The 5th match of the ICL 20s Indian Championship featured the inform Chandigarh Lions take on the revamped Mumbai Champs at the sparkling ICL facility, LB Stadium Hyderabad. Pat Symcox in his pitch report read a sporting track on offer with good carry, making it conducive to stroke-play. The classic low scoring encounter that went right down to the wire saw the Lions scamper home by two wickets. Sarabjit Singh was declared Man of the Match for his unbeaten knock of 41.
Earlier in the evening, Lions' Skipper Cairns won the toss and elected to field, wanting to take first advantage of the fresh pitch. Some tight bowling in the first couple of overs from the Lions, saw the experienced Tuffey do what he has done all his career, getting a wicket in his first over by scalping the Champs skipper Astle, leaving the Champs in a bit of a bother at 7/1 in the second over. Tuffey struck again sending back the dangerous Raviraj Patil to the Champs dugout without troubling the scorers.
A middle order collapse in form of wickets of the batting mainstay Hasan Raza for 8 and Taufeeq Umar 17, left the Mumbai innings in absolute tatters at 36/4 in the eight over. A twenty eight run partnership between Powar and Morris looked promising till the experienced Mongia trapped Morris in the 12th over, leaving Mumbai struggling to get over the Lions strangle at 64/5. The gritty south-paw Kiran Powar, was holding one end and a fighting innings of 45 off 42 balls including five fours and one six, saw the Champs fold their innings at 135/6 in their allotted 20 overs. For the Lions, Tuffey was the most successful bowler ending with figures of 2/25.
The Champs bowlers came out firing all cylinders and some controlled seam bowling saw the sub continent specialist Kasprowicz strike early sending back the dashing Vincent for only 1, with the Lions score on three. Kasper struck again trapping the Lions anchor-man TP Singh in the fourth over to bring the match back wide open. Astle brought himself on in the 7th over and it was just the tonic the Champs needed; scalping three wickets, including the wicket of the dangerous Elliott who had got off to a flier with 38 runs off 32 balls; leaving the Lions in deep trouble at 55/5 in the 10th over. Astle was bowling in the zone scalping skipper Cairns, as his fourth victim to give the Champs the upper for the first time in the match.
Astle ended his four over spell with magical figures of 4/19. With five overs to go, the Lions were placed at 85/6 needing another 51 runs off 30 balls leaving the low scoring encounter wide open. A spirited seventh wicket partnership of 56 runs between Sarabjit Paul & Andrew Hall got the Lions backing the game. The last over saw the match placed preciously with the Lions, needing eight runs off 6 balls and two wickets in hand.
In the end the nail bitter saw the brilliant Sarabjit power the Lions home with a mighty six off the fourth ball of the last over. His unbeaten match winning innings of 41 runs off 22 balls included three fours & sixes.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Royal Bengal Tigers draw first blood, toppling Lahore Badshahs in season-2 opener
The 4th match part of the weekend double bonanza from the ICL stable, featured the revamped Royal Bengal Tigers take on the might of the formidable Lahore Badshahs at the LB stadium Hyderabad.
Pat Symcox in his pitch report predicted a sporting track conducive to stroke play along with some fair assistance for both pacers as well as spinners. In the end it was the Tigers all the way who converted their legendary spirit into a comprehensive performance beating the Lahore Badshahs by a big margin of 8 wickets. Hamish Marshall was declared Man of the Match.
Inzamam won the toss and elected to bat. The Badshahs opened with their formidable combination of the two Imrans', Farhat & Nazir who got off to a steady start; placed at 22 for no loss at the end of the first three overs. Some tight bowling, assisted by some sharp bowling resulted in a mix-up in the middle, resulting in Nazir falling short of his crease to give the Tigers the first breakthrough in the 5th over at the Badshahs score of 28.
Marshaled by the combative McMillan, the Tigers in their new smart outfit were lighting up the field with some tight bowling and sharp fielding keeping a tight leash on the Badshahs at 44/1 at the end of the 8th over.
The 11th over saw a bowing change in the form of the experienced leggie Upul Chandana, who got the second breakthrough packing back debutant Mughal cheaply for eight. This set the stage for skipper Inzamam, looking in a dangerous mood scoring nineteen off just eleven balls before the wily old fox Chandana struck a blow, getting him to nick one to Deep Dasgupta who took a sharp catch to see the back of the great man in the crucial 14th phase.
Chandana was working up a great spell sending back Farhat & Azhar Mahmood in quick succession to end with brilliant figures of 4/21 in his allotted four overs. The spirited Tigers were all over the field not allowing any space to the formidable Badshahs batting. McMillan also showcased his sides bowling prowess using six frontline bowlers; restricting the mighty Badshahs to a partly 139/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Tigers chase opened in the form of new recruit Hamish Marshall accompanying the experienced Deep Dasgupta. They got the Tigers off to a good start and at the end of the third over, the Tigers were right on target at 25 for no loss. Both batsmen made most of the second chances given by some lackluster Badshahs fielding, playing some sensible strokes to take the score to 42 at the five over mark.
