IISc clinches thriller versus Eleven Brothers

3 February 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: Playing their first match of this year's YS Ramaswamy Memorial Trophy, a new look IISc clinched a thrilling one wicket victory over Eleven Brothers CC, Magadi (KSCA V Division). With as many as five debutants in the playing eleven, Ashith aka 'terminator' did a commendable job of leading the inexperienced team.

On a sunny day, skipper Ashith won the toss and put opponents in. Opening bowlers Debajit & Sudheer started the proceedings well without any luck. Varun came into the attack and gave the vital first breakthrough with the score at 38. Opener Adil (39) looked comfortable against pace scoring boundaries regularly. Ashith promptly brought in leg spinner Arjun who took up the challenge like duck to water. The leggie mesmerized the opposing batsmen with his flight and loop taking four quick wickets within his quota of ten overs. The visitors were at a perilous 137/8 at one stage. But Saleem (33) and Bakash (23) put together a fifty run ninth wicket partnership and took the score beyond 200.

Chasing 207, the brand new opening pair of Kiran (77) and Pranesh (16) started steadily putting on a 42 run stand. The experienced Debajit came in at number four and contributed an invaluable 29 runs including a scorching six over mid-wicket - rumors say that talks are on to set up an epitaph at the spot at which the ball landed. At 160/4 the match looked to be firmly in IISc's grasp. But yet again the glorious uncertainties of the game came to fore  with five wickets falling in a span of 31 runs leaving IISc needing sixteen runs to win with the last wicket pair in the crease. Ashutosh (22*) and Rakesh (4*) survived a few close calls - on one instance the ball hit the stumps but failed to dislodge the bails even as they'd been frequently blown by the wind all day - before they took the home team to the finish line. Ziya and Humayun picked three wickets apiece for the visitors.

Brief Scores:
Eleven Brothers CC, Magadi - 206/9 in 50 overs

(Adil 39, Mazhar 33, Saleem 33, Arjun 4/28, Ashith 2/38)
IISc - 209/9  in 46.1 overs
(Kiran 77, Debajit 29, Ashutosh 22*, Humayun 3/45, Ziya 3/31)

Result: IISc won by one wicket

Man-of-the-match: Kiran