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USA Cricketer
June 2011 - Posts
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Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket
By Sam Sooppersaud
 The publicity posters and stickers distributed at Spring Creek Cricket Park in Brooklyn on Saturday, June 25, 2011 read : BEST IN THE CITY.
At least, for the cricket fans at the park, the Mayor's Cup All-Star Tournament was the best event being staged in New York City on this Saturday. Displaying their cricketing skills were our youthful homegrown future cricket stars, representing the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan/Bronx combined. Three very exciting Twenty20 cricket matches were enjoyed by the more that 300 fans who turned out to witness the Inaugural Mayor's Cup Tournament. So exciting and closely contested were the games that the ultimate championship was decided by a percentage of a run.
In the first game which started at 10:30 A.M. Brooklyn ll outplayed Brooklyn l by first restricting them to 93 runs all out then getting the required 94 runs for victory without loosing a wicket, and this, in the 9th over. No Brooklyn l batsman reached double figures. Opening the batting for Brooklyn ll, Abrar Zafar was 53 Not Out while his partner, the exciting Zahib Tariq scored a more sedate 18 Not Out.
The second game of the day was played between Queens and Manhattan/Bronx Combined Xl. This game started about 2:00 P.M. Combined Xl won the coin toss and asked Queens to take first strike. The opening batsmen, Skipper Tahseenul Khan and the hard-hitting Troy Mars gave their team an excellent start racking up 58 runs before the fall of a wicket (Mars for 24) in the 5th over. Two overs later Queens lost another wicket (Khan for 24). From 68 for 2 in the 7th over Queens collapsed to 79 for 6 wickets. A 7th wicket partnership between Inzaman Khan (20) and Wyne Khan (20) avoided any further collapse. The Queens innings closed at 147 runs for 9 wickets. The 20 extras gave up by Manhattan/Bronx Combined Xl were surely welcomed by the Queens boys. Bowling for Combined Asfaque Chowdhury and Banaras Sohail claimed 3 wickets each for 37 and 23 runs respectively.
The stage was now set for Brooklyn ll to do battle with Queens for the top prize, the Mayor's Cup Trophy. The crowd which had swelled to nearly 350 fans waited in suspensful anticipation. It is getting late, when would they Final begin! It was now after 5:00 P.M.! The game finally got underway at 5:30 P.M., the foregone conclusion being that bad light would play a role in the final outcome. And it did.
Brooklyn ll won the toss and took first knock. Abrar Zafar and Zahib Tariq attacked the Queens bowlers immediately. Tariq's first scoring shot was a maximum away in the marshes over midwicket. He hit two more 6's in his his innings of 24 runs made in 18 balls. Zafar started his innings more patiently milking singles and an occasional double. He hit two boundaries in his 26 runs made in 29 balls.
Brooklyn ll lost their first wicket in the seventh over and with the score on 46 runs. Wickets tumbled in succession and they were in trouble by the 12th over with 66 runs on the board and five of their top batsmen sent to the showers. Buoyed by their successes in getting some quick wickets, the Queens boys found renewed vigor.
Then Bilal Ahmed stepped up the batting tempo. He decided to have a go at the bowlers, and that he did with a vengeance. In one over he hit the Queens skipper, bowling his left arm spin, for three successive 6's. From 79 runs in the 14th over Brooklyn ll were comfortably poised on 125 runs in the 18th over, 46 runs scored in 4 overs. Ahmed was finanally caught going for yet another maximum. He scored an exciting 46 runs. The Brooklyn ll innings closed at 133 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Bowling for Queens Inzaman Khan (2 for 8) and Amit Seenarine (2 for 16) were the more successful bowlers. There were 3 Run Outs.
Queens commenced their run chase with 12 runs coming off the bat of Troy Mars in the first 3 deliveries of the innings. He was then run out having failed to make his ground after having been hit in the ribs by a short pitched ball. Then walked to the wicket, Amar Persaud, the USACA National Under 19 batting star. He pummelled the bowling scoring 24 runs in 13 balls before giving a simple catch to mid off. Tahseenul Khan joined in the fray and after seven overs Queens was advantageously placed at 62 runs for the loss of 1 wicket. Khan (22) lost his wicket and from there on the Queens batsmen self-destruct. By this time, predictably, the light began to fade. Four more wickets fell for an addition of only 10 runs. At 93 for 7 in the 13th over Queens was in dire need of some damage control. This was not forth coming as they had already lost their top batsmen. By the time the game was called in the 18th over the batsmen could hardly see the ball in the bad light. For Brooklyn ll Osama Iqbal claimed 2 for 17 and Zahid Tariq 2 for 15. Three Queens batsmen were run out.
The game ended with Queens having scored 108 runs in 18 overs, an average run rate of 6 runs per over. Brooklyn ll having scored 133 runs in their 20 overs at an average run rate of 6.6 runs per over, were declared the winner and the champions of the Inaugural Mayor's Cup All-Stars Tournament. Borough of Brooklyn was coached by Lall Saitram and Gregory Fisher.
At a presentation ceremony following the game various players were recognized for outstanding performances in the games.
Best Bowler - Inzaman ul Khan (Queens)
Best Batsman - Bilal Ahmed (B'klyn ll)
Most Valuable Player - Randall Wilson (Queens)
Coach Gregory Fisher gleefully and with pride accepted the 2011 Mayor's Cup Trophy on behalf of his players. Runner-Up medals were awarded the Queens players and coaches, Sam Sooppersaud and Dharamveer Gehlaut.
Hats off to Donald Douglas, Ms. Lorna Austin, Commissioner Bassett Thompson, Assistant Commissioner Ricky Kissoon, and the entire staff at PSAL that had a hand in putting PSAL cricket on the map. A lot of hard work was put in by the Mayor's Office - Jeff Mohl, Evan Ely, and their staff.
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Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket
By Peter Della Penna
After the hue and cry that came from Down Under earlier this month over the axing of batsman Simon Katich from Cricket Australia’s list of central contracts, it’s not surprising to scan through the comments and feedback forums on the DreamCricket site to get a taste of a similar sense of outrage arising from the composition of the USA senior team for the upcoming ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament in Florida. There is no rhyme or reason why players have been selected or not selected. Rules apply for some but not for others.
Many players feel hard done by, but probably none more so than Sushil Nadkarni. While I could spend countless paragraphs illustrating the hypocrisy of numerous selections and non-selections in the 14-man roster, the case of Nadkarni is by far the most compelling one to analyze. His non-selection defies logic for a multitude of reasons.
Chief selector Sew Shivnarine’s assessment that Nadkarni is not a Twenty20 player directly contradicts hard evidence. Aside from the fact that he scored the fourth most runs in New Jersey at the USACA Twenty20 Nationals, his strike rate of 180.00 in the tournament is higher than every player that was selected for the team. In a format of the game where scoring runs quickly is paramount, Nadkarni proved he was well suited for the job.
At the ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 last year in Bermuda, Nadkarni not only scored the most runs for USA with 90 in four games, he had the highest strike rate (130.43) for anyone who batted in USA’s top seven (Nadkarni, Carl Wright, Lennox Cush, Steve Massiah, Aditya Thyagarajan, Rashard Marshall, Orlando Baker, Clain Williams, Ashhar Mehdi).
Aside from the limited Twenty20 stats available, which demonstrate that he is as good or better than those who made the cut, the runs he has scored in 50-over cricket, particularly against teams who will feature in the ICC Americas tournament, appear to have been ignored but definitely should have been taken into consideration. Since making his debut for USA at the 2006 ICC Americas Division One Tournament in Canada, no one has scored more runs for USA than Nadkarni. There is no clearer demonstration of the high class batting skills that he possesses, skills that can be applied and adapted to any format of cricket.
Overall, Nadkarni has scored 1538 runs since his 2006 debut for USA in both 50-over and Twenty20 matches. Steve Massiah is second in that time span with 1429 runs. In 50-over cricket, Nadkarni has scored 1435 runs in 34 innings at an average of 55.19. In 2010 alone, he was USA’s third highest scorer in 50-over cricket with 532 runs and had the highest average on the team at 59.11 in 14 innings.
His numbers shoot even higher against ICC Americas teams (Argentina, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Suriname). In 50-over matches against them, Nadkarni has scored 945 runs at an average of 72.69 in 16 innings with four centuries and five half-centuries. Yes, that’s right. He crosses 50 more than 50% of the time he bats against a regional opponent. The man averages 49.33 against Argentina, 52.00 against Bermuda, 190.00 against Cayman Islands and scored 197 in his only knock against Suriname. His most recent century is believed to be the fastest on record for a USA player, a 54-ball unbeaten effort against Cayman Islands in 2010 that brought about a 10-wicket win in just 13.5 overs.
He was named Man of the Series after scoring 407 runs when USA won the 2008 ICC Americas Division One in Florida. The only team inside the region that he’s failed against in 50-over cricket is Canada, with 10 runs in three innings. However, he showed signs of changing that in the Twenty20 format against Canada last year in Bermuda with knocks of 22 in 16 balls (three fours, one six) and 25 in 27 balls (one four, two sixes).
There are two crucial aspects to leaving him out of the USA team against regional competition. First, he has an enormous amount of experience and knowledge regarding the bowling attacks that USA will face, attacks he has largely succeeded against. Nadkarni would have been an invaluable asset for the newer players in the team to communicate the ins and outs of what to expect from each side. In the 14-man squad that was picked only Steve Massiah, Timroy Allen and Orlando Baker have played in multiple ICC Americas tournaments for USA.
The selectors have taken a major gamble by discarding Nadkarni because they’ve cut off access to a vault of knowledge, experience and dependability. Finishing in the top two to clinch a spot at the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Dubai next March is no longer a slam-dunk proposition. Senior players like Massiah and Baker now have an unfair and tremendous burden placed on them to score runs in the absence of Nadkarni while Allen and Usman Shuja face even more pressure to restrict scoring because runs may not be as easy to come by when it’s time for USA to bat.
