Till Valhalla
BCCI President
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Ankola is needed.
Story Indian Cricket League 1993 - Second Half of the Season is on! Who will qualify?
- Thread starter Bevab
- Start date
Bevab
Staff Member
April 12, 1993
Round Three
Madras Rubbers vs Bombay Tatas @ MA Chidambaram Stadium
2:30 PM Start
Madras Rubbers vs Bombay Tatas @ MA Chidambaram Stadium
2:30 PM Start
If yesterday's match felt like it was time travel to twenty years in the future of cricket, today's felt like a call back to the past twenty years ago with it's drabness. The true duality of cricket.
Neither side made changes to a winning combination from last time and Bombay elected to bat first after winning the toss wisely on a pitch that was reported to be spin friendly. After a very defensive start by them, Qadir took the first wicket of Stewart. With his place in question after two poor outings, Manjrekar went about settling in and shut up shop with Marsh doing likewise. It allowed the likes of Kumble, Raju and Qadir to turn the T30 into a test match with multiple blocks and leaves being the only responses to their ripping turners. Shastri had the same dealt to him and it took Border bringing himself on to change things, first with an expensive over and then another that brought the wicket of captain Marsh. Ranatunga's arrival changed the complexion of the game though as he set about quickly scoring runs with deft placements rather than pure or blind aggression. It felt like the work of an experienced handyman at work as Manjrekar dealt with the spin trio at the other end. Harris's death bowling did not amount to any wickets but he managed to keep Manjrekar from scoring quickly at the end with the Indian facing nearly half of the innings himself.
Madras started positively with the intent of wanting to seal the game quickly like last time as Shastri and Srikkanth took advantage of powerplay restrictions as Banerjee conceded significantly despite McDermott bowling wonderfully up front. The Australian's efforts were not in vain as he managed to end Shastri's innings with a wonderful yorker. Robin Singh who replaced Banerjee then struck in quick succession by this game's standards with the twin wickets of Amarnath and Lamb. Border arrived with the same strategy of him being aggressive while his partner tried to preserve their wicket. Despite Hirwani conceding more runs than he would have liked in the powerplay, Marsh brought him back for an inspired spell. However with O'Donnell also being a bit too loose, Marsh took a big risk and handed the ball to the young Tendulkar in hopes of the youngster bringing him a prized wicket to break the partnership. It didn't work though as he very nearly threw the game on the spot with two very expensive overs. With defeat staring in the face, Marsh brought back his ace McDermott who controlled the run rate and also dismissed Srikkanth with Banerjee taking a catch to make some amends.
With Border's presence it only seemed like a matter of time before the game was done though and for a while it seemed true as Amre held his end well as the Australian slowly ticked off the runs. Banerjee would return for vengeance though and got Border plumb LBW in a ball that almost certainly wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for the pitch's condition. An incredulous Border had to walk off and watched in despair as Robin Singh and O'Donnell in his last over defended a meagre total with the Australian even managing a wicket in the last over to send the Bombay dugout into joyous celebrations.
Neither side made changes to a winning combination from last time and Bombay elected to bat first after winning the toss wisely on a pitch that was reported to be spin friendly. After a very defensive start by them, Qadir took the first wicket of Stewart. With his place in question after two poor outings, Manjrekar went about settling in and shut up shop with Marsh doing likewise. It allowed the likes of Kumble, Raju and Qadir to turn the T30 into a test match with multiple blocks and leaves being the only responses to their ripping turners. Shastri had the same dealt to him and it took Border bringing himself on to change things, first with an expensive over and then another that brought the wicket of captain Marsh. Ranatunga's arrival changed the complexion of the game though as he set about quickly scoring runs with deft placements rather than pure or blind aggression. It felt like the work of an experienced handyman at work as Manjrekar dealt with the spin trio at the other end. Harris's death bowling did not amount to any wickets but he managed to keep Manjrekar from scoring quickly at the end with the Indian facing nearly half of the innings himself.
Madras started positively with the intent of wanting to seal the game quickly like last time as Shastri and Srikkanth took advantage of powerplay restrictions as Banerjee conceded significantly despite McDermott bowling wonderfully up front. The Australian's efforts were not in vain as he managed to end Shastri's innings with a wonderful yorker. Robin Singh who replaced Banerjee then struck in quick succession by this game's standards with the twin wickets of Amarnath and Lamb. Border arrived with the same strategy of him being aggressive while his partner tried to preserve their wicket. Despite Hirwani conceding more runs than he would have liked in the powerplay, Marsh brought him back for an inspired spell. However with O'Donnell also being a bit too loose, Marsh took a big risk and handed the ball to the young Tendulkar in hopes of the youngster bringing him a prized wicket to break the partnership. It didn't work though as he very nearly threw the game on the spot with two very expensive overs. With defeat staring in the face, Marsh brought back his ace McDermott who controlled the run rate and also dismissed Srikkanth with Banerjee taking a catch to make some amends.
With Border's presence it only seemed like a matter of time before the game was done though and for a while it seemed true as Amre held his end well as the Australian slowly ticked off the runs. Banerjee would return for vengeance though and got Border plumb LBW in a ball that almost certainly wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for the pitch's condition. An incredulous Border had to walk off and watched in despair as Robin Singh and O'Donnell in his last over defended a meagre total with the Australian even managing a wicket in the last over to send the Bombay dugout into joyous celebrations.
Geoff Marsh: "It was a gamble to bowl Sachin at that point but it was something I would have done in every instance. It didn't work out today but it could have on another day as the pitch was heavily scuffed and we needed to break that partnership before they completely took it away from us. Banerjee redeemed himself well in the end there, it's what we look for in our players. We want them to have the belief they can always win us a game out of nowhere and we want players to have the confidence to bounce back like Manjrekar did today after two tough games for him. It's a long season ahead but three wins for now is very nice and gives us a good cushion for the rest of it."
