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USA Cricketer
July 2010 - Posts
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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
 On July 14, the USA women’s cricket squad defeated Canada for the second day in a row to clinch a best out of three series and a spot in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier next year in Bangladesh.
Pic (Right): USA Women's Team [Courtesy: Bryan Vandenburg, ICC]
Standing (L to R) Victor Benjamin (Physio), Joan Alexander-Serrano, Candacy Atkins, Monique Mathee, Louise Browne-Jackson (Manager), Rajashree Mahale, Erica Rendler, Durga Das (Captain), Grace Richards, Lloyd Dixon (Asst. Manager). Seated: (L to R) Doris Francis, Indomatie Goordial-John (Player/Coach), Shondell Ward, Rohini Prabhune, Triholder Marshall, Nadia T. Gruny. Absent: Pauline Williams.
It was an achievement made even more special because the team managed to triumph despite limited preparation and the departure of one player in the middle of the tour to sweep Canada in three 50-over matches before losing two Twenty20 matches.
“I think the team performed tremendously,” said USA women’s captain Durga Das. “I think we took the Canadians by surprise. I don’t think they expected us to come together so quickly in the short time we had and we were able to work as a team. We feel more put together as a team than they were.”
USA’s bowlers had a huge impact on the series. Canada was bowled out for totals of 114, 135 and 86 in the three 50-over games.
“I think the one thing that changed everything psychologically in our side as well as in the minds of our opponents was definitely our bowling,” said Das. “I had even some of the Canadians come up to me and say there wasn’t much they could do. It’s not like we were bowling googlies around them but some of them came up to me and said that our bowling was so spot on.”
Shondell Ward led USA with eight wickets, including 5 for 20 in the first match to set the tone for USA. Das says she announced a wicket bounty before the first game and Ward nearly fetched it.
“I offered an incentive,” said Das. “I basically said six wickets, five thousand dollars and she took five so I gave her $2500.”
On the morning of the second match, USA had to get past some internal strife to regain focus and notch their second victory. Squad member Pauline Williams decided to leave the team due to differences with the team management. Williams came to the ground with the team, but removed herself from the lineup and left the ground by the start of the match due to dissatisfaction with her role on the team.
“I think it was basically unmet expectations on Pauline’s side,” said Das. “Unfortunately, when you play in a team, everybody thinks they’re the best or wants to think they’re the best. But you have different strengths and you have to be prepared to sit out a game and not be able to explore what you think is best for you all the time. If you feel that that’s not okay and you need to play a certain number and play a certain day, well then you should probably play an individual sport like golf so that you can do your own thing. But when you’re playing a team sport, you’ve got to work with everyone and accept what decisions are being made. You can’t lose your temper and pout about it and certainly abandoning the team is not a good thing.”
Williams says that the team management acted unfairly towards her. She ultimately decided to leave the team rather than wait until the end of the series to resolve how she felt she was being treated.
“They became very hostile to me,” said Williams. “They didn’t treat me nice at all. That’s why I had to remove myself from the situation because it could have escalated to something very very unpleasant.”
When asked how the management acted hostile towards her, Williams responded by saying that the coach and captain did not want her to keep wicket.
“I’d been training to be the keeper,” said Williams. “Since they scheduled training in New York, I’d been training to keep. I’d been selected as the USA keeper. However, there’s another girl who keeps as well. She has never been to practice. She has never trained to keep. All the training the day before the first match, I was training as a keeper. However, when we had the first game, they didn’t put me to keep, they put her to keep. I didn’t have a problem with that. I said okay, maybe I’ll keep the second game. But it was surprising to me.”
The other player was Monique Mathee, who played for the champion Northeast squad at the Women’s National Tournament. Mathee completed two catches behind the stumps in the first game, but Williams was unhappy with her role during the same match.
“Actually, they put me to field in a position that I’m not used to fielding,” said Williams. “It was like I was just standing out there with nothing for me to do. I’m very active. They put me in a position where my skills were not being utilized. I was just being neutralized. I wasn’t doing anything and that’s not the position I play. From being the keeper they put me at fine leg.” Williams was also upset that she came in at number nine. According to Williams, she scored the second most runs at the Women’s National Tournament behind player-coach Indomatie Goordial-John.
“So that was the first game. Second game came, right, I asked them if I was going to be the keeper for the second game and they said no, very rudely, and then I decided not to play. They were actually punishing me. For the first game, I went into the tournament as lineup for batting as third. They played me to bat the ninth position. That’s second to last,” said Williams. “I pulled myself out of the second game. They were not going to let me keep and the trainer he actually started insulting me.” When asked how trainer Victor Benjamin was insulting her, she replied, “He was being so rude to me and telling me that [Monique Mathee] is a better keeper than me.”
Mathee wound up completing three dismissals in that second match and scored 70 not out to be named Player of the Match. Mathee completed six dismissals in the three 50-over matches behind the stumps and finished as the second highest run-scorer for USA behind Goordial-John. According to Northeast women’s coach Linden Fraser, Mathee is the better keeper.
“I have seen all the wicketkeepers in that tournament. The best wicketkeeper, I’m not speaking because I’m from the Northeast, I’m speaking because the best wicketkeeper from that tournament was Monique,” said Fraser. “Technically, she knows most of the little points in keeping wickets. Against the spinners, you can not stand back to spinners and that is what Pauline was doing. For her to stump anyone off the spinners, she’ll have to throw the ball into the wicket.”
After the tournament, Williams penned an email to the USACA board in which she blasted the team, saving her harshest words for Das and Goordial-John.
“Whatever is said and done, she had a lot of choice things to say about me and she commented on Facebook and elsewhere about my decisions but all I have to say in response to that, whether it’s with you or to anybody else who asks me, is whatever decisions were taken were decisions taken between the manager, coach and myself,” said Das. “They were joint decisions and they were decisions that were taken in the best interest of the team and our focus and goal which was to win. There are other players who sat out and they certainly didn’t react the same way.”
Playing all but one of the matches with a 13-player squad, USA became worn down by the time the twin Twenty20 matches were played on July 17. USA lost the two games by 38 runs and eight wickets.
“By the Twenty20s we had seven or eight players who were injured,” said Das. “Hamstrings, elbows, ankles, knees, everybody was injured in some form or manner. So I certainly think that eight out of 13 girls injured is not a good sign. So I really think that working on our fitness levels and that goes for everybody, old, young, everybody. I’ve heard comments that the older people were unfit and the youngsters pulled it all together which is utter rubbish. In the last Twenty20, we had five of the youngsters unable to play. Tired, pulled hamstring, shins, what have you. So I think it’s a common problem.
“I think fitness is a common issue across the team. We certainly need to work on our fitness levels. We should be able to play seven, eight games one after the other and still be able to hold our own. I remember our camps when we used to train [in India] it would be 45 days, non-stop, eight hours a day. So that’s the kind of fitness levels we need if we really want to compete at the world level. Playing Americas is one thing, but playing England and Australia and India is a whole new ball game.”
Even though Benjamin was sent with the squad to be a trainer, Das claims it’s not his fault that the team sustained so many injuries.
“He met the team like 24 hours before we left and there’s not that much you can do to fix issues in 24 hours,” said Das. “He doesn’t know the girls enough. I think he was good with the training. I think we certainly need a physio, somebody who handles our physio a little differently. To be fair to him, he did the best he could. I mean how much can you do knowing the girls in 24 hours? So it’s important to get the team together a little sooner.”