Second, and just as important, Nadkarni’s presence provided a massive intimidation factor for USA. For comparison’s sake, place Sushil Nadkarni in Group A and the current USA 14-man squad in Group B. If any random player out of Group B was placed side-by-side with the lone player in Group A and the question, “Which player would you least like to face at the crease?” was posed to any ICC Americas bowler, the lone player in Group A, Sushil Nadkarni, would be named every single time over anyone in Group B. Nadkarni is a champion, a match-winner through and through. It’s safe to say that the other five teams in this tournament started high fiving each other when they found out Nadkarni was left out of USA’s squad.
The other excuse given by Shivnarine, that Nadkarni’s fitness is not up to standard, is completely hypocritical. In December of 2009, all players were informed at a selection camp in Florida prior to the tour of the UAE and Nepal that anyone who failed the fitness test at the camp would not be selected to go on the tour. A major component of the test was running a mile and a half in 10 minutes and 30 seconds. Akeem Dodson and Ryan Corns were the only two players to successfully complete the distance in the allotted time. Neither player was selected.
Nadkarni’s level of fitness on that tour of the UAE and Nepal in February 2010 was poor, mainly because he was still recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered only six months prior. Nadkarni hobbled around during the entire tour, frequently coming off for a substitute fielder, and was nowhere close to 100%. Yet his fitness was deemed suitable enough to merit selection to the team.
He struggled in most games on that tour but saved USA’s bacon against Nepal in the final do-or-die group game of ICC WCL Division Five, turning in a gutsy 57 not out in an extremely hostile crowd environment in Kathmandu to deliver a five-wicket win for the team and secure a spot for USA in Division Four. For that performance, he received the first of five Man of the Match awards in 2010, the most for any USA player last year.
Image (right) - Sushil Nadkarni, during his Man of the Match performance against Nepal at ICC WCL Division Five in Kathmandu. [Courtesy: Daniela Zaharia/USACA]
His fitness steadily improved over the course of the year and by August, he was running around the fields at Division Four in Italy without any trouble while scoring another big stack of runs. He was named Man of the Series and collected three Man of the Match awards, including one for a déjà vu display against Nepal in USA’s fourth group contest. He wasn’t as nimble in the field in Hong Kong last January, but was it his fault that the batting collapsed in almost every single game? No. Could he stand to lose 15 pounds? Probably. Does he have the conditioning to last 20 overs in the field and at the crease? Yes.
Perhaps the worst part of all is the fact that the selectors, and everyone else in the USACA administration, didn’t have the common courtesy to give Nadkarni a phone call to inform him that he was being left out and explain to him the reasons why. It follows the modus operandi of the selectors for the last few years from other players who have shared identical stories. No phone call, no email, no letter, no explanation as to why they’ve been left out and what they need to work on, if anything, to get back in the team.
Asif Khan is going through the same experience. The left-arm spinner says that he only became informed that he was left out of the USA squad for next month when someone from his own region called to tell him that the team had been published on the web and he was not in it. Khan said he never received any sort of communication from the selectors at any point in time. Despite the fact that all three selectors – Abrar Ahmad, Sunny Khan and Sew Shivnarine – were present in New Jersey for the USACA Twenty20 Nationals, Khan said he never met any of them on the weekend nor has he ever met or had any conversations with any of them, including Shivnarine. When I asked Shivnarine on Monday night why Asif Khan was left out of the USA squad, he responded, “Who’s Asif Khan?” I’m fairly confident that Shivnarine would not be able to identify Asif Khan in a police lineup.
That is the plight of a player who has made just one tour with the USA, one that included a gritty performance of 3 for 11 in 5.4 overs followed by 31 not out in a two-wicket win over Oman. Imagine how Nadkarni must feel having poured his heart and soul into the USA uniform for four years. He’s been a match-winner on so many occasions, a huge reason why USA went from Division Five to Division Three in the span of six months, and he can’t even get a single phone call to say why he’s been left out. Instead, he finds out second-hand, by reading a report in the media, that the chief selector thinks he’s unfit. Or, even crueler, he gets to hear through a game of Chinese Whispers that one of the other selectors felt he should be dropped because the selector thinks he can’t pull or cut. It’s incredibly insulting and shows a fundamental lack of respect for Nadkarni or any other player who has suited up for the national team.
Fans may remember that Abrar Ahmad, Sunny Khan and Sew Shivnarine were not invited to Florida last year for USACA Senior Nationals while USA vice-captain Nadkarni, who was not playing in the tournament, was flown in to help USA captain Steve Massiah and USA coach Clayton Lambert select the team for Hong Kong. With the exception of The Pearls Cup matches against Jamaica in Florida last year, I have never seen Abrar Ahmad, Sunny Khan or Sew Shivnarine present at any match the USA senior team has played.
The first match I covered involving the USA senior team was in Abu Dhabi against Scotland in February 2010. I have been present for four international tournaments that the senior team has played in – 2010 World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE, ICC WCL Division Five in Nepal, Division Four in Italy, Division Three in Hong Kong – and these men were not present. On the other hand, Massiah, Nadkarni and Lambert – despite any bias or conflict of interest they may have had from being teammates or former teammates of the players involved – were definitely present at all of those tournaments to witness and assess how everyone performed. How can Ahmad, Sunny Khan and Shivnarine properly evaluate players on performances which they’ve never witnessed?
Heading into the selection trials that took place two weeks ago, the expectation was that multiple players would be added and dropped from the USA national team due to a change in formats from 50-over to Twenty20 as well as the fact that USA finished last in Hong Kong. However, the process used to arrive at decisions which have a dramatic effect on the careers of many individuals is a total disgrace, from the grotesque condition of the grounds used in New Jersey for the USACA Twenty20 Nationals to the erratic, inconsistent, hypocritical reasoning and methods used for selection. USACA has sucker punched one of its best assets in Sushil Nadkarni, as well as many other players, and shattered the confidence of its stakeholders.
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By Venu Palaparthi
Comments
First, you start with 10 bonus points just for wanting to play cricket in the U.S. Now, after the following math, if you end up with at least 5 points, then you will be called to the training camp.
 You show up for the try-out = Zero points. The selection try-out is a relic of a bygone era. It is customarily announced a week before the tournament. By then, the team is most probably already decided.
You are US-born = Negative 5 points. Try to get yourself a long-form birth certificate from a cricket playing country.
You are not a league or regional administrator yourself OR you don't play for a club whose members include an influential regional administrator or current USA team member = Negative 2 points.
You COMPETE for a spot with a regional administrator: Negative 10 points. Sorry. We cannot help you here.
You are a member of a club, league or region that opposes the cricket establishment: Negative 5 points. Please read our supplement titled 'Politics for Dummies.'
You live in the North East Region = Negative 10 points. And you have my sympathies. For reasons, see above. Your alternative is to move to New York.
You dare to complain about the selection process: Negative 1 point.
You were not born in the same country or the same Island as the said influential regional administrator: Negative 1 point.
You played first class cricket = Zero points. So, you are trying to qualify on merit. Please go to the back of the line and wait for your turn.
You played well at the inter-league, regional or national tournament in a winning cause: Nice try again. Zero points.
You are a turf-hero: Negative 1 point. Go get yourself a matting wicket.
You played USA U-19 and want to try out for the senior team: Negative 2 points. You don't learn from experience, do you?
Now, do you still have 5 points? If so, congratulations! You have made the short-list.
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By Peter Della Penna
USACA has announced the squads that will be competing at the ICC
Americas Division One Twenty20 Tournament from July 18-23 in Florida and
the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Ireland from July 28-August 9.
In a huge shakeup from the team that finished in last place at ICC
World Cricket League Division Three in Hong Kong, 10 of the 14 squad
members from that tournament have been replaced. The only four holdovers
are Steve Massiah, Orlando Baker, Muhammad Ghous and Usman Shuja. The
biggest omission was USA’s vice-captain in Hong Kong, Sushil Nadkarni,
while five uncapped players have been included.
Timroy Allen
returns to the team after recovering from an injury suffered at ICC WCL
Division Four in Italy last August while Adrian Gordon, Aditya Mishra,
Gowkaran Roopnarine and Akeem Dodson have all been recalled to represent
USA. Gordon also last appeared for the team in Italy while Dodson and
Roopnarine last played for USA in 2008. Mishra played for USA last year
at The Pearls Cup against Jamaica. Atlantic Region opening partners
Roopnarine and Mishra were the two standout batsmen at the 2011 USACA
Twenty20 Nationals.
The five first time selections in the squad are Bhim George and Japen
Patel from the South East, Nauman Mustafa and Samarth Shah from the
North West, and Quasen Alfred from New York. The inclusion of Mustafa
means that USA has curiously selected three wicketkeeper-batsmen for the
team along with Roopnarine and Dodson.
Of the players missing out from Hong Kong besides Nadkarni, Aditya
Thyagarajan and Ritesh Kadu are both currently injured while Durale
Forrest, Carl Wright, Rashard Marshall and Lennox Cush did not
participate in the Twenty20 Nationals. Sources have indicated that Cush
has stopped playing cricket to focus on his rentals business in Guyana.
Ryan Corns had a poor Twenty20 Nationals (13 runs in three innings)
and was dropped after just one tour with USA. However several of the
players who made the squad ahead of him, including George (14 runs in
two innings) and Patel (21 runs in two innings), did not fare much
better. All three players excelled in their local leagues and in their
inter-league tournaments prior to the Twenty20 Nationals. Corns was
named MVP of the Central West Twenty20 inter-league tournament while
Patel won the MVP of the South East 50-over inter-league tournament and
George was named Best Batsman in the same South East tournament.
Nadkarni also scored heavy in the Central West inter-league
tournament and turned in 65 runs in New Jersey at the Twenty20
Nationals, good for fourth overall in the event as he captained the
Central West to a runner-up finish. Unfortunately, it appears he is
paying the price for a subpar performance in Hong Kong in which he
failed to score a half-century in his six innings and had a rough time
in the field with several drops.
