Rajajinagar crush IISc, top pool

25th August, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: With both teams coming into the match having pocketed four straight wins each, this match was supposed to be the clash of the titans in the pool-C of the KSCA IV Division league 2012. But Rajajinagar Cricketers simply outplayed IISc Gymkhana in all three departments to win the match by a resounding six wicket margin thus topping the pool. However, both teams make it to the Super League stage which starts tentatively in mid-September.

Rajajinagar won the toss and again resorted to their familiar strategy of putting the opposition in. The initial overs produced some absorbing cricket that included some hits and misses interspersed with some classic strokes from Kiran (59 off 66 balls) and Ashith (14 off 21 balls). But Ashith fell in the eighth over to a freak dismissal when a Kiran straight drive flicked the bowlers fingers before hitting the stumps on the non-strikers end. That opened the proverbial flood gates as wickets fell in a pile including a couple of close calls that went against the home side. In all the previous matches, IISc's top four batsmen had been doing the job, with the lower-middle order batsmen hardly getting a hit in the middle. And when they did finally get the chance, they were found woefully short of the mark, barring the glistening exception of Raviteja, who was stranded on an unbeaten 47 coming off 59 deliveries.

The visitors were rocked early in their chase when Varun castled Bharath in the very first over with one that swung in. But Fahad (23 off 19 balls) and Mudassir (71 off 65 balls) kept attacking the IISc bowlers thus scoring at a fast clip. Fahad edged one to second slip in the tenth over to revive IISc's hope of a fight back. The third wicket alliance of Mudassir and Sagar (42 off 60 balls) however batted solidly almost taking Rajajinagar home but for a couple of late dismissals at the fag end of the innings. The only bright spot in IISc's bowling was Arindam's luckless spell of 10-0-39-0 where he beat the bat and induced edges on umpteen occasions yet went wicketless.

Brief scores: (50 overs match)

IISc - 157 all out in 35.5 overs

(Kiran 59, Raviteja 47*;

Sagar 7.5-0-27-3, Shree Kumar 7-0-20-2, Balaji 6-0-32-2)

Rajajinagar Cricketers - 158/4 in 29 overs

(Fahad 23, Mudassir 71, Sagar 42*)

Result: Rajajinagar Cricketers won by 6 wickets

Man of the match: Sagar

In the newspapers:
"Deccan Herald"

Upcoming Match: Saturday, 25 August 2012

IISc Gymkhana vs Rajajinagar Cricketers
50-overs KSCA Group-I, IV-Division League Match
9:30AM, Saturday, 25 August 2012
Venue: IISc Gymkhana Ground

Both the teams have already made it to the Super League stage of the ongoing KSCA Metro Shield 2012. They come into this match with identical records - played four, won four. A mouth-watering contest is on the cards. 

Ace Cricketers aced

Match Report in Hindi:

कर्णाटक स्टेट क्रिकेट संघ के अंतर्गत चल रहे मेट्रो शील्ड मुकाबले मे 19 अगस्त 2012 को खेले गए मैच मे भारतीय विज्ञान संस्थान (आइ आइ एस सी) जिमखाना ने एस क्रिकेटर्स के खिलाफ आठ विकेट से जीत हासिल कर लीग में दूसरे चरण के लिए अपनी जगह पक्की कर ली।इसी के साथ आइ आइ एस सी ने लीग मे अपना जीत का कारवां जारी रखा और लगातार चौथी जीत हासिल की।

आइ आइ एस सी जिमखाना क्रिकेट मैदान पर बादलो की लुक्का चुप्पी के बीच खेले गए इस मैच मे एस क्रिकेटर्स ने टॉस जीत कर पहले बल्लेबाज़ी करने का फैसला किया। एस क्रिकेटर्स के सलामी बल्लेबाज़ विपिन एवं नन्दीश के सामने आइ आइ एस सी के वरुण व देबजीत की गेंदबाजी कुछ ख़ास कमाल नहीं दिखा पाई और पहले 6 ओवर मे एस ने 39 रनो की अच्छी नीव तैयार कर ली। लेकिन सातवे ओवर से गेंदबाज़ी की कमान कप्तान आशित व मध्यम गति फिरकी गेंदबाज़ अरिंदम ने संभालने का निर्णय लिया। इस बदलाव से आइ आइ एस सी एस क्रिकेटर्स के तेज़ी से बढ़ते स्कोर को रोकने मे कामयाब रहा। एस क्रिकेटर्स ने 15.4 ओवर मे 67 रन के स्कोर पर अपना पहला विकेट कप्तान आशित की झोली मे डाल दिया। और यहीं से विकेट गिरने का कार्यक्रम चलता रहा जिस मे फिरकी गेंदबाज़ अनिरुद्ध ने 10 ओवर में केवल 30 रन दे कर 3 महत्वपूर्ण विकेट चटके और देबजीत ने शानदार वापसी कर 10 ओवर में 2 मैडेन ओवर के साथ 38 रन देकर 3 विकेट लिए। कप्तान आशित ने भी शानदार गेंदबाज़ी का प्रदर्शन कर 2 विकेट लिए। उनचासवे ओवर मे 190 रन के स्कोर पर एस क्रिकेटर्स ने आइ आइ एस सी की कठोर गेंदबाज़ी के सामने घुटने टेक दिए।

