IISc clinch high-scorer, go to semis

Ashith produced yet another classic (93* off 66 balls) taking his 

tournament aggregate to 389 at an astronomical average of 129.67

30th September, 2012, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: There was a lot at stake in the super league match of the KSCA Metro Shield 2012 played between IISc Gymkhana and Spartans Sports Club as it was to decide the fate of three teams in the tournament. And the match truly lived up to the billing producing a high intensity clash that had all the ingredients of a dramatic classic. 

Two superlative knocks from either side - Vinith Yadav's 120 off 98 balls and Ashith Shyam's 93* off 66 balls - set the stage on fire. The other batsmen from both sides played ideal foils to the protagonist at the other end. Bowlers from both sides were shred to pieces. Hardly anything separated the two sides barring the 'little things' that IISc did right, taking them to the semifinals of the tournament after a wait of sixteen years.

It was a wet morning with dark clouds all around threatening a washout. But once the rain stopped, the famed IISc ground soaked up all the puddles thus allowing a  three-and-half hours late start with the overs curtailed to 30. Expecting a slow and damp wicket, Ashith put the visitors in to bat. Vinith and Vishal (51 of 59 balls) started steadily reaching 73 in fifteen overs. But from then on, they upped the tempo several notches before Roy bowled the latter with the score at 140 in the 23rd over. 

Lakshman (40 off 24 balls) joined Vinith and both launched a brutal attack on the home bowlers plundering boundaries and scampering runs in all parts of the ground. Vinith hit as many as twelve boundaries and three sixes. Yet, all through the assault, the IISc fielders kept saving crucial runs here and there - something that proved decisive in the end. Kiran came up with gravity-defying attempts on some half-chances, Varun charged and swooped at the ball cutting down doubles. Nonetheless, Spartans SC slammed 145 runs in the last 15 overs and ended with a gargantuan 218/1 in 30 overs.

If any batting line-up in KSCA IV Division had the fire-power to scale such a herculean target, it had to be IISc's. The law of averages caught up with Kiran as he was dismissed for 13. But Salil was solid as ever pacing the chase expertly with a 44-ball 45. Arindam (15 off 8 balls) perished after a brief flicker bringing Ashith to the crease. And the captain produced the kind of innings under pressure that is the stuff of legends. 

His unbeaten knock - studded with eleven boundaries and a gorgeous six over extra cover - might have been seven runs short of a ton, but every single run was worth its weight in gold. This one should rate even above his 149 not out earlier in the tournament. He shared an 83-run partnership with Salil followed by a 58-run partnership with Vikram (28 off 20 balls) and finally, with eight balls to spare, knocked off the winning runs as Teja (8* off 7 balls) gave him company.

This victory sets up a semifinal clash between IISc Gymkhana and Rajajinagar Cricketers at the revered Chinnaswamy Stadium. It's a two-day match scheduled on 6-7 October. The winners will obviously make it to the final of the KSCA Metro Shield but will also get promoted to KSCA III Division next season.

[Update: Due to Karnataka bandh on 6th October, the semifinal match between IISc and Rajajinagar Cricketers has been rescheduled to 20-21 October at IAF Ground]

Brief scores: (30 overs match)
Spartans SC - 218/1 in 30 overs
(Vinith Yadav 120, Vishal Balal 51, Lakshman 40;
Roy 2-0-20-1)
IISc - 219/5 in 28.4 overs
(Salil 45, Ashith 93*, Vikram 28;
Suresh 6-0-35-2)

Result: IISc won by 5 wickets
Man of the match: Ashith Shyam