“It’s important to identify key management and players well in advance so that everyone is mentally prepared. It’s important for the trainers and coaches to understand the players, their strengths and their weaknesses at this point. I’m sure we’ll learn from this experience. I think everybody, the management, the board and the players did a fabulous job given the short notice. But certainly this is not supposed to be done again. We have to give everybody time to come together and do their part the best way they can.”
As part of the tour review, Krish Prasad, chairman of the USACA cricket committee, says that USACA will be looking into the situation involving Williams.
“USACA has not addressed the situation as yet because the president asked us to appoint a disciplinary committee to look into what took place and then to make a decision of what we are going to proceed with,” said Prasad.
Williams claims she’s still part of the USA squad. She believes she should still be considered for selection when the team is picked to go to Bangladesh next year.
“I’m still a part of the team,” said Williams. “I’m still a member of the team. I’m still a part of the team until they give me like a notice or something like that. But so far I’m still an active member and a team player. I’m still on the team because I haven’t received anything, any notice of dismissal or anything from the USACA board.”
Das is willing to look past the decision Williams made, as long as she apologizes.
“I think she’s young,” said Das. “I think she’s lost her temper and she reacted, but people make mistakes. Right? No matter how badly she speaks of me, I still don’t think I would react in the same fashion. I’m sure she realizes that she made a mistake by walking out on the team and she should be given a chance and she should be given an opportunity to prove herself and if she proves herself, well good for her and good for the team and good for the country.
“As long as she speaks to the board and apologizes for leaving the team. It’s not about apologizing to me personally. It’s just about apologizing to the management that put together this team and if they accept her apology and give her a chance to show them her skills, she should.”
Aside from the turmoil, Das says the experience of leading the team to victory was a high point for her.
“For me it’s a dream come true,” said Das. “I had this opportunity 22 years ago and miraculously I’ve been given this opportunity this time and I was just so glad that… I was a little anxious about how the team will bond because there was so much going on before we all got together. I was called the captain just a week before we left. So going to New York and talking with the girls and getting to know them and play with them and getting their acceptance probably was the high point of my life. It was amazing. Every one of the team’s players, barring one I guess, basically stood behind me. They were very supportive, they were very kind.
“They really made this special for me. I owe everything to the team. It was an outstanding performance. For them to have made this so special for me, I can only thank them.”
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James Schneider of The Sun Chronicle wrote of Wrentham's Eagle Cricket Club's efforts to promote cricket in Massachusetts.
Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world, yet that's how
Americans think of it. Unlike soccer, this country makes no attempt to
learn the other world sport, no half-hearted attempt to pretend it even
cares.
The Eagle Cricket Club in Wrentham is trying to change that.
It might come as a surprise, but there are Cricket Clubs in the United
States - thousands of them in fact. But right now they're made up
almost entirely of immigrants.
"If we all retire the sport would
die (in America)," said ECC vice-president Ravi Rao. "The whole idea
for us is, 80 years from now, what should we do?"
Binit Shah, 11, of Medfield practices his fielding. "Over
the years, most of (US) cricket has been expatriates, but we need to do
more than that, we need to go into these schools and get American-born
kids into cricket," said USA Cricket board member and Northeast
representative Tony Gilkes.
So
the ECC, which has been located in Wrentham since 2003, decided to do
something no cricket club in Massachusetts has ever done before: hold a
summer camp for kids.
Here is the link to the full article.
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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
There are only two weeks until USA’s squad departs for Bologna, Italy,
in the next phase of qualifying for the 2015 ICC World Cup. The squad
announced by USACA on Friday sees four changes from the team that
toured Bermuda for the ICC Americas Division One Tournament in May and
June. Bilal
Khan, Ashhar Mehdi, Moazzam Imtiaz and Clain Williams have been left
out, along with Andy Mohammed who was originally selected for the tour
to Bermuda which he missed due to injury. In their places are Steven
Taylor, Kevin Darlington, Usman Shuja and Nasir “Charlie” Javed.
Captain Steve Massiah is very pleased with the squad that he will
take with him to compete in the World Cricket League Division Four
tournament against the host nation Italy as well as Cayman Islands,
Argentina, Nepal and Tanzania.
“It’s an excellent team,” said Massiah by phone on Sunday night. “I
think it’s the best composition. It’s an experienced team and for the
first time I think in U.S. history, or probably in my time of playing,
there have been four Under-25 players in the squad. So I think it’s
definitely a team for the present and for the future so I think overall
it’s an excellent composition.”
 The
four players under the age of 25 are Timroy Allen, Muhammad Ghous,
Adrian Gordon and Taylor. Gordon and Ghous were the only two out of the
six first-time players selected for USA’s tour of Bermuda that have
been retained in the squad. While Massiah gave lots of praise to Ghous
after the conclusion of the tour in June, the captain was also
impressed with the performance of Gordon.
Pic (Right): Muhammad Ghous was one four players named to the squad who are under 25 years of age. [Courtesy: Daniela Zaharia]
“I think he’s pacy,” said Massiah. “He’s probably one of the fastest
bowlers in the country. He’s young, so I think that’s what he brings,
the youth and he’s a very exciting prospect.”
Taylor will get another chance to play with the men’s team after
debuting against Jamaica during The Pearls Cup in Lauderhill, Fla.,
this past May. The 16-year-old is the only American-born player in the
squad and will be an understudy to wicketkeeper-batsman Carl Wright.
“Steven Taylor’s addition is for the future,” said Massiah. “He’s an
exciting young opening batsman and a competent enough keeper,
especially with the experience of Carl Wright in this team, it will do
wonders for him. Wright will take him under his wing and hopefully he
can take over in the future so definitely that’s a positive step.”
Shuja and Darlington return after missing the tour to Bermuda because
of school and work obligations respectively. The fact that USA
performed so well in Bermuda despite missing their top two pace bowlers
bodes well for the upcoming tournament in Italy and Massiah is
delighted to have them back.
“Of course it does wonders for the team in the sense that it brings our
pace bowling attack some much needed experience, especially in a
tournament like this where promotion is of absolute importance,” said
Massiah.
Javed, the South East Region representative on the USACA Board of
Directors, last played for USA almost two years ago. In the 2008 ICC
Americas Division One Tournament played in Florida, the leg-spinner
took three wickets in five games at an average of 32.66. This year for
his club team, Coconut Creek CC in the Florida Southeast Cricket
League, Javed tied for ninth in the league wickets column, taking 16 in
11 games at an average of 18.50. Massiah believes he can still
contribute at the international level.
 Pic (Right): USACA board member Nasir
Javed, 44, was curiously inserted into the squad in a move that appears
to have been endorsed by a majority of his fellow board members. [Courtesy: USACA.org]
“Nasir Javed is probably United States’ most prolific wicket taker
and having him back in the squad gives the squad definite variety that
we’ve been lacking because pretty much we’ve been a one-dimensional
attack whereby four seamers and four off-spinners so that brings a much
needed variety,” said Massiah. “Also with Javed’s wealth of experience,
someone who has played first-class cricket in Pakistan and has
represented United States with great success, I mean that can only
help.”
Javed was selected despite not being in the short list for the
selection camp that took place in December before the February tour of
the UAE and Nepal, nor was he in the short list for the selection camp
in April used to choose USA’s squad for the May and June tour of
Bermuda. Massiah believes that age should not be an issue for the
selection of Javed, who is listed at 44 years old.