Asif Khan was harshly dropped from the USA lineup after a solid
showing on his debut tour in Hong Kong where the left-arm spinner took
the second most wickets for the team with six, behind Kevin Darlington
with eight. Khan was also a batting hero in the two-wicket win over
Oman, scoring 31 not out while hitting the winning runs as part of a
71-run unbeaten ninth wicket partnership with Shuja, and finished the
tour with the second highest batting average on the team behind Massiah.
At the Twenty20 Nationals, Khan was one of seven bowlers tied for fifth
with four wickets. Darlington, who is now 39, was also left out of the
USA squad.
In the final 14-player list for the U-19 team, three changes are now
confirmed from the squad that won the ICC Americas U-19 tournament in
February. New York Region players Greg Sewdial, Prashanth Nair and
Amarnauth Persaud have all been named in the squad while Central East
batsman Fahad Babar and Atlantic Region bowlers Kalim Ahmed and Waleed
Javed Karimullah are the three who have not made the cut this time
around.
Sewdial was always expected to be included upon proving his fitness
after scoring the most runs for USA at the 2010 ICC U-19 World Cup. Nair
is a very talented left-arm spinner while Persaud presents options with
both bat and ball. He is also still young enough to potentially
represent USA in the next U-19 World Cup cycle for 2014 along with
Steven Taylor.
The captains and team management for both squads have yet to be announced.
USA Men’s squad: Quasen Alfred (New York), Timroy Allen
(South East), Orlando Baker (Central West), Akeem Dodson (New York),
Bhim George (South East), Muhammad Ghous (Atlantic), Adrian Gordon (New
York), Steve Massiah (New York), Aditya Mishra (Atlantic), Nauman
Mustafa (North West), Japen Patel (South East), Gowkaran Roopnarine
(Atlantic), Samarth Shah (North West), Usman Shuja (Central West).
USA U-19 squad: Salman Ahmad (South West), Shayan Abdulghani
(South West), Abhijit Joshi (Central East), Cameron Mirza (New York),
Prashanth Nair (New York), Amarnauth Persaud (New York), Mital Patel
(Atlantic), Gurpreet Sandhu (South West), Greg Sewdial (New York),
Hammad Shahid (South West), Pranay Suri (North West), Jodhbir Singh
(North West), Trevor Singh (New York), Steven Taylor (South East).
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By Venu Palaparthi
1. Calendar: The event calendar is completely unreliable. It is subject to change... and it will. 2. Venue:
Venue will remain a mystery until three days before the event. If
conditions permit (pun intended), it could even change on the day of
the event. 3. Communication: Nothing will ever
be published on USACA website. All changes are top secret and what
little is published is likely to be incorrect. Final dates, and host
city, are selected to achieve one goal: to ensure that players pay top
dollar for their airline tickets. Ironically, two of USACA’s board
members work in the airline industry. 4. Teams:
Uncertainty builds up and engulfs all proper planning in such a way
that many of the best players simply become unavailable. It is like
that old cricket joke: A friend was heard saying to the secretary of a
village cricket side: “What sort of a team have you got this week?” The secretary said: “Oh, the usual. Two players, four letters of regrets, three telegrams, and we've got two to hear from!”
Except this is not village cricket, these are national events. And
whether or not you need them, you have the regional administrator and
maybe an assistant coach who are on standby to become part of the squad. 5. Rules:
All rule changes and penalties will be strictly enforced... but
enforcement applies only to players, not to the board or the organizers. 6. Competition: The off-field atmosphere is more charged up than the on-field one. 7. Punctuality: South Asian or Island time becomes the order of the day for all proceedings. 8. Where are we now?: The national anthem does not always mean the Star-Spangled Banner. Dignitaries usually are local cricket administrators. 9. Sponsors: We
don't need sponsors, we are USACA. Why bother with the increased
visibility and accountability that comes along with sponsorships when
the commercial deal will shower riches on us. 10. Audience: Media? Spectators? What for? Who wants all that accountability? Just leave us to our cricket.
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By Jaideep Reddy
 Nirav Patel's blistering 63 set the stage for the SGCC Jr. to upend the Prince CC by three wickets on Tuesday night in the NATS T20 2011 at Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus, NJ.
Nirav (picture at right) was named Man of the Match for his knock which included four fours and two sixes.
Prince CC won the toss and elected to bat on a great cricketing sunny evening, they lost their first wicket of Faisal Suleri in the fourth ball of the game to Jermaine Lawson after making six runs.
Prince was not going to go down lightly though as Jahanzeib joined Billal at the wicket to give a spirited fight back. The two smashed 80 runs from the 1st through the 11th over to bring the score to 89 for 2 before Jahanzeib got caught in the cover after hitting two huge sixes and a four of the gentle medium pace bowling of Sushanth Konda. At this stage of the game prince were in a very good position, and then came Sidharth Mehta who bowled a very tidy spell of four overs giving away only 16 runs.
Pranav Patel was introduced from the other end and he got the wicket of Adnan in the very first ball of his over to be caught at the deep square leg just inches of the boundary by Sushanth Konda, he was out after making 7 runs to his score, there after Pranav Patel got two more wickets in his next two overs, his final bowling spell was 3 overs giving away 10 runs for his 3 wickets.
Prince CC scored only 30 runs from over no 12th to 19th. During this period there was some excellent spin bowling from Sidharth Mehta and Pranav Patel. Then came the 20th over, which was bowled by Adnan Nasim to Mustafa Khan, his first ball was a dot, the a huge six over extra cover, the next ball six was over midwicket, third ball was a dot, fourth ball was a huge six over long off, fifth ball was a dot and the final ball was a straight drive for a boundary.
Thanks to the 22 run over from the blade of Mustafa Khan, Prince had a respectable total of 145 which was defendable especially on the condition when they have to do it under the lights. Sidharth and Pranav opened the inning for SGCC Jr. and they commenced the job with caution and determination as first over conceded only 2 runs. There was a hopeless second over from Fahad Mehmood, who bowled seven consecutive wides and ended up giving 18 runs in an over, making the job easy for SGCC Juniors.
Zafar khan continued his great swing bowling from the other end, and trapped Pranav LBW for 9 runs which brought Nirav on the crease. Jahanzeib got siddharth out from the other end and all of a sudden juniors started struggling from 20/0 to 25/2. Sushanth came in to bat at number four, but Zafar khan knocked his stumps on the first delivery he faced which was an accurate inswinging Yorker.
SGCC Jr. stumbled as 3 wickets were down with only 30 runs on the board. Nirav had something different in his mind, he was joined by Ketan Patel and started building up partnership with run rate of 6 runs per over. Nirav and Ketan batted patiently when juniors did not want to loose any more wickets at this crucial stage, these two take the team from 28/3 in 5 overs to 55/3 in 9 overs.
Ketan tried to accelerate the run rate at this stage but he got caught out when he was on 15. So far, nothing was going good for juniors but Nirav had other plans. He came up with some superb determination and some great shot selection. Through singles and doubles, he kept the scorecard going for SGCC Jr. without regard to the fall of wickets at the other end.
Prince conceded 33 extra runs, the second highest score in the SGCC Jr. scorecard. Nirav finally got out in 19th over when juniors were 7 runs short from the victory with 3 wickets intact. Juniors surpassed the target in 20th over and won the game by 3 wickets and become the first team to secure their semifinal spot. Nirav was declared the man of the match for his 63 runs which came out at the right time.
“I know that my team needed me to perform in the crucial game to reach the semifinal, It’s a great feeling when you deliver when your team needs it; I just wanted to stick around and build up the partnership as we were struggling at that stage, said Nirav. “I am happy the way I am playing my shots in the gap, which is very important in T20 format especially after power play, Couple of good and/or bad overs can change the whole game and for that you have to constantly focus and trust yourself” He said upon asking how he felt about his performance and this format of the game.
Nirav also helped his team in the first league game against freedom to take the team total from 3 for 15 to 145 after 20 overs, he made 51 in that game and was supported by 31 from Ketan and 33 from Jermaine Lawson and at the end SGCC Jr. won comfortably by 62 runs.
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By Peter Della Penna
The 2011 USACA U-15 National Tournament, originally scheduled to be
held in Connecticut from July 8-11, has been pushed back one week but
will still be held in Hartford. Regions received an email from USACA
General Manager Manaf Mohamed notifying them of the change.
In a phone call on Wednesday night, Mohamed said the move was done
“to give regions enough time to organize teams.” The schedule of USACA
tournaments, including the USACA U-15 National Tournament, was
originally released in February.
The tournament is being used to help prepare and select a team for
the ICC Americas U-15 Northern Division Tournament scheduled for August
20-26 in Winnipeg, Canada. According to ICC guidelines, countries are
expected to submit a final squad of 14 players 30 days prior to any
tournament so pushing back the USACA tournament by a week will not
affect that.
However, this marks the fifth time this year that a USACA tournament
has been postponed, shifted to another venue, had a change of dates or
had dates shortened from those previously announced. The inaugural U-17
National Tournament was scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, but was
postponed after the inaugural ICC Americas U-17 tournament was pushed
back to 2012. A USACA source indicated over the weekend during the
Twenty20 Nationals in New Jersey that USACA likewise will not hold an
U-17 National Tournament this year and will wait until 2012.
The recently conducted Twenty20 Nationals was scheduled for Dallas
from June 17-20. It was then shortened by a day before being moved to
New Jersey. The Women’s National Tournament was originally slated as a
four-day event but has now been cut to three days from July 1-3 in New
York. The Junior Nationals (U-19 Tournament) was originally listed for
August 6-9 in Los Angeles before it was announced that the USA U-19 team
would be competing during those dates in Ireland at the ICC U-19 World
Cup Qualifier. The Junior Nationals are now tentatively scheduled for
Columbus Day weekend in Los Angeles.
The Senior Nationals (Men’s 50-over) are currently scheduled to take
place Labor Day weekend in Dallas. But after a dispute between the
region and USACA over the hosting duties of the recently concluded
Twenty20 Nationals, it remains to be seen whether or not the Senior
Nationals will happen at the time and place for which it has been
scheduled.
