The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : IOB `A' shocks Chemplast

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 24, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

IOB `A' shocks Chemplast

By Our Sports Reporter

CHENNAI, APRIL 23. Indian Overseas Bank `A' might not have Chemplast's high profile bowling attack or, for that matter, the latter's depth in batting. In fact, its regular wicketkeeper was indisposed and the job was shared by leg-spinner K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan and off-spinner M. Shanmugam, both of whom, interestingly, did not concede even a bye.

It is IOB's spirit and the players' ability to get their act together, which makes it a dangerous opposition, especially in the shorter version of the game.

It shocked Chemplast, runner-up last year, by 26 runs in second semifinal of The Hindu Trophy (30 overs a side) tournament at the Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. Earlier, India Pistons scored an upset victory by seven wickets over defending champion India Cements `A'.

Opting to bat, IOB, led from the front by opener Amit Pathak (69, 65b, 5x4, 3x6), ran up 188 for five in the allotted overs. The best phase of the innings was the 88-run fourth-wicket stand in 13.2 overs between Pathak and A.S.K. Verma (38, 46b, 3x4).

Earlier, Pathak put on 38 for the second wicket with left-hander Sreekumar Nair (29), who took three boundaries off Test paceman L. Balaji. The tally was propped by the unfinished sixth-wicket stand of 29 in 3.1 overs between K.S. Shahbuddin (23) and Rajesh Kannan.

IOB's strength in bowling is its ability to contain. Left-arm spinner Sreekumar opened the attack with mediumpacer Shahbuddin and the two bowled accurately to a packed off-side field.

S. Badrinath top-scored with 94 (70b, 4x4, 5x6) and was involved in a 63-run stand for the third wicket with left-hander H.K. Badani. The latter's dismissal, beaten in the air by off-spinner P. Subbiah and stumped by Anathapadmanabhan, set off a collapse, from which it never quite recovered.

IOB's tight fielding made run-making difficult for Chemplast, which lost the remaining seven wickets for 61 runs in 10.4 overs. Nair finished with three wickets, including that of Badrinath caught and bowled, while Shahbuddin, left-arm spinner P.V. Rajesh and Ananthapadmanabhan chipped in with two each.

India Pistons' slow bowlers — off-spinners Dhandapani and M.A. Sathish Kumar and left-arm spinner Raghuram — prevented India Cements, put in to bat, from building on the 44-run start provided by S. Suresh (23) and Jesubabu Honeymen (26).

This was after mediumpacer Vineet Sharma dismissed Honeymen and J.R. Madanagopal in quick succession. The defending champion's next best stand was the 40 runs between Sunil Oasis (38) and Sadashiv Iyer for the seventh wicket.

Pistons' top-order reached the target with 11 deliveries to spare.

The scores (semifinals):

India Cements `A' 166 for eight in 30 overs (Jesubabu Honeymen 26, S. Sharath 29, Sunil Oasis 38) lost to India Pistons 170 for three in 28.1 overs (Anand George 44, Badri Attavar 33 retd hurt, R. Satish 27, Jaffer Asique Ali 31 not out, D. Dhandapani 30 not out).

IOB `A' 188 for five in 30 overs (Amit Pathak 69, Sreekumar Nair 29, A.S.K. Verma 38) bt Chemplast 162 in 28.4 overs (S. Badrinath 94, Nair three for 27).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport