Suhail's Cricket Diary ...

Champs again! - A hatrick...

2011-09-26T17:04:00.008-04:00

Cleveland Cricket Club wins the Midwest Cricket Tour Championship

The Midwest Cricket Tour (MCT) attracts about 32 teams from different parts of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Games are played in league round-robin format with each game being 35-overs a side following ICC rules and regulations.

Starting this year, MCT has created two divisions (Division 1 and 2). Cleveland Cricket Club fielded two teams CCC Gladiators (Div 1) and CCC Warriors (Div 2). It was a grueling season for both the teams. The Warriors ended up topping their group, and reached the finals. They moved up to Division 1 for next year.

The chamionship game:

CCC Warriors faced University of Kentucky (UK) in the finals, played at Stubbs Park in Dayton, OH on Sept 18, 2011.

Warriors won the toss and chose to baT. Davinder Pandher (Goldy) and Suhail Hasham opened the batting. Goldy, as usual played some crisp shots but was caught behind soon. Mayank Mehta came in one-down, looked good but got a brilliant delivery to be caught behind. And soon Vignesh Palanivel, the man-of-match from the semis, was given out LBW. Warriors reduced to 40/3 in 12 overs. To make matters worse, Sujay Ithychanda, got runout, leaving Warriors in dire straits.

Suhail was joined by Rahul Sarnobat, and they knew they had their tasks cut out. Both played sensible cricket, rotating the strike and dispatching the odd-bad balls. Excellent footwork against spinners meant UK was running out of ideas to break the partnership. The scoreboard rolled and Warriors marched ahead to about 125.

Just when it looked like Warriors would start the final onslaught, Suhail lost his wicket trying to clear the rope. Suhail played a solid innings of 51. Rahul then combined with Sunny Hira to get some quick runs before Rahul was caught out for an excellent 42. From there on Sunny, Deepak, Basu, Sundeep and Bala took Warriors to a respectable 169 leaving UK a target of 170 to score in 35 overs.

UK began the chase in an aggressive mode with their openers Vinod and Abhijeet taking them to about 55/0 in 12 overs. A great start by any means, especially in a final. Warriors were desperately searching for a break. That break came via a brilliant stumping by Bala off the bowling of Vignesh. That let Warriors into the door, and the spin trio (Vignesh, Sujay and Sunny) assisted by brilliant fielding, put the brakes on the scoring. The equation became run-a-ball (UK needed 60 to get in about 10 overs with about 5 wickets in hand). Warriors used all their experience and skill to tighten the grip and eventually UK fell short by 35 runs. Goldy, Basu and Rahul took great catches. Sujay ended up with fantastic figures of 5-17. All bowlers provided crucial support. Vignesh and Sunny got 2 wickets each. When the last wicket fell, Cleveland team erupted in joy for what has been a tremendous season.

Cleveland Cricket Club has for long been a promoter of cricket in this region. CCC won the Michigan League for the last two years. And this win at the MCT makes it a third championship for CCC in as many years.

Scoreboard: http://mct.mysportsclub.net/Popup.aspx?tabName=Score&GameId=721

MCT Site: http://mct.mysportsclub.net/League_OtherPages.aspx?tabName=Fixtures

=suhail=

sep 26-2011

The victorious Cleveland Warriors with the cup:

(From L->R): Mayank Mehta, Sujay Ithychanda, Sanket Shah, Sundeep Bhatia, Suhail Hasham, Riddhish Acharya, Deepak Maddha, Shubhayu Basu, Bala Cherukuri, Sunny Hira, Vignesh Palanivel, Rahul Sarnobat and Goldy (Davinder Pandher) with open arms! :)

(Not in pic but Warriors no less): Anand Nadar, Patrick Arjune, Rajan Gautam, Shiva Birdi, Sunil Raja, and Vishal Bhatia. Pic Courtesy: Shivaram Alluri

More Pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/shiva.alluri/CCCDivIICHAMPIONS?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXn5YKEwOiJNw&feat=email#slideshow/5653915126267948610

Catching UP!!

2010-10-22T16:13:00.004-04:00

Wow...its been a good 3 months or so that I have blogged. And these 3 months have been - to put it very simply - a roller-coaster of ride.

The last time I wrote something here was towards the end of round 1 of the MichCA league. Since then we have marched ahead and in style... winning the MichCA 2010! And the victory is even more meaningful as it was our second consecutive title. And nothing seems better than a repeat crown. It reassures your class and quality. It takes away any 'flukeness' that may have crept in some doubting thomases.

I had taken the responsibility to write up on our cricket team/club site and whatever little time I used to have to blog was consumed doing just that.

The reason it has also been very difficult to take out time is our daily work routine and add to that handling the well-being of parents back home... Mom has been unwell but improved. I pray she continues to improve and that we can spend more quality time with her as a family.

Cricket just seems to have been one good friend over the last 12 months (especially if you are a fan of Indian cricket)...sorry but can't say the same about Pakistan or for that matter Aussie fans out there. Man, what a tough time Pak cricket is going through. I can only wish and pray that they come out strong out of this as I do believe that there is only one thing that can help them - focus on the game and the game will take care of the rest. I feel really bad about the talent being wasted. And I am stunned with the news we got of Mohammed Amir getting involved. If there was one thing that was bringing back smiles - and some sort of comfort to a country that has been ravaged by fighting and the brutal flood - was this young guy and lo and behold he gets dragged into a mess. I am not close enough to all this to know exactly what goes on but whatever it is, the heartbreak of seeing such a talent being impacted by this is a shame, however you look at it. I wish and pray that we get to see the return of Pakistan cricket. The competitive spirit and the talent that country has needs to be restored. And for that I hope the players, the people associated and the powers be, work tirelessly to come out clean and give no chance for any finger to be raised. I wish to see that day soon.

Back to why Indian fans have had a blessed time - there are several reasons:

Sachin's unbelievable run festival,
Laxman inching towards glory. And (if not already) becoming a legend,
Youngsters in the Indian team stepping up.

All this has meant we saw some amazing test cricket and continue to rule as Numero Uno in world cricket. I feel that the upcoming test series with SA will be another classic litmus test. Can't wait for that. And ofcourse I back my nation. Watch out SA.... and I am saying so, mindful of the SA wickets, as I think the lineup we have now has seen it all.. So just beware SA.

On a personal/cricket front, we had a gratifying 2010 season. And had some of the best times as a team. We dominated the final rounds at MichCA, although the games were all tricky. But the Final was a thoroughly professional performance. What was so endearing of our efforts was that we looked and played like a champ. Yes we did lost couple of games that we could have played better in but overall the season was by far my most satisfying and enjoyable.

Cleveland - Micha Champion 2010

I congratulate Viggy - for picking up the captaincy this year and doing a terriffic job of keeping us on the right track. He led from the front and always cared to ensure that the team mates are having a good time as well as we are progressing towards the goal. A silent crusader, he did show signs of aggression when needed. Apart from that all the other team mates stepped up and helped each other. Goldy had a tough year but he tried to make best use of the learning experience. I am sure he will come back strong.

Another thing that needs to get acknowledged and we all do so is that a winning team does not happen overnight or over one year, it takes some years of playing together to get the combination right. And for that, Ani (the previous captain) has played a big role. I wish he was playing with us in the final, he would have been really proud. But he did keep ball-by-ball contact with us even from India in the wee hours there.

Apart from Ani, the club seniors and alumni need to take a bow and I am sure they are proud as we have now shown twice in a row that some things do get done and get done right when hard work and support is there.

I need to run now but I will keep this space update more - hopefully. :)

=suhail=
10-22-10

end of round 1

2010-08-02T17:14:00.001-04:00

Life has been real busy over the past several weeks keeping me away from cricket greens. I could not participate in the past couple of games - one against Canton and the other against Troy (a rescheduled game). The results were odd… an extraordinary game with a sweet result against Canton but the other an ordinary performance from our collected 11 that resulted in a loss.

On July 17, we played and won against Canton. They have played great cricket this season and are certainly the top 2 teams to beat. I safely would have said ours would be the other but since I am writing this – kind of post cast :) - I know that we cannot claim, any longer to be the top 2 teams to beat. I will spell what I mean in a minute.

But back to the game against Canton, the one guy they probably hate the most now is Devin Patel, for this is the second time in a row he scored a century against them! It’s a punishing feeling to be the best team but to be sought out by the same guy. Devin's brilliant century (114*) along with solid performances from Sujay (60+), Puru (51*) and Chirag (30) left Canton to chase 295. It’s a really tough ask and they folded at 242 after giving an equally tough fight.

Next we played Troy on July 25 with a depleted side as most of our guys were not playing including me. We scored 181 and they got that with 4 wickets left. Our bowlers, I heard, struggled to find the rhythm.

Anyways, with that game, we completed our 1st round. 8 games – won 6, lost 2. But more importantly I see somewhat of degradation in our performance going into the next round.

=suhail =
July 2010

the first loss!

2010-08-02T16:56:00.001-04:00

It’s terrible. The pain of a loss lingers mentally longer than the physical aches. It is more personally agonizing when you can’t forget that you could have played a part in getting the team out of the woods. And there on, each passing moment, you want to get back out there and make amends. That is the beauty of the game of cricket. You always feel you can do better.

On Saturday, July 10, 2010, we hosted Metro Detroit CC at our home ground in Cleveland.

MDCC is a new team this year. And they certainly were playing for the first time at our ground. But if you watched them in action or review the scorecard, they played at ease with us and played a solid game.

Winning the toss, they batted first and scored 210 in 40 overs. An assured 130 plus run 3rd wicket partnership between Kumar and Nadeem was the underpinning act behind their above par score. Kumar went on to get a deserved century. He had luck on his side too, getting a couple of good lives. But their ‘chanderpaul-stance’ left handed captain Nadeem () played a calm and composed inning to anchor them along. We had a target of 211 to get but ended up getting all out for 165!

What caused the break to our winning ‘habit’?
To sum it up - We looked lazy on the field. Bowlers lacked purpose and failed to find that one delivery that could break a partnership and when our bowlers did find a way, our fielding did not finish it. We looked less hungry to win than MDCC. And it would be safe to say we may have been over-confident when we batted.

So we were below our standards in all aspects and MDCC thoroughly deserved to win.

I know it’s better said than done but I will still say it….barring a few good testing slower ones, our bowlers did not show any attempt to mix it up. We could not adjust quickly to the left-right combination and kept feeding into the width areas preferred by the batsmen (especially Kumar).

One glaring problem I see is that our bowlers are not bowling to the fields they themselves set. We need to be more mindful and do justice to the fields. Another thing is bowlers are not working together. So to say, they are not ‘hunting in a pack’. Every time a new spell begins, the bowlers put in several useless deliveries slicing away any pressure that may have been built by the peer bowlers. That cannot happen, especially in the games going forward. So the sooner the bowlers get this right, the better. I am sure each of the bowlers would like to put this game into perspective and come up with way to perform better.

=suhail=

7-7-10

Wrapping Grand Rapids..

2010-07-07T16:14:00.002-04:00

I got news that, on June 26, we will be playing ‘hosts’ to Grand Rapids on a ‘new’ cricket ground in Canton. Anytime you are driving to a new field or to a field that you have never played cricket on, there is a sense of excitement and happiness that the game you love most is spreading and growing.

Then when you drive around a park – it was called the Heritage Park - with umpteen fields – baseball, soccer, basketball etc – it makes you even more eager. As you drive around this park you come to a crowded parking lot. The anticipation grows. The lush green ageless tall trees provide even more encouragement and build up. You park and begin a brisk walk through the walking trail, eager to see it – the cricket field..

As you mound your way up and close to the cricketing ‘area’, suddenly all that excitement and joy comes to a grinding halt and converts to sheer disappointment. This is just sad. All the promising 15 minutes fade and it is sad to see that a small piece of land is allocated to cricket, with no decent room for boundary. If something is better than nothing then yes it is something. But I wish cricket was given some importance. I am sure the people involved in putting this place together may have tried their best and succeeded to whatever they could land their hand on. So not taking anything away from the folks who put this ground up to play but I wish there was more room and justice for cricket in such a setting...