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By Peter Della Penna
Comments
The USACA 2011 Twenty20 Nationals that took place in New Jersey from
June 18-19 was the final opportunity for players from the eight
regional teams to present their case for inclusion in USA’s squad for
the 2011 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 championship in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., from July 18-23. The best performers are being
recognized by this writer in an All-Tournament Team.
The All-Tournament Team has been determined by the author based on
two days of cricket witnessed for entire matches played at Pine Grove
Manor Elementary School in Somerset, N.J., on June 18 and Weequahic
Park in Newark, N.J., on June 19. Information obtained from sources
present for the pair of matches played at Woodbrook Elementary School
in Edison, N.J., on June 18 was also used.
When compiling the list, several factors were taken into
consideration. First, I took into account the statistical achievements
of the players involved since they are the most tangible proof of a
player’s contributions to their team. As such, there will be players
left off the team who may be viewed as more talented than players who
made the team, but just did not perform that well over the two days.
Second, when choices between players with similar stats became
close, more weight was given to performances achieved against better
opponents. For example, a player who scored runs or took wickets in a
match against Atlantic, who won the tournament, was deemed to have
turned in a more impressive performance compared to runs or wickets
against South East, who finished last.
Third, these two factors are combined with what I saw with my own
eyes and from information obtained from sources in matches where I was
not present. This was not just the runs or wickets they took, but how
they did it. It includes match situations and technique exhibited, as
well as the talent they had surrounding them which could have affected
how they performed. Extra emphasis was given to Man of the Match
performances as well as performances under pressure in the death overs.
Finally, I tried to select the best performers regardless of their
position in the batting order or bowling specialty. The nature of
Twenty20 cricket opens the door for unorthodox strategies, with players
shuffling up or down the order depending on the situation of a match so
this team will not necessarily follow a traditional squad of specialist
openers, middle order batsmen, and a balance of pace and spin bowling.
1. Aditya Mishra, Atlantic – The former Karnataka
player enters each USACA tournament with big expectations, but hasn’t
always lived up to them. Not this time. Mishra made a huge statement
against New York with the second highest score of the event, notching
87 in 49 balls with eight fours and six sixes. He had the second most
runs in the tourney with 104 at an average of 34.67 and a strike rate
of 144.
2. Gowkaran Roopnarine, Atlantic –  Juicy
(left in the photo) squeezed more runs out of his bat than anyone else
on the weekend, finishing with 193 at an average of 96.50 and a strike
rate of 169 on his way to becoming the Tournament MVP. He turned in the
highest and third highest innings – 96 vs. North East and 81 not out
vs. Central West – and teamed with Adil Bhatti for the two highest
partnerships of the event – 97 for the second wicket vs. North East and
92 for the second wicket vs. Central West.
3. Adil Bhatti, Atlantic – While Mishra and
Roopnarine stole the headlines at the top of the order for Atlantic,
Bhatti was given a big responsibility at number three and delivered for
his team. He finished tied for fifth in runs on the weekend, scoring 59
runs at an average of 29.50 with a strike rate of 100. Bhatti played
unselfishly for the team in turning over the strike to Roopnarine at
every opportunity, but the silky smooth straight drives he hit for six
against Central West showed that he could have done more if the
occasion called for him to do so. He also took 3 wickets for 62 runs in
seven overs of medium pace, including the big scalp of the next man on
the list during the tournament title game.
4. Sushil Nadkarni (vice-captain), Central West –
Nadkarni captained his team to a runner-up finish in the tournament and
was his team’s leading scorer with 65 runs at an average of 21.67 and a
strike rate of 180. While he didn’t convert his starts into big scores
– innings of 17, 24 and 24 – his devastating presence was evident in
the fact that he hit eight sixes on the weekend, second only to
Roopnarine’s 14 maximums.
5. Timmy Thomas, North East – Thomas led North East
with 59 runs at an average of 29.50 and a strike rate of 178. He nearly
put his team past the eventual tournament champions with 30 against
Atlantic before turning in a Man of the Match effort against South East
by scoring 29 and taking three wickets with his off-spin.
6. Syed Fareed Ahmad, North West – Ahmad made waves
in the NCCA 4th of July tournament auction, fetching the highest bid
for any player, and he justified that hoopla with his Man of the Match
performance against South West. Ahmad clubbed 40 not out in 20 balls
before taking 2 for 24 with his off-spin to seal a six-run win. Ahmad
had similar batting and bowling stats to teammate Sunny Singh, but
edged him out for a spot in the All-Tournament Team based on his impact
in a team win.
7. Akeem Dodson (wicketkeeper), New York – The
winner of the tournament’s Best Young Player (Under-25) award, Dodson
was the third highest scorer in the event and leading scorer for New
York with 73 at the same average and a strike rate of 137. He fell one
short of a deserved half-century against Atlantic and also had a hand
in four dismissals plus a run out from behind the stumps.
 8. Usman Shuja, Central West
– While his teammate Shail Bhatt was the leading wicket-taker, Shuja
(pictured left, courtesy ICC) was in a class by himself among bowlers
on the weekend. He turned in a spell of 3 for 1 in three overs against
South West, producing two of the three maidens bowled by any player on
the weekend. Overall, he finished with 6 wickets for 33 runs in 9
overs, taking his wickets at a phenomenal average of 5.50 and his 3.67
economy rate was far and away the best for any bowler in the event.
9. Neil McGarrell (captain), Atlantic – With a spot
in the championship match on the line, McGarrell held his nerve after
giving up back-to-back sixes by taking four wickets in four balls to
bowl his team to victory over New York, snatching a Man of the Match
award away from Aditya Mishra in the process. Overall, the left-arm
spinner finished tied for third in the event with 5 for 49 in nine
overs, taking his wickets at an average of 9.80 and building pressure
with a 5.44 economy.
10. Shail Bhatt, Central West –
The off-spinner took the most wickets in the event with eight,
including the only five-wicket haul of the weekend with 6 for 24
against South West to claim a Man of the Match award in a losing cause.
Bhatt (pictured right) wasn’t afraid to toss the ball up, which meant
he was slightly expensive, finishing with a 10.63 economy rate.
However, his strike rate was 6.00 so if the captain tossed him the
ball, there was a fairly good chance he was going to make a
breakthrough.
11. Samarth Shah, North West – The tall and lanky
left-arm spinner from Seattle bowled a crucial spell late against South
West. With 13 needed to win off the last over, he gave up six runs and
claimed his fourth wicket to secure a win for his team. He finished
with five wickets overall, tying McGarrell for third on the leaderboard
and had an identical average and economy of 7.80.
12th Man: Saminda Siriwardena, Central East – The
21-year-old opener was the most aesthetically pleasing batsman on the
weekend. He scored 57 runs at an average of 28.50 and a strike rate of
118. Siriwardena’s 42 in a win over North West earned him Man of the
Match honors and his team benefitted from half-century partnerships for
the first wicket both times he went out to bat. There’s a logjam of
talented openers who were on display in this tournament, but if he
keeps at it he may get his chance in the national team in another year
or two.
13th Man: Asif Khan, Central East – The left-arm
spinner showed off his guile to have three men stumped in a
mouthwatering spell against North West. Khan was one of seven bowlers
tied for fifth with four wickets, but he bested the other six players
on style points. Khan’s wickets were taken at an average of 11 with a
solid economy rate of 7.33 runs per over.
14th Man: Naseer Islam, Atlantic – Islam bowled a
crucial spell of cutters late against New York, taking 2 for 14, before
McGarrell stole the show in the final over. Islam was one of the seven
tied for fifth with four wickets, taking them at an average of 18.50.
In nine overs, he had a respectable economy rate of 8.22 and could be
counted upon for some lusty late hitting on the batting side.
Top 5 Players in Contention for Selection to USA Senior Team
1. Gowkaran Roopnarine – He’s been selected for USA
multiple times in the past, including the 2005 World Cup Qualifier in
Ireland, the 2006 ICC Americas Division One in Canada, ICC WCL Division
Five in Jersey in 2008 and the 2008 WICB Cup, all with mixed results.
Based on this weekend’s form, it would be criminally negligent not to
give the 29-year-old another chance.
2. Aditya Mishra – A player of his pedigree is hard to
ignore and he will have gained a tremendous amount of confidence from
Sunday’s knock against New York. In his pair of appearances last year
in a USA uniform against Jamaica, he looked tense and got out cheaply.
If Mishra can be as relaxed against Canada as he was against New York,
he will be a major asset to the national team next month in Florida.
3. Akeem Dodson – While Roopnarine played as a
specialist batsman this weekend, both he and Dodson are capable
wicketkeepers. The top three in this list also demonstrated that Lennox
Cush, Carl Wright and Rashard Marshall, none of whom participated in
this tournament, are expendable. After a couple of frustrating
performances in recent USACA tournaments, Dodson showed newfound
maturity in his batting and at 23, can grow into a role as the national
team keeper.
4. Neil McGarrell – Just like last time, this depends
on eligibility. Despite being 38, he plays with the energy and
determination of someone half his age. An asset for his tactical
acumen, his bowling, his fielding and the example he sets for others
with his overall professionalism, if he’s available and qualifies on
residency then he should be selected.
5. Timroy Allen – No one’s stock soared more from not
playing this weekend than Allen. The all-rounder was available to play
after fully recovering from a back injury sustained in Italy last
August, but was not selected for the South East Region team allegedly
due to regional politics. They missed him badly and finished last.
Allen took the most wickets for USA in Twenty20 matches in 2010 with 12
in nine games. Outside of Shuja, the fast bowling performances were
lamentable across the board this weekend so getting Allen back into a
USA uniform is a high priority.
