Division One featured several vital clashes between
teams fighting for their playoff lives, as well as the
"Game of the Year" - the Top Two in the table clashing
for regular season bragging rights.
On Saturday the much anticipated clash between Milwaukee
United and the Bears fizzled, as MUCC dominated the game.
AJ returned to the side to smash a blistering 98,
Bhavneet chipped in with 40-plus, and opener Sadiq scored
a fifty as MUCC put up a massive 275 at Lincoln Park.
Then, facing that mountainous task, the Bears batting
collapsed to Satya who took a 7-fer. MUCC thus takes over
the #3 spot in the table, while the Bears slip to 4th.
Both, however, remain in very strong playoff position.
Meanwhile 5-4 Phoenix met 5-3 Muslim Gym in a crunch
game (which I got to watch up close). Phoenix went after
the bowling at the start and at the end of the innings
...they were an amazing 44/0 after only 3 overs of the
match, and they scored 53 off their last 5 overs! In
between they consolidated - and with 61 from Omer and
69* from Aditya, they ended with 261/6 in 45 overs.
Muslim chased valiantly - two massive sixes from Imran
set them on their way (one an absolutely gorgeous cover-drive
for six in the very first over of the innings, that
skimmed screaming over the fence - a breathtaking shot),
but for once he fell early. Brother Kamran took over,
however, and hit 4 huge sixes of his own in his
scintillating 62... and at 128/2 in 20 overs, Muslim was
in cruise-control, needing only another 132 to win off
25 overs. However Shiv bowled Kamran with an excellent
straighter one right before break - and Muslim suffered
a slide to the spinners after break, with Fawad, Arbab,
Farhat and Mahmood all falling within the next 10 overs,
3 of them to spin. Another brave push by the lower-order
gave Muslim hope - with Moe going great guns the asking
rate was down to 36 runs off 36 balls with the last 2
wickets in hand - but the pressure of the lack of wickets
told in the end, and Muslim were bowled out 16 runs short
of their target with 7 balls to spare. A terrific game
and a very brave effort from Muslim Gym, but a vital
and establishing win for Phoenix (it would have been very
easy to suffer a let-down after the unexpected upset of
the Challengers the previous week, but Phoenix didnt let
it happen).. This leaves Phoenix at 6-4, vaulting them
over Muslim Gym who are 5-4. Both teams remain in solid
playoff position, but needing to continue winning.
Also on Saturday was the do-or-die battle between the
two teams that played the Finals in 2003 - the Wildcats
and United. United's batting, so brittle under pressure
all season long, cracked yet again against the desperate
defending champions - they folded for 151 despite another
battling 47 from Mehul and 36 from Faisal. The Wildcats
cruised home with 6 wickets in hand and 9 overs to
spare (at the time of going to press there were no
further details available). The loss seriously damages
United's playoff hopes - they are now 4-6, and in
a similar situation to last season, needing to probably
win out to make the playoffs. The Wildcats were already
in that no-wiggle-room situation last week itself... A
Journey of a Thousand Miles starts with a Single Step,
they say, and the defending champions began their long,
uphill, treacherous journey with that most important
first step yesterday.
Sunday saw the much-anticipated top-of-the-table clash
between Challengers and Pak Gym. Few details available
at the time of going to press - but Captain Rashid led
from the front for Pak Gym, claiming 5/23 and reducing
the mighty Challengers batting lineup to 138 allout.
The Challengers battled and claimed 5 wickets, but the
target was never going to be enough, and Pak Gym cruised
home with half their wickets intact with overs to spare.
Thus Pak Gym establishes itself as the team to beat
this season, vaulting to 9-1. The Challengers, unbeaten
until two weeks ago, suffer their second consecutive loss
- but remain solidly in second spot in the table.
Also on Sunday, Royals took on the Chargers (in another
game I watched up-close). Chargers batted first and put
up a not-very-healthy looking 148. They then came charging
out of the gate with the ball, however, especially with an
excellent fiery spell from Rafi - and after only 7 overs
the Royals innings was in tatters at 28/6! At this stage
one would expect most teams to begin a desperate, dour
battle, to fight with their backs to the wall and try and
eke out the runs as they inched towards their distant
destination. They Royals took all of 2 overs to survey
the damage... an old General is once reported to have
said, "My left flank is weak, my centre is collapsing.
Situation Excellent, I shall Attack!" The Royals
responded identically - from the doldrums of 32/6 after
9 overs, Rupesh and Vipul launched a scintillating,
breath-taking, jaw-dropping, counter-attack. Rupesh
bludgeoned 5 sixes and 4 fours in 70*, Vipul clattered
4 sixes and 4 fours in his 50*. It was pure carnage -
and, given the situation, stunning in the audacity of
its conception as well as the excellence of its execution.
Exactly 120 runs were pundered in the next 11.5 overs
(from 32/6!!), and the Royals rolled to a 4-wicket win
with 24 overs to spare! This amazing comeback vaults
the Royals (who started the season 0-4) to 4-5 and right
into the thick of the playoff race, while the Chargers
will have to regroup at 2-7.
written by Sadiq Yusuf