The Tigers fifty came about in the sixth over with some flawless batting from both the openers. It finally took the wily Saqlain to break the 52run partnership with the wicket of Dasgupta in the 7th over. Jhunjhunwala looked all at sea against the legendary Saqlian and turned out to be his second victim leaving the Tigers in a bit of a bother at 55/2 at the end of the 7th over. This brought skipper McMillan to the middle, who got into the act right away steadying the ship with the in form Marshall powering a match winning 85 run partnership for the third wicket.
In the end The Tigers romped home to a big win by 8 wickets and over two overs to spare. Marshall came up with a top class 76 runs off 56 balls that included nine fours & 2 sixes, which was the highest individual score at ICL season-2.
Pat Symcox in his pitch report predicted a sporting track conducive to stroke play along with some fair assistance for both pacers as well as spinners. In the end it was the Tigers all the way who converted their legendary spirit into a comprehensive performance beating the Lahore Badshahs by a big margin of 8 wickets. Hamish Marshall was declared Man of the Match.
Inzamam won the toss and elected to bat. The Badshahs opened with their formidable combination of the two Imrans', Farhat & Nazir who got off to a steady start; placed at 22 for no loss at the end of the first three overs. Some tight bowling, assisted by some sharp bowling resulted in a mix-up in the middle, resulting in Nazir falling short of his crease to give the Tigers the first breakthrough in the 5th over at the Badshahs score of 28.
Marshaled by the combative McMillan, the Tigers in their new smart outfit were lighting up the field with some tight bowling and sharp fielding keeping a tight leash on the Badshahs at 44/1 at the end of the 8th over.
The 11th over saw a bowing change in the form of the experienced leggie Upul Chandana, who got the second breakthrough packing back debutant Mughal cheaply for eight. This set the stage for skipper Inzamam, looking in a dangerous mood scoring nineteen off just eleven balls before the wily old fox Chandana struck a blow, getting him to nick one to Deep Dasgupta who took a sharp catch to see the back of the great man in the crucial 14th phase.
Chandana was working up a great spell sending back Farhat & Azhar Mahmood in quick succession to end with brilliant figures of 4/21 in his allotted four overs. The spirited Tigers were all over the field not allowing any space to the formidable Badshahs batting. McMillan also showcased his sides bowling prowess using six frontline bowlers; restricting the mighty Badshahs to a partly 139/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Tigers chase opened in the form of new recruit Hamish Marshall accompanying the experienced Deep Dasgupta. They got the Tigers off to a good start and at the end of the third over, the Tigers were right on target at 25 for no loss. Both batsmen made most of the second chances given by some lackluster Badshahs fielding, playing some sensible strokes to take the score to 42 at the five over mark.
The Tigers fifty came about in the sixth over with some flawless batting from both the openers. It finally took the wily Saqlain to break the 52run partnership with the wicket of Dasgupta in the 7th over. Jhunjhunwala looked all at sea against the legendary Saqlian and turned out to be his second victim leaving the Tigers in a bit of a bother at 55/2 at the end of the 7th over. This brought skipper McMillan to the middle, who got into the act right away steadying the ship with the in form Marshall powering a match winning 85 run partnership for the third wicket.
In the end The Tigers romped home to a big win by 8 wickets and over two overs to spare. Marshall came up with a top class 76 runs off 56 balls that included nine fours & 2 sixes, which was the highest individual score at ICL season-2.
Giants win 'Pendulum-swinging' encounter against Ahmedabad Rockets
Delhi Giants won the match by 13 runs
Paul Nixon was declared Man of the Match
The 3rd match of the ICL 20s Indian Championship featured the resurgent Ahmedabad Rockets take on the Marvan Atapattu led Delhi Giants, representing the capital territory region, at LB stadium Hyderabad. In the end, the highly engrossing encounter that swung both ways throughout the duration of the match, saw the Giants scamper home by 13 runs. Paul Nixon was declared Man of the Match for his brilliant knock of 43.
Earlier in the day, Damien Martyn won the toss and elected to field looking to chase a target with his new beefed up batting line-up strengthened by the induction of their new dashing recruit Ryan Campbell. The Giants got off their season two campaigns with their left right opening combination of Gunawardene & Dale Benkenstein. A maiden over from the legendary Gillespie was the right message sent by Rockets on their seriousness, as one the big sides at ICL Season-2. Some high class seam bowling from Gillespie, ably supported by Rakesh Patel at the other hand had the Giants on the back foot at 8 for no loss at the end of the first three overs.
