DCL Match 24: Yes Bank vs Stoners

Brief Scores

Yes Bank:                           4 / 101 in 15 overs

                                                            Deepak Yadav 40* (31)

                                                            Rachit 2/29 (3)

                                                            Varun Mishra 1/13 (3)

                                                                                                                                   

Stoners:                                  3 / 79 in 8.1 overs (target 75 in 11 overs)

                                                            Shreyans 27 (9)

                                                            Dixit 1/10 (2)

                                                                                                                                   

Man of the Match:                         Shreyans (Stoners)

Best Performer Yes Bank:              Deepak Yadav

Complete Scorecard:                 http://bit.ly/1DAvx1t

Rain Crashes the Party, Unable to Derail Stoners Win

Judging by the repeated showers that threatened to jeopardize this game till the very end, the weather gods might have a sense of humor that is decidedly wicked. On either side of one serious downpour, we had several 10-minute bursts of rain.

Deepak played a fluent innings for Yes Bank

The covers were dragged on and off enough times to work us up a serious sweat. The game was completed, however, largely thanks to two very cooperative teams and the ‘magic’ grass of our lush outfield that laps up rain water in a matter of minutes.

In spite of the delays and pauses, the action on the field was intense. Yes Bank elected to bat and Ajay and Manik got them off to a solid start. Amidst tight bowling, Manik cracked a couple of square drives to the fence off left arm seamer Rakesh and Ajay also helped himself to a couple at the other end to push the score up to 23 in four overs.

Stoners owed their first breakthrough in the 5^th to the sharp hands of wicket-keeper Bhaskar, who moved with lightning speed to collect a Shreyans wide down the leg side and whip the bails off, as Manik lost his balance and dragged his back foot out of the crease. Ajay followed his opening partner to the dugout in the 8^th, clean bowled by Seamer Varun. By this point, though, the side’s best batsman Deepak Yadav was well set and he proceeded to construct his most fluent innings of the tournament. 

Varun was the Most Economical bowler of the day

Deepak’s a busy batsman who constantly keeps the score ticking with singles and twos, while also putting away fuller lengths and poor lines for boundaries. On the day he stroked the ball around the park, deploying cuts, sweeps and drives with ease. When the big downpour arrived, Deepak was 40 not out in 31 balls, and Yes Bank were poised at 101 / 4 in 15, which was about par for the course.

When play resumed, Stoners got a rain-reduced target of 75 in 11 overs. Shreyans, batting with more aggression than we are accustomed to seeing from him, smashed 20 off the first over, including a drive for six. By the time Dixit finally had him trapped LBW in the 5^th over, he had crashed another six on course to a rapid 27, and the team score was already 50. From that point on, it was an easy win for the aggressive batting side, and they achieved the target in the 8^th over.

Shreyans walked away with his second successive Man of Match award, and Deepak won himself the Best Performer award for his 40 not out. 

Shreyans won his second consecutive MoM award

DCL Match 23: UCOL vs Flamin Starz

Brief Scores

Flamin Starz:                         8 / 147 in 20 overs

                                                            Kaushik 31 (14)

                                                            Dishant 30 (13)

                                                            Jerry 3/34 (3)

                                                            Aman 2/22 (4)

                                                            Sanjay Saini 1/19 (4)

                                                                                                                                   

UCOL:                               0 / 94 in 8.1 overs (target: 89 in 12 overs)

                                                            Shubham 72* (31) 

                                                            Amanjeet 21* (19)

                                                                                                                                   

Man of the Match:                        Shubham (UCOL)

Best Performer Flamin Starz:           Dishant

Complete Scorecard:                    http://bit.ly/1Evyf60  

Bowlers, Shubham Earn UCOL Their First Win of the Tournament

UCOL, playing back to back matches on the day, seemed determined to give a better account of themselves during their last league game. Flamin Starz came out to the park equally determined to avoid another batting collapse. Both teams achieved their objectives, but in retrospect, Flamin Starz batted a bit too watchfully for a bit too long and they did not have the bowling firepower to defend a small yet fighting total.

Seamers Rupesh and Dinesh handcuffed Flamin Starz opener Naveen, star of the previous outing, with grand success. Bowling a tight off stump line combined with a length that had the opener prodding forward from the crease and blocking everything, they sent down a maiden each in the PowerPlay overs.