Allan Border: "I couldn't believe what I was seeing at times. We looked complacent with the ball at the end and gave us 5-10 runs extra that cost us. The batting is what lost us the game though, it's not something I expected after seeing that target. I'm frustrated at myself too, as a senior player and leader I should have stayed till the end and won the game. However it was disappointing to see other senior players play in the way they did. It is totally unacceptable. Will have a long chat with Amarnath and see what is best for the team, he knows this is not good for both him and the team. Will also push for and ring in changes in the next few games if we slip up like this again, there is talent on the bench that deserves chances."
Allan Border: "I couldn't believe what I was seeing at times. We looked complacent with the ball at the end and gave us 5-10 runs extra that cost us. The batting is what lost us the game though, it's not something I expected after seeing that target. I'm frustrated at myself too, as a senior player and leader I should have stayed till the end and won the game. However it was disappointing to see other senior players play in the way they did. It is totally unacceptable. Will have a long chat with Amarnath and see what is best for the team, he knows this is not good for both him and the team. Will also push for and ring in changes in the next few games if we slip up like this again, there is talent on the bench that deserves chances."
Bevab
Staff Member
The @Aislabie predictor model is clearly in need of an update.
The league's most expensive player hasn't stepped up like you'd expect him to, their openers have been dire (sub 20 averages and strike rates in the 60s and 50s between them) and the bowling barring Venkataramana and Patterson hasn't been up to the mark either. It's clearly surprising me too, expect them to make a couple of changes to try and change their fortunes at least. It'll not be easy due to a lack of flexibility at the two ends of their batting order but the prospect of imminent elimination may force their hand.
For 90% of the innings he was better than Viv too. Viv just picked up the slack at the end. Just Cricket 22 things...
If only he was a spinner... he would have been a serious contender to compete with Chatterjee by now. I'm not sure if Patil would trust him ahead of an out of form Reiffel at the moment but stranger things have happened...
Till Valhalla
BCCI President
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- Profile Flag
- Papua New Guinea
Manjrekar got lucky
Bevab
Staff Member
You should be hoping for him to be lucky for one more round at least so that he plays against your lot (not like he's getting dropped for Bedade or More anytime soon).
Bevab
Staff Member
Team Reviews
The Good
Three different playing XIs, the same result. If that doesn't speak of the power of Bangalore's flexibility nothing will. They've looked like they haven't missed a beat despite the team changing due to key personnel being the same and them performing when it matters while the replacements have all performed well due to there being a clarity over what is expected from them.
All of their current top five batsmen have managed an innings of significance in one of the three games. A different player stepping up each time to deliver when batting is a huge plus that can give confidence throughout the batting order for one player somehow contributing.
Franklyn Stephenson looked to be a questionable buy at the auction having no international experience due to his rebel tour participation. He has completely shut up any critics over his price tag with key performances with the ball, picking up two wickets in each game so far and bowling important spells in the late stages of every game. He was also instrumental as a batsman in the first game which bodes well for his all-round contribution.
The Bad
Most teams headed into the tournament with question marks over their Indian bowlers due to the skill gap. Only Madras spent more than Bangalore to try and bridge that though and Bangalore's investment hasn't completely paid off yet. Ayub has ebbed between hot and cold in each individual match, lacking consistency to finish his spells strongly or start them well enough. Wassan hasn't been too good and didn't play in the second game while Razdan looked very impressive in the first two games but looked completely out of depth in the third. If they are to have a successful season, it will have to be hoping that Viv stays as the seventh bowler and that three of their first choice Indian bowlers deliver without Binny needing to rescue them from his semi-retirement.
The team that they sent out in their last game looked suspiciously short of an extra batsman. Jayasuriya may have finished well in one game but relying on him and Healy in the lower middle order is a risky move when neither can bat for a long time and can expose a tail that despite having the ability to hold a bat, may not last as long as expected in a collapse.
Grade -
With three wins out of three so far, Bangalore are in a very strong position to secure a top two spot if they keep going at the same pace. The only worry for the future would be their star West Indian players leaving for county cricket and Healy leaving for international duty. If they can keep at least one of them from going away though the team would still be strong favourites to qualify for the knockouts and make the final.
Three different playing XIs, the same result. If that doesn't speak of the power of Bangalore's flexibility nothing will. They've looked like they haven't missed a beat despite the team changing due to key personnel being the same and them performing when it matters while the replacements have all performed well due to there being a clarity over what is expected from them. All of their current top five batsmen have managed an innings of significance in one of the three games. A different player stepping up each time to deliver when batting is a huge plus that can give confidence throughout the batting order for one player somehow contributing. Franklyn Stephenson looked to be a questionable buy at the auction having no international experience due to his rebel tour participation. He has completely shut up any critics over his price tag with key performances with the ball, picking up two wickets in each game so far and bowling important spells in the late stages of every game. He was also instrumental as a batsman in the first game which bodes well for his all-round contribution.The Bad
Most teams headed into the tournament with question marks over their Indian bowlers due to the skill gap. Only Madras spent more than Bangalore to try and bridge that though and Bangalore's investment hasn't completely paid off yet. Ayub has ebbed between hot and cold in each individual match, lacking consistency to finish his spells strongly or start them well enough. Wassan hasn't been too good and didn't play in the second game while Razdan looked very impressive in the first two games but looked completely out of depth in the third. If they are to have a successful season, it will have to be hoping that Viv stays as the seventh bowler and that three of their first choice Indian bowlers deliver without Binny needing to rescue them from his semi-retirement. The team that they sent out in their last game looked suspiciously short of an extra batsman. Jayasuriya may have finished well in one game but relying on him and Healy in the lower middle order is a risky move when neither can bat for a long time and can expose a tail that despite having the ability to hold a bat, may not last as long as expected in a collapse.Grade -
With three wins out of three so far, Bangalore are in a very strong position to secure a top two spot if they keep going at the same pace. The only worry for the future would be their star West Indian players leaving for county cricket and Healy leaving for international duty. If they can keep at least one of them from going away though the team would still be strong favourites to qualify for the knockouts and make the final.
