Sridhar Polina and Akashdeep Singh’s Match-winning Partnership
carries Northwest to Victory over Beaverton in OCL T20 Final
Northwest
Cricket Club (NWCC) met BCC (Beaverton Cricket Club) in the finals
of 2009 Oregon Cricket League (OCL) T20 tournament on Saturday, June
13th. The finals day was being threatened to be washed by rain as
the sky was dark and weather forecast suggested intermittent showers
throughout the day. On this overcast morning, BCC won the toss and
selected to bat first.
Picture: Sridhar and Akashdeep
(Photo by: Vishwanath Kusugal)
NWCC bowling
was opened as usual by Nandhan and Sridhar. Nandhan decided to try
the other end (railroad) side in this match but that did not work
out as the bowl was swinging out too much. Akashdeep had to quickly
decide to switch the bowlers ends, and brought in a transition
bowling attack from other end. Meanwhile 3 overs had passed and BCC
was already out of it its opening nervousness. BCC played cautiously
thereon and gathered 68 runs for the loss of only one wicket from
the first 10 overs. Things looked very clean and safe for BCC as
they had 9 wickets in hand and 10 overs to go. However, NWCC bowling
attack tightened the grip on the match making it difficult for BCC
to capitalize on their good start. In last 4 overs, NWCC bowlers
only gave 12 runs (3 RPO) though BCC was all out to accelerate. NWCC
got 2 BCC batsmen run out by quick direct hits from Sushant.
Picture: Suhas (left) and Shashank
(Right)
walking in to open for NWCC.
(Photo by: Vishwanath Kusugal)
NWCC innings were opened by Shashank and Suhas who gave a confident
start scoring 7 runs in the first over itself and maintaining 7+ run
rate for the first few overs. Around 5th over things slowed down
somewhat and NWCC lost Shashank caught behind to a slow turning leg
spin from Tarun Juneja of BCC. Suhaas continued, but he was now
playing cautiously. In some time from there Suhas drove Tarun and
was caught in the air by BCC fielder. Thereafter, NWCC lost another
2 quick wickets. Naveen and Deepak as they were caught in air.
Picture: Suhas facing the BCC
bowler. (Photo by: Vishwanath Kusugal)
NWCC again sent Sridhar up in the order on the fall of 3rd wicket to
propel the score as it was threatening to fall down.NWCC's Akashdeep
decided to go in 4rth wicket down. That put Sridhar and Akashdeep on
the pitch with NWCC 4 wickets down for 71 runs in 12 overs.
The match kept flipflopping sides after that as required run rate
was 7.13 RPO. Each dot ball increased the run rate further and
sometimes that match looked in BCC's favor as they bowled dot balls
and sometimes it looked in NWCC's favor at the moment they kept
running for 2 and get intermittent boundaries. But the required
run-rate continued to remain above the balls remaining.
One over in which Sridhar hit 3 fours brought the required run-rate
below the balls remaining. Sridhar smashed the ball into the deep
covers, deep extra covers and the long on boundaries in the a single
over.
Picture: Sridhar in action during
one of his
3 fours that he hit in a single
over. (Photo by: Vishwanath Kusugal)
Now needing 13 runs from 18 balls (3
overs). Both batsmen on the pitch ran to get 5 runs off the 17th
over. At the point needing 8 runs from 2 overs - both Sridhar and
Akashdeep realized the dangers that nerviousness playes in slog
overs, especially when chasing. One wicket down at this moment, a
few more dot balls to the incoming new batsment and NWCC would have
been in trouble needing a run a ball in the last over with the fresh
batsmen facing the BCC bowling attack. So they decided to aim finish
the match in the 18th over itself.
Picture: Akashdeep hitting 4 to
take NWCC to 131, past BCC score 128. (Photo by: Vishwanath Kusugal)
BCC's Mandar's was bowling the 18th over and he managed to sneak dot
balls with his foxy bowling. Realizing that the ball isn't getting
onto the bat for a long off hit, Akashdeep quickly went ahead on the
pitch on one ball sweep-hitting it to the fine leg area getting a 4.
Mandar managed another dot ball after this. He chose to flight the
ball the 18.5 ball of the innings, Akashdeep took a front foot out
and hit the ball to the long on boundary area getting a boundary (4)
and taking NWCC to 131, past the BCC score of 128. That was it, and
all the NWCC players were running into the ground in joy!
Picture: All NWCC players rushing
in to celebrate the 2009 T20 Finals victory after the wining shot.
(Photo by: Vishwanath Kusugal)
Sridhar continued his good form
getting boundaries in this match as well. He scored 38 runs.
Akashdeep scored 23 runs and both of them finished the match without
any further loss of wicket.