Most Wickets
1.S. Bhatt, Central West, RA off-spin – 8 for 85 in 8 overs
2. U. Shuja, Central West, RA fast-medium – 6 for 33 in 9 overs with 2 maidens
T3. S. Shah, North West, LA orthodox spin – 5 for 39 in 5 overs
T3. N. McGarrell, Atlantic, LA orthodox spin – 5 for 49 in 9 overs
T5. B. George, South East, LA orthodox spin – 4 for 14 in 3 overs
T5. J. Rasheed, Atlantic, RA off-spin – 4 for 31 in 5 overs
T5. B. Murphy, New York, RA leg-spin – 4 for 35 in 6 overs
T5. S. Singh, North West, RA off-spin – 4 for 40 in 5 overs
T5. A. Khan, Central East, LA orthodox spin – 4 for 44 in 6 overs
T5. A. Syed, Central East, RA off-spin – 4 for 44 in 6 overs
T5. N. Islam, Atlantic, RA medium – 4 for 74 in 9 overs
Five-Wicket Hauls
S. Bhatt, Central West – 6 for 24 vs. South West
Most Runs
1.G. Roopnarine, Atlantic – 193 runs, 96.50 AVG, S/R 169, two 50s
2. A. Mishra, Atlantic – 104 runs, 34.67 AVG, S/R 144, one 50
3. A. Dodson, New York – 73 runs, 73.00 AVG, S/R 137
4. S. Nadkarni, Central West – 65 runs, 21.67 AVG, S/R 180
T5. A Bhatti, Atlantic – 59 runs, 29.50 AVG, S/R 100
T5. T. Thomas, North East – 59 runs, 29.50 AVG, S/R 163
7. S. Siriwardena, Central East – 57 runs, 28.50 AVG, S/R 118
8. Q. Alfred, New York – 50 runs, 25.00 AVG, S/R 166
9. S. Singh, North West – 48 runs, 24.00 AVG, S/R 114
10. R Kukreti, Central West – 46 runs, 15.33 AVG, S/R 127
Half-centuries
G. Roopnarine, Atlantic – 96 vs. North East; 81 not out vs. Central West
A. Mishra, Atlantic – 87 vs. New York
Complete Match Scorecards [USA score repository made possible by a grant from the New Inning Foundation.] Central West vs. South West
Central East vs. North West
North West vs. South West
Atlantic vs. North East
New York vs. South East
North East vs. South East
Central East vs. Central West
Atlantic vs. New York
Atlantic vs. Central West
[Views expressed in this article are those of the author. These are not the official views of USACA or its selectors.]
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By Sam Sooppersaud
 The
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Cougars became the 2011 PSAL Cricket
Champions when they edged out Long Island City High School in an
exciting final at the Baisley Park Cricket Field in Queens, New York.
Right: FDR took home the championship in the Super Over after the match was tied [Photo Courtesy: John Aaron]
It
was a nail-biting finish as the game was tied, with a Super Over
required to decide the eventful winners. The over 500 spectators were
treated to an IPL-like Twenty/20 game in which fortunes pendulumed from
one team to the next and back to the first.
It was marvellous
cricketing weather. The skies were clear with not even a hint of any
dark clouds. The sun was shining down on the very lush green grass
carpeted cricket field. A slight, but invigorating breeze was blowing
across the venue. The branches of the surrounding trees was swaying
with each wisp of the winds.
As early as one hour prior to the
2:00P.M. scheduled start of the game a significant number of spectators
-cricket fans- were setting up their chairs under the trees which
provided a respite from the blazing sun.
The wicket was already
prepared and the two umpires were busy verifying that all was done
according to acceptable (ICC) specifications. A number of players were
doing their pre-game routines: stretching, catching, throwing, light
jogging. A few were just stretching out on the grassy surface relaxing
and conserving their energy for the actual contest.
Several
avid joggers were doing their workouts on the track surrounding the
cricket field. A few even stopped to engage the players or fans in
conversation, eliciting information on the upcoming contest (game). On
the whole an air of expectancy hung over Baisley Cricket Field on this
Saturday, June 18, 2011, the arena for the Fourth Edition of the PSAL
Varsity Cricket Championship, the two finalists being FDR and LIC High
Schools.
This game was billed as a contest between Goliath
(FDR) with their cricket skills and might and David (LIC) which had to
offer just their wit and determination. FDR boasted numerous
experienced players as opposed to their counterparts who included no
one of any significant cricketing ability.
LIC won the toss and
gave the first knock to FDR. They started off their innings cautiously
averaging a little over five (5) runs per over for the first six (6)
overs. FDR suffered their first setback with the score on 23 runs, when
the prolific batsman, the usually high scoring Mohaiminul Islam was
caught off the bowling of Muntasir Rana for 6. By the tenth over LIC
had seized the upperhand, having sent back three (3) FDR's star batsmen
back to the showers and with only 49 runs on the scoreboard. The opener
Zahib Tariq was very watchful trying to rebuild the innings. He
eventually went on to top score with 39 runs before he was caught, the
eight wicket to fall. I think the defining moment of the game was when
Zahib was dropped at cover point when he was on 15 runs. He went on to
score an additional 24 runs which eventually took FDR to their score of
100 runs in their twenty (20) overs of batting.
Apart from
two catches floored earlier in the FDR innings, the LIC ground fielding
and catching were superb. Boundaries were hard to come by and FDR had
to settle for rotating the strike. In all LIC used seven (7) bowlers
who were successful in restricting the FDR to a seemingly attainable
total. The only other FDR batsman to reach double figures was Mohib
Tariq (10). Bowling for LIC: Tufayel Ahmed 1-0-9-0, Muntasir Rana
4-0-18-3, Sajib Salam 4--0-18-1, Mohamed Islam 4-1-14-1, Attaur Khhan
3-0-25-1, Davinder Singh 4-0-16-3.
Making an appearance at the
game were Ruben Wills, New York City Councilman for District 28, and
Vivian Cook, Assembly Woman for the 32nd Assembly District and the
Chair of the Democratic Counnty Committee. In between innings
Councilmman Wills addressed the crowd and recognized two of PSAl's
staff who were instrumental in putting PSAL cricket on the map. Cricket
Commissioner Bassett Thompson and Cricket Coordinator Lorna Austin. He
presented the two with a Proclamation recognizing them for their hard
work and dedication in getting cricket in the high schools, the only
high school cricket program in the country.
There were several
coaches from other high schools that had taken part in the 2011 cricket
season but had not made it to the finale. I took the opportunity to ask
them one question: Is the score of 100 runs enough? David Burke, the
coach of Sheepshead Bay H.S. ""FDR is a wonderful team, they can defend
100 runs if they field tight". Lall Saitram, the coach of Abraham
Lincoln said, " I think 100 runs is enough. FDR have four good spinners
and the wicket does take spin. I know that for a fact as my school
played on the wicket a week ago". Nigel Thompson, the coach of Lehman had this to say, " I don't feel 100 is enough, 25 runs more would have made a game".
One
very proud fan at the game was Tariq Hussein, the father of three stars
from FDR, Jazeb Tariq, Zahib Tariq, and Mohib Tariq. I asked him the
question: "Has FDR score enough runs to win the game?" Looking a bit
worried he offered, " I feel they should have scored about 20 runs
more. It is a tough position for both teams, But, FDR bowls and fields
well and they should be able to defend 100 runs."
Following a
plan to settle in and rotate the strike, LIC went out to bat. In the
first five (5) overs FDR floored three (3) catches. However, the medium
pace of Jazeb Tariq and Abrar Zafar bogged down the LIC batsmen while
off spinner Mohaiminul Islam continued to send one batsman after
another to the showers. He took the first four (4) wickets that fell.
At the end of the tenth (10) over LIC had scored only 37 runs while
loosing 4 wickets. The pendulum had swung towards FDR. They seemed to
have breathed in new life as there were chattering of encouragement
from teammates.
If LIC were to recover they would have to do it
ASAP, as at the end of the 14th over they still needed 43 runs for
victory with three tail end batsmen to come. Some damage control was
done by the ninth wicket pair of Wasif Khan (16) and Tufayel Ahmed (8).
LIC needed 25 runs in 24 balls. FDR claimed a ninth wicket. One wicket
for victory, while LIC needed 12 runs in 12 balls. With the start of
the 19th over LIC needed 8 runs if they were to take home the trophy.
Two dot balls. A wide followed by a double. Yet another double. 3 runs
in 2 balls. The batsmen scampered through for a bye while the
wicketkeeper fumbled the ball. 2 runs needed from the last ball for a
LIC victory. A single. Score tied. FDR 100, LIC 100.
In the
Super Over LIC could manage only 4 runs. FDR overcame this on the
second delivery with a maximum to wide extra cover. The FDR players and
supporters ran onto the playing feild in jubilation. Their school had
rescued victory from the jaws of defeat. Coach Fisher of FDR had this
to say about his team's championship
season, " Right now I'm all emotional. We've worked hard for four years
and this is the end of all the hard work. My boys worked hard for
this".
Following the game a presentation ceremony was held
where outstanding performances for the season were recognized with an
award. Most Runs: Abrar Zafar (FDR) 380 runs
Most Wickets: Muntasir Rana (LIC) 26 wickets
Hat trick: A. Rashad ( B'klyn In'l) Amit Seenarine (John Adams)
5 Wicket Haul: S. Ganiadoo (Aviation), A. Rashad (B'klyn Int'l), B. Mutlani (Richmond Hill), M. Rana (LIC)
Awards for the Finals
Best Bowler: Mohaiminul Islam (FDR) 4 for 26
Best Batsman: Zahib Tariq (FDR) 39 runs
MVP: Zahib Tariq (FDR) 39 runs & 2 for 29
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By Peter Della Penna in Newark, New Jersey
Atlantic openers Aditya Mishra and Gowkaran Roopnarine showed their
hunger for a spot on the USA national team by feasting on the opposition
bowlers Sunday afternoon as they guided their team to a pair of
victories to finish as the undefeated tournament champions on Sunday at
the 2011 USACA Twenty20 Nationals in Newark, New Jersey. Mishra scored
87 in a five-run win over New York while Roopnarine scored 81 not out in
a 42-run win over Central West in the championship match at Weequahic
Park.
