mid-wicket before left-arm spinner Anuj made matters worse for his side with a weak 9^th over. A meek full toss was bludgeoned for four by Rohan, and Rahul picked a full delivery over cover for six. Leg spinner Rahul Arora came into the attack in the 11^th, and immedatiely picked up the wicket of Rahul Mathur for 33, as Dinesh completed a brilliant catch at square leg, diving forward. However, the dismissal did not bring any change in momentum.

Rapid Kanwar Knock Puts the Assassins on Top

Kanwar (l) was the Josh Talks Impact Performer

Kanwar came out in an aggressive mood and put up a rapid 49-run partnership with Rohan. His quickfire 30 (16 balls) included 3 commanding sixes, all straight and mid-wicket. Rahul Gupta took serious punishment in the 14^th, as Kanwar launched a six before rocketing a ‘tracer bullet’ boundary past the bowler. Rohan then picked up two successive boundaries in the same over, completing 20 off it. The score sped up to 130 in the 15^th, with Kanwar’s 3^rd swing for maximum. Rahul Arora struck back to end Kanwar’s blitz in the same over, caught at long on. At 138 / 3 after 15, Silent Assassins looked good for nearly 200.

Spin Force Stalls Opposition, Puts SRT on Top

Sahaan, however, stalled them with his skill in the 16^th. Aditya helplessly played all six balls of the over dot, confounded repeatedly by the ‘doosra’. Gaurav had him clean bowled in the 17^th. Abhishek fared no better in the 18^th, playing out 5 dot balls off left-arm spinner Anuj. Finally Sahaan picked up a frustrated Rohan, stumped off the first ball of the 19^th. He had played a top knock of 68 from 41 balls, but was denied strike in the crucial late overs. Silent Assassins had lost all momentum, and in spite of two last over boundaries by Jatin, they closed at a disappointing 160 / 7. The last 5 overs had only yielded 22 runs.

Shivam and Amit Give SRT XI Positive Start

Sahaan (R) was the MoM for his all-round contribution

This was a manageable chase for SRT XI, and they were helped by some poor bowling early on. Seamer Kartik conceded a leg side delivery of a short ball followed by 5 wides in the 1^st over, and from the other end, Amit picked an Akhil full toss for four. Kartik began his next with another 5 wides, before Amit put away a short and wide delivery for four behind point. Medium pacer Rahul Mathur came on in the 5^th over, and was immediately dispatched for 3 boundaries, two of them classic cover drives first by Amit, then Shivam. Shivam, however, was out LBW in the same over, trying to work a straight delivery leg side.

Amit slammed Jatin for a straight boundary and six in the next over, before being caught two balls later by the safe hands of Kanwar at mid-off, off a mis-timed swinging drive. He had contributed a rapid knock of 32, and left SRT XI well placed at 66 / 2 after the Powerplay overs. Rahul and Sahaan both got off the mark with boundaries. The former placed a four past point in the 7^th, and Sahaan with a flick for six in the 8^th.

Sahaan and Rahul Seal the Game for SRT XI

Sahaan played nervously early on, trying to swing at everything. He got a lucky reprieve in the 9^th, with a simple catch spilled at long off. Both batsmen tightened up after that, content with knocking spinners Siddharth, Rohan and Kanwar for singles around the park.

Gaurav and Amit (l to r) were the most economical bowlers of the day

With 52 to get from 7, pressure seemed to be building on SRT XI, and seamer Suraj almost got the breakthrough in his first over, as Rahul swung barely past the reach of the cover fielder. As it often happens in T20 cricket, though, a couple of bad deliveries lifted all pressure and turned the game once and for all in SRT’s favor. The first of these was a wayward leg-side delivery  that sped away for 5 wides, and immediately after that Sahaan pulled a short ball for four.

Kanwar conceded two off-side boundaries in the 15^th, and both batsmen helped themselves to sixes off Rohan in the 16^th. Sahaan sealed the match and his fifty with a four and a six in the next over. Rahul ended with a stable 28 not out, and their unbroken 67-ball partnership had yielded 98. Sahaan walked away with the Man of the Match award for his all-round performance. For Silent Assassins, Rohan was adjudged the Best Performer, and Kanwar was awarded the Josh Talks Impact Performer award for his energetic contribution with the bat and excellent fielding.

On evidence of this match, SRT XI’s captain Gautam seems to have pulled off a master-stroke by picking up AV Group’s Sahaan John to his side for this tournament.