BEL beat IISc in friendly match

25 December 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: BEL Colony Recreation Club defeated a depleted IISc in a 40-overs friendly match held here. Riding on Kiran's sterling knock of 90 IISc posted a healthy 257/7 in their stipulated overs. But some erratic bowling and amateur fielding made the task easier for the opponents as they chased down the target in the second last over.

Brief scores:

IISc - 257/7 in 40 overs
(Kiran 90, Arindam 34, Kishan 43*, Santosh 20, Nagasimha 2/34, Sudheer 2/33)

BEL Colony RC - 258/4 in 38.3 overs
(Individual scores unavailable)

Result: BEL Colony RC won by six wickets
Man of the Match: -

Poor finish

26 November 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: IISc lost their last match of the KSCA Metro Shield 2011 to Unique Cricket Club by eight wickets. Overnight rains led to a late start reducing the match to a 35-overs affair. IISc posted a decent total of 195 but further rains ensured an easier target of 140 in 25 overs for the visitors and they did so with plenty to spare.

Team IISc's overall performance in the league this season is pretty much similar to what they achieved last year - five wins in eight matches. Hopefully they've done enough to ensure a top ten finish.

Brief scores:

IISc - 195 allout in 34.3 overs
(Pranesh 23, Kiran 54, Teja 51, Ajay 2/17, Pramod 2/43, Harsha 4/20)

Unique CC - 140/2 in 17.5 overs
(Aniket 57, Ajay 63)

Result: Unique Cricket Club won by eight wickets
Man of the Match: Ajay

 

Star SC end IISc's juggernaut

13 November 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: Some solid batting from Star Sports Club, Nelamangala aided by some atrocious catching from IISc ended the home team's juggernaut in the ongoing KSCA Metro Shield 2011. Such is the competitive nature of the tournament that owing to this solitary loss, IISc could find themselves out of the fray irrespective of the result of their last super-league match versus Unique CC on 27th November.

Batting first, the visitors were on the offense from the word go. The openers put on 61 runs with Hanumanta Raju (64) in a murderous mood striking boundaries at will. IISc kept taking wickets but never managed to keeping the scoring in check. The seventh wicket pair of Santosh (56) and Manohar (41) put on 68 runs to add to IISc's misery. But the maximum damage on IISc was inflicted by their own butter-fingered catching and fielding - there were a shocking eight dropped catches in the innings. The saving grace for IISc was the efficient spells from spinners Arindam (5/46) and Alok (2/24).

Having made 290 in their last outing, the IISc batting unit may have just acquired some ill-placed complacency. Although the scoring rate was always good, IISc lost far too many wickets than they should have and ultimately found themselves woefully short. Arindam (41) and Varun (39) put up some semblance of fight but in the end it wasn't enough.

IISc play Unique Cricket Club on 27th November in what could be the last match in this year's Metro Shield for both teams.

Brief scores:
Star SC - 265 allout in 50 overs
(Hanumanta 64, Pradeep 36, Santosh 56, Manohar 41, Arindam 5/46, Alok 2/24)

IISc - 176 allout in 33.2 overs
(Arindam 42, Varun 39, Madhusudan 3/33, Sachin 2/65, Pradeep 2/24, Hanumanta 2/41)

Result: Star Sports Club won by 89 runs
Man of the Match: Hanumanta Raju

Newspaper Reports:

"Deccan Herald"

Kiran's ton flattens Young CC

6 November 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: Opener Kiran Gangadharan's swashbuckling century (113) helped IISc beat high-flying Young Challenging Cricketers, by a comprehensive 54-run margin in their first super-league stage match of KSCA Metro Shield 2011. Fifth ranked Young CC came into the match with a clean slate winning each of their five league stage matches while IISc had four wins from as many matches.

Wet weather throughout the week hinted at the possibility of a rain-curtailed match. And so Young CC skipper Rakshan Rai promptly put IISc in on winning the toss. Salil (26) and Kiran were solid as ever in putting on an 80-run opening stand that laid the foundation for a big total. Kiran was in ominous touch but more importantly put a price tag on his wicket in an innings marked as much with determination as with panache. Twelve fours and a pulled six embellished his third century for IISc. His 90-run association for the third wicket with captain Ashith Shyam (67) was a veritable lesson on how to build an innings through the middle-overs. Ashith continued his consistent run of form and, aided by a few cameos from the rest of the middle-order, helped IISc post an imposing 290/8 in 50 overs.

Visiting openers MS Vinay and Savan started briskly putting on 46 runs for the first wicket. But the home team bowlers - in the absence of their go-to man Debajit - put in a team effort chipping in with wickets at crucial junctures to keep the chase in check. BA Vinay (32) and Rakshan (38) put on 77 runs for the fifth wicket and kept the visitors in the hunt. In fact Young CC always kept themselves abreast with the required rate but lost far too many wickets for their liking. They kept fighting till the very last wicket fell 54 runs short of IISc's total.

Team IISc play their second super-league match against Star CC, Nelamangala this Sunday, 13th November. A win there would make them strong contenders for a semi-final spot.

Brief scores:
IISc - 290/8 in 50 overs
(Salil 26, Kiran 113, Arindam 23, Ashith 67, Vikram 23, Varun 20, Guruprasad 2/56)
Young CC - 236 allout in 44.1 overs
(MS Vinay 32, Savan 36, BA Vinay 32, Rakshan 38, Guruprasad 22, Teja 2/35, Vikram 2/33, Arindam 3/45, Ashith 2/32)

Result: IISc won by 54 runs
Man of the Match: Kiran Gangadharan

Newspaper Reports:
Deccan Herald
The Hindu

DNA

IISc pip Merchants CC, reach super-league

The worms (red: Merchants CC, green: IISc) show that IISc had the luxury 

to pace their chase knowing that the target wasn't stiff.