Well, enough about the ground, and game should go on... Due to bad weather and delayed start, it was a reduced 35-over game.

We batted first and opened with a new pair – Chirag and Suraj. Unfortunately, Suraj did not last long. Pratik walked in one-down for his first game of the season with us. He is a vital cog in our wheel and the conditions seemed ideal for him to get his eye in. He played a nice chip over the midwicket in his cool and casual style but unfortunately could not time another loft well and holed out. Bad blow for the team and more so for Pratik but I am sure he will be eager to harvest some time and runs come next game.

Viggy joined Chirag for what ended up being a trailblazing partnership. Chirag played freely from the get go, with clean hits over long on, midwicket and straight down the ground. Viggy had bat and timing issues to deal with initially but eventually set into his usual self with an elegant and assuring knock.

Cleveland was cruising consistently at a rate of above 7 an over. Chirag fell after a well-made 67. And Manu was promoted so we can silence him up :)…. But he came back soon cramped up for room to play his shot. Navdeep went in and played sensibly picking his shots and spots.

At 140 odd in about 20 overs, we were eyeing a huge score as we still had about 15 overs and 6 wickets in hand. Viggy along with Navdeep kept up the scoring and we were 180 odd in 27 overs. Viggy fell after a good 60 runs. I went in to join Navdeep and we continued to keep the score board busy. But Navdeep was stumped out for 20.

Chandu walked in and we knew it could be his day as it’s been long time coming. With the conditions ideal for his kind of hitting, he played out some balls and he and I rotated well for 15 odd runs. But I was needlessly run-out attempting a risky one. I drove to long-off and was running to the danger end but didn’t realize Chandu had not taken off. And by the time our calls matched up I had come too far down the track and could not return. But Chandu continued on and we sensed something big was in the making.

....[chandu pic here]..

With 6 or so overs remaining and 7 wickets down, usually the bowlers think they have had already faced tackled all the batsmen and they are eager to wrap up the overs. And in comes Chandu and shocks them out of their socks. He pasted the bowlers to all sides specially the long on, midwicket fence. And they had no answer. When big-hitters get going field setting or size does not matter and that’s exactly what we saw. In a matter of 20 odd balls Chandu passed his half century with awesome strikes and running :) and our score touched 258 in 35 overs.

Chasing 258 in 35 overs is tough on any day. It becomes even tougher when you have been drilled to all parts of the ground. The Grand Rapid openers looked good to begin with and played some good shots but our opening bowlers Manu and Deepak didn’t allow too much room, especially Manu bowling his accurate line and length. And once we got the initial breakthrough there was no looking back. We kept getting wickets at regular intervals. And with rain in the forecast, our slow blowers (Ishant, Murali, and Viggy) operated most of the starting 18 overs to ensure game is on.

All the bowlers bowled well with some being unlucky not to get more wickets. But overall it was a good performance. I kept wickets with new Kookaburra Neon gloves  and new pads. Did get a simple catch behind the stumps but need to improve on leg side collection. Hopefully it will improve after the Soccer World Cup when I stop seeing goal-keepers.

Grand Rapids was wrapped up in 23 overs for 105.

Post-game, I overheard the Grand Rapids captain talking highly of certain Canton players and their stats and that we need to watch out etc but honestly we treat every team with dignity per merit on any given day and play every game with equal seriousness. Unfortunately this season and humbly speaking with no disrespect to any team, we have not faced a stiff competitor yet this season. Of course every game presents some challenges and we are not bigger than the game but I must admit we have not come across a team that looked threatening enough to blow us off. And we eagerly look forward to playing against Canton.

But before that game we have a game against Metro Detroit CC at Cleveland on July 10 and we look forward to that encounter and make no mistake we are in no mood to give up the winning habit.

=suhail=

7-7-10

Tidbits

2010-06-09T11:10:00.000-04:00

So, finally Yuvi is rested and Sachin asked to be rested :)...
Squad: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Ashok Dinda, R Ashwin, Saurabh Tiwary.

Team India for the Asia Cup, looks good. I don't necessarily think Tiwary is ready for it but no harm in trying. It just seems that now a days its become much more easier for players to get into the India team. The Gambhir's and the Sehwag's had to struggle (in my view) more than the like of Tiwary, Ashwin. I may be wrong but it just seems that they are getting picked as they are performing somewhat well in the Ranji and then IPL gives them the extra boost or attention. This extra boost was not available when say Gmbhir or Sehwag were making their attempts. I wont even go towards outside India (meaning one Mr Cricket - Mike Hussey scored 10000 first class runs prior to getting into Team Australia :).... Having said that, I dont see why we need to fuss about it, its the sign of changing times. So be it.

Coming back to the team :), Rohit, Raina and Kohli have the chance to show who emerges out of the shadows. I think 2 of these will be certain to play in the World Cup. All 3 is possible but its upto them.

People have said that Uthappa should be in the team. I dont think he fits in. I think he is an excellent player at T20 level. I am eager to see how Ashwin evolves. I hope the 'allrounder' seekers dont punish by using that tag or expecting him to be that. He can be one but only results should drive that. In the recent past we have lost couple of good players due to the hype that they are allrounders - Irfan Pathan is a case in point. Its a shame we lost him. Coz he certainly began well as a bowler who could bat but now his bowling is mediocore and we cannot afford to pick him for his batting.

Coming to Yuvi, I think the selectors dd the right thing by dropping Yuvi. Having seen the talent he possesses, its only his fitness (physical and mental) that needs adjustments. And if he gets those adjustments done, he can resume/fully blossom in his career. I think we will get to see him more. I believe in talent. As far as his off-cricket activities, I dont really care what he does and where he goes. So long as he performs for the country on the cricket ground.

The media coverage of any cricketers' non-cricket life is ridiculous and simple annoying. The news outlets are destroying our country's sportsmen. I wish these media houses take up that time slots to cover up and coming athletes, sponsor the time to showcase new talent that can some day win our country some medals in Olympics. No, I guess that is a 'waste' of thier time, they would rather show Sreesanth walking the ramp or Yuvi dancing at a party. Or Dhoni eating an aalo-chat.

=suhail=
6/9

Game 4 Rained out

2010-06-09T10:25:00.002-04:00

The much awaited Game 4 on Sunday (June 6) against 6-time champs Greater Detroit Cricket Club was washed out due to heavy rains and tornadoes that struck parts of Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. This game most likely will be replayed at a later date this season. Looking forward to that encounter. Update - this game has beeen called as a 'draw'. and the points have been split. Nevertheless - look forward to play GDCC hopefully in the next round.

GDCC is always fun to play, primarily due to them being a strong team but also since they are very passionate bunch of cricketers. People like Shahid Ahmed, Faisal and others who have done so much for the cricket in this region play in that team, so its always a good time in the middle. Thr fun is even more as we have beaten them :), albiet closely, every time we have played them (twice so far).... So GDCC will be coming strong at us and also they have been there where we are now and I am sure they would like to regain that spot. So can't wait to play them.

Next weekend (June 12/13) we have a bye. So no game.Sometime its good to grt that break but this season has so far turned out to be a slow one, especially the weather has been quite erratic, and we are also loosing practice sessions due to the rain. If not weather then maybe its Sujay (practice coordinator) or maybe its Viggy (skipper) ....:). Kuch karo yaar, we need mroe cricket.

Pratik - I am not sure what you are upto, maybe 'inventing' something special... :)?
Chandu - yes you are correct, my scores this season have been due to your bat. You know some one has to do it. Since you were mostly hitting the air with it I thought I will put it to better use :)... But seriosly, thank you.

=suhail=
6/9/10

Make it 3!

2010-05-24T13:39:00.000-04:00

Sunday May 23 was our third league round game. This was against a highly rated team - Greater Toledo CC. The venue was the Beatty Park at Toledo.

When we reached the ground, the outfield was quite wet and the bowler’s run-up areas had puddles of water. Not a good sight. But the good news was weather expected to be in the 80's all day and sun beating down. So the anticipation was it would get better. This was a 'home' game for GTCC and so they brought in saw-dust and mulch etc to make the playing areas playable... especially the run-ups/wk areas. And since one area side of the wickets was relatively bad...it was decided to play from only the better side..

The toss was going to be tricky. to bat first or not is always confusing in such conditions... But luckily for Viggy, he lost the toss and so the deciding was to be done by GTCC and they put us in. And I think I would have done the same (inserted the opposition in and chase with slightly faster/dry outfield).

The start was delayed by 45 minutes; Sunny and Kranti were set to open our batting. But the pair had to deal with the swinging ball in slow ground conditions. Unfortunately the scoreboard did not see much movement in the first 5 over’s…runs coming in mostly 1’s and the odd 2’s.

Sunny seemed to have come to terms – with a swivel pull shot, which ‘stopped’ near the ropes, but soon he played across and missed, LBW was the call, and unfortunately for him, the decision seemed tough as the ball was probably going over the wickets. Kranti also couldn’t get going as he chipped one straight down gully’s throat.

Gaurav went in 1-drop and was joined by Devin (playing his first game of the season). But before we could see Devin blossom, he played all over and inswinging full deliver that rattled the stumps. Viggy and Gaurav had to play in and get us to stability but the slow outfield and some bad calling ended up causing a run out. With Gaurav back under the tree, the score was around 35 for 4 in 12 or so overs. Not a good start by any means.

Sujay and Viggy then played in but the runs were still hard to come. The outfield played a huge role as a large number of possible singles/twos got converted to dots. Sujay tried to break the shackles by hitting a few good lofted shots, which unfortunately landed deep but stay put right where they landed. Nevertheless, Sujay got some 20 odd runs before getting out.

Chirag and Ishan (just fresh from some 20-over action) were padded to boost the score/break the bowling rhythm but unfortunately that didn’t help much. Chirag caught behind and CLCC was in deep trouble – 85 odd for 6 wickets and still about 14-15 overs remaining. Soon Ishan too was back. And I went to join Viggy. And the thoughts of the first game were flying past my mind (where we at the same ground, were 80 odd for 5 but Ani and I were to able to build a good one). I believed we still can do the same as Viggy was settled in and we had Bunny and Deepak still to come.

But we had a blow when Viggy was caught while trying to force the pace. Unfortunately we did not take the power play then (and in hindsight we should have). Nevertheless, Bunny joined me and I told him we have 10 overs to bat, you will not get that in practice. Our target – 6 to 8 runs an over. We did that for a couple of over’s, rotating and running well. I was seeing and timing the ball well. And so we debated about the power play. We decided to take it and that kind of helped and we ended up scoring another 20 odd runs in 3 over’s. Not bad.

Bunny and I had taken us from 90 odd to 135 plus and with another 4 over’s remaining, I was confident we will get another 30 odd runs. And with the outfield the way it was and with our bowling strength I reckoned 160 was a good score on that day.

But unfortunately the first ball of the next over, Bunny played across and was bowled. Slightly pre-determined shot that but a costly mistake. Deepak was unable to resist the spinner and was stumped. We folded at 137. And hurting to have missed out on 3 crucial over’s. I wish we had stuck around. And since I was timing well, I wish I played more balls.

Nevertheless we had 137 to defend and believe me that is tricky total on such a day or anyday for that matter as the batting side sees that as easily attainable and may end up slightly relaxed and on the flip side the bowlers know they are defending a small total so they try and give (in good teams) that extra bit.

With all humility I must say that winning the championship definitely changes your mindset. It makes you believe that you can win from anywhere and that belief is exactly what we displayed throughout the hot and humid afternoon.

Viggys’ onset message was clear and simple, an all-out attack, no use trying to save runs. So mission – let’s go get 10 wickets.

Deepak, Sujay, Chirag combined to bowl with aggressive pace and Devin, Viggy and Ishan providing provided the slow cutting edge. And every one gave their best to keep the score in check. Their captain (John Jacobs) is well known match winner but we did well to restrict him. Deepak’s inswingers did not give him room and almost always he mistimed his swipes. Chirag then fooled him brilliantly with a beautiful slower one which hit John on the full. He did not like the LBW decision but he was a goner. And we knew we had chance.