The Good
They haven't changed their team once in three games but have still won all three. Two of them may have been close shaves but a win is a win at the end of the day and they showed incredible mental fortitude to come away with those wins that bodes well for a fast paced season where the games come in tight.
Ranatunga and McDermott have done great things in all of their three games so far, being the pillars of consistency upon which others have played the more flashier roles. The two overseas players both didn't cost as much as other big name players and their excellent performances will give Bombay a strong platform that they can rely on. Hirwani hasn't been as much in the spotlight as these two but he has quietly bowled with control despite being without a wicket so far.
The flashier roles have been performed superbly by Kambli and Tendulkar in two different games and Robin Singh with the ball in the tournament. Indian players performing well is always a great thing for the team's balance and with the age profiles of this trio, they'll look forward to more in the near future.
The Bad
The lack of a proper sixth bowler stepping up so far has been a concern that hasn't been exposed so far. Ranatunga worked well in the first game but is not someone who likes bowling while Tendulkar did not live up to the mark in the third game. They haven't been called upon as much due to Singh's unexpected success and Hirwani's economical spells but O'Donnell has been relatively expensive for his two wickets and Banerjee has been leaking runs despite also chipping in with wickets. It may prove to be a concern that they'll have to address at some point.
Their top three hasn't performed as much as one would have expected given the pedigree around them. Manjrekar performed well in his last game but it was still a laborious performance when his partner looked incredibly fluent, Marsh did well in his first game but hasn't been up to the same mark since then while Stewart's average of 8 isn't helping anyone. While you may expect Manjrekar to have more security over his spot due to a lack of an adequate replacement and Marsh is the captain, Stewart's place may be in question if Manjrekar is willing to take up the gloves with Mohammad and Gower waiting to replace him. The question if Gower comes in is who opens the batting instead?
Grade -
There are more questions over Bombay's side than Bangalore's but Bombay may cope better with losing their overseas players to other commitments later on with Mohammad and Ramanayake waiting as like for like replacements for Stewart and McDermott if Manjrekar can keep for the rest of the tournament. They still haven't used their reserve strength too with the hard hitting Bedade and upcoming pace bowler Prasad both looking ideal candidates for short format cricket in case someone needed replacing. The fates of these two teams in the coming weeks may well be decided in the upcoming blockbuster match between them in Bombay soon enough.
They haven't changed their team once in three games but have still won all three. Two of them may have been close shaves but a win is a win at the end of the day and they showed incredible mental fortitude to come away with those wins that bodes well for a fast paced season where the games come in tight. Ranatunga and McDermott have done great things in all of their three games so far, being the pillars of consistency upon which others have played the more flashier roles. The two overseas players both didn't cost as much as other big name players and their excellent performances will give Bombay a strong platform that they can rely on. Hirwani hasn't been as much in the spotlight as these two but he has quietly bowled with control despite being without a wicket so far. The flashier roles have been performed superbly by Kambli and Tendulkar in two different games and Robin Singh with the ball in the tournament. Indian players performing well is always a great thing for the team's balance and with the age profiles of this trio, they'll look forward to more in the near future.The Bad
The lack of a proper sixth bowler stepping up so far has been a concern that hasn't been exposed so far. Ranatunga worked well in the first game but is not someone who likes bowling while Tendulkar did not live up to the mark in the third game. They haven't been called upon as much due to Singh's unexpected success and Hirwani's economical spells but O'Donnell has been relatively expensive for his two wickets and Banerjee has been leaking runs despite also chipping in with wickets. It may prove to be a concern that they'll have to address at some point. Their top three hasn't performed as much as one would have expected given the pedigree around them. Manjrekar performed well in his last game but it was still a laborious performance when his partner looked incredibly fluent, Marsh did well in his first game but hasn't been up to the same mark since then while Stewart's average of 8 isn't helping anyone. While you may expect Manjrekar to have more security over his spot due to a lack of an adequate replacement and Marsh is the captain, Stewart's place may be in question if Manjrekar is willing to take up the gloves with Mohammad and Gower waiting to replace him. The question if Gower comes in is who opens the batting instead?Grade -
There are more questions over Bombay's side than Bangalore's but Bombay may cope better with losing their overseas players to other commitments later on with Mohammad and Ramanayake waiting as like for like replacements for Stewart and McDermott if Manjrekar can keep for the rest of the tournament. They still haven't used their reserve strength too with the hard hitting Bedade and upcoming pace bowler Prasad both looking ideal candidates for short format cricket in case someone needed replacing. The fates of these two teams in the coming weeks may well be decided in the upcoming blockbuster match between them in Bombay soon enough.
Bevab
Staff Member
Team Reviews
The Good
The team went into the auction with a plan of shoring up on batting strength and it has paid back to an extent with Bhave, Boon and Crowe all impressing so far and decent batting alternatives if Lamba doesn't perform up to expectations.
Kapil Dev's leadership may have been called into question at times but what is not being doubted is his ability with the ball. He has picked up wickets and in the absence of that he has still been excellent for holding up one end.