Sanjay Saini was the day's most economical bowler

Vivek, equipped with a wider range of strokes, tried to seize the initiative with a straight six off Dinesh in the 2^nd over, followed by consecutive boundaries off Rupen in the 5^th. Runs, however, came at a crawl, and after 6, Flamin Starz had only managed to inch up to 22 / 1. To make matters worse, Vivek was out  LBW to spinner Aman in the 8^th, as the tweaker proceeded to deliver the 3^rd maiden of the innings.

Satish and  Sitesh both fell soon after, leaving Flamin Starz reeling at 38 / 4 in the 12^th over. Left arm spinner Sanjay Saini and Aman were bowling beautifully in tandem, and it was now left to Kaushik, the most attacking batsman in the Flamin Starz middle order, to lift the total. The batsman opened his account spectacularly, unfurling two straight sixes off his first four deliveries. The hits were the first gasps of oxygen for the suffocated batting side, and from that point onwards, Kaushik and then Dishant loosened the UCOL choke-hold and had their side breathing (i.e. scoring) freely.

After Jerry removed the stalling Naveen off his first ball in the 14^th, Kaushik swung big again, smoking another straight six. A fourth one followed in the 16^th, before Jerry finally had him caught in the outfield for 31 off 14 balls. The momentum was set, though, and the next over by Ujjwal turned out to be the most productive of the Flamin Starz innings, as Rishabh and Dipen clubbed three leg side boundaries to gather 16 off the over.

Dishant stroked an aggressive 30 for Flamin Starz

Dipen’s wicket in the 18^th brought Dishant to the crease, and the late order power hitter played 13 of the last 15 balls, picking up 30 including a six each off seamers Dinesh and Rupen in the last two overs, both over extra cover. Served effectively by the late histrionics, Flamin Starz piled up 59 in the last 4 overs, ending with 147 from their quota of 20.

Chasing 148 for the second time in the day, UCOL avoided the banana peel this time. Having faced the heat against Gagan and Ravi in the previous game, the gentle medium pace of Hoshiyar and Dishant was a happy proposition for the openers. Shubham carved out 3 boundaries in the first over – a leg side swat, a classic cover drive and a copy book square cut. Amanjeet flicked a six and a four in the next over before Shubham once again strung together 3 consecutive boundaries. Rain finally intervened, halting the UCOL charge at 46 / 0 in 3.3 overs.

When the covers came off, the target had been revised down to 89 in 12 overs. The break did not disrupt the momentum for the batting side, though. Shubham continued from

Shubham was the Man of the Match

where he had left, scattering boundaries around the park. His drives and cuts were as good as any we have seen all tournament, as he compiled a rapid 72 not out (31 balls). UCOL cantered to their target in the 9^th over with a Shubham six, all ten wickets still in the kitty.

Shubham’s fluid innings earned him the Man of the Match award, while Dishant walked away with the Best Performer award for Flamin Starz. 

DCL Match 22: Opto vs UCOL

Brief Scores

Opto:                               7 / 147 in 17 overs

                                                            Gagan Sodhi 65 (35)

                                                            Ashish 27 (14)

                                                            Dinesh 3/23 (4)

                                                            Jerry 3/30 (4)

                                                                                                                                   

UCOL:                               90 all out in 16.2 overs

                                                            Mohsin 30 (26)

                                                            Gagan Sodhi 4/11 (3)

                                                            Ravi Dixit 2/20 (4)

                                                                                                                                   

Man of the Match:                        Gagan Sodhi (Opto)

Best Performer UCOL:                Dinesh

Complete Scorecard:                http://bit.ly/1AEEtN2  

Gagan Sodhi Stars with Bat and Ball in Another Crushing Win for Opto

Opto were overwhelming favorites coming into this match, and once again they demonstrated that they are not only the most formidable bowling unit in the Delhi Champions League, but they also have in their ranks the most outstanding all round cricketer in Gagan Sodhi.

UCOL won the toss, and in this rain curtailed 17-over encounter, they decided to give their bowlers first go in overcast conditions. It was Opto, though, who registered the first blow with opener Ashish flicking two big consecutive sixes off left-arm seamer Rupen in the first over. Frustratingly for the bowler, he caught Ashish’s glove off an attempted pull last ball of the over, but wicket-keeper Mohsin put down the skier running backwards.