Some of the middle order batsmen looked good and threatened to take it away but situations like these is
what Devin comes to love. I remember, in 2007 (or maybe it was 06), Cleveland Team 2 had reached the semi finals of the Midwest tournament. We were playing ECC and Devin was playing for ECC then. We got ECC allout for 130 (yep ironically it was 130 odd). And we knew that we can chase it down with the batting we had. But Devin foiled us by dishing out slow turners and closing out the boundaries. We fell agonizingly short by 10 or so runs. And that was mainly due to the confidence Devin had provided to his team.

Coming back to yesterday, here he was again but the good news this time around was that he was in our team  and I his deceptive slow bowling was hard to tackle. Ishan (left arm orthodox spin) was bowling really well too. He is making a debut here and I feel if guided, we will certainly be a valuable asset to the team. They kept getting the breakthroughs and we slowly but surely were chipping away – at the wickets.

They eventually folded for 100 odd. Devin – 4, Ishan – 2, Chirag – 2 got the wickets but I think every bowler deserved wickets as each bowled well.

Kudos to all our bowlers for a terrific performance. But there are a lot of lessons to learn. And I think this win as well as the situation we were in this game will teach us well.

This game – Cricket - is the best teacher!

=suhail=
May 24, 2010

Take 2, Win 2

2010-05-17T17:57:00.000-04:00

Saturday (May 15) - we played and beat Motown at Lyon Oaks.

Score - Cleveland: 224 (Goldy 50+, Sujay 44, Puru 30) beat Motown 140 odd.

I will update this blog with details... .gtg now..

Game 1, Win 1...

2010-05-17T17:53:00.001-04:00

After a long long wait, we finally played our 2010 season opener at Toledo on Sunday May 9th. Against Michigan Cricket Club.

It was not a 'sun'day at all. Cold and windy lower 50's, not ideal cricketing weather but we will take that over a rainy day. So began our journey to defend our championship.

Note - Ani (who captained us last year) has decided to return to India for good. But before he leaves, he is able to get some games under the belt. We wish him well. Viggy (Vignesh) is our new captain. Good luck and I am sure he will be an inspiration.

Toss - Viggy won the toss and decided to bat first. Reasoning - the wet outfield will make bowling and fielding quite challenging. And give ourselves 40 overs to bat...

Goldy and Sujay opened the innings and were treated to some excellent pace bowling especially from one of their opening bowlers (Pedro). He is a true West Indian bowler, perfect rhythymic action and delivers at a good line/lenght and pace. He got one to get through Goldy's defence and on the other end Sujay nicked one soon to the keeper. Not a good start.

Ani went one down and was joined by Bunny at the fall of Sujay's wicket. Bunny's is playing his first season with our team (he has played for our other team before). They both rotated the strike well and seem to be settling in. The score at this time: .

Viggy stopped by and he and I had a chat about specific roles he had in mind. For me, he wanted me to play lower in the order and ensure we have stability there. rotate the strike, play well with big hitters. That way the upper order can play freely.

In the middle the score was ticking slowly, with a wet outfield and with this being the first game, batsmen needed time to adjust, get settled in and roll. Bunny, unfortunately lost his wicket after spending some good time in the middle. Viggy sent in Gaurav, but he could not get going and played on. Suddenly we had lost 4 wickets with not much on the board. Viggy then joined Ani.

This was going to be a crucial pair. And as they have done several times, were playing sensibly. Ani was certainly moving his feet well and timing the ball. Several of his hits landed and stayed put near the ropes.
Viggy looked good with a wristly boundary over square leg. But when the score was about 89 we lost Viggy too. Big blow that.

I joined Ani. And I felt confident going knowing exactly what I had to do and what we needed as a team. And we began to rebuild our innings. Ani, who was well set scoring freely and I dropped anchor to ensure stability. I must say, I felt good, although was not playing the shots clean and timing well but nevertheless I knew it was not important as long as I dont play a silly shot. And as long as I stayed on the ball.

We rotated the strike to perfection. Ani brought up his well deserved 50. And stepped up the pace thereafter, playing some good shots all over the park, especially square and around the cow-corner. We took 3 to 5 overs at a time., targeting to get about 6 or 8 an over. We went about our job. Ani looked all set for a ton and he did it with style! - well done and wll timed, some excellent shots and his timing was absolutely fun to watch. And as he did that we moved out of danger and knew that we were looking for a good score. Ani eventually was out for caught brilliantly in the deep. He made 135 memorable runs.

Our partnership was a calm and assured 100 plus runs and in hindsight a game changer. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Chandu, Navdeep, Kranthi and I saw through the last few over of our innings and we ended up at 258/8.

Michigan did not offer to much as a batting unit. Except for a couple of batsmen who played in for some time. Our bowling looked good but fielding was certainly ways to go. As the next games come up, hope we get better on the field. At the end Michigan managed onto 124 allout.

The cold and blistering weather was a tough one to deal with. But the hosts treated us to a post-match meal (steaming hot rice, daal and west indies chicken curry) - they always have been a fun host. very friendly and unique love for the game. By the end of the game we had about 30 or odd spectators all talking in typically Jamican/West Indian accent and huddled into high-pitched conversations. Always enjoy playing this team. And they congratulated us for a good game.... and so began our drive back to town!

All was happy and well until the next day or so when the body started acting up... sore from the running between and behind the wickets ....:but all is well that begins with a win :)!! ..

=suhail=

Welcome to Season 2010

2010-05-10T12:49:00.000-04:00

A new summer, a new season and some new goals....

The long winding Cleveland winter seems to have finally given way for the much awaited summer. And with that it freshens up the passion for some cricket action. Hope we all have a good season ahead. Lets enjoy the journey....

I hope to keep this blog updated as much as possible but finding time between loved ones, work, travel, weekend games etc sometimes become tough. I will try nevertheless to blog up.

=suhail=
May 10/10

Dear Sachin

2010-03-05T10:41:00.002-05:00

I hope and pray that this letter finds you doing well :) ...

I am writing this to thank you for being what you are and for giving me and all the followers of the game of cricket so much to be proud of. Your cricketing actions have brought cheer and joy to millions and only time will tell the impact you would have on the generations to come. But for now we - this generation- is enjoyng the pleasure of watching you 'Live'! - Thank you!

Sachin, your cricketing journey is certainly one of the most well documented stories in the history of the game. And right fully so. This is just an attempt to Thank you :)...

People speak about comparisons, and say that batsmen of this generation cannot be compared to previous generations. And some say that todays times are more batsmen friendly etc. All I can say is, yes that is all probably true but another simple truth is that no other player (in my opinion) has played under such scrutiny and intense pressure for so long - the whole nation watches/breathes along with you!

You have carried the hopes of such a huge nation on your shoulders now for over a period of 20 years. That is just incredible. And so yes, sure we cannot compare the previous generations to you. But comparisons are never apt. I have read you say the same...Each batsmen is different. And you sure are certainly unique! - So thank you for being unique.

There were times when injuries (especially the tennis elbow) seemed to be taking over and we all were slowly getting to accept that perhaps we were nearing the end of the journey. But my dear Sachin, the way you have handled that pain (and I am sure it still pains you) but the way you have worked things out speaks to the mental strength, the passion and your dedication. Thank you, for you inspire us all to carry on, in our own struggles and in our own lives. Thank you.

From the day you've made your debut to now, I have watched you along with the billions. Your guru said it perfectly, that you always try to learn new skills. And so its not a surprise that you are able to succeed. May you continue to do so.

For your humility, for your endurance, loyalty and sportsmanship, I salute you and thank you from the bottom of my heart. May you continue as long as you feel alright and may God bless you...

Thank you!

Humbly yours..

=suhail=

March 2010

Cleveland Cricket and 2010...

2010-02-02T13:50:00.000-05:00

As we get into February, the thoughts of the upcoming cricket season ping my mind. For months now, we have not had an opportunity to step on to the cricket green. There is this burning urge to get to cricket soon...

Last year we ended up being the champion side in the Michigan League. I get flash backs of some of our cricketing moments we had this past year and it feels great because we ended up on top.

Ani and some of our team mates took time to go to the Michigan League presentation ceremony held in MI. I could not go due to work commitements. Ani was kind enough to hand me my little cup of joy! Its a pretty thing with marble base having our name/clubname engraved. It went right into the spot where Tahreem (wifey) can see it often so she is supportive as the next season unfolds :) ..that my friend is the key....

Winngin the Michigan League was great no doubt, but when I turn around and look at our club's status in Ohio (at the Midwest Tournament), unfortunately its not that great. Infact over the last 3 years or so our Club's reckoning in Ohio has not been that uplifting.

There are probably many reasons of why we arent that big a force in Ohio nowadays and we can debate on it but before that I ask myself why is the Midwest Tournament important to me as an individual and to the club as an organization?

Several reasons come to mind.

1. We live in this state - and not sure if this is a good metaphor but there is meaning to when people say 'charity starts at home', similarly I would say 'recognition and respect begins at home'. So when immediate cricketing circles in this state talk they relate easily to the Midwest Tournament as the battle ground (atleast at this time). So for me as an individual I get to compete with folks from this region (some of whom I have come to know over the past few years). And as a club it means - we need to stamp our authority in our home region and do so on a consistent basis before we become a force in the greater regional spectrum.

2. We have invested a lot of our time and attention to the Midwest Tournament, and it is safe to say that it is that participation from teams like us, which has taken Midwest Tournament to the levels it is at today. And if we as a club do not work hard, we will be talked in the 'past' and 'lost' tense. Something I dont want to be associated with and something which I dont think the Club wants to take as a tag going forward We need to step up our levels.

3. Yes playing in other tournaments is definetly an important thing - for us to grow, to try something new and to experience different conditions. So make no mistake, we will need to continue expanding but at the same time, we need to put proper emphasis within our state

With the above said, and having played couple of seasons at the Michigan League, I am planning to take part in the Midwest this season. I know that I will miss the Michigan League (as I have come to enjoy a great deal of professionalism, fairness, and passion in that league). But I think for my own reasons and for my club I want to see us do really well at the Midwest. Whatever it takes....

=suhail=
Feb 2, 2010

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-20T17:39:00.014-05:00

As we take a break from the cricket field, Cleveland winter is truly ON and so is 2010. I got a text from Goldy the other day, asking why I was not on the blog. And I was thinking about it, so here I am....

We are in the 'champion' mode at this time:)... but as the days fly by, I wonder what the guys are up to ... I know some are out there enjoying indoor sports, while some are making their investment in the couches and TV's count. Some in guilt of the rising waist sizes and yet there are some who are making most of the family time...whatever be the case, I hope ALL IZZ WELL!!

Party in the Club! -

We got together in November for our Club's end-of-the-season party! - it was a great evening that brought past and present members together with a DJ on deck, delicious food and tons of masti. The floor @Ford Union 420 was rocking!!! I did not carry my camera that day so I am waiting to get some pictures from that evening... I am wondering if who has some.... Goldy/Anyone?

There is catching up to do .... I hope to hear from the guys. So, COMMENT in your haal-chaal! :)

Signing off for now...
=suhail=
1/20/10

VVS !

2009-11-05T23:12:00.003-05:00

A very good interview....
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/432566.html
=suhail=
11/5/9

Memories...

2009-10-14T16:04:00.009-04:00

While my memory serves fresh, I wanted to put my thoughts on our win-

1. What this championship means to me, personally?
2. What I would like to remember about this season, as a team or individually?

This championship made the on-field and off-field efforts - incl broken fingers and crushed toes - all worthwhile. This win is even more special as this title has come after several years of hard work and toil. My last win in a major tournament was way back in the school (St. Patricks) days... :) ...

I would like to remember the semi-final clash against Oakland. Almost 600 runs were scripted over 6 hours. It was a slippery dark day where two determined teams battled it out in all fairness. We could bareky talk for hours after the game - drained out and exhausted but humble in happiness for reaching the finals... It was a pure thrilling game of cricket!

---

10/14/09

=suhail=

Straight from the Captain!