The tight bowling was rewarded with the first breakthrough in form of Benkenstein's wicket in the 7th over off Heath Streak, at the Rockets score of 38. At the half way mark of their innings, Giants were still under the shackles of the Rockets bowling power placed at a modest 53/2. The Giants were depending on their dashing south-paw & batting anchor Abbas Ali who took up the repair job taking the Giants score to 87/2 in the 12th over. Just when Abbas was taking charge, Martyn introduced the experienced Sriram into the attack, who cut short his promising innings of 25 runs, trapping him in front of the stumps.
That set the stage for the brilliant Paul Nixon who got about the task right away in the company of Bali who played a crucial knock of 35 off 20 balls including one four and three mighty sixes, before holding out to an attempted six off Gillespie in the 17th over. Nixon's stroke filled innings of 43 that included four mighty sixes, followed by a late onslaught from Bond (12 runs off 4 balls); powered Delhi to a competitive 167/7 in their allotted 20 overs. For the Rockets Heath Streak was the most successful bowler returning with creditable figures of 3/23 in his allotted 4 overs.
The Rockets got off to a shaky start with the highly rated Campbell, sent back to the dugout by the impressive Giant's pacer Shalabh Srivastava, without troubling the scorers in the first over. The Rockets were soon in further trouble with Captain Martyn departing cheaply for four runs off eleven balls, with the scorecard reading 17/2 in the 4th over. The stage was set for Rockets' south paw Parviz Aziz, setting about a fight-back for his side in company of the highly rated Murray Goodwin. However, superstar Shane Bond got the Giants the upper hand, scalping Goodwin ending the promising 40 run partnership for the third wicket in the ninth over.
With 10 overs to go, the Rockets faced a stiff task needing another 106 runs off 60 balls at a humongous required run rate of 10.60. The Rockets chase received another major jolt when JP Yadav castled the dangerous Aziz for a well made 48 off 36 balls including seven fours and one six. A dropped chance by Benkenstein off Yadav, in the 14th over was all the luck that Sriram needed. This was followed by two mighty sixes by Sodhi off the bowling of the express Shane Bond & had the match wide open with Rockets needing 57 off the last five overs & six wickets in hand. In the end despite, a courageous fight back from the talented Sodhi, whose fighting knock of 51 that included two consecutive sixes off the last two balls saw the Rockets, fall short of the target by 13 runs!
Paul Nixon was declared Man of the Match
The 3rd match of the ICL 20s Indian Championship featured the resurgent Ahmedabad Rockets take on the Marvan Atapattu led Delhi Giants, representing the capital territory region, at LB stadium Hyderabad. In the end, the highly engrossing encounter that swung both ways throughout the duration of the match, saw the Giants scamper home by 13 runs. Paul Nixon was declared Man of the Match for his brilliant knock of 43.
Earlier in the day, Damien Martyn won the toss and elected to field looking to chase a target with his new beefed up batting line-up strengthened by the induction of their new dashing recruit Ryan Campbell. The Giants got off their season two campaigns with their left right opening combination of Gunawardene & Dale Benkenstein. A maiden over from the legendary Gillespie was the right message sent by Rockets on their seriousness, as one the big sides at ICL Season-2. Some high class seam bowling from Gillespie, ably supported by Rakesh Patel at the other hand had the Giants on the back foot at 8 for no loss at the end of the first three overs.
The tight bowling was rewarded with the first breakthrough in form of Benkenstein's wicket in the 7th over off Heath Streak, at the Rockets score of 38. At the half way mark of their innings, Giants were still under the shackles of the Rockets bowling power placed at a modest 53/2. The Giants were depending on their dashing south-paw & batting anchor Abbas Ali who took up the repair job taking the Giants score to 87/2 in the 12th over. Just when Abbas was taking charge, Martyn introduced the experienced Sriram into the attack, who cut short his promising innings of 25 runs, trapping him in front of the stumps.
That set the stage for the brilliant Paul Nixon who got about the task right away in the company of Bali who played a crucial knock of 35 off 20 balls including one four and three mighty sixes, before holding out to an attempted six off Gillespie in the 17th over. Nixon's stroke filled innings of 43 that included four mighty sixes, followed by a late onslaught from Bond (12 runs off 4 balls); powered Delhi to a competitive 167/7 in their allotted 20 overs. For the Rockets Heath Streak was the most successful bowler returning with creditable figures of 3/23 in his allotted 4 overs.
The Rockets got off to a shaky start with the highly rated Campbell, sent back to the dugout by the impressive Giant's pacer Shalabh Srivastava, without troubling the scorers in the first over. The Rockets were soon in further trouble with Captain Martyn departing cheaply for four runs off eleven balls, with the scorecard reading 17/2 in the 4th over. The stage was set for Rockets' south paw Parviz Aziz, setting about a fight-back for his side in company of the highly rated Murray Goodwin. However, superstar Shane Bond got the Giants the upper hand, scalping Goodwin ending the promising 40 run partnership for the third wicket in the ninth over.