Dinesh bowled an excellent spell of 3/23 for UCOL

Ashish, determined to make them pay, slapped two boundaries off Dinesh in the next, among them a swashbuckling straight drive. He got width from Rupen in the 3^rd, and he conveniently deposited a six over point, before the seamer finally got his line right, and Mohsin did not make any mistake this time, collecting a feather edge to send the opener back for 27. Ishneet was out LBW to Dinesh in the next, and UCOL were back in the hunt.  

Dinesh, bowling seam up with excellent energy and control, picked up Sidharth in his next, Shubham completing a sharp catch at mid-wicket. Quick leg-break bowler Jerry came on in the 8^th over, and bowling a canny wicket-to-wicket line, he dismissed Kanwal and then Prashant in his first two overs. Both batsmen had played themselves in before lifting catches to deep mid-wicket and short third-man respectively.

75 / 5 looked like trouble for the batting side, but Gagan was in and he looked ominous with two savage sixes off Aman Kangra in the 9^th – straight and mid-wicket. The big hitting batter took charge in the last 7 overs against steadily good bowling. Confident in his hitting power, he was happy to push singles and rotate the strike with Mannat, till bowlers erred towards a fuller length. Jerry did it just once in the 12^th, and Sodhi slammed him back over his head for a straight six. Off-spinner Sandeep also made the same error in the next for the same result. That, in fact, turned out to be the best over for the batting side, with 16 coming off it including a jab pull by Mannat for four.

Gagan Sodhi walked away with the MoM award

Gagan reached his 50 in the 15^th with two straight boundaries and a mid-wicket six off Jerry. He was finally dismissed by Dinesh in the last over for 65 (35 balls, 6 x 6, 4 x 4), an innings that helped Opto reach a respectable 147.

With his innings, Gagan did himself a favor. The pressure was now on UCOL and he shut the game out early, running through the UCOL top order with a sensational spell of 4 wickets in 5 balls. Rahul was the first to go in the 3^rd over, knicking through to the wicket-keeper off a fast, good length delivery in the channel outside off stump. Govind was out caught at point off the next ball, and Jerry was rushed back two balls later, caught by Prashant at cover. Gagan then completed an excellent catch off his own bowling, diving to his left, to send opener Shubham back to the dugout off the first ball of his next. 15 / 4 was a complete shut out.

Left arm seamer Ravi Dixit constructed a quiet spell from the other end, confirming the merit of this seam duo as the best in the DCL. UCOL wicket-keeper Mohsin resisted the Opto push for a while, sweeping and nudging the spinners for a quietly compiled 30. However, there was no threat to the target, and UCOL ultimately folded for 90.

Gagan Sodhi earned himself another Man of the Match award, and he is now frontrunner for Man of the Series. Seamer Dinesh was the Best Performer for UCOL for his spell of 4 – 0 – 23 – 3.

DCL Match 19: Star XI vs Software One

Brief Scores

Star XI:                             6 / 289 in 20 overs

                                                            Shikhar 204 (64)

                                                            Harshi 49 (31)

                                                            Samarth 4/30 (4)

                                                                                                                                   

Software One:                         109 all out in 17.2 overs

                                                            Rakesh 47 (30)

                                                            Himanshu 25* (22)

                                                            Devrath 3/12 (3)

                                                            Lucky 3/34 (3.2)

                                                            Shikhar 1/16 (4)            

                                                                                                                                   

Man of the Match:                        Shikhar (Star XI)

Best Performer Software One:           Samarth

Complete Scorecard:                 http://bit.ly/1Mie9xT

Shock and Awe: Shikhar Slams T20 Double Hundred

In every tournament so far, we have had an award for the fastest hundred. Getting to a hundred is a big landmark in T20 cricket, and not many have reached that mark through the entire season. We never even ventured to consider a double hundred. It was hard to imagine that it was even achievable. Yet, Shikhar got there. In a format for big hitters, he provided a spectacle of big hitting we hadn’t seen before.

Shikhar after the first double hundred of the season

Consider the statistics. He reached 200 from 62 balls. 22 of the 62 balls he faced, he blasted sixes. He was dismissed in the 16^th over, by which time he had 204 out of his team’s 238. The first wicket stand produced 109 in 43 balls. Out of those, Mohit Mehlawat got 8. Shikhar reached his 100 in 29 balls, and he went from 88 to 130 in 7 balls – 7 consecutive sixes.