The Bad
Their domestic bowlers have so far not been up to the mark. Chauhan's action has been already investigated in the past and still doesn't look as legal as other spinners' action and Kuruvilla failed badly in the first two games before becoming a match winner in the third. It is still a massive worry though as there is no other alternative other than Kirti Azad's part-time spin in case one of the two doesn't turn their fortunes around.
It wouldn't be a worry if their overseas bowling department was as strong as certain other teams. However their best overseas bowler so far has been Matthews and he isn't someone you look to for leading an attack. Alderman's best days are long behind him and he hasn't featured yet while Botham has been too inconsistent to be relied upon. At least Waugh is off to being a reliable option to cover overs.
Grade -
Ask anyone at the end of round two and they would have placed Delhi in the bottom tier. A strong and convincing win over Calcutta has suddenly changed the complexion of this side and with a stable lineup for the foreseeable future and a fixture at home against out of form Madras next, they're looking like a team that can be on the rise. The main worry for the future like with other teams will be their capability to cope with Botham, Waugh and Boon leaving. Greatbatch, Alderman and Larsen will have a lot riding on them when that happens.
The team went into the auction with a plan of shoring up on batting strength and it has paid back to an extent with Bhave, Boon and Crowe all impressing so far and decent batting alternatives if Lamba doesn't perform up to expectations. Kapil Dev's leadership may have been called into question at times but what is not being doubted is his ability with the ball. He has picked up wickets and in the absence of that he has still been excellent for holding up one end.The Bad
Their domestic bowlers have so far not been up to the mark. Chauhan's action has been already investigated in the past and still doesn't look as legal as other spinners' action and Kuruvilla failed badly in the first two games before becoming a match winner in the third. It is still a massive worry though as there is no other alternative other than Kirti Azad's part-time spin in case one of the two doesn't turn their fortunes around. It wouldn't be a worry if their overseas bowling department was as strong as certain other teams. However their best overseas bowler so far has been Matthews and he isn't someone you look to for leading an attack. Alderman's best days are long behind him and he hasn't featured yet while Botham has been too inconsistent to be relied upon. At least Waugh is off to being a reliable option to cover overs.Grade -
Ask anyone at the end of round two and they would have placed Delhi in the bottom tier. A strong and convincing win over Calcutta has suddenly changed the complexion of this side and with a stable lineup for the foreseeable future and a fixture at home against out of form Madras next, they're looking like a team that can be on the rise. The main worry for the future like with other teams will be their capability to cope with Botham, Waugh and Boon leaving. Greatbatch, Alderman and Larsen will have a lot riding on them when that happens.
The Good
Sharma and Sidhu have formed a good partnership as openers and seem to be in good sync, understanding their own roles and each others' perfectly. The following act of Smith and de Silva then aggressively plundering runs has also been effective so far.
Donald and Srinath have equally formed a very capable new ball pair so far. While Srinath has lacked wickets, his control has been impeccable and Donald has compensated for that so far.
The Bad
Despite being underpaid in terms of value, Reiffel hasn't shown much of his international form in the ICL so far and it has hurt their bowling after the opening duo depart. Sharma hasn't been as good with the ball as he has with the bat either.
Their middle order is thoroughly untested with Patil and Kirmani both being on the wrong side of thirty. The openers firing on all cylinders has meant that they haven't been tested so far but you sense that the day they will be is not too far away.
Grade -
After a convincing win at the start, they've struggled to contain their opponents despite making par scores. A large part of that is due to their bowling falling off after the new ball pair but a small part of it may also well be due to their openers not being as aggressive as possible in comparison to what their opponents did. It is a delicate balance between scoring at a quick rate and not losing your wicket but Tollywood may be erring too far on the side of caution here. Donald and Smith will also leave for county cricket later and while they have Flower and Watson ready to replace them it remains to be seen if they can bring the same level of quality.
Sharma and Sidhu have formed a good partnership as openers and seem to be in good sync, understanding their own roles and each others' perfectly. The following act of Smith and de Silva then aggressively plundering runs has also been effective so far. Donald and Srinath have equally formed a very capable new ball pair so far. While Srinath has lacked wickets, his control has been impeccable and Donald has compensated for that so far.The Bad
Despite being underpaid in terms of value, Reiffel hasn't shown much of his international form in the ICL so far and it has hurt their bowling after the opening duo depart. Sharma hasn't been as good with the ball as he has with the bat either. Their middle order is thoroughly untested with Patil and Kirmani both being on the wrong side of thirty. The openers firing on all cylinders has meant that they haven't been tested so far but you sense that the day they will be is not too far away.Grade -
After a convincing win at the start, they've struggled to contain their opponents despite making par scores. A large part of that is due to their bowling falling off after the new ball pair but a small part of it may also well be due to their openers not being as aggressive as possible in comparison to what their opponents did. It is a delicate balance between scoring at a quick rate and not losing your wicket but Tollywood may be erring too far on the side of caution here. Donald and Smith will also leave for county cricket later and while they have Flower and Watson ready to replace them it remains to be seen if they can bring the same level of quality.
Bevab
Staff Member
Team Reviews
The Good
Captain Border has been a pillar of strength with the bat and has consistently performed well so far with both runs and aggression. His craftiness with the ball has also been a bonus.
The spinners have been quite effective for the most part with only Raju failing to be as good as he could have been. Qadir's signing was met with surprise but the wily craftsman has been showing why he was the leading leg spinner of the 80s with some dazzling displays that have left batsmen content to just play him out.
The Bad
There is no easy way around it; they have lost two of their home games in conditions they were expected to be shining as they built a team to take advantage of it. Raju and Harris have arguably not performed up to the standards that were expected of them before the season.