With 10 overs to go, the Rockets faced a stiff task needing another 106 runs off 60 balls at a humongous required run rate of 10.60. The Rockets chase received another major jolt when JP Yadav castled the dangerous Aziz for a well made 48 off 36 balls including seven fours and one six. A dropped chance by Benkenstein off Yadav, in the 14th over was all the luck that Sriram needed. This was followed by two mighty sixes by Sodhi off the bowling of the express Shane Bond & had the match wide open with Rockets needing 57 off the last five overs & six wickets in hand. In the end despite, a courageous fight back from the talented Sodhi, whose fighting knock of 51 that included two consecutive sixes off the last two balls saw the Rockets, fall short of the target by 13 runs!
Chennai Superstars' score comprehensive win getting Season-2 campaign off to a great start
Chennai Superstars win by 6 wickets
Syed Mohammed declared Man of the Match
Hyderabad: The second match of the ICL 20s Indian Championship, featured debutants Dhaka Warriors, take on the top ranked ICL side Chennai Superstars at the LB stadium Hyderabad. In the end, the Chennai Superstars with an all round disciplined & tactical performance proved their top five world rankings with a comprehensive 6 wicket victory. The match also proved the strong bench strength of the Chennai Superstars arsenal with them missing a lot of key players due to injury. J Syed Mohammed was declared Man of the Match for his brilliant spell of spin bowling.
Earlier in the evening Warriors' skipper Habib Ul Bashar won the toss and elected to bat, wanting to take advantage of the sporting wicket. The Warriors set about their campaign with the left–right formidable opening combination of Shahriar Nafees & Mohammad Nazimuddin. Three sparkling off side boundaries of the bat of the attacking Nafees had the Warriors placed at 16 for no loss at the end of the first 2 overs. Going for a shot too many had Nafees, sky a mistimed shot to Syed off the bowling of Jesuraj, for a quick fire 18 off 13 balls, including four hits to the boundary.
The extravagant stroke-play from the top order Warriors saw them off to a flier, placed at 54/1 in the first 5 overs; including seven boundaries & two sixes. Aftab Ahmed was living up to his coach's prophecy, dealing in big boundaries & scoring at a strike rate of two hundred percent. Some tight bowling from Superstars' premiere spinner Syed & medium pacer Vignesh put some breaks on the Warrior's batting juggernaut. At the half way mark of their innings the Warriors' were handsomely placed at 80/2.
Aftab's cameo came to an end due to the unsuccessful execution of the reverse sweep that saw him castled by the impressive Syed for a well made thirty. Just when the Warriors were taking charge of the match, the Superstars came back with a bang destroying the Warriors' middle order, reducing the Warriors to 89/5 in the 12th over, showing why they are today ranked amongst the top T20 sides of the world. Syed was working up a great spell of spin bowling, ending with an impressive figure of 1/12 in his allotted four overs. The Warriors never quite recovered from the middle order collapse & a fighting 21 from the young wicket keeper batsman Dhiman Ghosh saw the Warriors restricted to 142/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Superstars chase got off to a great start with the potent opening combination of Harvey & Vignesh getting off to an explosive start scoring 36 runs off the first two overs. The Superstars fifty came in only the third over off only seventeen balls, creating a record for the fastest fifty in the T20 format of the game; the dashing Vignesh going hammer & tongs after the left arm pacer Manjural Islam Rana.
It finally took an arm ball from the experienced Rafique to end to explosive partnership with Vignesh's wicket for a well made 25 off only 10 balls. A twin spin attack in form of Rafique & Mosharraf Hossain got the warriors back in the game with two quick wickets of Harvey and Jesuraj. At the half way mark of their innings, the Superstars were well placed towards reaching their target at 94/3. The Warriors never quite recovered from the deadly opening onslaught of Vignesh & Harvey. A composed 54 run partnership between the experienced Arnold & Hemanth Kumar saw the Superstars score a comprehensive 6 wicket victory, with two overs to spare.
Syed Mohammed declared Man of the Match
Hyderabad: The second match of the ICL 20s Indian Championship, featured debutants Dhaka Warriors, take on the top ranked ICL side Chennai Superstars at the LB stadium Hyderabad. In the end, the Chennai Superstars with an all round disciplined & tactical performance proved their top five world rankings with a comprehensive 6 wicket victory. The match also proved the strong bench strength of the Chennai Superstars arsenal with them missing a lot of key players due to injury. J Syed Mohammed was declared Man of the Match for his brilliant spell of spin bowling.
Earlier in the evening Warriors' skipper Habib Ul Bashar won the toss and elected to bat, wanting to take advantage of the sporting wicket. The Warriors set about their campaign with the left–right formidable opening combination of Shahriar Nafees & Mohammad Nazimuddin. Three sparkling off side boundaries of the bat of the attacking Nafees had the Warriors placed at 16 for no loss at the end of the first 2 overs. Going for a shot too many had Nafees, sky a mistimed shot to Syed off the bowling of Jesuraj, for a quick fire 18 off 13 balls, including four hits to the boundary.