Needless to add, the figures are mind-boggling. Software One is not a bad bowling side by any stretch. Most of their bowlers bowl seam up at a good length. Perhaps that was the problem. Shikhar seems to love good length medium pace. He swung his arms freely, and punished the off stump line. Most of his sixes came between mid wicket and long on. Short balls were pulled, and wide deliveries were carted over covers. It was fearless, no holds barred hitting.

Shikhar reached his fifty in the 5^th over with two successive sixes – first over long off then point – off seamer Rakesh’s first two balls of the day. He then slammed two boundaries straight past the bowler before finishing the over with a 6-4 double. 30 off the over. 50 in the 5^th, 100 in the 7^th, off left-arm spinner Sahil. The century came up with a six that sailed into the parking lot over extra cover.

Samarth was the standout bowler for Software One

Sangu finally got a wicket against the run of play, picking up Mohit off the first ball of the 8^th as Rakesh completed an excellent running catch at mid on. The next five balls, however, were slammed for sixes – all in the straight arc. It completed a spell of 7 successive sixes. By now we knew we were witnessing something special.

Shikhar reached his 200 with a six of Samarth in the 16^th over. The seamer, however, finally got the breakthrough as Shikhar lifted a catch to Sahil at long off. Sahil had dropped an easy one at the same position when the batter was on 50, and it proved to be the costliest drop of the tournament. Samarth picked up another two wickets in the next over, dismissing Sonu and Mohit Arora, before also snapping up the wicket of Harshi (49) in the last over. While the team conceded a season record 289, Samarth ended with stellar figures of 4 – 0 – 30 – 4. Changes in pace and a tight middle stump line worked for him.

Software One were understandably a bit deflated after the punishment, and barring opener Rakesh, none of the batsmen managed to launch a serious assault. The highlight of Rakesh’s innings was his straight bat. Bringing the willow down straight and hard, he punctured the field for 8 boundaries and an exquisite six over extra cover on course to a combative 47 in 30 balls.

Rakesh’s dismissal in the 11^th over, caught by the keeper down the leg side off Mohit Mehlawat, started a slide and the side was dismissed for 109 in the 18^th over. Left arm spinner Devrath became the tournament’s top wicket taker with his spell of 3 – 0 – 12 – 3. Opening seamer Lucky also took 3 wickets, but once again the highlight of the bowling innings was Shikhar. Showing no signs of exhaustion from his outrageous batting effort, the star cricketer alarmed the batsmen with serious pace. He finished with figures of 4 – 1 – 16 – 1, and also walked away with the Man of the Match award. Samarth was the Best Performer for Software One for his excellent bowling.

DCL Match 17: Indoasian vs Flamin Starz

Brief Scores

Flamin Starz:                         100 all out in 17.4 overs

                                                            Naveen 72 (66)

                                                            Praveen Miglani 4/17 (4)

                                                            Hemant 2/28 (4)

                                                            Deepak Sharma 1/11 (3.4)

                                                                                                                                   

Indoasian:                           2 / 102 in 8.4 overs

                                                            Deepak Sharma 45 (23)

                                                            Ajay 22 (11)

                                                                                                                                   

Man of the Match:                        Praveen Miglani (Indoasian)

Best Performer Flamin Starz:           Naveen

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

Naveen Scores 72 out of 100, Indoasian Walk Away with Easy Win

If a cricket buff wanted to pull out unusual scorecards, he would probably look for low-scoring matches. Such records often document matches where one or two batters applied themselves admirably even as the rest around them buckled, wilted or simply committed batting suicide, or an outstanding bowling effort from someone that materialized into a bumper yield.

Naveen, easily the Best Performer for Flamin Starz

We have had a couple of such matches this season, among them a practice match in which Rahul Nair took 7 / 1 in 3 overs, including a hat-trick. This match is in that league, but not for a bowling effort. It was the batsmen who created the anomaly this time. Specifically, Naveen batted, and the others didn’t. Naveen played sensibly, looked for opportunities to score, ran hard for singles and twos, and put away bad balls efficiently, employing a combination of cuts, pulls and sweeps. On the other end, there was a procession. The bowling was good, but wickets were gifted too easily. In the end, Flamin Starz managed 100. Naveen contributed 72. He faced the first ball of the innings and was the last man out. The next highest score was 9.