Game One – North East vs. South East 15-over game
In the first match of the day, North East defeated South East by 16
runs, a final margin that makes the game look much closer than it
actually was. North East won the toss and elected to bat first. Three
of the top four batsmen – Sharaz Baksh, Manwar Abassi and Timmy Thomas –
made solid contributions. Abassi top scored with 34 in 24 balls and
produced a 57-run second wicket stand with Baksh that propelled North
East to a total of 110 for 8. Bhim George took 4 for 14 bowling left-arm
orthodox spin for South East while there were also three runouts in the
field.
South East’s chase was reduced by one over for a slow over rate in
the field. Despite facing an unheralded North East bowling attack, South
East struggled to get any momentum going. Sheldon Smith bowled an
economical three over spell of left-arm spin, taking 1 for 7, while
Thomas dashed any hopes of a South East charge by taking 3 for 13 with
his off-spin. South East needed 33 off the last over to win but the
first ball bowled by Fazal Alam went for a single to seal the game. Two
sixes off the last two balls by Hussain Haider meant that South East
finished on 94 for 9. Thomas was named Man of the Match for scoring 29
in 17 to go along with his tidy bowling effort.
Game Two - Central West vs. Central East 15-over game
In a game to decide who would win the Western Conference, Central
West defeated Central East by three wickets in a hard fought contest.
Central East won the toss and elected to bat first and for the second
match in a row, Central East’s openers got their side off to a fantastic
start with a 59-run stand. Fahad Babar played shots all around the
ground while Saminda Siriwardena supported him by giving him the strike
at every opportunity. Babar fell for 40 in 27 and was replaced by
Manpreet Singh, who survived a chance on 20 and went on to rocket 42 off
20 balls. No one crossed double digits outside the top three though and
Central East finished on 120 for 9.
Central West came out swinging hard and fast, determined to finish
the game as quickly as possible to overtake Central East on net run
rate. Akhil Pathan bowled Ryan Corns on the third ball of the innings,
but Rahul Kukreti came in and teamed up with Sushil Nadkarni to boost
CWR with a 52-run second wicket partnership in 3.4 overs. Nadkarni fell
for 24 in 11 and Man of the Match Kukreti a short time later for 35 in
21, both to Airaj Syed’s off-spin.
Amir Nanji carried the chase after the twin setbacks, scoring 23 off
18 balls before falling to Pathan making it 110 for 7 in 11.3 overs.
Orlando Baker and Usman Shuja took Central West over the line with 15
balls to spare as Central West finished with a net run rate that took
them past Central East by 0.797 runs per over and assured them a place
in the final against the winner of the game between New York and
Atlantic. South West finished third in the group and North West last on
net run rate with all four teams sharing a 1-1 record.
Game Three – New York vs. Atlantic 15-over game
In a thrilling see-saw contest, Atlantic held off New York to win by
five runs. Atlantic won the toss and batted first as Aditya Mishra put
the New York bowling attack to the sword. A day after his opening
partner Gowkaran Roopnarine scored 96 in 58 balls against North East,
Mishra tallied 87 in 49 balls, mixing elegance with brute force. Mishra,
who brought up his 50 in 33 balls, had eight fours and six sixes in his
knock and put on 73 in eight overs for the first wicket with
Roopnarine. After both men left the crease, Naseer Islam and Stuart
Mills turned in handy cameos to take Atlantic to 161 for 5 at the end of
the innings.
Image (above) - Aditya Mishra watches the ball fly away over long
on after striking New York leg-spinner Bryan Murphy for his third six
in four balls during the 10th over. [Courtesy: Peter Della
Penna/DreamCricket]
New York seemed undaunted by the run rate needed to win as Akeem
Dodson and Glen Hall got New York off to a scorching start. Hall fell on
the fifth ball of the second over for 17 in 7 balls, but Quasen Alfred
picked up where he left off the day before with a series of monster
hits. Alfred and Dodson took New York to 89 for 1 after seven overs and
it appeared they would cruise to victory until Sean Stanislaus shifted
the momentum of the game with a sensational runout on the first ball of
the eighth. Stanislaus charged in from the midwicket boundary and fired a
sensational direct hit to nab Alfred, who was attempting to come back
for a second run and the second wicket stand ended at 63 in 32 balls.
Dodson fell a short time later, caught on the boundary for 49 in 28
balls to make it 108 for 3 in 9.4 overs.
New York was still in front of the required scoring rate with a slew
of batsmen up their sleeve, but the tide turned back in favor of
Atlantic again when Naseer Islam bowled a crucial 12th over, conceding
only four runs as he dismissed Bryan Murphy for 20 and two balls later
had vice-captain Barrington Bartley out stumped for a golden duck. New
York then scored 10 each in the 13th and 14th overs to enter the final
over at 144 for 5 needing 18 to win.
Atlantic captain Neil McGarrell came on to bowl his last over with
George Adams on strike and Steve Massiah at the opposite end. The first
ball was pitched full on the stumps and Adams slogged it over midwicket
for six before cracking a full toss over the cover boundary on the next
ball for another maximum, whipping the New York bench into a frenzy.
McGarrell kept his cool though and fired the next ball in flatter and
fuller to clean bowl Adams as the batsman failed in his attempt to end
the match with a third straight heave. Karan Ganesh came in was beaten
in flight to be stumped on the only ball he faced for the weekend,
giving Atlantic belief once again. Andy Mohammed arrived for the hat
trick ball and in an attempt to get a single to put Massiah on strike,
Mohammed played around a full delivery to see his stumps knocked back as
the Atlantic fielders swarmed their captain in celebration. With one
ball to go, New York’s last chance at victory was in the hands of Adrian
Gordon but he suffered the same fate as Ganesh, beaten in flight and
stumped as McGarrell took four wickets in four balls to end the match.
McGarrell’s heroics earned him the Man of the Match award ahead of
Mishra, who turned in the second highest score of the weekend.
Atlantic finished the Eastern Conference group undefeated while New
York finished ahead of North East on net run rate in second place at
1-1. North East finished third while South East was the only winless
team on the weekend and finished in last place.
Championship Match – Atlantic vs. Central West 12-over game
Atlantic surged on after the win over New York and left Central West
in the dust to win the tournament final by 42 runs, the widest victory
margin by runs in the tournament. Central West won the toss and
curiously sent Atlantic in to bat. Six of the eight group matches were
won by the team batting first, but Central West had successfully won
chasing against Central East earlier in the day.
Only a few hours after he plundered New York’s bowling attack, Mishra
was out first ball of the innings to Usman Shuja, late on a pull shot
to send a top edge to point. It didn’t matter though as Roopnarine and
Adil Bhatti combined for a 92-run partnership during the next 8.4 overs.
The two players shared a 97-run stand a day before against North East
as well, the two highest partnerships of the tournament. Roopnarine was
ruthless in his assault on the CWR bowlers, bringing up his 50 in 24
balls, while Bhatti complemented him with a series of graceful lofted
drives. The stand ended when Bhatti was run out for 33 in 26 balls
trying to turn a single into two. Roopnarine kept on chugging along
though and finished with 81 in 38 balls, including four fours and eight
sixes, to give Atlantic a first innings total of 133 for 3.
Central West openers Nadkarni and Corns provided brief hope of
winning, taking the score to 38 in the first four overs, but on the last
ball of the fourth, Nadkarni’s attempt at a fourth six failed and he
was bowled by Bhatti’s medium pace for 24 in 12 balls. That wound up
being the top score for CWR as their chase soon fizzled. Junaid Rasheed
finished with 3 for 10 in two overs of off-spin and Central West ended
on 91 for 7 in their 12 overs.
At the tournament awards presentation, Roopnarine cleaned up the
awards for Finals MVP, Best Batsman and Tournament MVP, finishing with
193 runs in three innings at an average of 96.50. Shail Bhatt of Central
West finished the weekend as the highest wicket-taker with eight and
claimed the Best Bowler trophy. New York’s Dodson was given the Best
Young Player (Under-25) award after finishing with 73 runs at the same
average while completing four dismissals behind the stumps in addition
to one runout.
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By Peter Della Penna in Edison, New Jersey
Teams and administrators struggled to cope with ground conditions for
the second day in a row, but five matches were played with New York and
Atlantic coming away on top in the Eastern Conference bracket while
North West, South West and Central East all claimed victories in the
Western Conference on Saturday at the 2011 USACA Twenty20 Nationals in
Edison, New Jersey.
The matches were moved from Newark to the Edison area because the
grounds designated for play were waterlogged and and most other grounds
were unavailable as a result of local leagues having play scheduled for
Saturday. At the Woodbrook Elementary School in Edison, only two matches
were played on a field in which the grass was reportedly six to eight
inches high or more. Balls were allegedly lost in the grass inside the
field of play. Gowkaran Roopnarine turned in the top score of the day,
blasting 96 runs off 58 balls as Atlantic posted 163 for 4 in 20 overs
before defeating North East by 18 runs.
In the second match at the ground, New York throttled South East by
seven wickets. South East won the toss and batted first, but not for
long as they were bowled out for 77 in 16.3 overs. Adrian Gordon took 3
for 33 and leg-spinner Bryan Murphy 3 for 9. Only two players passed
double-digits for South East with Syed Hasan top scoring with 23. Akeem
Dodson had four dismissals behind the stumps. New York chased the runs
in 8.5 overs for the loss of three wickets. Dodson finished 24 not out
while Quasen Alfred also scored 24, including two sixes.
At Pine Grove Manor Elementary School in Somerset, the first match of
the day scheduled between South West and Central West was delayed for
more than two hours due to wretched ground conditions. The players
showed up at the ground to find the field littered with broken glass
bottles and drug paraphernalia.
Initially, it appeared that there might be no play at the ground as
the captains and management of each teams were uneasy about playing on
the field due to serious safety concerns. Ultimately, the players of all
four Western Conference teams spent about 20 minutes collecting shards
of glass by picking them up and putting them into plastic bags until the
ground was deemed reasonable enough to begin play.
