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.