On the whole, though, it would be unfair to judge Flamin Starz on this effort. As a team they are way better than that. On the day, however, they were not up for the challenge. With the exception of Naveen, of course. The highlight of the opener’s innings was a spell of five consecutive boundaries, as he punished spinners Neeraj Bansal and Hemant with cuts and sweeps.

Praveen Miglani (r) was the Man of the Match

Spinner Praveen Miglani was the standout performer for the bowling side, with his tight off-spin that yielded figures of 4 – 1 – 17 – 4. Credit must also go to Deepak Sharma, who opened the bowling for Indoasian with his off-spin and kept it very tight up front, conceding only 11 from 3.4 overs, with the prized wicket of Naveen to show for his effort.

The chase of 100 was easy for a strong batting side. Deepak himself starred, playing an explosive 45 from 23 balls, including 4 boundaries and 4 explosive leg side sixes. two of those sixes came in the 2^nd over of the innings, and another two in the 7^th. The chase was completed in the 9^th over, and Praveen Miglani earned himself the Man of the Match award for his bowling effort. For Flamin Starz, there was absolutely no doubt about the Best Performer.

DCL Match 16: Star XI vs Hindustan Tiles

Brief Scores

Star XI:                             178 all out in 19.5 overs

                                                            Mohit Mehlawat 76 (46)

                                                            Sonu 23 (12)

                                                            Muktar 3/1 (1.5)

                                                            Sudesh 2/33 (4)

                                                                                                                                   

Hindustan Tiles:                       9 / 116 in 20 overs

                                                            Akshay Raghav 36 (20)

                                                            Devrath 4/9 (4)

                                                            Chetan 2/8 (2)

                                                                                                                                    

Man of the Match:                        Mohit Mehlawat (Star XI)

Best Performer Hindustan Tiles:        Muktar

Complete Scorecard:                    http://bit.ly/1vVtNx3  

Opener Mohit Mehlawat Seals Big Win for Star XI

Opener Mohit Mehlawat and left-arm spinner Devrath starred with bat and ball respectively as Star XI completed a big win on back of a solid team performance. On the day, they were clearly the superior side, particularly as a bowling and fielding unit. Hindustan Tiles, heavily reliant on their opener Akshay Raghav’s batting, could not make a match out of the tough yet chaseable target after their star batsman fell within the Powerplay overs.

Two Mohits Gave Star XI Speedy Start

Devrath (r) awards Mohit (l) the MoM

Mohit batted through a large chunk of the innings, turning the screws on spinners and medium-pacers alike. The highlights of his batting were his decisive footwork, the severity with which he punished bad balls and the precision with which he found gaps in the field. The game began perfectly for Star XI in the 1^st over, as both Mohits (Mehlawat and Arora) punished width offered by Akshay with cut shots to the boundary, before being gifted 5 wides. Akshay’s next over was even more expensive, as Mohit Mehlawat crashed a six and a four past the vacant long on fence, before gliding a cut behind point to complete 15 off the over.

Rinku, Akshay’s seam partner, also got an indifferent start at the other end, and Mehlawat punished poor short deliveries in the 4^th over with a couple of pulls to the square leg fence. In no time, Star XI had raced off to 44. Hindustan Tiles brought on their best bowler, left-arm spinner Sudesh, in the 5^th over, even though the tweaker prefers bowling outside the PowerPlay. He was dispatched for a couple of sixes, Arora smoking him over square leg first ball, before Mehlawat deposited a full delivery well behind the sight-screen.

Mehlawat Completes Fifty, Powers Star XI to Big Score

Rinku persisted with a short length, and Arora dispatched him for a six and a four between mid-wicket and square leg, before being dismissed, caught by Manish at long off. In spite of the wicket on the stroke of the 6^th over, Star XI had reason to be delighted with the rapid 67-run partnership. Bowling with the field spread out, Sudesh was now in his comfort zone and he immediately gave Hindustan Tiles another scalp, tempting Harshi with flight, only for the batsman to lift a drive straight into Manish’s hands at long off. He might have had Mehlawat’s wicket in the same over, had Parveen held on to a straightforward skier at deep extra cover. The dropped catch possibly cost Hindustan Tiles the match.