Their batting has been having a torrid time other than Border and Shastri in one game. Border has scored nearly 25% more runs than Shastri and also more than twice that of the next best in their team. Of particular concern will be the inability of Srikkanth to come good in a format that should have suited him and Amarnath's dreadful form that has left people wondering if he should have stayed in retirement.
Border has been very grumpy in the two losses Madras have had so far. Rumours of friction between the player coach and Border have already surfaced multiple times and last game's comments seemed to have done nothing to dispel them. If Madras continues to underperform we may see a side of Border that Australian cricket is more well used to without him getting the support and backing in a different environment.
Grade -
Their bowling has been decent but the batting has been very poor so far and it has cost them terribly in two home games. They'll have to hope Lamb improves and the backup domestic players can replace the likes of Amarnath if their malaise continues as their current batting situation is untenable. They will also lose four players later on to other commitments which is the most of any teams including captain Border who has been the only consistent performer so far. They'll have to pray that they can work out a deal with the ACB that allows Border to join the warmup games in England later as it is unlikely that Russell, Lamb and DeFreitas will stay back once county cricket starts.
Captain Border has been a pillar of strength with the bat and has consistently performed well so far with both runs and aggression. His craftiness with the ball has also been a bonus. The spinners have been quite effective for the most part with only Raju failing to be as good as he could have been. Qadir's signing was met with surprise but the wily craftsman has been showing why he was the leading leg spinner of the 80s with some dazzling displays that have left batsmen content to just play him out.The Bad
There is no easy way around it; they have lost two of their home games in conditions they were expected to be shining as they built a team to take advantage of it. Raju and Harris have arguably not performed up to the standards that were expected of them before the season. Their batting has been having a torrid time other than Border and Shastri in one game. Border has scored nearly 25% more runs than Shastri and also more than twice that of the next best in their team. Of particular concern will be the inability of Srikkanth to come good in a format that should have suited him and Amarnath's dreadful form that has left people wondering if he should have stayed in retirement. Border has been very grumpy in the two losses Madras have had so far. Rumours of friction between the player coach and Border have already surfaced multiple times and last game's comments seemed to have done nothing to dispel them. If Madras continues to underperform we may see a side of Border that Australian cricket is more well used to without him getting the support and backing in a different environment.Grade -
Their bowling has been decent but the batting has been very poor so far and it has cost them terribly in two home games. They'll have to hope Lamb improves and the backup domestic players can replace the likes of Amarnath if their malaise continues as their current batting situation is untenable. They will also lose four players later on to other commitments which is the most of any teams including captain Border who has been the only consistent performer so far. They'll have to pray that they can work out a deal with the ACB that allows Border to join the warmup games in England later as it is unlikely that Russell, Lamb and DeFreitas will stay back once county cricket starts.
The Good
Patterson has been a fearsome prospect so far with his hostile pace and Venkataramana has also been a surprisingly decent bowler so far despite struggling in limited overs cricket domestically.
There were some question marks over the age profile of the team but Vengsarkar and Imran have so far shown that class is permanent, at least when compared to the rest of their team.
The Bad
Prabhakar was signed for big money with big expectations placed on him. So far he has been too slow with the bat without a significant innings and hasn't picked up a wicket yet. The other big money signing in Jones has not fared better either considering his salary.
Speaking of slow, the entire team has arguably been behind the curve when it comes to aggressive batting. Imran has preferred to retreating into a shell of defensive batting under pressure and Gooch has failed to disprove any worries over his sedate style.
Sharma has been a disappointment with the ball and the lack of a second spinner has been hurting his team at times. Imran's bowling not being what it once was has only added to that problem.
Grade -
They were predicted to be the table toppers before the season started and after three games they find themselves at the wrong end of it. The team balance has looked shaky with no one truly stepping up to be a match winner and there being a sense of fear in the cricket they've played. They managed to lose two very close games in the first two rounds which could have gone either way but capitulated in a very worrying manner in the third. Unless drastic changes are made it may be a season ending in a wooden spoon for a team many expected to be in the final.
Patterson has been a fearsome prospect so far with his hostile pace and Venkataramana has also been a surprisingly decent bowler so far despite struggling in limited overs cricket domestically. There were some question marks over the age profile of the team but Vengsarkar and Imran have so far shown that class is permanent, at least when compared to the rest of their team.The Bad
Prabhakar was signed for big money with big expectations placed on him. So far he has been too slow with the bat without a significant innings and hasn't picked up a wicket yet. The other big money signing in Jones has not fared better either considering his salary. Speaking of slow, the entire team has arguably been behind the curve when it comes to aggressive batting. Imran has preferred to retreating into a shell of defensive batting under pressure and Gooch has failed to disprove any worries over his sedate style. Sharma has been a disappointment with the ball and the lack of a second spinner has been hurting his team at times. Imran's bowling not being what it once was has only added to that problem.Grade -
They were predicted to be the table toppers before the season started and after three games they find themselves at the wrong end of it. The team balance has looked shaky with no one truly stepping up to be a match winner and there being a sense of fear in the cricket they've played. They managed to lose two very close games in the first two rounds which could have gone either way but capitulated in a very worrying manner in the third. Unless drastic changes are made it may be a season ending in a wooden spoon for a team many expected to be in the final.
Bevab
Staff Member
April 13, 1993
Round Four
Wills Classic Calcutta vs Tollywood Cricket Nagar @ Eden Gardens
2:30 PM Start
Wills Classic Calcutta vs Tollywood Cricket Nagar @ Eden Gardens
2:30 PM Start
A much changed Calcutta team finally managed to secure their first win of the season in front of a much relieved crowd that braved the afternoon heat to watch them.