“I don’t think that’s an issue, his age, because I think if you are
good enough, then you should play,” said Massiah. “I would not comment
on his age because we’ve had players in the past who’ve been as old or
even older and have represented America and it’s never been an issue.
Like I said, for the first time, the United States have selected four
guys who are under 25. If we could go deep into the history, I don’t
think it has ever happened. So I think there’s a lot of positives
there. I mean, there’s focus on the present. The most important thing
in the United States is for us to keep promoting. I mean we’re not
there to go participate in the tournament and it doesn’t matter whether
we win or lose. It’s of absolute importance that we come one-two so
like I said I’m very happy with the overall composition.”
Massiah hopes that fans will support the team. As he has said before,
he wants to make sure the team keeps advancing through the World
Cricket League until they are back in the top flight of Associate
nations.
“I’d just like to say that I wish that people could just rally around
the team and wish us well because at the end of the day, what we’re
doing here is for all U.S. and it’s for the future of U.S. cricket,”
said Massiah. “Us getting to the [World Cup] Qualifiers is essential to
the growth and development of U.S. cricket and the 2015 World Cup in
another five years, it’s important that we keeping doing well and we
keep either winning these tournaments or at least placing second so
this way we gain the much needed promotion and hopefully we can get
back where in my humble opinion I think we rightly belong: in the
Division One Tournament.
“Let’s look at Canada for instance. They’ve been playing in the West
Indies [Twenty20] tournament there and they haven’t been that
competitive. We played against the Jamaica team and from day one to the
final day, we kept improving. I really think that we do possess the
talent. It’s just a matter of us doing what we have to do and getting
back to where we rightly belong and that’s, in my opinion, in the
Division One Tournament.”
USA Squad: Steve Massiah (Captain), Sushil Nadkarni, (Vice Captain), Aditya
Tharagarajan, Adrian Gordon, Carl Wright, Kevin Darlington, Khawaja
Usman Shuja, Lennox Cush, Muhammad Asad Ghous, Nasir Javed, Orlando
Baker, Rashard Marshall, Steven Taylor, Timroy Allen. Clayton Lambert (Coach) and Imran Khan (Manager)
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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
The USA Cricket Association U-15 National Tournament in Newark, N.J., gave an opportunity for some of America’s best young cricketers to showcase their talents. After witnessing all four days of the tournament and poring through the statistics, I've decided to name the All-Tournament XI based on the performances and achievements during the tournament.
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 by their coaches as more talented than players who made the team, but just did not perform that well over the four days or did not get as many chances to play.
Second, when choices between players with similar stats became close, more weight was given to performances against better opponents. For example, a player who scored runs or took wickets in a match against New York or North West, who finished at the top of their respective groups, was deemed to have turned in a more impressive performance compared to runs or wickets against the last place team in their group.
Third, these two factors are combined with what I saw with my own eyes. 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.
Finally, I tried to select a balanced XI. If the five highest wicket takers in the tournament turned out to be spinners, not all five would stand a chance of making the team as there needs to be pace bowlers to support them. Likewise, if the four highest scorers in the tournament were opening batsmen, only two of them can be slotted into a role on an All-Tournament team as an opener.
 1. Arsh Buch, right-hand batsman, North West – Buch won the Best Batsman award as well as the Tournament MVP by scoring 259 runs at 86.33 with one half-century (87 vs. South East) and one century (110 not out vs. North East). He played a key role at the top of the order in leading North West to the tournament title.
Pic (Right): Arsh Buch was named Tournament MVP
Buch also opened the bowling for his team, taking three wickets with left-arm slow-medium pace, including the first two wickets in the final against New York.
 2. Zahib Tariq, right-hand batsman/right-arm off-spin, New York – Scored 186 runs at 93.00 with one half-century (57 not out vs. Central East) and one century (112 not out vs. South West).
Pic (Left): Tariq scored one century and one half-century in the tournament
Tariq demonstrated outstanding temperament at the crease and was perhaps the most complete cricketer in the tournament, a major reason why New York nearly won the title before falling short in the final against North West where he was cruelly run out. He took 7 for 72 in the tournament at an average of 10.29 and also played at times as a wicketkeeper. Tariq plays in the NY PSAL for Franklin D. Roosevelt HS.
 3. Shakeel Ahmad, right-hand batsman, South West – Scored 182 runs at 60.67 with two half-centuries (72 vs. Directors’ XI; 60 not out vs. South East). Ahmad was the fourth highest run-scorer in the tournament on the fifth-place team, where he sometimes lacked support around him.
Pic (Right): Ahmad scored two half-centuries and took four wickets for South West
Ahmad top-scored for South West in all of their matches and would have scored even more in a team with better batting depth. Also took four wickets alternating between leg-spin and off-spin.
 4. Randall Wilson, right-hand batsman/right-arm medium, New York – Had the most runs for all batsmen after the group stage and finished second overall with 239 runs at 119.50 with one half-century (61 not out vs. Central East) and one century (163 not out vs. Directors’ XI).
Pic (Left): Randall Wilson scored 239 runs, which made him the second-ranked batsman
A well-built player who also opened the bowling for New York, Wilson took four wickets and was arguably the fastest bowler in the tournament. He also plays in the NY PSAL for John Adams HS.
 5. Trevis Ross (vice-captain), left-hand batsman/right-arm off-spin, New York – One of the best performing players for USA at the ICC Americas U-15 Tournament in Brooklyn, N.Y., last August, Ross didn’t have to bat much in group play as his teammates Tariq and Wilson racked up the runs.
Pic (Right): NY Captain Trevis Ross scored 70 under pressure and took 6 for 71
But New York’s captain contributed when it mattered, scoring 70 under pressure in the championship match against North West. He averaged 36.33 at the crease with 109 total runs and took 6 for 71 bowling tidy off-spin in the tournament.
.jpg) 6. Rohit Mogalayapalli, right-hand batsman, Central East – Scored 148 runs at 37.00 including one half-century (68 vs. Directors’ XI) to help lead CER to a third place finish.
Pic (Left): Mogalayapalli was Central East's leading scorer
The 13-year-old is the youngest player in the All-Tournament XI. He is a very technically sound batsman with one of the best cut shots on display in the tournament. Mogalayapalli also took two wickets.
.jpg) 7. Dave Parikh, left-hand batsman/left-arm slow-medium, North West – Quietly played a pivotal role for the tournament champions. Parikh scored 139 runs at 46.33 with two half-centuries (51 vs. North East; 74 not out vs. New York).
Pic (Right): Parikh played a pivotal role in the final
Parikh also did more than his share with the ball by taking 6 for 41 in the tournament.
.jpg) 8. Roshan Varadarajan (captain), right-arm off-spin/right-hand batsman, North West – USA’s vice-captain at the ICC Americas U-15 Tournament last year, Varadarajan was superb in captaining North West to the their third straight U-15 title. He scored 101 runs at 33.67 with one half-century (54 not out vs. North East).
Pic (Left): Varadarajan scored 101 at 33.67 and took 9 for 59
Varadarajan could have scored more runs, but playing for North West’s stacked lineup in the middle order, he often came in with not much time to bat. With the ball, he contained and attacked at once. Varadarajan took 9 for 59, with three maidens in 18 overs to land at number three in the wickets column for the tournament. He had a 3.28 economy rate and 6.56 average.
