Washington Cricket Club

Scorecard

Punjab Lions v Washington Cricket Club WCC-WMCB on Sun 05 May 2013 at 10:00 AM
Washington Cricket Club Won by 106 runs

Match report Incisively professional WCC resoundingly defeat Punjab Lions.

On a mythical spring Sunday (mythical coz this was not spring weather) which was quite chilly, the WCC bandwagon drove for over an hour to Pimlico near Baltimore to take on Punjab Lions. Having lost to the same team at the same ground last year, this was not a game we could take lightly at all, considering we also lost our previous game to Damascus.

Viraal is developing a good habit of winning the toss and he promptly asked our top order to pad up. The pitch was trampled upon with cleats past week and news was that it was going to play slow and low. The Yashraj outfield (with yellow flowers and tall grass) doesn't help run scoring either. Chewing over this, Palash and Sameer strode to the middle. Lions' quick bowler got Palash out in the third over with a ball that didn't bounce much. Palash got squared up and was bowled for 3. Sharath went in at No. 3 and together with Sameer ensured another one didn't fall for quite a while.

With well timed and placed shots not reaching the boundary, it was swallow your pride and scamper hard kind of a batting day. Some balls were shooting low and you played across at your own risk. Eschewing fancy batting, the pair settled to dropping the ball and running, chipping and running, driving thinking it's a four only to realize that you had to do the running, and just, well, more running. It is probably a sort of a record for WCC for the number of twos run. At the first break WCC was at 50/1.

After what seemed an eternity, Sharath struck a boundary and by that time, Washington were well on their way to a decent score, that is if they did not muck it up like in the last game. They did not. Instead the ante was upped after the first break with more boundaries being scored and pressure was put on the Lions' bowlers and fielders. After a responsible and top order-like 90 run partnership, Sameer tried to clear mid on but was caught for a well made 27. Ravi Teja walked in at No. 4 but was undone by a dubious lbw decision. The ball seemed headed down leg. Viraal at No. 5 joined Sharath and ensured we didn't lose wickets in pairs or triples. Soon Sharath reached a well earned 50 which included lots of, yes, running and a few hits to the fence. It felt more like a hundred because of the amount of effort it took. By the 30 over mark, we were 138/3, well poised to reach 200.

The first over after the final break, Sharath lofted one for a one bounce long off four and next ball tried to repeat it over deepish mid on. The fielder caught it brilliantly. It popped out of his hand and the ball was behind him as he grabbed it second attempt, to end a really good hardworking innings at 76. Viraal (10) hit one to mid wicket soon after and we were 5 down inside 150. The lower middle and lower order had to contribute if we had to make 200 and contribute they did. First Taran (8) , then Jagan (11) and especially Sagar (21). Taran hit a timely boundary, Jagan orbited one out of the park and Sagar hit a few fours to push the score close to what we hoped for. Anil and Murali rounded it off with a boundary each to end WCC's innings at 209/9. And we had batted the full 40. Task half excellently done.

Making 200+ at Pimlico is no mean task. But complacency is a sneaky bitch and we had to guard against her. Jagan and Murali started really well for us swinging the ball out and not giving much away. Lots of plays and misses. We didn't get a breakthrough in their first spells but we hadn't given much away either. And then Anil marked his run up first change. Finding swing immediately, in his very first over he had their struggling opener fall away towards off. Out lbw. Next over he had their No. 3 loft one towards mid off. Sagar had to run forward to take the catch. The other opener was stroking the ball well. Anil had him for evening snacks next inducing a mistimed shot and caught him himself one handed above his head. Bowling from around the wicket, a perfect inswinging yorker took care of Prince for a blob.

Meanwhile at the other end, Ravi Teja was bowling quick and steady and the batsmen were consistently connecting with air. Moving it out and sometimes in, he had the batsmen in a bind too. Lions' No. 4 had barely a clue as Ravi pitched one on leg and moved it out with the ball crashing into middle. As the befuddled batsman studied the pitch, Washington were celebrating seeing the back of half their side. Bowling too needs partnerships and Anil and Ravi showed why and how.

Not finished as yet, Anil swung one in again to have No. 6 lbw and got an excellent fifer, his first for WCC. Coming back for a second spell later, he did one better, a 6-fer, by having No. 7 caught at long on, again a well judged catch by Sagar. Anil finished an incisive, penetrating 8 over spell at 6/21. Having Punjab 7 down for 60 odd, we were hoping for a sub three figure finish. Credit to their tail which wagged for a little bit. Nos. 8,9 and 10 swung freely, connected a few and were helped a bit by a few boundary disasters by our fielders. But Sagar and Ankit finished the job off. Sagar first had their free swinging lefty snick one to Palash who was standing closer to the stumps than he would have due to the low bounce nature of the pitch. By the time it reached Palash it was above his head. He parried it to hand Sharath at first slip the simplest of assist catches. Next, Ankit polished the tail off. The tail ender slogged one flat and hard to long on where Sagar, again, positioned himself perfectly to catch it. 3 good catches by him. Very next ball, the last batsman to get out got out slogging wildly. The ball missed the wood in hand and hit the wood behind and it was all over. Punjab lions 103 all out in the 29th over. A comprehensive victory by 106 runs.

About last game, I had written that none of the three departments clicked. This game, all three departments clicked. I had written that the bastmen didn't put pressure on the bowlers and fielders. This time the batsmen did. I had said the bowlers didn't put consistent pressure on the opposing batsmen. This time the bowlers did. I had said the catching deteriorated. This time we held on to all catches. The only thing to say for this game is, well done WCC!

Next stop. Oxon hill. vs Columbia on Sat, May 11.
Hope to say similar things next time as well

Washington Cricket Club WCC-WMCB Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 34w 2b  
for 9 wickets
37
209		        
Sameer Apte ct Dalwinder 27
Palash Sarkar b Prince 3
Sharath Parvathavani ct Vicky 76 1
Raviteja Reddy Jakkula lbw Dalwinder 2
Viral Patel ct Janty 10
Taran Dhupar b Dalwinder 8
Vidyasagar Nalluri b Vicky 21 3
Jagannath Surampudi lbw Simranjit 11
Anil Kumar Run out  6
Murali Sripadam Not Out  5
Ankit Aggarwal Not Out  1

Punjab Lions Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Prince8.0029129.003.63
Janty8.0028128.003.50
Vicky8.0046223.005.75
Gurdip8.003200.004.00
Dalwinder4.0036312.009.00
Gurbir2.002100.0010.50
Simranjit2.0016116.008.00

Punjab Lions Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 23w 6b 3lb 
for 10 wickets
33
103 (28.3 overs)		     
Surya lbw Anil Kumar 3
Simranjit ct Anil Kumar (B) Anil Kumar 23
Gifty ct Sagar (B) Anil Kumar 2
Gurdip b Ravi Teja 0
Prince b Anil Kumar 0
Raj lbw Anil Kumar 0
Gurbir ct Sagar (B) Anil Kumar 1
Dalwinder ct Ankit Aggarwal 15
Lovepreet ct Sharath (B) Sagar 10
Vicky b Ankit Aggarwal 16
Janty Not Out  0

Washington Cricket Club WCC-WMCB Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Jagannath Surampudi4.00800.002.00
Murali Sripadam4.001600.004.00
Anil Kumar8.002163.502.63
Raviteja Reddy Jakkula5.00818.001.60
Ankit Aggarwal3.3022211.006.29
Vidyasagar Nalluri4.0019119.004.75