16 October 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: For the second consecutive season, the IISc cricket team has made it to the super-league stage of the highly competitive KSCA Metro Shield tournament winning four of their five league stage matches. The latest victims at their hands were Merchants CC who were defeated by three wickets in an evenly contested affair that showed how a low scoring match could still dish out edge-of-the-seat cricket.

Merchants started out confidently with some authoritative boundaries. But the hosts fought back through some disciplined bowling and agile fielding reducing the visitors from 33/0 to 75/4. Aneesh (41) and Ikram (35) arrested the collapse and ensured that the visitors had a decent total to defend with their famed bowling line-up. In a collective effort, Debajit (2/42), Teja (3/33) and Vikram (2/23) plotted the downfall of the opposition restricting them under 200. 

Knowing that the target wasn't stiff helped IISc pace their chase perfectly in the face of some stifling spin bowling from Merchants. Salil (22) and Kiran (19) ensured a steady start but in a dramatic turn of events the home team found themselves at 76/5 largely through a string of soft dismissals. The stage was set for Ashith (45) to play a captain's knock under pain and pressure, stitching crucial partnerships with Teja (37*) and Debajit (26) both of whom are fast developing into seasoned finishers. IISc romped home with three wickets and close to five overs to spare.

After all the grueling cricket in the past couple of months, team IISc now gets some well-deserved rest before their face-off with tougher oppositions in the super-league. While things seem to be clicking very nicely in the batting and bowling departments, they will be most pleased with their marked improvement in fielding and catching over the previous matches, touch wood.

Brief Scores:

Merchant's CC - 199 all out in 45.2 overs
(Saroj 22, Aneesh 41, Ikram 35, Debajit 2/42, Teja 3/33, Vikram 2/23)
IISc - 201/7 in 45.3 overs

(Salil 22, Teja 37*, Ashith 45, Debajit 26, Aneesh 3/25)

Result: IISc won by 3 wickets

Man-of-the-match: Ravi Teja

Full Scorecard

Newspaper Reports: 
"Deccan Herald" 

IISc clinch thriller

9 October 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: After the agonizing loss to Vikram CC in the last game, team IISc was under pressure to win this match. And so they did via a commendable team effort beating Vivekanada Union CC by three wickets with just two overs to spare. 

Vivekananda Union came into the match with some reputation for hard hitting and Ajay (70) and Anil (60) justified that with some lusty stroke-play. Ajay in particular was on nitro-boost mode biffing eight fours and three sixes. Debajit (4/49) came out of his consistent three-for mode claiming four wickets for IISc. Vikram (2/57) and Ashith (3/33) shared the rest of the spoils.

In a conscious effort to always stay ahead of the required rate, Salil (38) and Kiran (45) got the hosts off to a blistering start scoring at around nine runs an over. When Kiran was dismissed at a team score of 80 in the tenth over, IISc had a firm foundation to build their chase on. But they squandered the initiative with a dramatic middle-order collapse that took them to a precarious 145/6. 

Reminiscent of the epic chase against Rajajinagar Colts almost exactly an year ago, it was Varun (43) and Teja (55*) who played the rescue act to perfection. There weren't too many boundaries - both the batsmen hit only one six each - but the running was especially impressive as they repeatedly put pressure on the fielders stealing plenty of doubles. When Varun got out, IISc was still 33 runs behind the target, but some composed and sensible batting from Teja and Debajit saw IISc through with a couple of overs to spare.

While the result might not reflect it, the home team has some serious problems to sort in the fielding and catching department. The next match versus Merchants CC will not be an easy proposition to handle with butter-fingered fieldsmen. 

Brief Scores:

Vivekananda Union CC - 245 all out in 45.1 overs
(Ajay 70, Anil 60, Debajit 4/49, Vikram 2/57, Ashith 3/33)
IISc - 247/7 in 48 overs

(Salil 38, Kiran 45, Varun 43, Teja 55*, Soail 5/44)

Result: IISc won by 3 wickets

Man-of-the-match: Ravi Teja

Newspaper Reports:
"Deccan Herald"
"The Hindu"

Vikram CC, rain prevail over IISc

 The worms (red: Vikram CC, green: IISc) show that IISc's chase was cut short at a crucial juncture.

2 October 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: When IISc restricted Vikram CC to 228/8 in 50 overs, they might have felt reasonably confident of registering their third straight win in the KSCA Metro Shield 2011. But during the chase, a combination of nagging bowling and some circumspect batting ensured that the hosts was slightly behind the required run-rate when it poured down cruelly for them.

Vikram CC's innings was steered by a gem of a knock from Sanjeeth (60). For IISc, Debajit  (3/51) picked up three wickets while Ashith (2/38) and Arjun (2/42) claimed two wickets apiece. The home team's fielding was rather profligate which proved quite decisive in the final equation.

In the 22.1 overs that IISc got to bat, Salil (45*) was in the middle of a polished innings. The chase was nipped in the bud at that inopportune juncture  by a spell of heavy downpour leaving the hosts wondering how they managed to lose a match that seemed to be well in their pockets. The umpires did have an inspection about an hour after rain stopped, but the ground conditions were too soggy for any play to be possible.

Brief Scores:

Vikram CC - 228/8 in 50 overs
(Sanjeeth 60, Deepak Reddy 30, Debajit 3/51, Ashith 2/38, Arjun 2/42 )
IISc - 84/2 in 22.1 overs

(Salil 45*)

Result: Vikram CC won by better run rate

Man-of-the-match: Sanjeeth

Newspaper reports:

"Deccan Herald"