 9. Gordon Makin, wicketkeeper/right-hand batsman, Central East – Makin stood above the rest at the wicketkeeper position. He kept adequately behind the stumps to a bowling attack that almost exclusively used spin, completing three stumpings and teaming up for two runouts.
Pic (Right): Makin kept wicket adequately and scored the most runs for any keeper
The 14-year-old Mill Creek (Mich.) Middle School student finished with far and away the most runs for any keeper in the event with 106 runs at 26.50 and scored one half-century (57 vs. South West).
.jpg) 10. Ryan Persaud, right-arm leg-spin/right-hand batsman, Atlantic – A lethal leg-spinner, Persaud’s perfect flight and sharp turn caused problems for every team he faced. His performances with the ball were consistent as he took at least three wickets in all four games.
Pic (Left): Persaud took 13 wickets and was named the tournament's Best Bowler in addition to scoring 139 runs
Persaud claimed 13 scalps for 48 runs at an average of 3.69 with an economy rate of 1.99 in 24.1 overs to be named the tournament’s Best Bowler. His top performance with the ball was 4 for 15 in 6.2 overs against eventual tournament champion North West, the best figures any bowler turned in against the title winners. With the bat, he scored 139 runs at an average of 34.75 including one half-century (75 vs. South East).
 11. Harish Saikara, right-arm medium, Directors’ XI – Overlooked for the Atlantic Region squad, Saikara finished as the leading wicket-taker for all pace bowlers in the tournament with 10 for 162, the second most wickets overall behind only Persaud. His slingshot action caused problems for many batsmen.
Pic (Right): Harish took 5 for 56 against New York - four were clean bowled
Saikara’s best performance was 5 for 56 against New York, with four of the five clean bowled. His runs conceded are skewed because Directors’ XI played three of their four games on a Branch Brook Park pitch with a very short (35-40 yards) boundary on the west side of the ground.
Honorable Mentions
There are also five players who performed well to deserve honorable mention but did not make the list above, in some cases due to a close call. They are named in no particular order.
 Rishi Patel, right-hand batsman/right-arm leg-spin, Atlantic – Patel finished tied for fourth in the wickets column with 8 for 51 and scored 55 runs for the fourth place team in the tournament.
Pic (Left): Patel, one half of the Atlantic leg-spinner duo, tied for fourth in the wickets column
In the crucial match against the eventual champion North West, Patel accounted for three of the seven wickets to fall to leg-spin. While Patel finished with 3 for 15 in four overs, Persaud took 4 for 15 in 6.2 overs. Against South East, Patel scored 41 as an opener and took 4 for 16 in six overs.
 Vivek Barbhaiya, wicketkeeper/right-hand batsman, Directors’ XI – Turned in an outstanding performance behind the stumps against Central East, taking two catches and completing four stumpings to have the most dismissals for any player in a single game.
Pic (Right): Barbhaiya finished with the most dismissals and had 58 runs in the tournament
Barbhaiya topped all wicketkeepers with 10 dismissals overall in the form of three catches and seven stumpings. Barbhaiya top-scored with 30 against New York and had 58 runs in the tournament. The 13-year-old kept wicket for the first time in a match less than a month ago at the U-13 Tournament hosted by California Cricket Academy in Cupertino, Calif.
 Pic (Left): Faraz Jaferi made a half-century and took six wickets
Faraz Jaferi, right-hand batsman/left-arm orthodox spin, South East – Scored 98 runs at an average of 32.67 including one half-century (66 not out vs. North East) where he was named Man of the Match. He took 6 for 93 bowling left-arm spin without much help around him.
 Raymond Ramrattan, right-hand batsman/right-arm leg-spin, Directors’ XI – One of the youngest players in the tournament, the 10-year-old finished tied for fourth in the wickets column with 8 for 139.
Pic (Right): Ten-year-old Ramrattan tied for fourth in the wickets column
He was named Man of the Match in his team’s victory over North East in the seventh place game where he took 3 for 24 and scored 28 runs before being run out and finished with 57 total runs in four matches. His runs conceded are skewed because his team played three of their four games on the smaller Branch Brook Park pitch.
Nauman Khan, right-arm leg-spin, Central East – The 13-year-old opened the bowling as a leg-spinner in two of four matches for CER showing tremendous control and kept pressure on his opponents. He took 5 for 77 in 28 overs with six maidens. [Photo not available for this player]
In addition to picking an All-Tournament XI, I have ranked the top five players from this event who will have an impact at the U-19 level. Some may push for spots in next year’s USA squad that will be attempting to qualify for the 2012 ICC U-19 World Cup.
1. Zahib Tariq – His game was more polished than anyone else in the tournament. He never looks like getting out and paces his innings remarkably well. Tariq is very athletic and can do anything on the field.
2. Ryan Persaud – Quality leg-spin is hard to find, which makes Persaud worth his weight in gold. Not only is he a wicket-taker, his accuracy is remarkable for a leggie.
3. Roshan Varadarajan – Another player who does everything well. He is extremely valuable in the middle order for his ability to play spin, which most players at this level struggle with. His bowling was superb and he fields like a tiger in the circle.
4. Trevis Ross – Didn’t have to do much with so many good players around him, but showed his class in the final. Being left-handed at the crease also helps his case.
5. Arsh Buch – One of the most technically sound batsmen in the tournament, there is no debating the weight of runs he scored. He will be even better once he fills out his frame.
Top five run-scorers in the tournament
Arsh Buch, North West – 259, 86.33 AVG, one 50, one 100, top score 110 not out
Randall Wilson, New York – 239, 119.50 AVG, one 50, one 100, top score 163 not out
Zahib Tariq, New York – 186, 93.00 AVG, one 50, one 100, top score 112 not out
Shakeel Ahmad, South West – 182, 60.67 AVG, two 50s, top score 72
Rohit Mogalayapalli, Central East – 148, 37.00 AVG, one 50, top score 68
Top five wicket-takers in the tournament
Ryan Persaud, Atlantic – 13 wickets, 24.1 overs, 48 runs, 4 maidens
Harish Saikara, Directors’ XI – 10 wickets, 28 overs, 162 runs, 1 maiden
Roshan Varadarajan, North West – 9 wickets, 18 overs, 59 runs, 3 maidens
Rishi Patel, Atlantic – 8 wickets, 15 overs, 51 runs, 2 maidens
Raymond Ramrattan, Directors’ XI – 8 wickets, 31 overs, 139 runs, 2 maidens
[Views expressed in the article are those of the author. If you have differing views on one or all players, please use the comments section. As the author has stated, there were players that did not get a chance to play to their potential either due to match situations, squad selection or injury, which is why this is an All-Tournament XI. To name an All-American XI, as the USA Cricket Association has done at the U-19 level, a more complete analysis of academy-level or league-level statistics would be necessary.]
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The Northwest Herald of McHenry County in Illinois reported that a cricket field had been approved for the Sunset Park in Lake in the Hills, Illinois (near Chicago). "Adnan Baig, President of the United Cricket Club, earlier this year requested space for a cricket court in Lake in the Hills," the article noted.
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According to the Southern Californian Indo-American newspaper 'India Journal' -
"The Whitney Indian Parents Association at Whitney High (near Cerritos, CA), organized a cricket tournament to help raise funds for the school’s multi-media center project. The tournament was held on June 26 and 27 at the Cerritos Regional Park.