2009-10-13T16:48:00.006-04:00

It gives me great pleasure to upload the following.

This comes straight from Cleveland (MichCA team) captain (Ani) as he dwells on why we were able to win the championship.......

----------------

As sent by Ani on 10/13/2009 - 4:50 pm..

I have followed Suhail’s blog regularly, not just because he is a good friend and inherent part of the team, but more so to learn what his thoughts/comments on certain aspect of the game were. It gives me a good perspective of what may be going on in a teammates mind and pick up tips on what aspect of my leadership/game plan I could improve upon if certain things did or didn’t go our way. Obviously his well written blog also was great fun to read and reminisce upon a previous game/situation.

It is every players’ dream to “win”…no matter what sport, what occasion and at what level. There is however a fine line between a player and a champion. The latter plays the sport with correct temperament, discipline and more over not as an individual but as part of his/her TEAM!

I have the privilege of captaining a team of champions! It takes time to build such a team and develop such mentality. But it also takes an open mind and heart to change the mentality of “me” and “I” within oneself to “we” and “us”. This year playing for the second season in DivA MichCA 40 over championship we were able to bag the coveted tags of “champions” not just with our ability to play good cricket, but more because of our mentality of putting team first before ourselves. The support each one of us had for each other and the joy we got with someone else’s success is what stood out about us in my mind.

Looking at stats and scorecards from our season one will clearly see what the term “team effort” signifies. Almost every game saw a different player within the team put their hand up and brave out the battle at hand. My newly discovered philosophy of playing this game is “to be in the present rather than thinking about the next moment, over or game”. One ball at a time, one moment at a time…do not think about playing in a pre-determined way. Something I have learnt from my better half and I sincerely thank her for this teaching!

My second philosophy is “never think about the trophy, championship etc…just be humble on the field, identify our strengths as well as weaknesses…finally make sure we have more moments showing our strengths than ones demonstrating our weaknesses….victories will automatically line up one after another!

The above two comments are not methods but a mentality of how I think one should play any sport….at least this is how I played this season (I wish I would have learnt this early on in my cricket career). Some may disagree, some may have a different way of approaching the game. I believe that there is no “one correct way”…everyone can have correct ways as long as you believe in it. The way one handles themselves on the field, not just in a good situation but perhaps more importantly in challenging situations when our backs are against the wall speaks volumes for what is going on in one’s mind. If one reflects back at our season, barring 2 games during the season, each one of our games has required us to battle our way to victory. Each game has seen a player emerge into a champion! We have had games where frontline batsmen have taken us across the line, but we cannot forget those instances when our tail batted with fierce determination and saw us to safety. We also have had frontline bowlers demolish opponents with an exceptional spell, but we certainly cannot forget bowlers who put their hand up and delivered when all others had temporarily failed. We have also had a few take on wicket-keeper responsibilities due to necessity…and thereby realize a hidden capability.

A champion team rises to every occasion and challenge…but with the correct discipline and attitude. No one will remember what we won a few years from now, but everyone will remember how we played our game. Other teams in MichCA were desperate for us to win the championship vs FHCC…not because they are fans of our players, but moreover because we have earned their respect for being a fair and humble team.

It has indeed taken several years of developing a team that compliments each other in every aspect…Im not talking just batting/bowling/fielding here, but even in personalities and communication. If anyone thinks our team is easy to handle, please wake up. Our team has a good mix of light hearted vs serious characters, loud vs silent communicators, disciplined vs erratic behaviors…but all this goes unnoticed when each one of us unites on the field and behaves as “one team” rather than “eleven players.”

Congrats to each one of you on a season well played, on a trophy thoroughly deserved. I hope that this small success doesn’t develop over confidence and/or lack of desire for future cricket. Reaching the top is goal #1, but staying there is the ultimate goal!

-----

Cleveland CONQUERS MichCA!!!

2009-10-05T11:01:00.014-04:00

YAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!

Cleveland won the 2009 Division 1 MichCA League by beating Farmington in the finals!!!

Cleveland - 190/10 (Sujay 40, Ani 36, Pratik 31, Goutam 4/37, Venu 3/46)
FHCC - 164 (Manu 2/13 in 8, Deepak 3/36 in 8, Sujay 3/25 in 8)

It was a glorious day for Cleveland and cricket at the Bloomer Park in Michigan.

The background - The final clash between CLCC and FHCC was perfectly set as the league moved through its paces. Both the teams did great through the season watching each other crush opponents. As the last laps were being traversed, they were rumblings of FHCC’s dislike towards us – cannot be sure why– Nevertheless, we (CLCC) kept the focus and progressed through the playoffs with solid performances. We certainly wanted to square off against them, to prove a point (especially since we had lost to them in the semis last year), and so we were eager for a chance to set the equation right.

We could clearly sense that both teams were converging to a melting point. And only a grand finale could resolve the question of the championship – which team ends up winning it?

Our Support - We encouraged our club mates for support, and we were able to convince our loved ones, better halves and well-wishers to join us on this final journey of the season. And so we went with a good/diverse group of cheering supporters and in the overall context of the season it was only fitting for them to be at the ground as they also had equally sacrificed through out the season, allowing us to be away on weekends and believing in our passion. We truly are indebted to them.

As for the forecast of the day – it was somewhat of an English county day – constant fear of rain, drizzle on and off, and the temps hovering in the 60’s. But thanks to the efforts of the organizing board members of MichCA, the pitch was covered overnight and that was greatly helpful, as the covers did collect a lot of water and surprisingly a snake (yep a rattler). We didn’t know it rains snakes in Michigan!! :)

Playing conditions and toss - The wind was certainly a factor and the outfield, although damp, was not terrible. The toss was going to play a crucial role, as in any such game. The pressure counts for a lot, especially when you are chasing. Add to that the rain factor, and in come the infamous Mr.’s Duckworth and Lewis. No team wants to keep them on their minds. So the toss in itself was a mini-contest so to say. But Ani called right when it mattered most!! And we chose to bat without any hesitation.

Goldy and Sujay opened the innings for us. The moist surface and windy conditions were certainly going to help the bowlers and they did. The FHCC opening bowlers were right on the money. And soon into the game, Goldy fended a ball that quickly came onto him, and it took his gloves (nasty blow on hand) and went to the slip cordon.

Cleveland down 1 with less than 10 runs on the board. Not a start we were looking for.

Viggy joined Sujay and they played out some anxious overs. Sujay was picking the gaps well and Viggy also seemed in control until the moment when he tried to flick one to the leg side, closed the bat face a tad early, a thick edge flies to gully.

That was a big blow and Cleveland in a spot of bother 27/2 from about 8 overs.

Ani walked in with an important task at hand. This was going to be a very crucial phase. The two (Ani and Sujay) had to stick in and work out some stability for the innings. And they did just that. The bowlers obviously were on top and bowled well. The pitch was aiding them as well. They tried bouncers and also were able to swing quite a bit. But both Ani and Sujay played the ball on its merit. It was a good time to see a keen contest. Ani looked solid and Sujay played some very good flicks and drives. They were running well too and the board started to tick.

Sujay and Ani put on a good partnership of over 80 runs …

But unfortunately against the run of play, we lost two quick wickets and that too of the two set men. Sujay played slightly across but made an invaluable 40. And Ani, who played watchfully and sensibly, was on 36, when he nicked one that was brilliantly caught behind.

Devin was the next man in. He along with Pratik was crucial to get us to a challenging score.

Pratik was playing after a gap of over 3 weeks. In fact, hats off to Pratik and Aishwarya - as he came on to play even as they await the arrival of their first baby and it was due any moment. And to drive 3 hours away from home at this point was an amazing gesture.

FHCC was now roaring and shouting all over the place. It seemed they wanted to get under our skins and most importantly under Devin’s, as they must have heard and talked a lot about him. They (FHCC) started to become noisier and behaved like street kids fighting over trial issues. I have seen some childish behavior in cricket alright but FHCC was getting uglier by the minute.

Devin and Pratik played some quite overs and then hit a couple of good boundaries.

Devin was lucky when he hit one over square leg and the fielder - one of their best, John Titus - dropped the catch on the boundary line. And to add salt onto the wound, the ball crossed the line. The umpire called it a six at first, and then changed it to a four after the fielder suggested it was a four. And casually, Devin checked with the square leg umpire and that was enough to incite FHCC. They threw all kinds of tantrums, taking the focus off of the game and got quite vocal with the crowd, with Devin etc. It was natural to have a hard game as it was the final but for a team to behave as this was unacceptable. I wish we were playing a stronger team than this but a sportier one.

We sensed that this was going to motivate Devin even more but unfortunately he played a loose shot and was caught behind. That was a big blow as Devin could normally be able to use such a launch pad to take the game away from the opponents. Chandu joined Pratik to give some sting to our batting.

But it began to rain and the players were called off. This break was utilized to have lunch. Again, thanks to MichCA, food was promptly served and it was delicious too - Mediterranean food (chicken kebabs etc) and Pizza.

As play resumed, Chandu couldn’t show his long handle shots and came back. Sunny joined Pratik. The pair got some good ones and two’s on the board. But both got out to some good FHCC bowling. Pratik made 31.

At 36 overs CLCC were around 170. This was a slightly an under par score but we knew in the heat of final, this was not that bad a score. Gaurav, Deepak and I had the last four overs to get us to some more commanding score. We decided to get at least 20 more runs and then some more if possible. We ended up folding at 190.

190 were slightly short of what we wanted but definitely defendable as we had complete faith in our bowling and fielding.

And we all knew this was going to be one heck of an afternoon….

------

FHCC began their chase with a left-right opening combination and so did we in Deepak (left) and Manu (right). The lefty got off to a good start playing some good shots through and around the gully area. But Deepak was bowling an excellent line and getting the ball to move. It was turning to be a promising spell.

Third over, right hander Hari (the FHCC captain), facing Deepak. Ball pitches outside off and it seemed natural from a left arm bowler that it probably would go further outside off. Hari sensed that there was width, goes on his back foot to cut but lo and behold the ball comes drastically inwards, takes his inside edge and crashes onto the stumps!

Cleveland roars at the first wicket. Well done Deepak. Manu on the other end was also bowling exceptionally well. He bowled in the right area and with pace, not letting the batsmen any room.

In walks Ricky (heard that he is a South African, a good sign of diversity). He plays some decent shots on the off side, but when faced with Deepak, he had no clues. He constantly mistimed and we knew that this cannot be their one-drop bat. He was quickly getting under pressure to score.

And when Manu bowled one on the good length, Ricky connected but only to hit it high in the sky and Chandu, coming under the catch, made no mistake. Chandu judged it very well and was a relieved man as he knew that if he dropped this, the daggers would be out on him. J..

In came another left hander, and he played a few nervous deliveries from Deepak. But soon, Deepak landed one on the middle and leg, the lefty going for a flick or dab down the leg side, the ball moves away from him, hits nothing but the top of off-stump. BOOM! – amazing delivery that one.

FHCC now 3 down and in trouble.

To make it worse their next man comes in and nicks one straight into my waiting hands.

FHCC 4 down and barely 35 runs on the board.

In came one of the more vociferous of their players. This bandana clad guy was making all kinds of noise and gestures when we were batting. We could have easily given him a like-wise treatment, but as a team, we don’t believe in doing such things. And kudus to Ani, who always kept reminding the team to play a fair and decent game. And I cannot agree more. We kept our heads down and kept chipping away.

Manu gave this guy a tough time, bowling a very tight line and not allowing any width at all. He then bowled one slightly short but with pace. The batsman sensed he could pull but as he played the ball came quickly to take the top edge that went up and behind me… I knew it was mine to take, called it early, and moved back to get myself under the ball – another quick decision I made on there was not to try to turn back as the ball seemed to be quite behind me to begin with – and it paid off as the ball landed perfectly into my waiting hands, and exactly where I wanted. A thrill feeling that.

FHCC were around 40/5. We were now truly on top of them.

Deepak and Manu did a remarkable job. Manu eventually finished with amazing figures of 8-3-13-2. One for his memories, I am sure.