Muktar (r) was the Best Performer for H Tiles

Mehlawat cashed in, smoking a boundary past covers in the 8th, before stepping out to an excellent length ball by Sudesh and slamming it over mid wicket for a big six next over. Nitin too dropped an easy catch, this one at cover, with Sonu the batsman gifted the repreive this time, as the Star XI team total motored on to 95 / 2 after 10.

Off-spinners Muktar and Akshay Bring Hindustan Tiles Back Into the Game

Mohit completed his fifty in the 11th over with another six off a good length Sudesh delivery, this time straight over the bowler. He followed it up with another 6-4 double in the next, before Akshay came back on in the 13th, this time with off-spin that instantly yielded success for his side. In a tight over, marked by excellent control, he picked up the wicket of Sonu.

Akshay struck again in the 15^th, this time with the big wicket of Mohit, clean bowled right after the batter had slammed him for a straight six. However, with the score already at 146, out of which the opener had heaped 76 himself, considerable damage had already been done. Star XI might have hoped to push on from this platform, but they lost wickets consistently. Off-spinner Muktar stalled them at the death, wrapping up the tail in the 18^th and 20^th overs, and earning himself stupendous figures of 1.5 – 1 – 1 – 3.

Lone Resistance from Akshay, Hindustan Tiles Folds

179 is definitely gettable, and Akshay set a scorching pace early on, picking up a string of boundaries. The first three balls of the innings were dispatched by the opener to the fence, a slash over cover, a drive past mid off and a cut behind point. Sonu took punishment in the next over, driven down the ground and through covers for a couple of picture-perfect boundaries. In his next over, the 4^th of the innings, Akshay again split the field for three consecutive boundaries – a cut and two flicks off the pads.

Devrath (l) bowled excellent left-arm spin

The other opener Nitin did not look nearly as fluent, however, and he failed to keep the scoreboard moving or rotate strike. That put Akshay under greater pressure, and he finally buckled in the 6^th over, lifting a simple catch to mid-wicket off the seam bowling of Chetan. The same bowler ensnared the aggressive Manish LBW two overs later to close the game early for Star XI.

Left arm spinner Devrath came on in the latter half of the innings and stifled the batsmen with his teasing flight and tight control over length. He picked up a couple of wickets in his second over, 12^th of the innings, and another couple in the 16^th, finishing with figures of 4-0-9-4, and leaving Hindustan Tiles floundering at 91 / 7. Credit for one of those wickets, that of Muktar, goes to Sonu who completed an excellent catch running in from long on.

The big win left Star XI with a win from two games and a healthy net run rate. Mohit Mehlawat walked away with the Man of Match award, and Muktar was adjudged the Best Performer for Hindustan Tiles for his bowling figures of 1/3.   

DCL Match 15: SRP XI vs Valley Boys

Brief Scores

SRP XI:                             7 / 224 in 20 overs

                                                            Jaideep 96 (30)

                                                            Jambu 55 (45)

                                                            Abhinav 37 (21)

                                                            Prasanna 2/15 (1)

                                                            Sakib 2/37 (4)

                                                                                                                                   

Valley Boys:                          170 all out in 19.5 overs

                                                            Yawar 73 (42)

                                                            Nasir 29* (25)

                                                            Abhinav 2/2 (1)

                                                            Balle 2/37 (4)

                                                                                                                                   

Man of the Match:                        Jaideep (SRP XI)

Best Performer Valley Boys:            Yawar

Complete Scorecard:                 http://bit.ly/17pf69C  

Jaideep’s Stunning 96 in 30 Balls Seizes the Day for SRP XI

Jaideep produced the most brutal batting assault of the season, clattering 12 savage sixes during an astounding 30-ball knock of 96 not out. He missed one crucial swing off a weak slower ball in the last over, or else he would have completed a mind-boggling 100. His innings propelled the SRP total at jet-speed to a towering 224. the target proved to be well beyond Valley Boys’ spirited effort, even as Yawar continued his prolific run in the tournament with another 50.