Twelve teams from Southern California in 19 games battled it out for the first WIPA cricket tournament."
The more active cricket players and supporters are in their community, the greater the chances are of the game's success.
Full article here: http://www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=11741
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Malcolm Speed, who preceded Haroon Lorgat as CEO of the International Cricket Council has proposed this radically different model for cricket's governance.
Talking about governance at ICC, he says "Politics was never far below the surface." And adds: "Powerful and vocal individuals can influence the direction of the debate, which was often at an extremely high level. At other times, it was parochial and devoid of logic and balance." Sound familiar?
Full article here: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-needs-to-emulate-afl-commission-20100709-1044f.html
"My ideal commission would consist of nine persons, each independent of the administration of cricket in their country of origin: three current or former players; three outstanding nominees from business or the professions; and three current or former administrators," he says.
Cannot disagree with that! If that kind of a model works for a company like GE or IBM, why not for cricket?
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The Telegraph's Scyld Berry writes about the shared history of baseball and cricket.
"Australia's cricketers owed their primacy as the world's Test and one-day champions partly to their American baseball coach, Michael Young, who taught their fielders to corner the batsman like a hunting pack; and this summer he was seconded to Somerset.
A generation ago, fielders did not dive; now they swoop, fling, leap and pirouette, before firing the ball over the stumps with a flat throw of no more than one bounce. Baseball has brought athleticism and choreography to cricket.
In return, baseball owes to England its existence. The first reference to baseball in the world occurs in the diary of a Surrey solicitor, William Bray, in 1755. Bray and his friends played "base-ball" together in Shere."
No need for a straight bat: Ian Botham at The Oval during a challenge match
Photo: Steve Poole / Daily Mail / Rex Features
Full article here.
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By Peter Della Penna
North West’s Arsh Buch and Dave Parikh produced an 87-run opening partnership to set a platform for a winning total to help defeat New York by 59 runs at Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus, N.J., on the final day of the USACA U-15 National Tournament. Buch was named Man of the Match after scoring 40 in North West’s total of 196 for 8 and taking two wickets at the start of New York’s chase as North West finished the tournament undefeated.
“We were originally looking to post anywhere between 180 to 200,” said Buch. “After awhile I think when Dave and Roshan [Varadarajan] were hitting, we wanted to get around 210, just basically singles and doubles. We knew this was a big ground and not many of our players could clear it so we just wanted to make them tired by running our runs and putting pressure on them.”
North West won the toss and elected to bat on yet another 90F degree day in New Jersey. Although the Laurel Hill Park ground was the biggest one used in the tournament, the field is crowned and the grass is cut low enabling players to get full value for shots, something that is rare to find across America. It was a fitting venue for a championship match. 
North West's U-15 squad coached by Raj Badadare poses for a winning team photo with player families surrounding them. [Pic courtesy: Peter Della Penna]
Buch and Parikh came out and breezily stroked the ball around, refusing to let themselves be intimidated by the fastest opening pace combination in the tournament, Randall Wilson and Jamel Parillon. They saw off each man’s opening five-over spell, carrying North West to 28 for 0 in 10 overs. It wasn’t until the 20th over when the first boundary of the match was hit by Parikh over point to make it 71 for 0.
Buch was finally dismissed in the 23rd, chipping a full ball from off-spinner Zahib Tariq straight to captain Trevis Ross at midwicket. New York should have had Parikh out for 48 in the 28th over with the score on 107 when he skied an attempted slog. As the ball swirled above midwicket in the circle, two fielders converged on the ball and collided with the ball popping out and going to ground. It proved to be very costly.
Number three batsman Vibhav Altekar was out a short time later for 17 to left-arm orthodox spinner Brandon Dat, beaten in flight and stumped by Tariq, who kept wicket when he wasn’t bowling. The score was 121 for 2 in the 30th and even though wickets kept falling at regular intervals, the scoreboard kept flowing because Parikh was still at the wicket. The left-hander finished on 74 not out in 117 balls with five boundaries.
Post Match Interview with North West's Arsh Buch & Coach Raj Badadare from Peter Della Penna on Vimeo.
New York opened the chase with Tariq and Wilson, each of whom had scored centuries earlier in the tournament. As usual, both men had a cautious start, especially Tariq, who took 16 balls to get off the mark. After six overs, the score was 20 for 0. Both batsmen started to look more confident and began playing more shots.
However, the players had to come off the field because the lunch was not delivered in time for the scheduled innings/lunch break. Instead it arrived in the sixth over. As had been the case throughout the tournament, the umpires took the players off for a second extended break whenever the meals actually arrived. This turned out to be a key moment in the game because when play resumed, North West took two wickets in the very next over. Buch dismissed Wilson caught behind for 11 on the fifth ball of the seventh over while the next man in Rezaul Karim was bowled for a golden duck to put North West on top at 21 for 2.
Ross came in next and his partnership with Tariq was going to determine whether or not New York could reach the target. The two looked very good at the crease and began rotating the strike with ease. On the last ball of the 13th over bowled by North West captain Roshan Varadarajan, Tariq pushed to mid off for what should have been an easy single, but Ross was ball-watching and never left his crease. Tariq was left stranded and the throw from Sefath Yasini to the keeper found Tariq’s desperate dive a yard short to be run out for 12, making it 47 for 3.
Parillon came in to bat and constructed a solid partnership with Ross. It looked like New York might still make a run at the target of 197, but after adding 48 runs in 10.2 overs, Parillon was cleaned up by a yorker from Yasini to be out for 11. Three deliveries later, Ross brought up his 50 in 51 balls with a four clubbed over mid on. Mahmudur Rahman scored 9 before he was caught and bowled by spinner Sandeep Pedada to make it 117 for 5 at the end of 28.
New York needed 80 in 12 overs, a reachable target with Ross still at the crease, but with Rahman out, New York’s tail began. New York’s running between the wickets was poor all day and once again it showed late in the match as Ross could not get enough of the strike. The pressure mounted and he was forced to swing for the fences.
With the score at 135 for 6 at the start of the 36th over, Varadarajan finally dismissed his opposite number. The off-spinner had Ross well caught for 70 at deep midwicket by Yasini to spark a wild celebration on the field. Two balls later, Varadarajan bowled Andrew Deodat for a duck before finishing the over getting Surendra Singh caught at short cover without scoring. North West took four wickets in seven balls to finish the match as Mihir Athavale dismissed Dat for 1 to wrap up the game.
In the third place match at Watsessing Park, Central East hung on to beat Atlantic by six runs. Central East posted a modest 118 all out in 39.2 overs with captain Paarth Joshi’s 31 the top score. Joshi then led the team in the field with 3 wickets for 23 runs including the final wicket with eight balls to go in the match as his side bowled out Atlantic for 112.
In the fifth place game at Branch Brook Park, South West defeated South East by 78 runs. South West scored 198 for 7 in 40 overs with captain Shakeel Ahmad finishing 60 not out. South East was then bowled out for 120 in 33 overs.
In the seventh place game, Directors’ XI shocked North East to win by six wickets. North East set a stiff target of 188 to win, but Directors XI chased the runs down as Haq Khan finished 45 not out, while Poojan Modi walked off with him unbeaten on 23. Raymond Ramrattan, who turned 10 only four days before the tournament began, was named Man of the Match after taking three wickets and scoring 28 for Directors’ XI.