Immediately thereafter, Manu got one to move sharply outside off, a big edge and into my hands as I moved slightly to my right to collect. But we were shocked and horrified to see the umpire not raising his finger. We could not believe and kept appealing. The close in fielders converging to the pitch and the leg umpire suggested there was a nick. But the main umpire kept saying he did not hear anything. His audacity was simply unacceptable as he didn’t even want to consult with the leg umpire. It is human to make errors but it is silly to hold onto your ego, when you have options to correct any mistakes.

I remember that in an important game last season; although the umpire was not sure, Viggy walked when he had nicked one, to applause from all players. But we didn’t see that here and agreed the batsman does NOT have to walk, nevertheless it was one of those times you feel the game could sometimes be so much fun if not for some silly umpiring and characters.

We pushed ahead and the game moved on.

The 6th wicket partnership played sensible cricket and were knocking around to keep the score moving. Our spin brigade (Sujay, Devin and Viggy) came on and we kept our focus on the game, even as FHCC sensed that they still had a chance. And we knew that we had one more danger to tackle – and that was John Titus, one of their main bats hadn’t yet come to bat – and so we kept telling ourselves, it’s not over yet.

Then the guy who nicked but did not walk J, played one to the midwicket area where Devin caught him on second attempt. It was a good wicket as we broke a troubling partnership. Now Titus came onto bat. I was a little surprised that he came so low down the order.

Devin and Viggy ware not at their best yet, slightly struggling to control the line. But on the other hand, Sujay was bowling an exceptional spell. Sujay was rightly rewarded with a wicket.

FHCC was around 70 for 6 wickets!

Titus was joined by the 7th down (don’t remember his name). And the pair played quite well, pushing for singles and twos. Titus then played some good shots all over the park. His timing is immaculate. And another aspect is he picks the right deliveries to hit. For example, when Viggy pitched a tad full, Titus would play full blooded lofted drives clearing the ropes, or when the ball was slightly on the leg, he would whip it to over square leg. He scored at a quick pace and we sensed that we needed to break this partnership at any cost.

Our fielding was exceptional and on the mark so far. And Ani handled the placements brilliantly. We gave all our best and hustled quiet well. But the stand was growing and their partnership was now more than 50. And Titus also crossed his well-deserved half century.

Titus played an exceptional inning and brought FHCC close.

FHCC needed 70 odd from 9 overs. Absolutely doable for them but the silver lining for us was that we needed to get 3 more wickets. We kept trying and finally we were able to break the partnership when Ani caught one in the deep. This partnership had put on 90 plus runs! Next man in and out really quickly and Sujay crashed into his stumps.

Our supporters kept cheering and chanting for us and it was an amazing atmosphere. Every now and then, there would be a dead- silence in anticipation and on occasions there would be shouts from both the camps. Especially when Titus hit some huge sixes or when we were breaking partnerships or hustling hard to stop the runs... it was an environment fit for the finals.

Eventually the equation came down to 27 needed of 2 overs and 1 wicket remaining.

Viggy to bowl the penultimate over and Titus facing. Very first ball, Titus steps out for a big heave and misses. I couldn’t collect it cleanly and a stumping chance missed. The heat is on and what a pressure cooker situation. Viggy bowls the next one that stays low and again misses his bat and barely misses the stumps. Heart rate goes high up.

Third ball from Viggy pitches and moves away slightly, Titus out of his crease, goes for another huge attempt, misses it but this time I don’t. The bails are blown off and we jump in joy!!

A dream comes true for each and everyone of us. Our supporters barge to the middle and we trade hugs and lift each other. A great piece of achievement, and a collective sense of pride. Cleveland wins a trophy after a gap of 11 years. And Michigan gives us a standing ovation.

Ani lifts the trophy and we could sense what a proud moment it was for him. He was then accompanied by Goldy and joined by the team. It was an awesome sight that. And time for some pictures and handshakes all over the place.

A championship to savor and tons of memories etched forever in our minds!!

-------
P.S. – After the celebration, Tahreem and I went to meet one of our close friends, who reside close to the ground. They were expecting their first baby and all was smooth until after 25 weeks into the pregnancy, the mother had pains and went to the hospital only to be told that they have to do the delivery right away. It was a shocking experience. But it’s been now 4 weeks since the delivery, the mom is OK and the baby (Zayd) is in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We reached the hospital in time to able to visit Zayd. And the sight of this small baby, fighting such a tough battle suddenly grounded us into perspective. Only a few hours ago we were on the ground cheering and shouting upon becoming a champion and here we were praying humbled in reality and with moist eyes that baby Zayd wins this battle and comes out like a champion! They are in true sense the real champs.
--------

Here are some pics , courtesy Gaurav...

Here are some more pics, courtesy Chandu...

Here is the scoresheet, courtesy MichCA..

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=suhail=

10/6/09

SEMIS - Cleveland passes nerve-racking test!!

2009-09-28T13:07:00.009-04:00

Cleveland prevailed a stern test to go through to the finals of the Div 1 40 over championship. Hats off to Oakland University Cricket Club for giving us such an immense fight.

On a gloomy saturday at Bloomer park, MI, we took part in one of the most stressful contest of the season and I should admit this has been by far the most thrilling game of my life.

Batting first we scored 280/6 in 40 overs and in most cases you would think that a score like that bats off most of the oppositions out of the game but OUCC and especially Harnik Shah had different ideas. They were all out for 264 in 39.3! and we booked our seat in the finals. But the man of the match was Harnik for his glorious knock of 124.

CLCC - 280/6 in 40 overs (Devin 80*, Viggy 39, Sujay 35, Goldy 33)

OUCC - 264/10 in 39.4 overs (Goldy 4/47, Viggy 3/57).

NEWS FLASH: We will face Farmington Hills in the Finals that will be played on Sunday, Oct 4.

I do want blog a detailed account of this game but cannot do so at this time. But its worth to note that for hours after the game, we were all exhausted, drained and tired. On top of that we had a tough 3 plus hours drive back home.

Its an honor to be in the finals but this semis test we passed was not just another game.

It was a truly extra ordinary experience. No matter what happens next Sunday, this game will remain etched in my memories forever!

will write more later ....

=suhail=

The Last 4!!

2009-09-22T16:13:00.013-04:00

With the end of the Super Six stage of the playoffs - 4 teams have come out on top, 2 teams from Group 1 and 2 from Group 2..

And the semis match up is:

Sept 26: Cleveland (CLCC) vs. Oakland University (OUCC)
Sept 27: Farmington Hills (FHCC) vs. Greater Toledo Whites (GTWC)

Preview about our game with Oakland University...

We should not have been so surprised to see Oakland in the semis because the only game we lost this year was to them. But to be honest, I was NOT expecting them to be in the semis especially after GDCC (Greater Detroit - who have won the championship several times) defeated them comprehensively in the super sixes. I think what really bogs my mind and probably most of us, is the manner in which Oakland turned around and defeated Farmington Hills (who has not lost any game this season - except for the game that they forfeited to us). So that is what I think has caused the raised eyebrows. Nevertheless - the fact is Oakland is in the last four and they deserve every bit of it.

Oakland is a team with players on the 'younger' side a bit. And I know they will certainly be coming all guns blazing and somewhat with their tails up :) – and rightly so since they have beaten us. And they have obviously stepped up whenever there was a need to do so. Hence they are certainly a force to handle.

And I think that is where this contest is exciting.

With all that said, I can guarantee that every Cleveland mate is eager to get the equation right. And if there is one game that matters - this is it.

It’s hard to say what is our strength - but personally I think we have proved to be a better batting side in comparison to our bowling - but that does in no way mean we lack. Our bowling is as brutal and wise as it can get and I am thoroughly proud of it. But over the course of this season I think our batting has just been AWESOME. We enjoy fielding and will give it our best.

In this last lap it’s all about how hungry and disciplined we are, and how well we handle the pressure. We have been in this position several times before and so I think that experience will be handy.

I do feel that no matter what, we will give a good account of our self and enjoy!

Preview of the FHCC vs. GTWC game…

Farmington has played great cricket through out this season. We have not played them this year so I don’t have a direct view of their strengths. But I am sure they will be tested to their limits in the game against GTWC.

GTWC has had a slow start to the season but seem to have peaked at the right time. It took an exceptionally professional effort by us to beat them in the last of our super six games. They rattled off 240! I am certainly not boasting here but any team that can do that against out bowling attack, I believe is certainly playing good cricket.

So the stage is very well set for a good showdown between FHCC and GTWC. I wouldn’t have said this 3 weeks ago, but I think my bet would be on GTWC.

=suhail=
3 days to semis!

Cleveland remains unbeaten..

2009-09-22T15:52:00.003-04:00

So CLCC played the last of the play off games against Greater Toledo Whites at Beatty Park, Toledo on Sat, Sep 19.

I had to miss the game due to the ramadan fasting and since Eid Day was undecided (eventually it happened on Sunday).

We knew ahead of this game that we were through to the semis regardless of the result. With that said, at no point any of us were expecting any less focus on keeping our win column busy.

Since I was not at the ground - I dont have a lot of notes to capture and blog. But I had a chat with Ani after the game and he mentioned that it was tough long day at the office.

Here are brief scores:
Toledo White batting first made 238/10 in 40 overs (Sujay, Deepak, Devin, Viggy 2 wkts ea)
CLCC - 239/6 in 39.4 overs (Sujay 69, Viggy 55, Chandu 31, Ani 17*)

Scorecard...

=suhail=
09-22-09

Cleveland cannons Canton CC

2009-09-15T16:51:00.005-04:00

Aided by an unbelievable unbeaten 166 from Devin Patel, CLCC cannoned Canton out of contention for this year’s championship. Batting first, CLCC made 245 in 40 over’s and then got Canton all out for 126! With this win we have booked a spot in the semis with still another game to play in the playoffs.

It was a gorgeous day for cricket at the sparking Lyon Oaks cricket ground in Detroit. Ani won a crucial toss and right way decided to take first strike. Goldy and Puru opened the inning for us. It wasn’t the start we were looking for as Puru edged to slips. Chirag was promoted up the order and he played out some anxious overs initially but started to look good. But soon we lost Goldy to a caught behind.

Our start got even worse when Ani was given out caught behind before he opened his account. Apparently Ani hadn’t nicked it at all but the umpire had made the call and Ani walked back frustrated. The Cantons certainly were extremely glad to see the back of Ani as he had taken the game away from them in our last encounter.

With that we were in deep trouble at 13/3! Something special was needed from the remaining batsmen. Devin and Chirag played some good shots and we were slowly starting to show signs of recovery. Having stayed at the wicket for sometime, Chirag went for a pull but the ball stopped on him a bit and he was out caught out for a well made 18.

Viggy and Devin set about another partnership and we all knew this pair had to be there for long and hopefully at least one of them into the last overs. Devin started to show signs of power with some excellent boundaries. But he seemed to be in a lot of pain due to an injured right arm. Viggy on the other hand was calm and composed as usual and looked determined to stay there. The scorecard was ticking along at around 3 or 4 an over with the odd Devin boundary.

In the pavilion (yes Lyon Oaks does have a covered player’s area). And they have a couple of awesome nets near the player’s area. Some of us went and had some knocking in the nets. It truly is a treat to have such facilities. We in Cleveland certainly should be looking to create something like in our area too. There was the normal banter as we basked in the sun and shade around the well maintained ground. Enjoying what was shaping out to be a good partnership between Devin and Viggy.

But with the score at around 85/4 in 24 overs, Viggy was struck on the pad to an off spinner and the umpire hurriedly raised the dreaded finger once more, LBW being the call. This was big blow but we still had some padded up batting strength to follow.

Ani asked me to go in and provide assistance to Devin. Initially I played out the off spinner and was determined not to get an LBW as that seemed to be his target. Once I saw his pace and turn, I got comfy and was getting along well and enjoyed hitting a sweep for a boundary. Devin on the other hand launched some brutal shots that cleared the rope often and it was a delight to watch these shots from close quarters. His style is simple – comes behind the ball and plays with immense power and timing. Another aspect of his batting is that he seems to be very clear of his shot selection (I don’t think he pre-determines but rather seems to be never in a double mind).