The extravagant stroke-play from the top order Warriors saw them off to a flier, placed at 54/1 in the first 5 overs; including seven boundaries & two sixes. Aftab Ahmed was living up to his coach's prophecy, dealing in big boundaries & scoring at a strike rate of two hundred percent. Some tight bowling from Superstars' premiere spinner Syed & medium pacer Vignesh put some breaks on the Warrior's batting juggernaut. At the half way mark of their innings the Warriors' were handsomely placed at 80/2.
Aftab's cameo came to an end due to the unsuccessful execution of the reverse sweep that saw him castled by the impressive Syed for a well made thirty. Just when the Warriors were taking charge of the match, the Superstars came back with a bang destroying the Warriors' middle order, reducing the Warriors to 89/5 in the 12th over, showing why they are today ranked amongst the top T20 sides of the world. Syed was working up a great spell of spin bowling, ending with an impressive figure of 1/12 in his allotted four overs. The Warriors never quite recovered from the middle order collapse & a fighting 21 from the young wicket keeper batsman Dhiman Ghosh saw the Warriors restricted to 142/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Superstars chase got off to a great start with the potent opening combination of Harvey & Vignesh getting off to an explosive start scoring 36 runs off the first two overs. The Superstars fifty came in only the third over off only seventeen balls, creating a record for the fastest fifty in the T20 format of the game; the dashing Vignesh going hammer & tongs after the left arm pacer Manjural Islam Rana.
It finally took an arm ball from the experienced Rafique to end to explosive partnership with Vignesh's wicket for a well made 25 off only 10 balls. A twin spin attack in form of Rafique & Mosharraf Hossain got the warriors back in the game with two quick wickets of Harvey and Jesuraj. At the half way mark of their innings, the Superstars were well placed towards reaching their target at 94/3. The Warriors never quite recovered from the deadly opening onslaught of Vignesh & Harvey. A composed 54 run partnership between the experienced Arnold & Hemanth Kumar saw the Superstars score a comprehensive 6 wicket victory, with two overs to spare.
Robust Rayudu powers Heroes to win over Badshahs in power interrupted match
Hyderabad Heroes defeat Lahore Badshahs by 18 runs (VJD method)
Ambati Rayudu declared Man of the Match for sparkling half century
Hyderabad: The first match of the ICL 20s Indian Championship, Season-2 featured the big match of defending champion Hyderabad Heroes take on the formidable Lahore Badshahs at the glittering ICL facility LB stadium, preceded by a high octane opening ceremony. The spectacular opening ceremony was graced by Shri.K R Suresh Reddy, Assembly Speaker, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, former Chief Minister-Andhra Pradesh, Shri Subhash Chandra-Chairman Zee & Essel Group and Kapil Dev-Chairman, Executive Board, Indian Cricket League (ICL).
In the end, in an anti climax resulting due to a massive power failure in Hyderabad resulted in the match being awarded to the Hyderabad Heroes, who won the match by 18 runs (VJD method). Local lad Ambati Rayudu won the Man of the Match for his sparkling half century.
Badshahs captain Inzamam, won the toss for the Badshahs & elected to field, wanting to take first advantage of the fresh pitch. The Badshahs struck early getting the dangerous Abdul Razzaq early in the second over, cheaply for 13 (7 balls) in the second over.
The experienced South paw Jimmy Maher took over the mantel of the innings and at the end of the 5th over took the Heroes' score to 40 /1. The prodigal Rayudu also got into the act showing his class with some breathtaking strokes.
Ambati Rayudu
Maher & Rayudu looked in great touch doing the basics right, of running hard between the wickets & percentage stroke-play, working up a good partnership for the Heroes. At the half way mark of their innings Heroes, were placed comfortable at 75 /1. Two big sixes of Saqlain's consecutive deliveries in the 12th over, from Hyderabad's favorite son Rayudu, saw the young quality-act get the first fifty of ICL season-2.
Rayudu was batting in the zone belting the experienced Badshahs bowlers all over the park. Inzamam brought on his premier pacer MD Sami in the 14th over who got the important breakthrough cutting short a brilliant Rayudu' innings of 58 runs off forty two balls ,including five sixes and one four. Quick wickets of Maher & the dangerous Kemp took some steam off the Heroes' innings in the 17th over. The half way mark of the match saw the Heroes set the Badshahs a competitive target of 160 runs.
The Badshahs reply got a setback before a start with a late- bowling penalty of six runs, revising their target to 166 runs. The Heroes struck early with Razzaq sending the explosive Farhat back in the Badshahs dug out in the first over without troubling the scorers. ICL debutant Shahid Yousuf, too had a disastrous start, packed back to the Badshahs' dugout on naught; off the bowling of the ever improving Stuart Binny.