आइ आइ एस सी ने 191 रन के स्कोर का पीछा करते हुए 29.2 ओवर मे जीत हासिल की जिसमे सलिल ने धुँआदार बल्लेबाज़ी करते हुए 90 रन की नाबाद पारी खेली। दूसरे छोर पर किरण आक्रामक बल्लेबाज़ी करते हुए मात्र 41 गेंदो में 50 रन बनाकर आउट हो गए। अरिंदम बल्लेबाज़ी मे कुछ ख़ास करिश्मा नहीं दिखा पाए और 27 गेंदो मे 12 रन बनाकर अपना विकेट हवा मे उछाल कर पेविलियन  लौट गए। विक्रम ने 21 गेंदो मे 22 रन की नाबाद पारी खेली।

Salil's unbeaten run-a-ball 90 

was the cornerstone of IISc's chase

Match report in English:

19th August, IISc Gymkhana Ground, Bangalore: In keeping with their red hot form this season, IISc defeated Ace Cricketers by eight wickets in a league match and made it into the Super League stage of the KSCA Metro Shield for the third successive season. IISc thus extended their unbeaten streak to four in the KSCA IV division league.

In a match played amid the hide-and-seek of clouds at IISc Gymkhana ground, Ace Cricketers won the toss and elected to bat. Openers Vipin and Nandeesh looked at ease against the bowling of Varun and Debajit and set up a decent foundation with 39 runs in the first six overs. But the seventh over onward, skipper Ashith and medium fast spinner Arindam came into the attack and put the brakes on the scoring. The pressure tactics paid off in the sixteenth over when Ace lost their first wicket at 67. From there on, the visitors kept losing wickets at regular intervals, with Roy returning with impressive figures of 10-0-30-3. Debajit made a forceful came back for his second spell ending with figures of 10-2-38-3 while Ashith claimed two for 34. In the face of disciplined and incisive bowling from the hosts, the Ace innings folded in the 49th over for 190 runs.

IISc romped home within 30 overs courtesy Salil's unbeaten run-a-ball 90 and Kiran's quickfire 50 off 41 balls. Arindam wasn't as comfortable with the bat as he was with the ball scoring 12 off 27 balls before he was out to a miscued shot. Vikram scored 21 off 22 balls as he finished off the chase with Salil.

Brief scores: (50 overs match)
Ace Cricketers - 190/10 in 48.4 overs
(Vipin 29, Nandeesh 38, Mukund 29, Ajay 36;

Debajit 10-2-38-3, Ashith 9.4-1-34-2, Roy 10-0-30-3)
IISc - 191/2 in 29.2 overs
(Salil 90*, Kiran 50, Vikram 22*)

Result: IISc won by 8 wickets
Man of the match: Salil Kashyap

Upcoming Match: Sunday, 19 August 2012

IISc Gymkhana vs Ace Cricketers
50-overs KSCA Group-I, IV-Division League Match
9:30AM, Sunday, 19 August 2012
Venue: IISc Gymkhana Ground

With three wins in as many matches, team IISc has already made it to the Super League stage of the KSCA Metro Shield 2012. But to keep the winning habit going will definitely serve them well as they proceed deeper into the tournament.

IISc pip BMSCE, enter final

18th August, IIMB Ground, Bangalore: Playing their second match of the IIMB Invitational Tournament 2012, IISc pipped BMS College of Engineering by 28 runs to reach the final with a clean slate. 

A murderous 28-ball 62 by Kiran and late order charge by Syam (47 off 28 balls) propelled IISc to 180 in 20 overs. Kiran's early onslaught comprised five fours and six sixes. But IISc collapsed from 84/1 to 120/7 before Syam's counter-attack saved the day for IISc.

BMSCE were always behind the required rate in pursuit of the stiff target and never quite managed to give a scare to IISc. Srinath (35) and Pankaj (34) were the top-scorers for BMS.

Brief scores: (20 overs match)
IISc - 180 allout in 20 overs
(Kiran 62, Syam 47, Teja 2/26, Akshay 2/35, Pranav 3/30)
BMSCE - 152/7 in 20 overs
(Varun 4-0-14-2, Debajit 4-1-22-1, Vikram 4-0-44-2)

Result: IISc won by 28 runs
Man of the match: Kiran Gangadharan

Upcoming Match: Saturday, 18 August 2012

IISc Gymkhana vs BMS College of Engineering
20-overs Match
IIMB Invitational Tournament 2012
10:00AM, Saturday, 18 August 2012
Venue: IIM-Bangalore Ground

IISc get the better of IIMB

15th August, IIMB Ground, Bangalore: Kiran's quickfire fifty (63 of 38 balls) and contributions from Ashith (23 off 14), Raviteja (24 off 16) and Varun (30* off 14) helped IISc chase down a par target of 157 set by the home team in the first match of the IIMB Invitational Tournament 2012.

IIMB won the toss and elected to bat. Mihir (28) and Nikhil (60*) gave IIMB a steady start while the latter carried his bat through the innings to help the home team post a fighting total. But IISc scaled the target with ease.

Though the match was won, IISc's intensity on the field was not very good - something they'll will look to correct when they face BMSCE in their next match. To their credit,  IIMB fielded appreciably well in the lush outfield barring a couple of dropped catches that cost them dear.

Brief scores: (20 overs match)
IIMB - 156/4 in 20 overs
(Mihir 28, Nikhil 60*, Chandan 31)
IISc - 160/4 in 17.1 overs
(Kiran 63, Ashith 23, Raviteja 24, Varun 30*)

Result: IISc won by 6 wickets
Man of the match: Kiran Gangadharan