One thing that was bothering though, was that the pain in Devin’s arm seemed to be growing. Goldy (who was leg umpiring) and I tried to encourage him. We had couple of more over’s for the break anyways. So he asked if I could just play out the last two over’s so he doesn’t have to play if possible prior to the break. I did just that and we went into a break without any further loss. At the break we were at 130 odd for 4.

Devin got a pain killer and a gentle massage to see if it would get better.

We resumed and Devin suddenly seemed to be in a rush. With 12 over’s to go and 5 wickets still in hand he said we should up the tempo, and strangely enough, he asked me to go for shots. I was some what surprised but he seemed pretty clear about it and even selected what shots I should play :). I tried to play aggressively and was caught in the deep. Our partnership was about 60 runs in 7 over’s, of course most of the runs coming from Devin. With that kind of scoring, I don’t think I should have listened to him :) and should have used common sense to nudge around and rotate. Nevertheless lessons are to learn and I learnt mine.

At 140 odd/5, Sunny joined Devin. The break and massage seemed to have some magic as Devin unleashed an array of unbelievable shots all over the park. He crossed his century in style and we suddenly seemed to be looking to a score easily beyond 200. Devin seemed to have gone from brilliant to brutal and he just cannoned Canton out of the park, game and championship.

Devin - 166! and standing:)

The cantons dropped Devin when he was in his 60’s. And they probably didn’t realize what they missed. But once he crossed his century he gave some more chances but his impact was so over whelming that the fielders were just dazed at what was going on. The last 50 runs from Devin probably came in less than 20 balls, I think.

At the end of 40 over’s we were 248 for 7. Sunny played well for his 15 before he was caught and Devin remained unbeaten on a MichCA Division 1 all time record highest score of 166!

====

Canton was clueless at what just had happened. It is absolutely hard for any team to come around and chase that kind of a total especially after such heavy cannon shots!

To make matters worse for Canton, the first ball of their chase, Deepak struck a lighting blow with an amazing inswinger, and their opener didn’t play any shot to be struck on the pad. With a wicket down first ball, we never let them take charge throughout the game. I think Ani marshalled his bowlers exceptionally well, ringing in the right changes and we were cruising to win.

Deepak and Chirag combined well to bowl their first spells and then Manu bowled some overs along with Viggy but the real danger man was Goldy. He suddenly was called upon to bowl. He was right on the money and got timely breaks. His secret weapon left the batsmen surprised and we kept getting the wickets. Canton could not go past 126.

Puru and Goldy pulled off awesome catches and our fielding was upto the mark. The extras still bother us but hope we can correct/reduce those going into the last lap here.

We will play Toledo Whites this Saturday in our last super six game. We are of course through to the semis but I am sure we will not want to slow down even a bit.

The man of the match was deservedly Devin Patel.

Scorecard!!

=suhail=

9/16/9

Super Six 2009

2009-08-25T10:03:00.002-04:00

The League Round Final Standing ...

and the Super Six Matchups for 2009...

Game 9 - Win keeps us on top

2009-08-18T11:23:00.007-04:00

On Saturday, August 15, we defeated Grand Rapids CC at Toledo to finish the Division 1 league phase this year by staying at the top of the ten team division. It’s a great feeling to end up at the top. I hope we continue to show our class as we move into the playoff (Super 6) stage. In the playoffs each team will be playing two games. Four teams will then come out on top to form the semis quadrant.

As for the game against Grand Rapids, it was a humid day all along at the Beatty Park. The outfield was razor sharp. Batting first Grand Rapids were all out for 131. And we chased that down in 15 overs!

Our bowling continues to be erratic as we bleed more than expected extras – especially the wide stuff. With Deepak, Chirag, Manu and Chandu forming the fast bowling team – I always expect fireworks as I have seen what they are capable of but on this day that sting seemed hard to see.

Anyways Grand Rapids did not have much to write home as for the batting is concerned, and I thought we should have had them packed in far less than the 131 they scored. On any other day I think we would stream roll them honestly but they enjoyed the freebies we gave.

Viggy and Anand combined well to make it hard for them. The fielding was not that bad but we still have the occasional misfields/ and catches that get dropped and we need to kick up a notch or two on that.

BTW:)– was able to get one stump victim today, when the batsmen missed a fast Viggy leggy and I took care of it. And having done that I can now relate to how thrilling this event is to a keeper. It’s a truly rewarding experience even better than catching/ running some one out. Also of note where the reflexes of the leg umpire. The moment I did my job and looked towards him, his arm was up and high! :)

When our turn came to chase the target, Devin and I opened the innings and the first runs were boundaries from Devin but he chipped one directly to midwicket and Grand Rapids got a big wicket in the very first over. Thereafter Anand and I combined to shut the gates and take the game away from them. We had an 75-odd run partnership, where I was happy to rotate the strike and Anand just tore into their attack, with delightful boundaries all over the lightning fast outfield.

Anand was in a bit of a hurry. It was just that he was getting married the next day! I am not kidding, he was going to get married the next day, and here he was playing with us in a game that really didn’t matter too much to our fortunes. It shows his (and Devin’s) passion for the game. He said in his typical style – suhail bahi, 2 hafta naheen khayla hai, aaj naheen kheyla toh bahaut lamba break hojata hai - I had the best time all along our partnership, I kept bickering about the next day, saying kal shaadi hai aur aaj inki layra hai and he kept blushing. But it was a good knock and I am sure it made his efforts worth it.

We did play some hurried shots (I played on when we still needed 45 or so runs and Anand skied one too often). Gaurav and Kranthi missed out on scoring. It took Chandu and Manu to finish the game for us. Goldy led the side in the absence of Ani (our regular skip) and I am sure he is happy to begin with one in the win column.

Scorecard.

Now we await the super six schedule but we know that we don’t have a game until Sept 12. I am eager to see the match ups. I hope that we continue on our winning habit.

=suhail=

8/23

Article-Candidly Ian Chappel

2009-08-14T10:13:00.001-04:00

I enjoyed reading this interview of Ian Chappel...
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/419169.html

8/14/09
=suhail=

Article-Close In Fielding

2009-08-13T12:22:00.003-04:00

A nice article by Akash Chopra -

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/419057.html

8/12
=suhail=

Game8 - A stutter not bad!

2009-08-03T08:52:00.021-04:00

Saturday - the first day of August, we travelled to Fsrmington (Detroit) MI for our 8th game. We were playing the Oakland Univ Cricket Club.

The ballpark was lush green, weed-free and purely inviting. A bit on the heavy side and the morning dew adding to the heaviness. Some additional mowing would have made the outfield cricket friendly. The pitch - placed in the midst of two soccer fields - was not really ideal. Slightly inclined at one end and seemed to have uneven bounce.

Weather wise, we could not ask for a better day for cricket, lovely weather with steady cool breeze and white birds flying around the park. It seemed we were playing somewhere in Aussie-land.

CLCC batted first at the Founders Park, Farmington Hills, MI

We were put into bat first as OUCC won the toss. I think they took that route given the heaviness of the field. And as Goldy and I took the first strike we could easily feel the grass-brakes on good drives and pushes. The first few over’s we both got right behind the ball most of the times and kept the score moving with some good ones and twos. Goldy was timing the ball well and I must say I was feeling quite nice in the middle too, trying to get the basics right and playing straight, determined to get some runs. We got to 35 from 8 over’s. And we knew we had ourselves a decent start.

Left arm spin was introduced in the ninth over and the very first ball was a faster one that pitched on the middle and kept straight with me playing for the spin. It hit the pad in the front and gone LBW. Need to go back and practice hard. Anyways we were 35/1 and in-walked Pratik.
Goldy played some good shots on the off side – one of which was an excellent square drive. Goldy and Pratik raised the momentum and CLCC was looking in good control. Just then Goldy flicked one on the leg to find a very unusually placed square-leg. He played well for his 29.

Ani joined Pratik. And they continued from where they had left of in the previous match. Playing sensible cricket and running quick to keep the score-sheet busy. Boundaries and a few sixes later CLCC was in a great position with 120/2 in 24 o, and our sights were on score clearly above 200.
As happens in cricket it takes just one ball to get you out and unfortunately, Pratik played across and lost his stump. He was well-set for a big one but had to return after having scored 35.

Chandu - who was padded almost all morningJ - , was called into the middle for a situation tailor made for him but unfortunately he did not last long. CLCC still had some batting to show even though Devin and Anand – our regular middle order batsmen – where not playing this game. And with Ani still in the middle we didn’t have too much to worry, or at least that’s what we thought.

Pizza was ordered and we were basking in the beautiful day hoping to see a good last third of our inning. But this game amazes you sometimes when you least expect it, we sat and saw a downslide of amazing proportions when our batsmen started coming back rather swiftly, and we folded at an unbelievable 139!!

The downslide included a hat-trick by Lala their first-change bowler. I am not going to be able to explain what really went wrong as that wouldn’t be fair but we all knew this was something that we want to get right real soon, may be the same afternoon.

With 140 to defend and with our bowling options I was not once thinking about losing. We have been in such situations before and if we are to be the champion team we need to win such games from these situations too. And I think I share this confidence with most if not all the mates.
Anyways a quick huddle, focus all set, we began with Deepak. His in-swingers were quickly in display and he got one to bend in and out came the stumps. With a rocking start, CLCC began their hunt in earnest.

The one thing that bothers is when you try hard as a bowler you tend to spray around a bit and I am thinking that’s what happened as we started leaking wides. And when we defend small totals, extras hurt. And they did, as most of the runs they were getting were off extras or streaky cuts or drives. CLCC kept the pressure as fielders were on their toes. At break 1 (14 overs), OUCC was 35 odd with 3 wickets down. We continued to apply the pressure and bowled really well but also didn’t completely stop the extras.

And at break 2 (28 overs), they were 65 odd for 4. We had so far done a terrific job of restricting their score. It was all set for an exciting finish, 72 to get of 72 balls (12 overs)! We bowled well in the first 3 overs after the break and our bowlers created the opportunities to break in but, unfortunately we dropped couple of easy chances. In such tight games, all has to fall in place to pull off a win but that was not the case and OUCC ran hard, hit well when needed and continued to show more hunger.

At the end the equation came down to 12 runs needed of 12 balls. We still could do it but it was not to be and one of the hits went above the ropes to give them the much deserved victory!
Congratulations to the OUCC folks, they must be really feeling great. I know I would feel the same, when you win over a yet undefeated team!

Most of us agreed that this was a stutter which could not have happened at a better time; we needed this to ensure we were not getting ahead of ourselves. Our batting let us down no doubt, but better controlled bowling and fielding could have bailed us out. So it was a good knock on everyone to keep our heads down and on the job.

We have one more game – on Aug 15 - before the playoffs. We can use that game to resume our winning habit. I am already looking forward to the 15!

8/3
=suhail=
--------

PICS from the game (courtesy - Priyank from OUCC). Enjoy!

Scorecard from the game.

---------

Concentration

2009-07-30T16:04:00.002-04:00

I enjoyed reading this article by Akash Chopra - http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/416753.html

7/30
=suhail=

Fighting the elements..

2009-07-27T10:06:00.029-04:00

At the onset, let me say that Cleveland OH is amzingly consistent in its inconsistent weather conditions. Moreover, this year it seems as if Fall has come before Summer.. see what a recession can do :)

So, July 25, Saturday perhaps had the most awaited clash of the league. Cleveland CC vs Greater Detroit CC. We knew through the week that there was a big chance of rain on that day. But given the true nature of these two teams, every effort was made to ensure that the elements would not take away the fun. To begin with, GDCC was sporting enough to have a game start of 9:30 am which meant that they would need to start from the Detroit area around about 6 am!

When we reached the ground, the conditions were unrelenting, dark clouds and extremely windy with rain imminent and then it started to drizzle steadily. But at a distance we could see some silver lining! and it truly was one, that came our way and with wind playing its part, the clouds began to open a bit, and we ceased the opportunity. Game on.