Some tight bowling assisted by some sharp bowling saw the Heroes restrict the Badshahs at 20/2 at the end of 5 overs. An unfortunate power failure cast its shadow on the exciting encounter, resulting in a calculation of the interruption rule (VJD method), resulting in the match being awarded to the Badshahs.
Ambati Rayudu declared Man of the Match for sparkling half century
Hyderabad: The first match of the ICL 20s Indian Championship, Season-2 featured the big match of defending champion Hyderabad Heroes take on the formidable Lahore Badshahs at the glittering ICL facility LB stadium, preceded by a high octane opening ceremony. The spectacular opening ceremony was graced by Shri.K R Suresh Reddy, Assembly Speaker, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, former Chief Minister-Andhra Pradesh, Shri Subhash Chandra-Chairman Zee & Essel Group and Kapil Dev-Chairman, Executive Board, Indian Cricket League (ICL).
In the end, in an anti climax resulting due to a massive power failure in Hyderabad resulted in the match being awarded to the Hyderabad Heroes, who won the match by 18 runs (VJD method). Local lad Ambati Rayudu won the Man of the Match for his sparkling half century.
Badshahs captain Inzamam, won the toss for the Badshahs & elected to field, wanting to take first advantage of the fresh pitch. The Badshahs struck early getting the dangerous Abdul Razzaq early in the second over, cheaply for 13 (7 balls) in the second over.
The experienced South paw Jimmy Maher took over the mantel of the innings and at the end of the 5th over took the Heroes' score to 40 /1. The prodigal Rayudu also got into the act showing his class with some breathtaking strokes.
Ambati Rayudu
Maher & Rayudu looked in great touch doing the basics right, of running hard between the wickets & percentage stroke-play, working up a good partnership for the Heroes. At the half way mark of their innings Heroes, were placed comfortable at 75 /1. Two big sixes of Saqlain's consecutive deliveries in the 12th over, from Hyderabad's favorite son Rayudu, saw the young quality-act get the first fifty of ICL season-2.
Rayudu was batting in the zone belting the experienced Badshahs bowlers all over the park. Inzamam brought on his premier pacer MD Sami in the 14th over who got the important breakthrough cutting short a brilliant Rayudu' innings of 58 runs off forty two balls ,including five sixes and one four. Quick wickets of Maher & the dangerous Kemp took some steam off the Heroes' innings in the 17th over. The half way mark of the match saw the Heroes set the Badshahs a competitive target of 160 runs.
The Badshahs reply got a setback before a start with a late- bowling penalty of six runs, revising their target to 166 runs. The Heroes struck early with Razzaq sending the explosive Farhat back in the Badshahs dug out in the first over without troubling the scorers. ICL debutant Shahid Yousuf, too had a disastrous start, packed back to the Badshahs' dugout on naught; off the bowling of the ever improving Stuart Binny.
Some tight bowling assisted by some sharp bowling saw the Heroes restrict the Badshahs at 20/2 at the end of 5 overs. An unfortunate power failure cast its shadow on the exciting encounter, resulting in a calculation of the interruption rule (VJD method), resulting in the match being awarded to the Badshahs.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Diwali dawns early in Hyderabad!
The ICL 'Opening Ceremony' was a sight to behold and an unforgettable experience which will surely be talked about for a long time to come. 'Diwali' is the Indian 'festival of lights and sound' which is celebrated by Indians across the country.
Although this vibrant and vivacious festival is a few weeks away, watching the 'Opening Ceremony' that announced the arrival of the second edition of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) gave one a feeling that Diwali had dawned early in Hyderabad. Gracing the opening ceremony were Shri.K R Suresh Reddy, Assembly Speaker, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, former Chief Minister-Andhra Pradesh, Shri Subhash Chandra-Chairman Zee & Essel Group and Kapil Dev-Chairman, Executive Board, Indian Cricket League (ICL). Actor Rohit Roy was the anchor for the ceremony.
With the first match to be played between ICL's popular teams, Hyderabad Heroes v/s Lahore Badshahs today, the atmosphere in the stadium was pulsating with energy. Over 1000 performers displayed their skills in what was an enthralling event encompassing acrobatics, aerial artistry, Shaolin kung-fu , trampoline daredevilry upon a heliosphere, and our very own brand of dancers and drummers.
The music was vibrant and every beat was perfectly synchronized by trained international and national artists in a choreographed extravaganza which was an amalgamation of lights, sound and a visual spectacle that was nothing short of sheer bliss to the senses.
Trampoline artists were roped in from Ukraine doing somersaults in such perfect harmony that it looked like they were puppets being controlled by unseen strings from above.
Aerialists from the United Stated climbed up to the roof of the stadium using nothing but a thin piece of cloth. These fragile and gifted women displayed the sensuousness of ice-skaters; only they were 20 feet from the ground with nothing but their many years of practice saving them from a deadly, if not fatal fall. Yet gracefully they enthralled as they always do.