The first match was reduced to 15 overs, which South West won by 10
runs. SWR won the toss, batting first and posted 109 all out in 15
overs. Central West fast bowler Usman Shuja set the tone early on,
taking 3 for 1 in three overs. Off-spinner Shail Bhatt then cleaned up
the lower order, taking 6 for 24 in his three over spell.
Central West’s task of chasing the runs appeared to be
straightforward at the innings break before they were informed that they
had taken too long to bowl their overs and received a two over penalty,
creating a target of 110 in 13 overs.
Elmore Hutchinson claimed the big scalp of Sushil Nadkarni, top
edging a hook that sailed straight to fine leg. Hammad Shahid then
accounted for Ryan Corns and Amir Nanji with a pair of short balls and
Central West struggled to rebuild from 22 for 3. Kashyap Desai played a
valiant knock down the order with 34 in 16 balls but it was not enough
as Central West finished 99 for 9 in 13.
Central East won the second 15-over contest of the day, beating North
West by 28 runs. CER won the toss and batted first as the opening pair
of Darshan Patel and Saminda Siriwardena put on 52 runs for the first
wicket. Siriwardena in particular looked majestic as he top scored with
42 off 29 balls including seven fours, every one of them flayed through
the off side. Central East finished at 139 for 7 in their 15 with Sunny
Singh taking 3 for 11 in two overs for North West.
Singh and Srikanth Sundaragopalan then one-upped CER by putting on 66
runs for the first wicket in reply for North West. Singh finished with
40 and Sundaragopalan with 25, but when the pair got out the North West
innings ran out of steam and they finished on 111 for 6.
The final match of the day was a 12-over game between North West and
South West, with NWR coming out on top by six runs. North West won the
toss and batted first, notching 128 for 5 in their 12. North West was 63
for 3 in eight overs, but more than doubled their score in the last 24
balls. Syed Fareed Ahmad led the charge at number five, scoring 40 not
out off 20 balls including four sixes while Ashok Singh blasted 26 in 8
balls, with five fours and a six.
South West kept the run rate in check during the early part of their
chase as Ricky Singh and Peshaan Wedanarachchi had a brisk 59-run
opening stand. South West then lost three wickets in three balls as
Singh left for 35 at the end of the fifth and Wedanarachchi for 19 at
the start of the sixth over. Amit Sood was then out first ball on the
second delivery of the sixth over by Ahmad to make it 59 for 3.
South West still looked a good chance to win until Marcus Stewart
fell for 26 off 12 on the fourth ball of the 10th over to make it 102
for 5 and Hutchinson fell on the next ball, both men claimed by left arm
spinner Samarth Shah.
South West needed 13 to win off the last over, but couldn’t pull it
off, finishing 122 for 8 in 12. Crucially, the umpires called two
five-ball overs in a row, the seventh and eighth overs. Had South West
been able to use those two extra deliveries to score, the match may have
turned out different. Shah finished a superb spell with 4 for 20 in
three, including a tremendous final over under pressure.
Sunday will have three 15-over games played at Weequahic Park in
Newark. The first fixture is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. between South
East and North East. Central West vs. Central East and New York vs.
Atlantic are the other two matches on tap.
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By ThirdMaan
Let's get one thing straight. The US U19 team that played in the February 2011 ICC Americas tournament did finish first and they did beat a legitimate contender in Canada in the finals. But what was quite evident in the matches against competitive teams (Canada and to a lesser extent, Argentina) is that the US batting, but for the openers in Taylor and Mirza, were woeful. Without vital contributions from all-rounders Salman Ahmed and Pranay Suri, the US may not even have won either of these matches. So one would think that the selectors would reflect on all this and enhance the batting strength of the team even at the expense of an extra bowler. They have in fact done the exact opposite in picking the 18 from which the final 14 will be selected.
Here is the list that USACA published: Shayan Abdul Ghani, Salman Ahmad. Kalim Ahmed, Sohaib Choudhry, Abhijit Joshi, Cameron Mirza, Prashant Nair, Prumjot Panesar, Mital Patel, Amarnauth Persaud, Gurpreet Sandhu, Gregory Raj Sewdial, Hammad Shahid, Trevor Singh, Jodhbir Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Pranay Suri and Steven Taylor.
When you contrast it to the 18 that was picked for the ICC Americas tournament, you will notice that Fahad Babar (who made himself unavailable) has been replaced by Greg Sewdial, a veteran U19 campaigner. Also Waleed Karimullah, a medium pacer has been replaced by Jasdeep Singh, also a medium pacer who coincidentally is from the same Atlantic region. Akash Jagannathan (who also regularly keeps for his NWR league team) and Krish Goel (who bowls handy off-spin), both solid middle-order batsmen from NWR, have been replaced by Prumjot Panesar (primarily a keeper who can wield the long handle) and Prashanth Nair (a left-arm off-spinner and lower-order batsman from New York). So we have even less batting than we did before in the 18 and more bowling than is possibly needed.
Another anomaly is that there are three spinners (two left-arm and one right-arm) all of whom turn the ball away from right-handers. And the only legitimate off-spinner, Pranay Suri, was given all of one over in the February tournament so clearly they want to only use him as a batsman. This being the case, it would have made sense to bring an off-spinner, someone like Viraj Sehgal from SWR, to the camp.
As far as batting is concerned, Cameron Mirza, Stephen Taylor, Abhijit Joshi, Jodhbir Singh – all open the batting for their regions. The only true middle-order batsman is Greg Sewdial with Abhijit Joshi capable of adapting to it. Both Salman Ahmed and Pranay Suri can certainly bat but they are best described as all-rounders. Pace bowling seems to be in good shape especially in the hands of Hamad Shahid and Salman Ahmed with some depth on offer. One area of concern would be catching as one can expect a fair number of edges. The spin department is in reasonable shape but it is unlikely that they will play more than a containment role given the seaming conditions. It will be interesting to see who makes the next cut to 14 players but it would appear that about the only spot open is replacing an extra bowler (likely a medium pacer) with someone who can bat a bit – someone like a Prashanth Nair.
The teams that the US will play in Ireland will be well balanced (relative to what they faced in the February) and the conditions will favor seam and swing. The premium will be on batting straight and not slogging as is common on flat tracks that our U19s are used to locally. Unless the middle order can help recover from potential early loss of wickets, the team will struggle to put up defendable scores or chase modest ones. This is where the lack of middle order batting strength is likely to be felt. The form of Greg Sewdial and Abhijit Joshi will thus be key to USA's chances.
[The author, who wishes to remain anonymous, writes the insighftul 'ThirdMaan blog - Views on US Cricket from Deep Third Man.' He can be reached via thirdmaan@gmail.com]
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By Peter Della Penna in Newark, NJ
Overnight rain left Bloomfield’s Watsessing Park in a state of
disarray, forcing all Friday matches at the venue to be canceled while a
severe afternoon thunderstorm brought heavy rain and hail to Newark’s
Weequahic Park to bring a complete abandonment to the first day of the
2011 USACA Twenty20 Nationals.
Image (above): A view of the infield and pitch of Watsessing Park
at noon time on Friday. Despite morning and afternoon sun, overnight
rain left the field unplayable. [Courtesy: Peter Della
Penna/DreamCricket]
Two games scheduled for 9 a.m. were postponed while organizers drove
to different grounds in the area looking for a suitable replacement for
Watsessing Park as the infield there was filled with puddles from steady
showers overnight. After surveying backup grounds including Orange Park
and Warinanco Park, no ground was deemed suitable as a substitute.
Meanwhile, Weequahic Park was drying out and after an 11 a.m. meeting
with all managers at the team hotel, it was announced that two matches
would still be played there with the first one scheduled to get underway
at 12:30 p.m. However, when 12:30 came around, the ground was not ready
for use, despite bright and sunny conditions, because the matting pitch
had not yet been laid down and nailed in for play to begin between
South East and New York.
The toss finally took place at 1:30 with South East winning and
electing to field. The players took the field and play was set to begin
at 1:40 when showers came across the field and chased the players off
just before the first ball was about to be bowled. The mat was not
covered and with the pitch now very damp, a further delay ensued. With
more storms on the way, the pitch was then covered and a short time
later a massive thunderstorm rolled through the park, sending players
and administrators racing to their cars. In addition to the rain, hail
stones also began falling for 10-15 minutes. The storm was so bad that
the area in the vicinity of Weequahic Park suffered flash flooding. Play
was then canceled for the rest of the day.
Image (above): A flash thunderstorm left this tent in ruins at
Weequahic Park after the teams left the field. [Courtesy: Peter Della
Penna/DreamCricket]
Regardless of the fact that play was canceled, several teams have
begun voicing their displeasure with how the event has been organized
thus far. Disregarding the fact that the infield at Watsessing Park was
waterlogged, players who visited the field on Friday morning were
shocked to find that the field did not appear to have been cut anytime
recently, with blades of grass reaching between four and six inches
high. The hotel that is being used for this tournament is in a rundown
area of East Orange and the front desk in the hotel lobby is encased in
what appears to be bulletproof glass.
It is currently unknown how much play, if any, will take place on
Saturday. In all likelihood, Watsessing Park will be unavailable for the
entire weekend due to its poor drainage. Even if any other grounds are
not affected by the rain, the local leagues in New Jersey opted not to
cancel play for this weekend which makes finding an available ground
increasingly difficult. Options will be reevaluated by tournament
organizers overnight before deciding the best way to proceed with the
event.
While rain played a major part in ruining play on Friday in New
Jersey, conditions are forecast to be bright and sunny all weekend in
Plano, Texas. Russell Creek Park in Plano was slated as the original
host of this weekend’s tournament until a dispute between local
organizers and USACA administrators resulted in the Central West
recusing itself from hosting the tournament.
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By Peter Della Penna
According to a report published Thursday night on newyorkcricket.com,
USACA has named a preliminary USA U-19 squad of 18 players from last
weekend’s selection trials in New York. The final 14 that will compete
in the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier must be submitted to the ICC by June
28.