We huddled quickly and had a chat, if we wanted to bowl or bat. Conditions begged that we bowl first but Duckworth-Lewis meant we didnt want to chase a moving target. Anyways at the spin of the toss that dilemma was of little importance as GDCC won the toss and decided to bat, and methinks they decided to take on the natural elements rather than face the man-made rules/ moving targets.

The match was reduced to a 35 over game.

Chirag opened the bowling and the first ball I collected was above my shoulders! :). The wind was behind the bowlers and that remained the case all through the morning. Their openers did face our fast bowling quite bravely to get some good runs on the board. We got the first breakthrough when Deepak bowled a beauty - a smart incutter which swung in a yard and hit the timber helped by the inner edge. To add to the natural elements our fielding was electrifying. We constantly kept up the pressure.

Anand, Devin and Vignesh combined to bowl well. Vignesh especially was razor sharp in accuracy, bowling an extremely tight line and lenght, giving them no room to play thier shots and we kept breaking partnerships at crucial points. Minal, Faisal and Shahid did play well to form some partnerships that were beginning to threaten but we got them before they got big on us. GDCC folded at 139 in a shade under 35 overs.

This was a remarkable performance on the field restricting the contenders down. Deepak I must say has a golden arm. This guy throws sharp and hit nothing but the danda on two occasions and both times he beat the batsmen from reaching home. Amazing work. Lagtah hai goliyaan bahaut kheylee hai isney..

as for me, I actually enjoyed the day behind the stumps. Honestly, its darn hard work and I admire the guys that do it like a job. Its a learning experience and I know I can do better. But today, I must say the wind was quite challenging and if you have contacts on, the conditions seem even more windy :)! ..

So with 140 to chase in 35 overs and the constant fear of rain on our mind, we set out on the task with Pratik and Goldy to open. I must say Pratik was desperate for a biggy and I hoped this be the day. He and Goldy set the tone briefly but Goldy seemed in a hurry too often and holed out. Anand was one down and he was taken out quite quickly with an excellent catch in the gully. CLCC was in spot of bother with 20/2. Ani joined Pratik. They set out to ensure we reach home safely. Pratik was slowly getting into his grove and they both played sensible cricket. I got a chance to watch our chase from a close range as the leg-umpire designate of our team. Runs came in one and twos with the odd boundary. GDCC had some good bowlers but I think our fielding was much more stronger on that day.

Pratik and Ani did escape some scares - with a couple of close runout chances and a catch or two but remained determined in their approach. There was one particular moment that GDCC must still be in remorse for. It happened when GDCC appealed for a caught behind on Ani. Minal was the bowler and the umpire ruled it as not out. It was a huge appeal, and they seemed to have got their man and were quite adamant about it. They looked at me but I remained ummoved, suggesting that the main umpire has to call it and if he needs he can consult with me. He did not consult. And there ends the matter. In such games some decisions go your way and some dont. Thats part of this game and you have to live with it. In retro, honestly I did hear a sound, but thankfully I was not the one to make the call.

Pratik reached his well-deserved half century and he was a relieved man. On the other side, Ani played some excellent shots, my particular favorite was a pull for a max, perfectly in control. Just when we thought we had it all well wrapped up, Ani mistimed and was caught. The partnership a solid 90 odd. We neeed another 50 to get and plently of batting to come. But we alarmingly lost Deven, Viggy and Manu in matter of just some runs and few overs and we were suddenly in some trouble. We somehow have this knack of making every chase a challenging one. This is quite bothering. But Pratik still in the middle and we batting deep, I was still confident we will overcome and we did just that with Pratik hitting a timely six and Gaurav chipping in with needed support.

And consider this - just a few minutes after the game ended, it began to pour. What timing!! Fighting a contender is certainly in our hands but having the mother nature on your side is quite an amazing event. Thank you god!

Pratik the MOM, remained unbeaten on 60 odd and more importantly he carried his bat all the way. I am sure he enjoyed it as much as we did. And I am sure he must be really happy to be where he likes - right amoungst the runs. Just a gentle reminder, he was the top batsmen of the league last year! :) .

Its 7 in a row and winning is a good habit!! :)

miyaan personally, its quite disppointing I am not getting to bat that much this season. With the lineup we have and with so many options to try and keeping all happy etc, your wishes take a back seat. And understandably so, team comes first. Amidst the fast flying time, and missing practice, thanks partly to work-related travel and partly to our lovely cleveland weather, I really miss batting. Plus, Aug 17/18, marks the beginning of Ramadan - a month of fasting - that would mean another 4 weeks of no cricket. No good, no good. But mere dost, C'est la vie:)..

=suhail=

SCORECARD from the game.

Raising the bar!!

2009-07-20T08:48:00.018-04:00

Game 6 vs Troy Eagles @ Beaty Park, Toledo....

An unusually cold summer morning greeted us when we arrived in Toledo. The weather forecast suggestin a 3 in 10 chance of rain that PM. As for the ground conditions, the mowers probably took grass cutting seriously, as we could see earth exposed in some areas of the outfield. And more importantly it left the outfield uneven. Not all that conducive for fielding but fast paced to assist batsmen.

Ani called right at the toss and we elected to bat. Goldy and I taking first strike. There was a steady breeze around. Although I was opening for the first time this season and have been quite eager to do so, all anxiety was settled as soon as we went to the middle. We got some singles going but soon Goldy picked a wrong ball to cut over the infield. He could not clear and had to walk back allowing our pratik and friends in the doughout to get their daggers out quite early :).

Ani walked in one drop and we played out the next 4-5 overs watchfully. Some nice length and swing especially from bowler 2. The fun of batting alongside good players is that you pick tips from them right on the job. And playing with Ani is exactly that. He immediately points out and suggests to get this or that right.

We got some runs (with me unintentionally keeping most of the strike:). and was enjoying my stay. And then up went the finger for the umpteenth time on an LBW call. The ball hit high on my left leg and was going well outside the leg. I dont understand why they give LBW decisions when there is easily a doubt. But the reality is unfortunately in this form of the game it almost feels like the umpire has to give one out once he has denied or called bad on previous occasions..... anyways, in the spirit of the game, I did walk but thoroughly felt robbed on the highway for not being able to continue. Most agreed that was not out but nevertheless we were 17 for 2!

Devin Patel was in next and I have to say he is one of the nicest, most passionate cricketers I have seen. He drives for hours to get to the ground. In Ani and Devin, we had a promising pair in the middle but disaster struck immediately, as Devin played one to point and Ani backed up too fast. A hurting run out claims Ani. 17/3!

Devin is joined by another long range traveller :) Anand (Patel)... these two guys had an important role to play and they did just that. The scoreboard started to tick around and we got to 50/3 in about 12 overs or so.. with Anand and Devin looking all set, but against the run of play Anand mistimed a flick which took the upper edge and went straight to the bowler. Cleveland was in trouble with a lot of overs still remaining but not a big partnership in sight yet.

Kranthi joined Devin. With Devin striking well and Kranthi giving him good support, slowly but steadily we motored to 80 odd. Devin played some delightful shots to both sides and reached his half-century in style with a six over square-leg. The good thing about Devin's batting is the 'awe' factor he presents on the opposition. He likes to dominate the bowlers and picks the right balls to go fetch. Kranthi played some good shots too but ended up skying too often. We took a further slide as we lost Devin (caught), Pratik (caught mistiming a slower ball) and Bala (stumped) in quick time.

At 120 for 8 we were staring at a total well below par. But thats when Gaurav joined hands with Deepak to present one of the best counter-attack efforts. They started off watchfully but grew in strength. Gaurav (with some admiring friends and family members on watch) and Deepak played some excellent shots all over the park and we moved from 120 to 150 to 190! This partnership stunned the opposition and we enjoyed probably one of the best 9th wicket partnerships ever. They scored boundaries freely and ran hard to suck out the game from Troys grasp.

Our innings came to an end in the last over and we got to 212. Gaurav remained unbeaten on 60. At one point we were hoping if we could go past 150. So 212 was certainly an amazing story.

Chasing 213 Troy needed to show a lot of character especially after seeing us turnaround the way we did. Talking of character, I think one of the factors that has kept Cleveland on the top this season is the character and discipline shown individually and as a team whenever the situation demaned it. We have this can-do attitude in whatever we attempt.

Here is an example of how seriously we take our cricket :) - there was a bet going around that Goldy could get the new ball, but for that he had to score more than Pratik. Well, he couldnt have asked for a better deal today (pratik gone for ducky:) !. And so it was Goldy who got to bowl first up. Just so you know, we dont decide opening bowlers this way every time :) .. but we do try to have as much fun as we can.

The Troy openers got to a start but Goldy and Deepak bowled good spells to keep them in check. I had a tough time collecting down leg today especially when Deepak drifted and later when Anand was bowling the ones that turn and bounce away.... nevertheless I need to buck up on that.

Ani brought Anand for an over of spin so he could switch ends for Deepak. Anand ended up getting the wicket of one of the openers to a good catch by Bala in the deep. Honestly this opener did more staring or cursing himself than actually playing ball :). So he got his earful and we were happy to break. Then Deepak showed what a danger he is, with an unplayable ball that took out the middle stump of the new batsman. We got another couple of quick wickets and Troy was around 50 for 4. Not the best fielding day for us with a couple of dropped catches, we kind of let Troy to be in the game. Troy got some good partnerships going.

At second break (28 overs) they needed 90 odd with 4 wickets remaining.

The next 40 odd runs came quick with some good batting by Uday and Dinesh. The left-right partnership did cause some headaches and we were honestly drained as the conditions became humid. But not losing our ground, we continued to toil.

Devin, Ani, Anand and Pratik combined well to slowly clamp them down and we knocked them out with 45 odd runs. Bala (2 catches) and Anand Nadar (2 catches) did well in the field.

With that we keep the win column busy with 6 in a row!!

MOM - Gaurav for a match saving knock of 60 n.o.

Scorecard:

http://cricket.resultsvault.com/common/pages/asphost.aspx?loc=/cricket/reports/match.asp&matchID=439817&entityID=7203

PICS from the game (courtesy Gaurav and his friend)

Next week we play Greater Detroit CC. If there is a team that we want to face upto and test, this is it. They have won the league 5 out of the past 6 times. They are aware of how we are doing. So its a contest to look out for...

=suhail=

A win is not a win...

2009-07-13T12:12:00.007-04:00

When you have a momentum like what we have nowadays - undefeated yet this year and with 4 excellent wins in a row - there is a greater hunger to go out in the middle and continue grounding the opponents. Add a holiday weekend break in there and the excitement grows.

So we eagerly awaited to play Farmington Cricket Club on Sunday July 12, at our home ground. Whats special about Farmington? - well this was the team that had halted our march last year, as we lost to them in the semi finals. And we dont forget such losses. Period.

So all of us were anxious to get with them and correct out the equation and settle some scores.

As for me, my wrist was still in the splint but most of the pain had subsided and I was feeling quite well. So we assessed the situation on Friday and decided that I should play. With plans to take some pain reliever just in case needed.

By Saturday night the team was all set and the match logistics - food/drinks - etc all worked to the T.

And then comes a call, that all good teams and captains dread to take, Farmington was forfeiting the game!! Reason given was lack of players on their side. Ani said he did try his best to encourage the opponent captain to play but did not work. Shahid bhai, the Chairman of the MichCA governing body also apologised on behalf of the league.

But all said and done, the game was sent to the books without a ball being played. We won but we hate such wins. We would rather play it out and earn the win rather than get such points. But life goes on and so we roll with 5 wins and sitting strong at the top of the table.

We play Troy Eagels next at Toledo on July 19...

-------------

NEW member joins our club !!! -

Ani and Pallavi were blessed with Ishaan in the early hours of July 6, 2009. And I should say Ishaan has good temparement (delayed his outcome ;-) and got his timing all set from the get go...by picking a time that worked perfectly for pappa Ani... :)

Ishaan Khandekar born 07-06-09...

We went to see Ishaan. A cute guy with handsome looks! watchout Cleveland girls..

Congrats to the Khandekar family and we at Cleveland Club have a new member to look forward to.. :).

