Kuljit-Singh Nijjar 14 September 2002 (Scorecard)
Man of the
Match: Yatin Bhuta
Best
bowler: Niraj Babaria
Best Keeper: Mani G
Best Fielder: Sai Petluri
|
Status: |
TrendSetters
15 |
New Waves 17 |
TrendSetters score 129/7 New Waves score 115/8
Some
facts about TrendSetters new captain. Yatin Bhuta
Yatins’s Bowling records
|
Rank |
Name |
Mat |
I |
O |
M |
Runs |
Wkts |
Econ |
Wds |
Byes |
NB |
Ave |
|
1 |
Yatin |
28 |
27 |
134 |
7 |
503 |
46 |
3.75 |
74 |
35 |
17 |
10.93 |
Yatins’s Batting records
|
Rank |
Batsman |
Mat |
I |
Runs |
NO |
4s |
6s |
Avg |
Ct |
HS |
|
2 |
Yatin |
28 |
26 |
370 |
3 |
27 |
7 |
16.1 |
9 |
50 |
I don't know about the adjudicators, but to my mind, the man of this match is Yatin Bhuta. This was a match won by captaincy that ranged from the thoughtful to the downright brilliant, as Yatin, with limited resources, pulled off what on paper would have qualified as an upset win.
TrendSetters
Innings: -
The
pitch seemed green-tinged -- but that was merely grass rolled in, to bind the
track together. So Yatin, on winning the toss, chose to insert -- a ploy that
would seem to fly in the face of the fact that the TS, on paper, were stronger
in batting than in bowling. His reason? "I think this wicket will play
slow, the slower bowlers will be hard to get away in the second half of the
match."
Mani and Baddam opened the innings for TS. They both played very intelligently to keep the score board moving. Kuldeep got the first breakthrough by getting Mani's (14) wicket off of a full toss ball, which hit leg stump and sent Mani back to the pavilion. (Well, field in this game.). Niraj then, joined Baddam in the middle and kept taking those valuable singles. However, Kuldeep struck again
in his next over by getting Baddam (10) bowled out.
Then came Kuljit (13), ex-captain of TS, who has resigned to improve his batting performance. He made his intensions clear initially but couldn't survive a lolly from Chetan and was caught in the deep by Madhu. Niraj was then, joined by KP but their partnership didn't last long and Niraj (18) was run out trying to sneak a second run. Yatin, his first inning as a captain, started to bat slowly but steadily. On the other end KP got out to a brilliant piece of fielding by Sai, he dived to his right and caught a very hard catch to send KP back. Sumant walked in with the same amount of expectations from his team members and he once again lived up to those expectations. He and Yatin kept taking more than 5 runs per over and hence putting more pressure on NWs. Satya(1) was asked to bat in the middle on the insistence of his new captain. He however became a victim of a poor call between the wickets. Yatin walked back in and started where he had left off. Sumant, too, was in prime form, hitting a huge six to help in taking the score well past 100. However the need to hit few quick runs got Sumant's (29) wicket. Yatin (36 n.o.) stayed on for the last 3 overs and made sure they were not all out. The TS scored a respectable and defendable 129 runs.
Yatin Bhuta walked back undefeated for a very well made 36. The bigger question relates to his place in the batting order. Number six seems way too low for a batsman who not only strokes the ball against both pace and spin, but more importantly, has the temperament to play the really big innings once he is set.
Considering only 8 players per game, this was a good total.
Newwaves Innings: -
Chetan made the flying start that Yatin had feared, punishing both Harish Baddam and Mani G who bowled too full and wide. Chetan answered well to Baddam’s comment “I mean, the mere fact that Chetan is at the crease does not necessarily mean that all fielders should go and stand on the boundary line, does it?
With the bowlers giving Chetan room, the opener came up with some classic footwork on the drive. Chetan, now the man with the fastest 50 at FFCC, was only too glad to oblige. Around this phase, the introduction of Skipper Yatin was expected to make the difference -- the only difference it did make, though, was in a further acceleration of the scoring rate, His line tended to stray to leg, which seemed rather uncalled for given the tight offside field he had been given, and Chetan in particular took full toll, swinging him round time and again through the square leg region and forcing him out of the attack -- an indignity Yatin doesn't suffer too often.
Which meant that in one crazy spell of 6 overs, they had brought the target down to just 84 to win with all wickets intact, much more do-able than 129.
While at the other end, the imposing Zia Haque, who wouldn't be out of place in the WWF ring, hit clean through the line with enviable regularity, to have the Newwaves rocketing off to 35/0 and 82/1 at the five and ten over mark.
The only wicket to fall in that phase was Zia Haque who, once Satya switched to around the wicket, went back to playing like his feet were nailed to the ground gave the bowler Satya a simple catch.
Given the start, the indications were the score could be reached -- but the New Waves are predictable only in their unpredictability, and just when they looked to have all bases covered, came the slump. Chetan got out.
By the time Chetan was caught off Baddam for 61 the two batsmen had set the New Waves up for the win, needing 41 off the last 18 overs.
But then, this is the TrendSetters team we are talking about -- a side that redefines the meaning of ‘mercurial’. Once Chetan got out, TrendSetters came out looking as if someone had, to use the cant phrase, lit a fire under their tails -- and immediately, the complexion of the game changed drastically.
Wicket Keeper (Kuljit) in fact let an edge from Giri Babu go through between his hand off the very first ball of Yatins 4th over, being unable to get down in time to the chance -- but noticeably, both mid off and mid on were well up and suddenly, the singles dried up, and both batsmen began showing signs of discomfort. With run making becoming difficult, the weight of the runs was beginning to tell on them
Niraj had been doing a sterling job in keeping the run rate down. Bowling full and mixing up his pace he showed all his experience of bowling at the death.
Madhu KV and Kuldeep tried in vain at the end, all-falling to the full pace of Niraj who ended with 3/12 from 4.5 overs.
Ex Captain Kuljit said, “Yatin is a very hard-working man and has handled the side well," Yatin Bhuta will be asked to continue as TrendSetters captain.
After the game Yatin said that It's the team effort. Captain doesn't have a magic wand to make the team win. Everyone has to play as a team and results will show. We have to forget about personal conflicts and preferences and think what is good for the team. Only one person can never be responsible to win the game. It's the team effort that wins matches.
I still want to make an impact. "It is an honour to be the captain of Trendsetter. It's a challenge. I am enjoying it, and trying to get the most out of the boys. So far they've responded well. I hope this will continue.
An extraordinary performance that, as I said before, it would be impossible to over-praise -- and it provided the climax to a day of extraordinary cricket, full to brimming of the good, the bad, and the strangely mediocre.
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31th ODI: TrendSetters v New Waves at FFCC September 14th 2002 |
1st innings (TrendSetters) 2nd innings (NewWaves)Ov Score Ov Score
5 15/0 5 35/0
10 38/2 10 82/1
15 59/2 15 94/3
20 73/5 20 102/5
25 100/5 25 115/8 ((Over 24.5)
30 129/7 30
35 35
Hight lights
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Septembert 14, Year 2002: So far at FFCC 33 ODIs and 2 Test matches have been played
Newwaves have won 15 ODI and 2 Test Matches
TrendSetters have won 15 ODI and 0 Test Matches
3 ODI Matches have been abandoned due to rain.