Shaolin Monks from monasteries in China brought their brand of kung-fu to India reminiscing the era of Bruce Lee. Their physical endurance and apathy to pain was a sight to behold as they performed a choreographed set with props like swords, sticks and their very own bodies.
'Phoenix Productions', a group trained in 'playing with fire' took their art and craft and converted it into a scary yet visually aesthetic act that sure set the fireworks at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, quite literally.
With all these acts simultaneously vying for camera-time and a chance to enthrall our senses, a trampoline artist set off on a heliosphere which hovered around the stadium. The gifted female artist did flips, somersaults and acrobatics taking the ICL to a 'different height'.
And let's not forget our very own Indian performing artists from the Shiamak Davar Institute of the Performing Arts (SDIPA) – (aged 5 to 21) danced to the beat of Bollywood tunes and not one of them missed a step, count or footing. So professional were they that they single-handedly kept the audiences glued to the TV screens.
The drummers from the south of the country played violently and made the entire stadium come alive with the beat of their drums, announcing the ICL's arrival with fanfare and oomph. Over 100 of them beat their dholaks in an effort to breathe life into the ICL yet again and it was their pulsating rhythm that announced to the entire world that the ICL is here.
In this way, like Diwali, the whole world participated in the Opening Ceremony of the Indian Cricket League with performances and acts that will linger in the recesses of the mind for a long time to come with such and awe and splendor that's both unrivalled and unmatched, just like the brand of cricket it unveiled.
Starting today, October 10th to November 16th, the ICL 20s Indian Championship in Season 2 will see a total of 41 pulsating matches being played at four international standard stadiums in - Hyderabad, Panchkula, Gurgaon & Ahmedabad. A prize money corpus of Rs.13.72crore for 'ICL 20s Indian Championship' was announced recently.
ICL promises to make this Season 2 an unforgettable experience for TV viewers, spectators & cricket lovers across the globe. The 9 teams comprising of the newly added Dhaka Warriors will play against each other once in every city. In India, Zee Sports will telecast all matches live in Hindi, while Ten Sports will do the same in English.
Although this vibrant and vivacious festival is a few weeks away, watching the 'Opening Ceremony' that announced the arrival of the second edition of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) gave one a feeling that Diwali had dawned early in Hyderabad. Gracing the opening ceremony were Shri.K R Suresh Reddy, Assembly Speaker, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, former Chief Minister-Andhra Pradesh, Shri Subhash Chandra-Chairman Zee & Essel Group and Kapil Dev-Chairman, Executive Board, Indian Cricket League (ICL). Actor Rohit Roy was the anchor for the ceremony.
With the first match to be played between ICL's popular teams, Hyderabad Heroes v/s Lahore Badshahs today, the atmosphere in the stadium was pulsating with energy. Over 1000 performers displayed their skills in what was an enthralling event encompassing acrobatics, aerial artistry, Shaolin kung-fu , trampoline daredevilry upon a heliosphere, and our very own brand of dancers and drummers.
The music was vibrant and every beat was perfectly synchronized by trained international and national artists in a choreographed extravaganza which was an amalgamation of lights, sound and a visual spectacle that was nothing short of sheer bliss to the senses.
Trampoline artists were roped in from Ukraine doing somersaults in such perfect harmony that it looked like they were puppets being controlled by unseen strings from above.
Aerialists from the United Stated climbed up to the roof of the stadium using nothing but a thin piece of cloth. These fragile and gifted women displayed the sensuousness of ice-skaters; only they were 20 feet from the ground with nothing but their many years of practice saving them from a deadly, if not fatal fall. Yet gracefully they enthralled as they always do.
Shaolin Monks from monasteries in China brought their brand of kung-fu to India reminiscing the era of Bruce Lee. Their physical endurance and apathy to pain was a sight to behold as they performed a choreographed set with props like swords, sticks and their very own bodies.
'Phoenix Productions', a group trained in 'playing with fire' took their art and craft and converted it into a scary yet visually aesthetic act that sure set the fireworks at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, quite literally.
With all these acts simultaneously vying for camera-time and a chance to enthrall our senses, a trampoline artist set off on a heliosphere which hovered around the stadium. The gifted female artist did flips, somersaults and acrobatics taking the ICL to a 'different height'.
And let's not forget our very own Indian performing artists from the Shiamak Davar Institute of the Performing Arts (SDIPA) – (aged 5 to 21) danced to the beat of Bollywood tunes and not one of them missed a step, count or footing. So professional were they that they single-handedly kept the audiences glued to the TV screens.
The drummers from the south of the country played violently and made the entire stadium come alive with the beat of their drums, announcing the ICL's arrival with fanfare and oomph. Over 100 of them beat their dholaks in an effort to breathe life into the ICL yet again and it was their pulsating rhythm that announced to the entire world that the ICL is here.
In this way, like Diwali, the whole world participated in the Opening Ceremony of the Indian Cricket League with performances and acts that will linger in the recesses of the mind for a long time to come with such and awe and splendor that's both unrivalled and unmatched, just like the brand of cricket it unveiled.