 Two
players who were part of the USA U-19 squad that won the ICC Americas
U-19 tournament in Florida last February did not make the final 18 –
fast bowler Waleed Javed Karimullah and batsman Fahad Babar. Karimullah
was the only player never selected in the starting XI in any of the USA
U-19 team’s five matches in February while it was previously reported by
DreamCricket that batsman Fahad Babar had withdrawn himself from
consideration.
Image (right) - Steven Taylor in action at USA U-19 trials in New York on June 11. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]
Aside from the 12 remaining players from February’s team, former USA
U-19 vice-captain Greg Sewdial was named as expected in the list of 18
in his comeback from two surgeries on his left ankle. He was also joined
by fast bowlers Sohaib Choudhry and Jasdeep Singh, left-arm spinner
Prashanth Nair, all-rounder Amarnauth Persaud and wicketkeeper Prumjot
Panesar.
Four players will be cut from the list of 18 to form the final 14-man
squad. The 14-man squad will then play four 50-over warm-up matches
against the West Indies U-19 in Florida next month before leaving for
the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier, scheduled for July 28-August 9 in
Ireland and Northern Ireland.
USA U-19 preliminary 18-man squad by region
Atlantic – Kalim Ahmed, Mital Patel, Jasdeep Singh
Central East – Sohaib Choudhry, Abhijit Joshi
Central West – None
New York – Cameron Mirza, Prashanth Nair, Amarnauth Persaud, Greg Sewdial, Trevor Singh
North East – None
North West – Prumjot Panesar (wk), Jodhbir Singh, Pranay Suri
South East – Steven Taylor (wk)
South West – Shayan Abdulghani, Salman Ahmad, Gurpreet Sandhu, Hammad Shahid
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By Peter Della Penna
The first ever USACA Twenty20 Nationals takes place this weekend,
June 17-19, in Newark, New Jersey. On Tuesday, DreamCricket.com
published Part 1
of its tournament preview featuring the Atlantic, Central East, South
West and North West Regions. The following is a brief look at the other
four teams scheduled to compete in the tournament – Central West, New
York, North East and South East. A final confirmed tournament schedule
is also listed at the bottom of the preview.
Central West –  This
lineup is packed with power, but has stumbled during the last two years
at national tournaments, unable to make it to the Super League. They’ll
be trying to set things right in New Jersey. The squad is captained by
explosive USA opening batsman Sushil Nadkarni. Wicketkeeper Rahul
Kukreti serves as the team’s vice-captain.
Central West has the most current USA players on its roster of any
team in the tournament with four. Ryan Corns, Orlando Baker and Usman
Shuja (pictured right/photo courtesy: ICC) all toured Hong Kong in
January playing for USA along with Nadkarni. Kukreti and Jignesh Desai
have also represented USA in the past. With New York’s Carl Wright and
South West’s Ritesh Kadu not participating in this tournament, Kukreti
may have a chance to force his way back into the USA team as a keeper
for July’s ICC Americas T20 tournament.
Missing from the squad is talented youngster Abbas Jafri, who got
rave reviews from those present at both the U-19 and Senior Western
Conference in 2010 for his top class batting.
Central West squad – Sushil Nadkarni (captain), Rahul
Kukreti (vice-captain), Orlando Baker, Shalil Bhatt, Owen Brown, Ruchir
Chabbra, Ryan Corns, Jignesh Desai, Kashyap Desai, Vivek Inampudi,
Jermaine Levine, Amir Nanjee, Ankit Mehta, Usman Shuja.
New York – After an embarrassing display in Florida
last November at the 50-over Senior Nationals, the New York squad has a
lot to prove heading into this tournament. The squad once again packs a
big punch in both the batting and bowling departments, but it remains to
be seen whether they will function as a unified team or as a bunch of
talented individuals.
 USA
captain Steve Massiah also holds the same role for New York while
Barrington Bartley (pictured left) is his deputy. Batsman Clain Williams
and seam bowler George Adams have switched allegiances this year,
moving from the Atlantic squad to play under Massiah.
Kevin Darlington and Adrian Gordon lead the pace attack for New York.
Massiah and Williams have a big responsibility to make runs and they’ll
be supported by Glen Hall, Andy Mohammed and Akeem Dodson, who are all
pressing for a return to the national team. The biggest news is that
both Carl Wright and Rashard Marshall were not named in the squad and it
remains to be seen whether or not this will affect their chances for
selection to USA’s squad for the ICC Americas T20 tournament next month.
New York squad – Steve Massiah (captain), Barrington
Bartley (vice-captain), George Adams, Quasen Alfred, Kevin Darlington,
Akeem Dodson, Karan Ganesh, Adrian Gordon, Glen Hall, Andre Kirton, Andy
Mohammed, Bryan Murphy, Nicholas Standford, Clain Williams.
North East – The North East Region finished winless
and in last place at the 2010 Eastern Conference Tournament in Atlanta
and they’ll have a tough time overcoming the opposition this time around
as well. Compared to the other teams in the event, they lack the star
power to stand toe-to-toe with the opposition and will have to rely on
chemistry and a fighting spirit to have any chance at turning things
around.
The squad  includes
several young players including Akhil Husbands, Huen
Daley and former North East U-19 captain Chevon McLean.
However, the squad will depend heavily on the experience of players like
all-rounder Fazal Alam, Timmy Thomas and hard-hitting opener Sharaz
Baksh (pictured right), a former Guyana U-19 player, in order to be
competitive.
Making matters more difficult for North East is the fact that Srinath
Rajagopalan is no longer a part of their squad. Rajagopalan was one of
the few bright spots for North East last year, finishing as the leading
wicket-taker in the Eastern Conference Tournament in Atlanta with eight
scalps, including 4 for 21 in a narrow loss to Atlantic. The explosive Oneil Powell was a late addition to the squad, along with Kevin Baugh, and that could have an impact on the fortunes of North East.
North East squad – Prasanna Ramaswamy (captain), Sharaz Baksh (vice-captain), Manwar Abassi, Fazal Alam, Kevin Baugh, Huen Daley, Shawn Edwards, Akhil Husbands, Chevon
McLean, Everton Nelson, Oneil Powell, Sheldon Smith,
Timmy Thomas, Sundaharami Vankjanati.
South East – The region’s squad combines young
talent with some fairly grizzled vets. They have the right balance to
come in first, but everyone needs to fire. South East is captained by
Nasir “Charlie” Javed, whose ESPNcricinfo profile says he will turn 45
two days after the end of the tournament.
 Wicketkeeper
Steven Taylor (pictured left) is one of only two players in this
tournament – along with Hammad Shahid – expected to tour Ireland with
the USA U-19 team in July. Bhim George had a scintillating weekend with
the bat in the South East inter-league tournament prior to this event
and he’ll be expected to provide most of the runs along with Taylor,
Japen Patel and Timothy Surujbally.
On the bowling side, the Georgia combination of Anand Tummala and
Jibran Gul will have the lion’s share of the pace duties. Spinners
Hussain Haidar and Javed are also expected to have important roles to
play in the field. Timroy Allen was not picked to be a part of the squad
because he did not play in the South East inter-league tournament,
allegedly due to a dispute between rival competitions in which he was
participating in Orlando.
South East squad – Nasir Javed (captain), Shane Ford,
Bhim George, Jibran Gul, Hussain Haidar, Syed Hasan, Moazzam Imtiaz,
Dunae Nathaniel, Ishmael Parchment, Japen Patel, Anthony Sahadeo,
Timothy Surujbally, Steven Taylor, Anand Tummala.
2011 USACA Twenty20 Nationals Schedule (as of June 15 – subject to change)
The following schedule was obtained from USACA General Manager Manaf
Mohamed on Wednesday afternoon. Instead of having Groups A & B
determined by rankings from last year’s 50-over tournaments, the
schedule has reverted back to an Eastern Conference and Western
Conference round robin stage. At the end of the round robin stage, each
team will contest a playoff match against the team who finished in the
corresponding position in the opposite conference to determine final
rankings (i.e. 1st place Eastern vs. 1st place Western, 2nd place
Eastern vs. 2nd place Western, etc.).
Watsessing Park in Bloomfield will now be used as a venue instead of
Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus. However, that could change as rain is
forecast in the area for Friday and the fields at Watsessing Park have a
historically poor drainage system. Matches that were scheduled for
Watsessing Park for the 2010 USACA U-15 National Tournament had to be
moved to other venues when rainfall at the park in the lead up to the
event rendered the grounds unplayable.
Conditions permitting, DreamCricket.com will provide live
ball-by-ball commentary of all Group A matches taking place at
Watsessing Park on Friday and Saturday as well as the 3rd place and
championship matches at Weequahic Park on Sunday.
Group A/Western Conference – Central East, Central West, North West, South West
Group B/Eastern Conference – Atlantic, New York, North East, South East
Friday June 17 at Weequahic Park in Newark, NJ
9 a.m. – New York vs. South East
12:30 p.m. – New York vs. North East
4 p.m. – Atlantic vs. South East
Friday June 17 at Watsessing Park in Bloomfield, NJ
9 a.m. – Central West vs. Central East
12:30 p.m. South West vs. Central East
4 p.m. – South West vs. North West
Saturday June 18 at Watsessing Park in Bloomfield, NJ
9 a.m. – North West vs. Central East
9 a.m. – Atlantic vs. North East
12:30 p.m. – Central West vs. North West
12:30 p.m. – North East vs. South East
4 p.m. – South West vs. Central West
4 p.m. – Atlantic vs. New York
Sunday June 19 at Watsessing Park in Bloomfield, NJ
9 a.m. – 7th place playoff: Group A #4 vs. Group B #4
12:30 p.m. – 5th place playoff: Group A #3 vs. Group B #3
Sunday June 19 at Weequahic Park in Newark, NJ
9 a.m. – 3rd place playoff: Group A #2 vs. Group B #2
12:30 p.m. – Championship match: Group A #1 vs. Group B #1
4 p.m. – Tournament Awards Presentation
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