Jambu and Abhinav Give SRP Solid Start

Abhinav and Jambu (l to r) put up a 73-run partnership

Jaideep’s late-over burst was set up by a solid fifty by Jambu at the top of the order. His 2^nd wicket union with Abhinav, a left-handed batsman who plays a sizzling cover drive, yielded 73 runs in 44 balls, after Robinson was caught at extra-cover of the bowling of Nasir in the 3^rd over. The promising partnership started on a bright note in the 4^th, as Jambu scooped Vilayat over mid-wicket for four, before Abhinav punished errant lines either side of the wicket, first flicking off his pads then square driving a wide delivery for a couple of boundaries.

Tweakers Prasanna and Sakib Engineer Comeback for Valley Boys

The next big over was the 8^th, as Jambu lifted Wasim for a six over cover before Abhinav pin-pointed the vacant extra cover boundary. The clinical precision with which both batsmen punished width was the feature of this partnership. Abhinav looked to be racing into top gear in the 11^th, with a four and a six off leg-spinner Prasanna’s first two deliveries of the match – the first a full toss no-ball above the waist. He charged out of his crease next ball, however, and ended up stumped, his promising knock cut short against the run of play for 37.

The drama in the over continued as Sudhir pulled a short ball for four, before being clean bowled off the last ball. At 98 / 3 after 11, Valley Boys were now well into the game. Off-spinner Sakib was constructing a superb spell from the other end, choking the batsmen with tight line-lengths. He put his side in the driver’s seat with a twin strike in the 14^th over. Akki was the first to go off a leading edge, as Vilayat completed an excellent running catch at point. Jambu was them caught at long on, terminating an excellent knock of 55.

JD’s Stunning Demolition

JD receiving the Man of Match award

14 overs, 114 / 5, Valley Boys on top. Enter stage Jaideep. The 15^th over produced the first taster of what was to come, as JD’s destructive bat pulverized two sixes off medium pacer Tariq, first a pull then an off-drive. After that over, all hell broke loose. SRP XI got a mind-boggling 95 in their last 5 overs. 82 of these came of Jaideep’s bat off 22 balls, as he smoked 10 more sixes.

JD destroyed off-spinner Sakib’s stellar figures of 3-0-10-2, with 27 off the 16^th over, including three sixes – the last of these a gigantic straight drive – and two boundaries. Along the way, JD was dropped twice by Wasim at long on, but the reprieves did not curb his adventurous hitting. With 4 balls to go, JD had 22 to get for the season’s fastest hundred. He smashed the next two balls for sixes, before somehow a slower delivery that he had actually spotted early. The last ball was also dispatched over the ropes to complete his memorable 96 not out.

Yawar Plays Lone Hand for Valley Boys

The highlight of the chase was Yawar’s innings of 73. He was the only batsman to threaten the SRP attack, but even his aggressive 42-ball knock could not match the asking rate, such was the pressure of the 224-run total. Yawar walked out to bat in the 2^nd over, as Dinesh held on to a blistering drive by Wasim at extra cover to give Akki a wicket off his first ball. The batter looked in excellent touch from the moment he walked out, cracking a couple of boundaries in the 3^rd over, including an exquisite extra cover drive.

Yawar was the Best Performer for Valley Boys

Yawar stroked a fluid six over mid-wicket off Dinesh in the 5^th over, before blasting two extra cover drives off Akki in the next. After getting a reprieve in the 8^th over – a simple catch of his spilled at long off – Yawar tucked into Dinesh once again in the 9^th with a boundary past fine leg and a six over long on. He completed his fifty with a six over mid-wicket in the 10^th, and left Valley Boys reasonably well placed at 90 / 2 at the halfway mark.

The in-form batter punished another two sixes in the next two overs, and with 109 to get in 8 overs, SRP were beginning to get nervous. However, left-arm spinner Abhinav came on and immediately picked up the big wicket off his first ball, as Yawar lifted a drive straight into the safe hands of Sreedharan at long on. Two balls later, Abhinav picked up Waseem Sofi caught and bowled, and that sucked the fight out of the batting side.

The end would have come swiftly, but for Nasir’s feisty hitting at the end. He ended with 29 not out, helping his side up to 170. Although defeated, Valley Boys could take credit for putting up a brave fight throughout the game. The difference in the end was the one-man army of Jaideep. Without any doubt, he walked away with the Man of Match award, while Yawar took the Best Performer award for his side once again.