Tollywood elected to bowl on a pitch that looked like it would aid pace bowlers and made one change, with Ankola coming in for Chatterjee. Calcutta may have made just two changes, bringing in Garner and Khurasiya but altered their batting order in a significant manner with a new top three.
The new opening pair of Khurasiya and Jones managed to hold off Srinath and Donald from taking wickets early on and even managed a few runs in the process but Donald had the final laugh as always so far in the tournament. Imran walked in at three in a new role, holding together the innings. Debutant Ankola then caught Jones napping with a full length ball that rapped him on the pads. Imran and Vengsarkar managed to get a decent partnership going with the likes of Reiffel and Sharma not being as effective while Ankola's overs went for some expensive runs. In the end de Silva was brought on to be the sole spinner for the innings and he dismissed Vengsarkar. Rice would not last longer either as Ankola provided another entertaining over filled with runs and a wicket. As Ajay Sharma walked in things looked to be in a rough spot but his counter attack freed up some time for Imran to settle in further. Just before he could take advantage of it though Srinath returned for the last overs and bowled him with a wonderful length ball. Prabhakar's arrival signaled a change in strategy as both batsmen took on the remaining bowlers. They were lucky to have survived long enough to make a fifty run stand but fortune favours the brave and it was a refreshing change of aggression from a Calcutta team that looked very timid in the last three games at times.
Tollywood's chase would also begin strongly with Sidhu and Chetan Sharma scoring freely and positively. Imran couldn't find a breakthrough in a lengthy powerplay spell and Garner struggled to settle into a rhythm. Patterson was also curiously taken out of the attack early despite bowling well. Garner did manage to dismiss Sharma right after the powerplay and Rice struck another blow to send Sidhu back in the next over but it only brought Smith and de Silva in who piled on the misery for Calcutta fans. Prabhakar continued being ineffective and Venkataramana struggled to make an impact on a pitch that wasn't designed to suit him. As Rice also proved to be expensive, Imran took the gamble and brought in Patterson early. It paid immediate dividends with de Silva being bowled right before he could make a significant impact. Garner was also brought back and he bowled a lot better with the old ball to keep Smith from scoring too many runs. Cronje did try to provide a grand finish with some aggressive hitting but he couldn't make the same impact that Kambli did in the first game and Calcutta held on to a win that they were chasing for more than a week.
Tollywood elected to bowl on a pitch that looked like it would aid pace bowlers and made one change, with Ankola coming in for Chatterjee. Calcutta may have made just two changes, bringing in Garner and Khurasiya but altered their batting order in a significant manner with a new top three.
The new opening pair of Khurasiya and Jones managed to hold off Srinath and Donald from taking wickets early on and even managed a few runs in the process but Donald had the final laugh as always so far in the tournament. Imran walked in at three in a new role, holding together the innings. Debutant Ankola then caught Jones napping with a full length ball that rapped him on the pads. Imran and Vengsarkar managed to get a decent partnership going with the likes of Reiffel and Sharma not being as effective while Ankola's overs went for some expensive runs. In the end de Silva was brought on to be the sole spinner for the innings and he dismissed Vengsarkar. Rice would not last longer either as Ankola provided another entertaining over filled with runs and a wicket. As Ajay Sharma walked in things looked to be in a rough spot but his counter attack freed up some time for Imran to settle in further. Just before he could take advantage of it though Srinath returned for the last overs and bowled him with a wonderful length ball. Prabhakar's arrival signaled a change in strategy as both batsmen took on the remaining bowlers. They were lucky to have survived long enough to make a fifty run stand but fortune favours the brave and it was a refreshing change of aggression from a Calcutta team that looked very timid in the last three games at times.
Tollywood's chase would also begin strongly with Sidhu and Chetan Sharma scoring freely and positively. Imran couldn't find a breakthrough in a lengthy powerplay spell and Garner struggled to settle into a rhythm. Patterson was also curiously taken out of the attack early despite bowling well. Garner did manage to dismiss Sharma right after the powerplay and Rice struck another blow to send Sidhu back in the next over but it only brought Smith and de Silva in who piled on the misery for Calcutta fans. Prabhakar continued being ineffective and Venkataramana struggled to make an impact on a pitch that wasn't designed to suit him. As Rice also proved to be expensive, Imran took the gamble and brought in Patterson early. It paid immediate dividends with de Silva being bowled right before he could make a significant impact. Garner was also brought back and he bowled a lot better with the old ball to keep Smith from scoring too many runs. Cronje did try to provide a grand finish with some aggressive hitting but he couldn't make the same impact that Kambli did in the first game and Calcutta held on to a win that they were chasing for more than a week.
Imran Khan: "Very pleased with the win but more importantly with the resolve shown by the boys. This is the type of game we would have lost a week ago but we did not let the situation of those moments today dictate the result. We were looking at changing the batting order after the last game, the coach (Illingworth) said I was batting too low with how I was performing and wanted me to step up. Khurasiya has experience as an opener in domestic cricket and we wanted to try him there, he has shown lots of positive intent in the nets and one day I want to see him bring it out in the game too. Jones was also open to the experiment and so we finalised it. Garner was wonderful with the ball in the end and I pray he stays fit, he can be a real match-winner if he is.
Navjot Sidhu: "It was a close game. I don't think we could have done better, our batting was sharp and our bowling looked decent. Calcutta were also due a win, the entire country was waiting for their win it seems and we were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, they were due. Not too worried about our bowling slipping, these are world class bowlers we have and they will win us a game soon single-handedly."
Navjot Sidhu: "It was a close game. I don't think we could have done better, our batting was sharp and our bowling looked decent. Calcutta were also due a win, the entire country was waiting for their win it seems and we were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, they were due. Not too worried about our bowling slipping, these are world class bowlers we have and they will win us a game soon single-handedly."
