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After the 1st weekend of DreamCricket’s inaugural Winter Cricket Tournament 2010, the teams assembled again at the Hillsborough, NJ indoor facility for what became affectionately referred to as cricket’s version of “Super Saturday”.

The events of the evening got underway at 6:45PM when Derby (the top team to emerge out of Group “A”) faced off against the Dream Runners (The 2nd place team from “Group B”, who barely scraped through to the Semi Finals with one win after ending their first match with a negative score. Derby won the toss and bowled first. Dream Runners’ first batting pair of Rushi Amin and Lalit got their team off to a good start and the next pairs also chipped in with useful contributions to muster 23 runs in 6 overs. This is a score that, in the 6-over Indoor cricket world, would be considered ‘something that the bowlers could bowl at’.

Derby started cautiously, but once they lost their first wicket, the burden of a negative score started weighing each of their pairs down progressively and the proverbial floodgates blasted open. Dream Runners added to their misery with some brilliant fielding and tight bowling that ensured that they were the first entrants into the Final.

The next match started as scheduled at 7:30PM. This one, between the favorites, Woodlot from Group “B”, and the Desi Warriors from Group “A”, started with Desi Warriors scoring their highest total, the 2nd defendable total of the day, 26. They must have started that defense with one eye firmly set on the Final. But one over where a Desi Warrior was no-balled for a back foot ‘No Ball’ 4 times and gave away few more 2s saw Woodlot miraculously pull of a victory and entered the Finals against Dream Runners. This is probably why they say ‘champion teams find a way to win’ or ‘winning is a habit’.

Photo (Left): Winners of the DreamCricket Winter Tournament, Woodlot

Woodlot proved that once more when they lost the toss to Dream Runners in the Finals and, with a meager total of just 14, still took crucial wickets at the right time and added pressure of the Dream Runners batting combinations. Dream Runners still entered the last over with 10 runs to go, but another wicket in that over pretty much sealed the tournament in Woodlot’s favor.

At the ensuing awards ceremony, Kranthi Bayya, CEO of DreamCricket, welcomed and thanked all gathered for making this tournament a success and announced that a few Winter Tournaments were in the works. Venu Myneni, CEO of Radiant Systems and a partner and advisor at DreamCricket presented the Winner’s trophy to Woodlot. The Winners also received a certificate for free practice hours at the vast 6000 sq. ft. facility at DreamCricket’s Hillsborough, NJ location. Ms. Bayya also awarded free practice hours to ALL the teams that participated in this inaugural tournament.

The captains of the teams assembled expressed their gratitude to DreamCricket for an opportunity to “…play some sport and get some exercise during the winter …” as Sriram from Woodlot put it. Dream Runners awarded their Runner Up trophy to Derby as a gesture of goodwill, gratitude and upheld the spirit of this sport that has been instrumental in its longevity.

For indoor cricket practice, go to
DreamCricket, 5 Jill Court, Bldg 14, Door 16, Hillsborough, NJ.

If you or someone you know would like to participate in future DreamCricket tournaments or events,

• please contact:
  frontfoot@dreamcricket.com for more information or
• keep checking this page for updates on ore winter leagues and tournaments at DreamCricket.