Starting today, October 10th to November 16th, the ICL 20s Indian Championship in Season 2 will see a total of 41 pulsating matches being played at four international standard stadiums in - Hyderabad, Panchkula, Gurgaon & Ahmedabad. A prize money corpus of Rs.13.72crore for 'ICL 20s Indian Championship' was announced recently.
ICL promises to make this Season 2 an unforgettable experience for TV viewers, spectators & cricket lovers across the globe. The 9 teams comprising of the newly added Dhaka Warriors will play against each other once in every city. In India, Zee Sports will telecast all matches live in Hindi, while Ten Sports will do the same in English.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
ICL announces prize money corpus of Rs. 13.72crores for ‘ICL 20s Indian Championship’ Season-2
The Indian Cricket League (ICL) today announced the prize money corpus of Rs.13.72crore for its October 2008 edition of ‘ICL 20s Indian Championship’ at a press conference held in Hyderabad. The Winners of this tournament stand to gain Rs. 2crore; while the Runner-up will cash in Rs.1crore. The incentive for individual performance during the 41 match tournament will be an impressive Rs. 2 lakh for Man of the Match and a humongous Rs.40Lakh for the Man of the Series. Per match winning in the league stage will be Rs. 25lakh and the loosing semi-finalists will stand to win Rs. 50 Lakh.
Announcing the prize money, Kiran More, Executive Board Member, Indian Cricket League (ICL) said, “Monetary considerations are important for any professional cricketer and we are pleased to announce a prize money package right up there on par with international cricket. I am sure this will work as a major incentive for all our players & motivate them to give cent percent to their team and the viewing public every time they take the field.”
Bharat Reddy, Indian Cricket League (ICL) said, “As former professional Cricketers, we at the ICL executive board understand the financial prerequisites of our professional players. Along with our endeavor to provide our players with the best of facilities, support staff and training systems we have also consistently delivered a top of the drawer financial incentive scheme, right since the inception, making the Indian Cricket League as the most vibrant & lucrative platform for a professional cricketer.”
Starting October 10th to November 16th, the ICL Season 2 begins with a high octane Opening Ceremony on October 10, 2008 in Hyderabad at 7.00pm. The ICL 20s Indian Championship in Season 2 will see a total of 41 pulsating matches being played at four international standard stadiums in - Hyderabad, Panchkula, Gurgaon & Ahmedabad. ICL promises to make this Season 2 an unforgettable experience for TV viewers, spectators & cricket lovers across the globe. The 9 teams comprising of the newly added Dhaka Warriors will play against each other once in every city.
In India, Zee Sports will telecast all matches live in Hindi, while Ten Sports will do the same in English. Along with Zee Sports & Ten Sports, BTV & ATN Bangla will telecast matches in Bangladesh, Gateway in North Africa, Telkom-Malysia & Astro in Malaysia, Fox Sports in Australia, Zee Music in UK, Zee TV in Africa, Zee Sports in USA, Ten Sports in Pakistan & Middle East and Caribbean Media Corporation in West Indies and Caribbean Islands
Announcing the prize money, Kiran More, Executive Board Member, Indian Cricket League (ICL) said, “Monetary considerations are important for any professional cricketer and we are pleased to announce a prize money package right up there on par with international cricket. I am sure this will work as a major incentive for all our players & motivate them to give cent percent to their team and the viewing public every time they take the field.”
Bharat Reddy, Indian Cricket League (ICL) said, “As former professional Cricketers, we at the ICL executive board understand the financial prerequisites of our professional players. Along with our endeavor to provide our players with the best of facilities, support staff and training systems we have also consistently delivered a top of the drawer financial incentive scheme, right since the inception, making the Indian Cricket League as the most vibrant & lucrative platform for a professional cricketer.”
Starting October 10th to November 16th, the ICL Season 2 begins with a high octane Opening Ceremony on October 10, 2008 in Hyderabad at 7.00pm. The ICL 20s Indian Championship in Season 2 will see a total of 41 pulsating matches being played at four international standard stadiums in - Hyderabad, Panchkula, Gurgaon & Ahmedabad. ICL promises to make this Season 2 an unforgettable experience for TV viewers, spectators & cricket lovers across the globe. The 9 teams comprising of the newly added Dhaka Warriors will play against each other once in every city.
In India, Zee Sports will telecast all matches live in Hindi, while Ten Sports will do the same in English. Along with Zee Sports & Ten Sports, BTV & ATN Bangla will telecast matches in Bangladesh, Gateway in North Africa, Telkom-Malysia & Astro in Malaysia, Fox Sports in Australia, Zee Music in UK, Zee TV in Africa, Zee Sports in USA, Ten Sports in Pakistan & Middle East and Caribbean Media Corporation in West Indies and Caribbean Islands
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