Bevab
Staff Member
April 14, 1993
Round Four
Hero Delhi Nationals vs Madras Rubbers @ Feroz Shah Kotla
2:30 PM Start
Hero Delhi Nationals vs Madras Rubbers @ Feroz Shah Kotla
2:30 PM Start
Ravi Shastri turned in one of the best all-round performances seen in Indian cricket history to give his team a decisive win as the Delhi faithful could only look in amazement and give a standing applause to.
After Kapil Dev asked for a more sporting wicket, he got one that looked to be so and elected to bat first on it as Madras made only one change with DeFreitas making his debut in place of Harris. Kumble's early spell was economical but Raju lacked precision that allowed Bhave and Boon to settle in. Qadir had to replace him before the run-rate slipped away and Shastri would come in for Kumble. It was the latter who took the first wicket of the day to dismiss Bhave. Crowe walked in as DeFreitas started his spell but Shastri's magic persisted as the New Zealand cricketer fell prey to him too. Remarkably he was not the last with Lamba falling next to Shastri's arm ball. Qadir soon took the wicket of Boon too and it appeared as if Madras had completely changed the tone of the game in a few magical overs. Waugh and Botham played a quick partnership but Raju returned to play spoilsport before Qadir finished his spell with the wicket of Waugh himself. Kapil added a few quick runs at the end to give Delhi a total of 144 after a mini wobble in the middle.
It was all for naught though. Srikkanth and Shastri powered Madras throughout the powerplay as even Kapil couldn't manage to restrict the duo. Kuruvilla couldn't replicate the magic of the last game and only proved to be a burden with Matthews in the powerplay. As Delhi turned to more and more bowler changes in quick succession to try and break the opening partnership, Srikkanth only settled in for the long haul while Shastri continued to be a power hitter. Waugh was the only one who escaped the fury of Shastri. In the end Srikkanth finished the game rather quickly just before Shastri had the chance to score the 3rd ICL century. A comprehensive and dominant victory all around.
After Kapil Dev asked for a more sporting wicket, he got one that looked to be so and elected to bat first on it as Madras made only one change with DeFreitas making his debut in place of Harris. Kumble's early spell was economical but Raju lacked precision that allowed Bhave and Boon to settle in. Qadir had to replace him before the run-rate slipped away and Shastri would come in for Kumble. It was the latter who took the first wicket of the day to dismiss Bhave. Crowe walked in as DeFreitas started his spell but Shastri's magic persisted as the New Zealand cricketer fell prey to him too. Remarkably he was not the last with Lamba falling next to Shastri's arm ball. Qadir soon took the wicket of Boon too and it appeared as if Madras had completely changed the tone of the game in a few magical overs. Waugh and Botham played a quick partnership but Raju returned to play spoilsport before Qadir finished his spell with the wicket of Waugh himself. Kapil added a few quick runs at the end to give Delhi a total of 144 after a mini wobble in the middle.
It was all for naught though. Srikkanth and Shastri powered Madras throughout the powerplay as even Kapil couldn't manage to restrict the duo. Kuruvilla couldn't replicate the magic of the last game and only proved to be a burden with Matthews in the powerplay. As Delhi turned to more and more bowler changes in quick succession to try and break the opening partnership, Srikkanth only settled in for the long haul while Shastri continued to be a power hitter. Waugh was the only one who escaped the fury of Shastri. In the end Srikkanth finished the game rather quickly just before Shastri had the chance to score the 3rd ICL century. A comprehensive and dominant victory all around.
Kapil Dev: "We fell short of a par score because of losing too many wickets in the middle overs. It's what happens when you sometimes run into a player who has everything going for them like Ravi today. He was great and I'm happy that the crowd was appreciative of it despite it being against us, it was a special one. With that total it was unlikely we would have been able to defend it and it showed."
Ravi Shastri: "I can't be happier with my performance obviously but the team winning is what is most important. There were a few questions asked of me and the team over the last few days and I hope this answers them. We have our strengths and we will always back it no matter what. Next target is to give our fans at home something to cheer for and win in front of them. I don't interfere too much in what goes behind the scenes or off the pitch but we are a group focused on winning and that should keep everyone content in the long term."
Ravi Shastri: "I can't be happier with my performance obviously but the team winning is what is most important. There were a few questions asked of me and the team over the last few days and I hope this answers them. We have our strengths and we will always back it no matter what. Next target is to give our fans at home something to cheer for and win in front of them. I don't interfere too much in what goes behind the scenes or off the pitch but we are a group focused on winning and that should keep everyone content in the long term."
Till Valhalla
BCCI President
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2011
- Profile Flag
- Papua New Guinea
I think teams are now getting the hang of 30-30.
Bevab
Staff Member
April 15, 1993
Round Four
Bombay Tatas vs Prestige Bangalore @ Wankhede Stadium
4:30 PM Start
Bombay Tatas vs Prestige Bangalore @ Wankhede Stadium
4:30 PM Start
The clash of the top two teams certainly did not disappoint in quality or drama with both teams taking the game to the last two balls.
Bangalore chose to bat first and for the fourth game in a row named a different playing XI while Bombay stuck to the combination that brought them all of their previous wins. Banerjee struck early to dismiss centurion Raman with Hirwani soon following up with his first wicket of the season. Viv started strongly against McDermott but the surprise introduction of O'Donnell early on brought his own downfall. As Robin Singh continued his own impressive campaign with his sixth wicket of the campaign, Bangalore were left reeling having lost four wickets for just fifty three runs. Things would only become worse as debutant Gursharan Singh became Banerjee's second wicket. At 58/5 one could be forgiven for thinking that the game was done and dusted.
It seemed like Azharuddin had predicted this scenario to have happened and had Jayasuriya at seven to counter it. The duo of Jayasuriya and Stephenson then slowly built a partnership at the expense of Singh and later on McDermott himself, turning their aggressive levers at the right time. Stephenson struck his first fifty of the campaign by the end and while Jayasuriya was denied his by a late Singh wicket, he had done his job in rescuing Bangalore from a nearly defeated position.
And it seemed for a brief period that Bangalore had almost won the game. Stephenson took Marsh's wicket on the first ball and Wassan dismissed Stewart in the third over with Jayasuriya taking the catches for both. Manjrekar and Ranatunga settled into a partnership of high quality though and Bangalore could do little but throw Marshall, Ayub and Jayasuriya at the problem, trying to separate the duo. Even Viv got a piece of the action with the ball. By the time Ayub finally got Manjrekar to edge one to the keeper, it seemed like he had done enough to give Bombay control of the game. Marshall was brought back early for this situation though and he quickly dismissed Tendulkar, leaving Kambli and Ranatunga to do it all over again. Kambli kept working patiently for a while as Ranatunga ramped up the scoring. The spinners struggled on a bouncy Wankhede pitch that didn't assist them much but they managed to give the pace bowlers a remote chance of defending the total.
It was one that they very nearly managed to do so, with Ranatunga miscuing a shot to Viv off Stephenson as the RRR was falling and then Kambli was dismissed by Wassan in his last over. O'Donnell and Singh held their nerve to bring it to just three runs left to get in the last over from Jayasuriya and they successfully did that to give Bombay a hard fought win.
Bangalore chose to bat first and for the fourth game in a row named a different playing XI while Bombay stuck to the combination that brought them all of their previous wins. Banerjee struck early to dismiss centurion Raman with Hirwani soon following up with his first wicket of the season. Viv started strongly against McDermott but the surprise introduction of O'Donnell early on brought his own downfall. As Robin Singh continued his own impressive campaign with his sixth wicket of the campaign, Bangalore were left reeling having lost four wickets for just fifty three runs. Things would only become worse as debutant Gursharan Singh became Banerjee's second wicket. At 58/5 one could be forgiven for thinking that the game was done and dusted.
It seemed like Azharuddin had predicted this scenario to have happened and had Jayasuriya at seven to counter it. The duo of Jayasuriya and Stephenson then slowly built a partnership at the expense of Singh and later on McDermott himself, turning their aggressive levers at the right time. Stephenson struck his first fifty of the campaign by the end and while Jayasuriya was denied his by a late Singh wicket, he had done his job in rescuing Bangalore from a nearly defeated position.
And it seemed for a brief period that Bangalore had almost won the game. Stephenson took Marsh's wicket on the first ball and Wassan dismissed Stewart in the third over with Jayasuriya taking the catches for both. Manjrekar and Ranatunga settled into a partnership of high quality though and Bangalore could do little but throw Marshall, Ayub and Jayasuriya at the problem, trying to separate the duo. Even Viv got a piece of the action with the ball. By the time Ayub finally got Manjrekar to edge one to the keeper, it seemed like he had done enough to give Bombay control of the game. Marshall was brought back early for this situation though and he quickly dismissed Tendulkar, leaving Kambli and Ranatunga to do it all over again. Kambli kept working patiently for a while as Ranatunga ramped up the scoring. The spinners struggled on a bouncy Wankhede pitch that didn't assist them much but they managed to give the pace bowlers a remote chance of defending the total.
It was one that they very nearly managed to do so, with Ranatunga miscuing a shot to Viv off Stephenson as the RRR was falling and then Kambli was dismissed by Wassan in his last over. O'Donnell and Singh held their nerve to bring it to just three runs left to get in the last over from Jayasuriya and they successfully did that to give Bombay a hard fought win.
Arjuna Ranatunga: "We were pushed hard and had to fight for this win. Wouldn't say it was tougher than the previous ones but we were facing some very quality cricketers today. Sanju and Kambli were great support for me, I asked them to just stick around and look for gaps to exploit. We were told of Stephenson's tricks beforehand but it is always a different story when you are up against it, he was great and it was a fascinating battle with him. Two or three more wins should give us qualification I think and we're all looking forward to it."
Mohammad Azharuddin: "I thought we were out of the game after losing six wickets that quickly, credit to Stephenson and Sanath for keeping us in the game and giving us a chance. To score a fifty and then go on to pick up wickets later is a great achievement. He is a great player to have in the team and I hope he stays for the full campaign. We will analyse where we failed today and work on improving in those places. We have a good NRR so we shouldn't be too worried for now but as sportsmen we always want to win for sure. It's important to keep the larger picture in our mind though and working with a proven winner like Lloyd will help keep us focused and confident."
Mohammad Azharuddin: "I thought we were out of the game after losing six wickets that quickly, credit to Stephenson and Sanath for keeping us in the game and giving us a chance. To score a fifty and then go on to pick up wickets later is a great achievement. He is a great player to have in the team and I hope he stays for the full campaign. We will analyse where we failed today and work on improving in those places. We have a good NRR so we shouldn't be too worried for now but as sportsmen we always want to win for sure. It's important to keep the larger picture in our mind though and working with a proven winner like Lloyd will help keep us focused and confident."
Bevab
Staff Member
Seems to be so.
I hope the current settings I'm using gives similar results. I particularly enjoyed the Calcutta and Bombay matches in the fourth round. I'd like to see a few more wickets especially at the end when batters try to go wild but I'm not sure if that's ever happening in the C22 engine unless I go in and manually play myself and I doubt I have the time for that at the moment.
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