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

Upcoming Match: Thursday, 3 February 2011

IISc Gymkhana vs Eleven Brothers CC, Magadi

50-overs YS Ramaswamy Memorial Trophy Match

9:30AM, Thursday, 3 February 2011

IISc Gymkhana Ground

Ashfaque ton ousts IISc

16 January 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: A swashbuckling century from Ashfaque (111*) coupled with some inept bowling and catching from IISc brought an end to what had been a dream season for IISc. Indiranagar Cricketers thus go through to the semi-finals of the KSCA IV Division League 2010-11.

In his last match as the captain of team IISc, Sounik won the toss and put Indiranagar in. Seven balls into the match, the visitors were 5/2. Then came a stinging counter-attack from Ajay Sainis (46) and Anuj (32) who put together a 77 run third wicket stand. But the alliance that clinched the deal firmly in favor of Indiranagar was the fifth wicket pair of Ashfaque (111*) and Umesh (35) who put together 114 runs. For IISc, Debajit claimed yet another three-for.

Chasing 282 was always going to be a tough ask. IISc were circumspect to start with. The loss of Salil (29) and Ashith (28) to runouts was crucial in the context of the game. Harshan (79*) held his end up accumulating runs and pouncing on any loose offerings from the bowlers. The escalating required run-rate put enough pressure on the host batsmen to ensure regular fall of wickets. In the end, IISc fell a good 59 runs short of the mammoth target.

IISc's league campaign might have been brought to an abrupt end. Nonetheless, no one can take credit away from them for their overall performance this season, one that might  well see them breaking into the top ten in the KSCA IV Division rankings. To make that kind of a leap from a mediocre position of 24 does take some doing. The challenge will now be to keep up the good work and do better in the new season. The baton has been passed - Ashith Shyam is the new skipper and Ravi Teja his deputy.

Brief Scores:
Indiranagar Cricketers - 281/8 in 50 overs

(Ajay 46, Anuj 32, Ashfaque 111*, Umesh 35, Debajit 3/91, Ashith 2/30)
IISc - 222 all out in 47.4 overs
(Salil 29, Ashith 28, Harshan 79*, Ravi Teja 25, Bhagawan 2/28, Ajay 2/37)

Result: Indiranagar Cricketers won by 59 runs

Man-of-the-match: Ashfaque

 

Upcoming Match: Sunday, 16 January 2011

IISc Gymkhana vs Indiranagar Cricketers

50-overs KSCA Group-I, IV-Division Super League Match

9:30AM, Sunday, 16 January 2011

IISc Gymkhana Ground

This match is a virtual quarter-final as the winner will qualify for the semi-finals of the KSCA IV Division League 2010-11. 
 

Ace Cricketers shock IISc

9 January 2011, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: The game never ceases to amaze. IISc went into the match on the back of a five-match winning streak while Ace Cricketers came in having been beaten twice in the Super League stage to be all but out of the KSCA IV Division League 2010-11. The match seemed to be going according to script with the latter being skittled out for 115. Yet, the visitors pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat by bundling out IISc for a dismal 81 thus securing a 34 run victory. 

Left-arm spinner Sunil Kumar's figures read 15-8-29-7. He was the destroyer-in-chief for the host batting line-up that was groping for answers to the variety of questions he posed. It wasn't as if there was complacence or irresponsibility in the way IISc batted. It was simply high class spin bowling - replete with variations in flight, speed, turn and bounce - that did the home batsmen in. Opener Shimjtih's knock of 20 ended up being the top score in IISc's innings.

Earlier, a magical opening spell from Teja (5/30) and Debajit's (3/26) expert mopping operation had helped IISc bowl out Ace Cricketers for what looked like a measly 115. But Sunil chose the day to dish out a hard lesson for IISc. 

The silver-lining is that IISc's recent juggernaut and the other results in the pool have ensured that they are still alive in the tournament. A win in the upcoming match versus Indiranagar Cricketers will put IISc in the semi-finals of the KSCA Metro Shield 2010-11.

Brief Scores:
Ace Cricketers - 115 all out in 36 overs

(Vishwanath 20, Vinay Prashanth 32, Ravi Teja 5/30, Debajit 3/26)
IISc - 81 all out in 30.4 overs
(Shimjith 20, Sanjay Naidu 2/22, Sunil Kumar 7/29)

Result: Ace Cricketers won by 34 runs

Man-of-the-match: Sunil Kumar

Upcoming Match: Sunday, 9 January 2011

IISc Gymkhana vs Ace Cricketers

50-overs KSCA Group-I, IV-Division Super League Match

9:30AM, Sunday, 9 January 2011

IISc Gymkhana Ground

IISc win Boxing Day bout

26 December 2010, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: The KSCA Metro Shield Super League match between IISc and Sirur Park was much like a boxing bout. Both sides threw measured punches and jabs at opportune moments. It was a hard-fought battle till about 20 overs into the second innings when IISc started the hijack and took total control.

Sirur Park was comfortably placed at 80/2 in the seventeenth over, chasing a par score of 215. In the twelve overs that followed, they lost 7 wickets for the addition of a meager 13 runs. It was a veritable exhibition of swing bowling from Debajit (4/38) and Ashith (4/39) backed up by some intense fielding. Skipper Sounik lead by example pouching four catches behind the stumps. Both medium-fast bowlers moved the ball prodigiously leaving the opposing batsmen totally clueless. That the visitors did not get bundled out below 100 was thanks to a stubborn last wicket partnership of 43 runs.

Earlier, IISc were put into the unfamiliar position of setting a target after having successfully chased for four successive league matches. The start wasn't good as IISc were 26/2 by the sixth over. Birthday boy Salil (27) and Ashith (16) steadied the ship. Salil's dismissal - a dubious lbw - brought to the crease Vikram (25) and his pyrotechnics. But his promising innings was cut short by another lbw call that left him fuming at the umpire. In the mean while, Ashith held his end up diligently playing out time and warding off the danger of a collapse. 

Later Harshan (34) reproduced the kind of form he'd shown of late and Shimjith (37) show-cased his finishing abilities repeatedly playing horizontal bat shots to upset the spinners. Coming off a rich harvest of 25 wickets in five matches, Udupa (4/53) was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors.

Sirur Park might have been reasonably satisfied with the way they restricted IISc. But soon IISc showed them who the boss is. This 78-run victory extends IISc's winning streak in the tournament to five. 

This was IISc's last match in 2010. Their record this year has been staggering; played-35, won-23, lost-9, no result-3. Considering only tournament matches i.e. excluding friendly matches, the stats are: played-13, won-10, lost-3. The detailed track record can be accessed here.

Brief Scores:
IISc - 214 all out in 49.2 overs

(Salil 27, Vikram 25, Harsha 34, Shimjith 37, Udupa4/53, Harish 2/45)
Sirur Park Sports Club - 136 all out in 40.2 overs
(Anurag 34, Madhvesh 23, Prateek 29, Debajit 4/38, Ashith 4/39)

Result: IISc won by 78 runs

Man-of-the-match: Ashith Shyam

Newspaper report:
"Deccan Herald"