-------------

=suhail=

Ohh Toledo!!!

2009-07-02T09:16:00.032-04:00

Game 4 at Beaty Park in Toledo, OH..

Try and grasp these figures, coz if there was ever a time when numbers can say it all, this is it......

Cleveland: 352 for 4 in 40 overs. [Vignesh - 152 n.o, Anand - 113]\
Michigan: 72 all out [Chirag - 5.1-0-18-7]

Cleveland won the toss and decided to bat. Our first 59 runs came at the cost of 3 wickets, with Gaurav getting out early. Goldy - after showing some signs of a big innings- played across the line and was declared LBW, little did he know what he was gonna miss out on:). And Ani hitting straight to a fielder. But that brought Vignesh and Anand together in the middle. And for the next 239 runs they did not separate! Lets enjoy this ride.

During this record breaking partnership we saw two artists at thier best. They started thier innings watchfully, knocking ones and two's around. And as they settled in, we saw signs of brilliance when Anand played a few lofted drives and Viggy flicked few over square leg or midwicket.

Personally these two fellas are so soft-spoken and gentle that no one envisioned how brutal they could be with the willow in hand. Deepak, our designated scorer had an extremely busy day at office, as these two guys accelerated the scoring rate. Runs were coming at such hectic pace that the Michigan players forgot what hustling was all about. Their bowling was erratic to begin with but these two purists left their bowlers thoroughly clueless. And their fielders seemed to be no more than just spectators.

Anand (in Nautica) and Viggy..

Anand brought up his fifty in style with an excellent drive over covers. And Viggy was not that far away reaching his fifty shortly thereafter. In the doughout, there was constant chit-chatting that we are in for a treat today. Sujay, I and others exchanged confident but subtle views which all pointed to one thing - one of these guys will go on to score a century today and may be both...!

The score moved to around 250 without much fuss. And we just enjoyed an astonishing batting display. Bounadaries and sixes became the norm with singles and two coming occasionally. Sunny and I were padded up, prepared to go in next. And although I was desperate to go and have some batting, I could not help but sit there and hope to see these two guys carry on and get centuries. And so they did, Anand reached to his century and was delighted.

Viggy gave some anxious moments where a couple of his catches were not taken but he went ahead and reached his well deserved century. Luck favors the brave, so they say. And so we saw that day. But knowing Viggy closely, we know that he literally feels guilty when his catch is dropped. We know he does not want any favors from the fielders but on that day he had to go home with a truck load of guilt as almost every fielder that he picked gave him some guilt to take home :)..

The Michigan bowling was abysmal and thoroughly dismantled but what was even more hurting for them was their pathetic fielding. They seemed so far out of touch from the basics, plus the plundering they were getting took out whatever little hope they may have had.

The Michigan team (most of the players are from the Carribeans) did have thier supporters near our doughout. Their accent reminded me of the Marshalls and Holdings (albeit angry :).. It was an interesting experience to sit there and watch them go about their day. With beer flowing and chairs infolded, we heard shouts for the captain to change the field or the bowler or just pure ranting. At times, it was annoying to here this banter especially when we were enjoying such good batting, but we were ok as long as they did not get personal, which to thier credit they did not. Infact they were quite friendly with us. Sujay enjoyed it the most as he was engaged in some wise:) conversations with one of their supporters, who seemed to have taken a liking to Sujay :)...

Back to the game, the partnership went from strong to brutal and when eventually Anand was run out on 113, Cleveland was at 298. At one stage Viggy and Anand had scored 60 odd runs in 4 overs. Anand played a sensible inning, calm and composed generally but equally aggressive when there were opportunities. Viggy on the other hand showcased his talent with some excellent shots to both sides of the wicket. I personally enjoy his flicks or wristy shots on and around the squareleg. He reads the length so well and is in such good position so easily to place the ball where he likes.

Chandu was promoted and played some good shots and then Sunny ended our innings with an effortless Six. Viggy remained unbeaten on 152 after trying several times to get out :)!.

CLEVELAND had reached 352 in 40 overs!!. We had shattered many a record. Personally, I like the fact that two players scored centuries in the same innings. I dont expect to see that soon in our form of the game here.

While we were seeing these delightful innings, Chandu decided to give some desperate :) catch practice to our players. And one of the balls came and hit me on the left wrist as I was getting something from my kit. It was a painful blow, applied some ice and Ani gave some Advil to contain any inflamation but the pain become severe. Some of my hand movements were uneasy and so I decided not to go out in the middle to field. Lambu (Chandu) owes me big time, and yes more than his height.

(update - I went and saw the doc on Monday, he ruled that its a tendon contusion - inflammation and not a fracture, which is a relief. He has put my wrist in a splint and hopefully it should heal in 10 days or so. With no game on the July 4 weekend, I am in luck and hopefully will be fine for the June 12 weekend).

Back to the game, if Viggy and Anand had just caused mayhem with the bat, Chirag took the new ball and just stunned the Michigan batsmen. His run up is so smooth and his wrist position is excellent. I sat there and witnessed an extremely supreme bowling performance. Chirag got good support from Manu, Deepak and Chandu, and the Michigan batting collapsed like a stack of pins. They folded on 72. And the margin of victory was an alarming 276 runs!!

Chirag was identified as the the man of the match but I beleive this game had men of the match in Viggy, Anand and Chirag.

Chirag with the game ball...

Our hosts though their team had lost, treated us to a good meal - sandwiches, rice, chicken curry and daal for the veggies. It was a good gesture and we appreciate it...

Good hosts...

4 wins in as many games is quite a momentum but more importantly the scale and margin of this win will probably send some waves into the league. Its a good feeling.

I am not sure if we would ever see such a game in our lifetime. This was truly a remarkable win and regardless of whatever happens going forward in this season, I certainly packed up some good memories!!

Scorecard:http://cricket.resultsvault.com/common/pages/asphost.aspx?loc=/cricket/reports/match.asp&matchID=439807&entityID=7203

Its 3 in a row!

2009-06-23T11:25:00.024-04:00

So, we hosted the yet undefeated Canton Royals @ Cleveland on June 21. The weather called for a nice cricket Sunday with no rain expected. It was in the 60's with a steady cool breeze going around.

It was probably the first time in my life that I reached the ground before anyone else. By that you can tell how excited or nervous I was to get on with it. I sat on the pitch (like a hayden or a dravid :) -- just enjoying the calmness before the men in white would come running around disturbing the silence for the upcoming part of the day..

After some delay which allowed for good warm ups, Canton won the toss and decided to bat. Their openers went about the business rather comfortably. Harinder played some good lofted drives. And they were cruising along with around 40 for no loss at around the 10 over mark.

Ani brought in Chirag - who was making his debut for Cleveland - and he immediately responded by getting Harinder to mistime a hit taken by Ani. That same over we affected a run out (Puru to Suhail to Chirag) . Chirag was laughing yet again when he had their captain (Maulesh) LBW.

So Canton , after a good start were 5 down for 70 plus and Cleveland was on top. Then came a good partnership of 50 plus by the Canton sixth wicket pair. Especially we saw some good hitting by Manpreet who played quite well for his 37. During this time Puru and Ani combined to bowl some good overs and eventually the Canton innings folded at 164.

Note to Self - not bad wk, being the first game. Continue to improve fitness. Don't forget to enjoy.

Cleveland chasing 165...

These kind of scores are always tricky in this form of the game. We started quite well. Gaurav and Goldy played sensibly and we had 30 plus for no loss. Goldy was the first to depart to a stunning one handed catch at long off. Gaurav played some nice shots. But Cleveland lost 3 wickets (Gaurav , Puru and Kranthi) rather quicky and were 55/4. The comforting factor being that Ani was at the crease and Pratik, Chandu, Suhail etc still to follow.

With 4 wickets down, Ani called in Chandu, and the pair batted along for a good 30 run partnership. Chandu showed signs to set free but unfortunately we could not see those familiar huge hits.

Ani shows his class...
At the other end, Ani was playing an excellent inning. Calm and assured, he set the tone of the chase with quick singles and twos with the odd boundary. As we touched the halfway mark (82), we lost Chandu. Pratik joined Ani and we entered a crucial stage of the game. Cleveland played sensible cricket and kept the score ticking along with Pratik providing good support to Ani. We crossed the 100 run mark, which is - in such chase - a morale booster. The game was in good balance with 60 odd runs to get in around 15 overs.

Just when we were crusing, Pratik got bowled by an inswinger. With 45 odd runs remaining, I joined Ani and we went about our business without any risks. Ani brought up his well deserved fifty. We were motoring along well and stitched together a quick 25 odd runs with smart ones and twos, until a direct hit got me, attempting a second run.

20 more runs needed with 3 wickets in hand and 6 overs remaining. It was quite tantalizing. And to make it worse, we lost another wicket (Deepak), with 18 or so more to get.

Ani had to farm the strike, which he had been doing quite well all along, but it became even more important now. We were on our toes in the doughout and we witnessed one of the finest batting displays within that short span. As the fielders came in, Ani unleashed some excellent shots over the fielders or in the gaps, taking us close to the target. At the other end Anand played out some nerve-cracking deliveries. Finally, it came, Ani hit the winning runs!! CLCC wins and makes it 3 in a row!

We seem to find a way to make an easy target challenging :). We are playing to be the champion and cannot be putting ourselves in such situations. This is an immensely talented bunch of players and I am sure we will step up and show the way going forward. We know we will..

But for now take a bow Ani, here is to an excellent captains knock!!

Scorecard: http://cricket.resultsvault.com/common/pages/asphost.aspx?loc=/cricket/reports/match.asp&matchID=439800&entityID=7203

Our next game is June 28 against MICC (Carribean) at Toledo....

Wristy or Rusty ...

2009-06-23T10:40:00.015-04:00

Cleveland began the season with a win and made it 2 in row when we defeated Motown CC by 144 runs.

And me, I could not play the first 2 games as my parents had come visiting from India. We had a memorable time with them. It is so much fun when you have the elders around. It feels so great when you get to sit with them and take a walk down memory lane. Plus they cherish the feeling they get when they see your life from close quarters. Let me tell you phones, emails and cameras cannot replace that feeling. But as all good times have a begin and end date, parents had to return. Hope they will be back soon.

Meanwhile, did I miss the cricket field??... heck ya..!!

Its been 8 months since I played the last season and it indeed was a big break. And so there was a lot to catch up to - physically and mentally. I hit the running trails, the tennis courts and a few swims to get back to some sort of shape.

And then I went to our regular Wednesday evening practice session, where I ran into the brutal but passionate mate Nikunj (who btw is the captain of the 'midwest' team). He smilingly put me through my paces. I did get a chance to bat a few overs. I could feel the rustiness but a few good hits and it started to feel OK.

Last year, I took up the responsibility to keep wickets as we had lost the services of our regular WK. I guess I was not bad, and so this year my team is banking on me to step up and don the gloves behind the stumps. Do I need more motivation to get fit. I dont think so.

So, here is to fitness and to an injury free season...

We go into game 3 with 2 wins in a row and Game 3 is with Canton Royals @ Cleveland. Canton has been undefeated so far this season.

So it seems like a good match-up and lets see who comes up triumphant....

Stump View

2009-06-22T14:34:00.008-04:00

Hello and welcome to the cricket season 2009 at Cleveland.

This season, Cleveland Cricket Club has selected two teams. One team plays in the Michigan League (MichCA) and the other plays at the Midwest Tournament.

MichCA hosts a 40 over league. with teams from MI and OH. This league has two divisions, Div1 and Div 2. Cleveland is slotted in Div 1. This division has the eight best teams from the region competing to become the Division Champion.

A 40-over game on lush green fields, a red ball and players in traditional whites, what a fantastic sight. To top it all, I am lucky to have the best view on the field (behind the stumps) . And I would like to share this view with you. Hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to the Stump View...

Here are some helpful links -
Cleveland Cricket Club (CLCC)
Michigan Cricket Association (MichCA)
MichCA League Results - first time users, search for "MichCA, USA"
Midwest Cricket Tournament (Midwest)