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Buchi Babu tournament

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Buchi Babu all-India invitation cricket tournament will be played from August 16 to 29.

The tournament, conducted by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), will feature 16 teams, including sides from Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Hyderabad, and Baroda. New Zealand ‘A’, led by Peter Fulton and spearheaded by fast-bowler Shane Bond, will supply the tournament an international flavour.

The 16 teams have been divided into four zones. The sides in a zone will play each other once during the league phase.

The top team from each zone after three rounds of the league will qualify for the semifinals. All matches, including the final, will be two-day affairs restricted to 90 overs per innings.

The semifinals will be played on August 25 and 26. The final will be played at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on August 28 and 29. The host will field three teams: TNCA XI, TNCA President’s XI, and Combined Districts. TNCA XI, captained by Dinesh Karthik, will begin its campaign against Assam.

It will benefit from the return of S. Badrinath, M. Vijay, and R. Ashwin, who didn’t play the KSCA tournament in Bangalore, where TNCA failed to make it past the quarterfinals.

Mumbai vs. Vidarbha

Mumbai, which contains players of the calibre of Wasim Jaffer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar, will take on Vidarbha in its first league match.

New Zealand ‘A’ last participated in the Buchi Babu tournament in 2001. It emerged victorious, overcoming Bengal in the final by virtue of the first-innings lead.

Bond, who had impressed in that edition, is attempting to revive his international career after his time in the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League (ICL). New Zealand ‘A’ will play Andhra in the first round.

The matches will be played on turf wickets at the MAC Stadium, IC-Guru Nanak, SRMC, CPT-IP, RKM Vivekananda, Pachaiyappa’s, Murugappa (TI Cycles), V.B. Nest, and Mayajaal.

The prize money for the winner and the runner-up will be Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 50,000 respectively.

The losing semifinalists will each receive Rs. 25,000. Visiting sides will receive Rs. 7,500 per match as appearance money.

Zones: A: TNCA XI, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. B: New Zealand ‘A’, Andhra, Combined Districts, and Baroda. C: Karnataka, TNCA President’s XI, Vidarbha, and Mumbai. D: Saurashtra, Hyderabad, Kerala, and Orissa.

Schedule:

First round: August 16 & 17. Second round: August 19 & 20. Third round: August 22 & 23. Semifinals: August 25 & 26. Final: August 28 & 29.