USACA U-15 National Tournament Presentation Ceremony from Peter Della Penna on Vimeo.
At the tournament presentation ceremony, Ryan Persaud of the Atlantic Region was named Best Bowler after a phenomenal display of leg-spin. Persaud took 13 wickets for 48 runs in 24.1 overs with four maidens in four matches playing for the fourth place team. North West’s Buch was named Best Batsman and Tournament MVP after leading his team to the title with 269 runs in four innings at an average of 89.67 with one century and one half-century.
USACA U-15 Tournament Championship Match
Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus, N.J.
New York vs. North West
North West won by 59 runs
North West won the toss and elected to bat
North West Batting
Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal
D Parikh 74 117 5 0 not out
A Buch 40 59 1 0 ct Ross b Z Tariq
V Altekar 17 23 2 0 st Z Tariq+ b Dat
S Yasini 5 8 0 0 ct Z Tariq+ b Wilson
R Varadarajan* 20 16 1 0 ct Z Tariq b Parillon
V Jayram 0 2 0 0 ct Ross b Parillon
N Tagare 4 6 0 0 b Parillon
K Tirumirti 3 5 0 0 b Wilson
M Athavale 0 1 0 0 runout (Karim/Tariq+)
S Pedada 6 3 0 0 not out
Total Extras 27 (0 no balls, 4 byes, 4 leg byes, 19 wides)
Team Total 196 for 8 in 40 overs
Did not bat: A Amritharaj+
New York Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
R Wilson 8-0-43-2
J Parillon 8-3-21-3
R Karim 2-0-7-0
T Ross 5-0-29-0
M Katwaroo 2-0-11-0
B Dat 7-0-41-1
Z Tariq 8-2-36-1
New York Batting
Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal
Z Tariq+ 12 41 1 0 runout (Yasini/Amritharaj+)
R Wilson 11 22 0 0 ct Amritharaj b Buch
R Karim 0 1 0 0 b Buch
T Ross* 70 81 7 0 ct Yasini b Varadarajan
J Parillon 11 27 0 0 b Yasini
M Rahman 9 14 0 0 ct & b Pedada
M Tariq 2 8 0 0 runout (Altekar/Pedada)
B Dat 1 20 0 0 ct Pedada b Athavale
A Deodat 0 1 0 0 b Varadarajan
S Singh 0 3 0 0 ct Jayram b Varadarajan
M Katwaroo 0 0 0 0 not out
Total Extras 21 (3 no balls, 0 byes, 1 leg bye, 17 wides)
Team Total 137 all out in 36.1 overs
North West Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
A Buch 5-1-8-2
D Parikh 4-0-21-0
S Yasini 5-0-19-1
R Varadarajan 6-1-23-3
V Jayram 3-0-18-0
V Altekar 4-0-17-0
M Athavale 6.1-0-12-1
S Pedada 3-0-18-1
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By Peter Della Penna
Central East wicketkeeper Gordon Makin struck a determined 57 to lead
his side to victory over South West by 95 runs at Branch Brook Park in
Newark, N.J., on day three of the USACA U-15 National Tournament. Makin
top-scored in Central East’s total of 191 for 9 before they bowled out
South West for 96 in 32.3 overs. Central East finished 2-1 in Group A
and will play in the third place game against Atlantic, who finished
second in Group B with a 2-1 record.
 Pic (Right): Gordon Makin made a determined 57 for Central East [File photo]
Central
East won the toss and elected to bat first on another sweltering hot
day in New Jersey as temperatures once again climbed into the 90s with
high humidity. Makin and Rohit Mogalayapalli teamed up for a 97-run
stand to open the match. South West captain Shakeel Ahmad finally made
the first breakthrough in the 23rd over as Mogalayapalli played across
to a good length ball from the spinner and was clean bowled for 45.
From that moment forward, South West took wickets at regular intervals
to climb back into the game. No one else crossed double-digits for
Central East as Makin was the backbone of his team’s innings. He
reached his 50 in 91 balls but was clean bowled five balls later on the
first delivery of the 38th over from pace bowler Sahaj Patel. Makin
tried backing away to cut but missed and the stumps were rattled.
However, he had carried Central East to 167 for 5 and got a richly
deserved applause from both teams while walking off.
South West looked tired coming out to bat after spending the second
straight match fielding first for more than three hours in brutal heat.
Central East opted to open with two spinners and the strategy worked
wonders as they suffocated the South West top order. Nauman Khan took
the first two wickets, having Murad Khan caught for 2 by captain Paarth
Joshi at short midwicket prodding at a full length delivery. Khan then
had Brahmam Chunduri caught for 1 by Joshi at short cover as the
batsman backed away to punch a delivery through the off side but Joshi
scooped it inches from the ground and South West was struggling at 13
for 2 in the ninth over.
Ahmad was one of two South West players to pass double-digits and the
number three batsman was the only person standing in the way of Central
East wrapping up the match. Ahmad had reached 31 by the last drinks
break after 30 overs with the score on 92 for 6 as South West clung on
hoping that he might lead them to a thrilling comeback needing 100 off
the last 10 overs.
But on the very first ball after drinks, Ahmad got his bat stuck in the
pitch as he came down the track trying to drive the leg-spin of Arsalan
Babar. The batsman couldn’t get his bat back in time and was stumped
for the seventh wicket. The final three men fell for another four runs
as Central East wrapped up the game easily. Three bowlers had two
wickets apiece but Khan finished with by far the best figures, taking 2
for 10 in eight overs with three maidens.
 In
the other match at Branch Brook Park, New York once again feasted on
the tiny west side boundary at the northern ground, racking up 299 for
5 in 40 overs as they defeated Directors’ XI by 186 runs to sweep Group
A and clinch a spot in the championship match. Randall Wilson scored
163 not out coming in at number four, hitting 26 fours and six sixes
along the way. Pic (Right): New York's Randall Wilson looked like he hardly broke a sweat after walking off with 163 not out. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna]
Directors’ XI gave New York a few tense moments as pace bowler Harish
Saikara took all five wickets to make the score 99 for 5. But Wilson
was unperturbed and finished the innings putting on an unbroken sixth
wicket stand of 200 in the final 30 overs with Surendra Singh. Such was
the dominance of Wilson that Singh only scored 18 runs in that
partnership.
“My coach tells me that when I go into bat, make sure we bat all 40
overs,” said Wilson. He has done his best to follow New York coach
Ricky Kissoon’s advice. As a result, Wilson is the leading run-scorer
in the tournament heading into the final day with 228 runs in three
innings while he has only been dismissed once. In the field, Zahib
Tariq had the best figures for New York, turning in 3 for 16 in five
overs to help bowl out Directors’ XI for 113 in 24.3 overs.
At Weequahic Park, Atlantic defeated South East by 91 runs. Rishi Patel
hit 41 opening for Atlantic while Ryan Persaud hit 10 fours and two
sixes during his 75 in a team total of 192 for 5. The two leg-spinners
then rolled through South East’s lineup as Patel took 4 for 16 in six
overs while Persaud finished with 3 for 11 in 6.1 overs. South East’s
Faraz Jaferi scored 28, but got no support as his side was bowled out
for 101 in 29.1 overs. South East will play South West in the fifth
place game as both teams finished 1-2 in group play.
As was anticipated after day one, North West punched their ticket into
the final against New York by sweeping Group B with a 254-run win over
North East at Orange Park. North West racked up the highest innings
score in group play, registering 326 for 6 in 40 overs. Arsh Patel
scored 87 for North West while fellow opener Dave Parikh scored 51.
North West captain Roshan Varadarajan cashed in for the first time with
the bat in this tournament, finishing 54 not out.
North East captain Karanjit Singh played a lone hand at the top of the
order, scoring 35 not out in North East’s total of 72. Five North West
bowlers took two wickets apiece, including Varadarajan and Parikh.
North East will play Directors’ XI in the seventh place game where both
teams will be trying to avoid going winless in the tournament.
USACA U-15 National Tournament
Central East vs. South West
Central East won by 95 runs
Central East won the toss and elected to bat
Central East Batting
Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal
G Makin+ 57 96 3 0 b Sahaj Patel
R Mogalayapalli 45 80 5 1 b Ahmad
A Ahuja 7 18 0 0 b Ahmad
P Joshi* 6 10 1 0 ct P Singh b Sahil Patel
A Mayasandra 5 6 1 0 b Heran Patel
A Sridher 3 18 0 0 b Sahaj Patel
P Patel 0 1 0 0 runout (Suraj Patel/Chunduri)
N Khan 9 8 0 0 st Arjun Patel+ b Suraj Patel
V Joglekar 9 4 0 1 not out
S Kumar 0 3 0 0 b Suraj Patel
Total Extras 50 (4 no balls, 4 byes, 3 leg byes, 39 wides)
Team Total 191 for 9 in 40 overs
Did not bat: A Babar
South West Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
G Singh 5-1-20-0
Sahaj Patel 5-0-28-2
M Khan 6-1-22-0
S Ahmad 8-0-28-2
P Singh 2-0-13-0
Heran Patel 5-0-28-1
Sahil Patel 8-0-36-1
Suraj Patel 2-0-9-2
South West Batting
Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal
M Khan 2 12 0 0 ct Joshi b Khan
B Chunduri 1 26 0 0 ct Joshi b Khan
S Ahmad* 31 71 2 0 st Mayasandra+ b Babar
P Singh 2 26 0 0 runout (Joglekar)
Suraj Patel 6 17 1 0 LBW Sridher
T Mohammad 9 10 0 1 ct Mogalayapalli b Babar
Sahil Patel 0 3 0 0 ct Joglekar b Sridher
Arjun Patel+ 10 17 0 0 b Joshi
Sahaj Patel 0 7 0 0 ct Khan b Patel
G Singh 1 5 0 0 runout (sub (Tirunalayi)/Joshi)
Heran Patel 1 1 0 0 not out
Total Extras 33 (1 no ball, 0 byes, 1 leg bye, 31 wides)
Team Total 96 all out in 32.3 overs
Central East Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
N Khan 8-3-10-2
V Joglekar 5-1-14-0
A Sridher 8-1-31-2
A Babar 8-1-26-2
A Ahuja 2-0-10-0
P Joshi 1-0-1-1
P Patel 0.3-0-3-1
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By Peter Della Penna
 New
York opener Zahib Tariq turned in a near flawless performance against
South West, carrying his bat for 112 not out to lead his side to a
160-run win on Friday at Weequahic Park in Newark, NJ, on day two of
the USACA U-15 National Tournament. New York finished 236 for 4 in 40
overs on the same ground where North West and Atlantic struggled to
score that many runs combined on Thursday.
Pic (Right): New York's Zahib Tariq walks off the field holding
his bat high after batting all 40 overs, finishing 112 not out with
five fours and two sixes. [Courtesy - Peter Della Penna]
The match began after a 67-minute delay which happened because the
umpires were not supplied with any cricket balls to start the match.
New York won the toss and elected to bat first. Tariq walked out with
Randall Wilson a day after both players scored half-centuries in New
York’s 10-wicket win over Central East.
South West made an early breakthrough in the field when Sahaj Patel had
Wilson caught at mid-off by captain Shakeel Ahmad for 4 after
top-edging an attempted pull shot to make it 17 for 1 in the fifth
over. From there though, New York dominated proceedings.
The 15-year-old Tariq was joined by Rezaul Karim and the two put on a
clinical display of batting during a second wicket stand of 154. Karim
faced 10 dot balls to begin his innings after Tariq started his time at
the crease with nine dot balls. Once both players got their eyes in,
they started to make use of the big field, finding gaps at will to
rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard moving as South West toiled
in the field on a day where the temperature rose into the mid 90s.
“The basic strategy was not just Zahib, but with the other opener as
well, is to occupy the crease,” said New York coach Ricky Kissoon.
“Occupy the crease and play the ball on the ground, keep it flat.
Chances are if you hit the ball in the air, you’re gonna get out so we
use that as a strategy for all the matches that we approach.”
Tariq reached 50 in 89 balls and immediately afterward started to press
his foot on the accelerator, clubbing a six over mid off before bashing
a four through the leg side on his next two balls. Karim brought up his
50 in 68 balls with a boundary off a pull shot through square leg but
fell on the very next ball, driving spin bowler Heran Patel straight to
Sahaj Patel at short midwicket to go for 52. New York captain Trevis
Ross tried to up the scoring rate, hitting a four over square leg on
his second ball but fell three balls later for 7 as Heran Patel claimed
his second, caught by Prabhjot Singh at deep midwicket.
Jamel Parillon joined Tariq as he approached triple figures. After
taking a few overs to settle in, Parillon did well to keep getting his
partner on strike as Tariq went from the 80s into the 90s. Tariq didn’t
stay there for long though, spending only nine balls in the 90s before
reaching his century. He moved from 91 to 97 with the shot of the day,
a glorious heave over midwicket that cleared the boundary by 15 yards.
Three singles later, he raised his bat upon reaching 100 in 126 balls,
scoring his second 50 in only 37 deliveries.
Parillon fell for 14 to Heran Patel with seven balls to go in the
innings, driving a ball to Gagandeep Singh at short midwicket. Mahmudur
Rahman joined Tariq for the remaining deliveries. Tariq offered his
only chance on 108 on the first ball of the final over by Suraj Patel
when he was dropped at deep midwicket, but otherwise he played a clean
innings and deserved to walk off unbeaten with his 112 including five
fours and two sixes after batting for three hours and 20 minutes.
Post Match Interview with New York's Zahib Taqir and Coach Ricky Kissoon from Peter Della Penna on Vimeo.
“Just play straight and just try to get more runs and occupy the
crease,” said Tariq when asked about the key to his success so far in
this tournament.
Overall, South West’s bowling and fielding was commendable. Despite the
scorching heat, they continued to chase hard for balls, mixing in some
diving efforts along the way. New York’s batting was just too good.
South West’s lineup looked tired at the crease at the start of the
chase after spending so long in the field and New York showed no mercy
by pouncing on them. Opener Murad Khan was bowled by Wilson for a duck
to make it 5 for 1 before his fellow opener Suraj Patel was bowled for
3 by the centurion’s younger brother, Mohib Tariq, to make it 8 for 2.
Prabhjot Singh fell next for 2, caught behind by Leandre London off
Wilson to make it 24 for 3. Ahmad showed some good skills in reaching
19 to top score for South West a day after hitting 72, but he was
bowled by Parillon to make it 35 for 4 and South West folded up quickly
to finish 76 all out in 27.2 overs.
“We’ve been practicing for a short period of time Monday through Friday
and it’s not easy when kids are coming from different parts,” said
Kissoon about the team’s preparation for the tournament before
highlighting Tariq as an example of the team’s dedication. “Zahid is
actually coming from Coney Island and we practice in Queens so it’s
almost two hours in public transportation for him. So we try to work it
out.”
Parillon finished with 2 for 14 in four overs and was New York’s most
impressive bowler. Wilson took 2 for 12 in five overs while spinner
Andrew Deodat took 2 for 8 in 3.2 overs. New York is 2-0 in the event
and will face Directors’ XI on Saturday. A win will take them through
to the final.
 New
York’s most likely opponent will be North West, who stayed unbeaten
with a 208-run win over South East at Branch Brook Park. Arsh Buch
scored 110 not out in North West’s total of 270 for 6 as the team
seized on the very short boundary on the west side of the ground. Buch
hit 12 fours and two sixes opening the match for North West before
Vivek Jayram took 5 for 12 in four overs to bundle out South East for
62.
Pic (Right): Arsh Buch scored 110 not out with 12 fours and 2 sixes
“I think the biggest difference was that we didn’t lose that many quick
wickets as we did yesterday and I think I was also a little bit more
aggressive,” said Buch. “Yesterday I heard I scored 22 off 72 balls so
that’s really slow and today I think I was a little bit more aggressive
which kind of helped and the boundary I guess was a little shorter.”
Atlantic bounced back from their first day defeat to North West with a
seven-wicket win over North East at Branch Brook Park. Atlantic bowled
North East out for 52 in 14.4 overs before passing the target in 8.5
overs. Ryan Persaud took 3 for 13 in 3.4 overs of leg-spin bowling
while seamer Ghous Agha took 3 for 7 in six overs. Shan Razac finished
22 not out for Atlantic.
Central East notched their first win of the tournament, defeating
Directors’ XI by 86 runs at Orange Park. Central East scored 220 all
out in 39 overs batting first. Rohit Magalayapalli top-scored with 68
for Central East while captain Paarth Joshi chipped in with 44.
Directors’
XI 10-year-old player Raymond Ramrattan took 4 for 46 while
wicketkeeper Vivek Barbhaiya completed six dismissals, including three
stumpings. Ramrattan also scored 20 as Directors’ XI finished 134 for 8
in 40 overs. Nauman Khan and Arsalan Babar took three wickets apiece
for Central East.
The final day of group play will see 2-0 North West play 0-2 North East
at Weequahic Park and 1-1 Atlantic take on 1-1 South East at Orange
Park in Group A. At Branch Brook Park, 2-0 New York will face 0-2
Directors’ XI while 1-1 Central East will face 1-1 South West. All
matches are scheduled for a 10:30 am start.
USACA U-15 National Tournament
New York vs. South West
New York won by 160 runs
New York won the toss and elected to bat
New York Batting
Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal
Z Tariq 112 134 5 2 not out
R Wilson 4 13 0 0 ct Ahmad b Sahaj Patel
R Karim 52 69 7 0 ct Sahaj Patel b Heran Patel
T Ross* 7 5 1 0 ct P Singh b Heran Patel
J Parillon 14 19 0 0 ct G Singh b Heran Patel
M Rahman 2 3 0 0 not out
Total Extras 45 (3 no balls, 0 byes, 1 leg bye, 41 wides)
Team Total 236 for 4 in 40 overs
Did not bat: L London+, M Tariq, S Singh, B Dat, A Deodat
South West Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
Sahaj Patel 4-0-31-1
G Singh 7-0-28-0
M Khan 8-1-33-0
S Ahmad 8-0-42-0
P Singh 2-0-18-0
Suraj Patel 6-0-43-0
Heran Patel 3-0-28-3
Sahil Patel 2-0-12-0
South West Batting
Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal
M Khan 0 10 0 0 b Wilson
Suraj Patel 3 13 0 0 b M Tariq
S Ahmad* 19 31 2 0 b Parillon
P Singh 2 13 0 0 ct London+ b Wilson
T Mohammad 9 18 0 0 ct Karim b Parillon
B Chunduri 5 36 0 0 runout (M Tariq/Wilson)
Sahil Patel 3 14 0 0 b Ross
A Patel 3 10 0 0 not out
Sahaj Patel 6 13 1 0 b Deodat
G Singh 2 2 0 0 runout (Rahman/London+)
Heran Patel 1 5 0 0 st London+ b Deodat
Total Extras 23 (1 no ball, 0 byes, 1 leg bye, 21 wides)
Team Total 76 all out in 27.2 overs
New York Bowling
R Wilson 5-0-12-2
M Tariq 5-0-12-1
J Parillon 4-0-14-2
B Dat 5-0-14-2
T Ross 5-1-9-1
A Deodat 3.2-0-8-2
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By Peter Della Penna
 Defending
champion North West Region scratched their way to a 23-run win over the
Atlantic Region on the first day of the USACA U-15 National Tournament
at Weequahic Park on Thursday afternoon in Newark, NJ. The match was
delayed two hours after being moved to Weequahic Park because
Watsessing Park, one of the original venues, was unplayable due to
heavy rain in the area on Wednesday. Pic (Right): Ryan Persaud took 4 for 15 and scored 38 runs [Courtesy: ICUSA]
Atlantic won the toss and elected to bowl first, but their attack was
jittery at the start and it cost them in the end. A combination of
nerves and inexperience from the pace bowlers contributed to a total of
50 wides bowled by Atlantic.
Arsh Buch and Dave Parikh constructed a 44-run opening partnership in
9.3 overs in which 25 of the runs came from wides. Buch wound up
finishing as the top batsman for North West with 22 in 72 balls. He did
not try to dominate the bowlers but instead defended as many deliveries
as he could as the runs continued to come in extras.
NWR was 95 for 3 in the 22nd over when Ryan Persaud finally ended
Buch’s stay at the crease by looping up a big leg-break delivery down
leg side which Buch left alone, only to see it turn back sharply and
rattle his stumps as Buch was bowled around his legs. This triggered a
collapse as NWR could not handle the twin leg-spin of Persaud and Rishi
Patel. Between them they accounted for the final seven wickets to fall
for only 40 runs. The only other player to cross double-digits for NWR
was Neil Tagare who tallied 21 off 52.
Persaud finished with 4 for 15 in 6.2 overs while Patel finished with 3
for 15 in 4 overs. Patel was on a hat-trick at one point after claiming
the wickets of Sefath Yasini for 5 and Vivek Jayram for 6 on
consecutive balls when they were caught on the boundary trying to slog.
Patel wasted his hat-trick ball though by bowling a wide down leg side,
which summed up Atlantic’s effort in the field: flashes of brilliance
neutralized by lapses in concentration. Persaud took the final wicket
of Ankush Prakash for 1 as NWR was bowled out for 135 in 35.2 overs.
 Atlantic’s
chase never really gained any momentum as wickets fell at regular
intervals. Patel was the first wicket to fall for 5, caught brilliantly
by Parikh diving forward from point off the left-arm seam bowling of
Buch. Persaud came out to join William Gillard, who soon left LBW to
Yasini for 5 to make it 27 for 2 in the 8th over. Pic (Left): Arsh Buch was top scorer for North West with a cautious but effective 22 from 72 balls.
Persaud tried his best to lead Atlantic back into the game as wickets
kept falling around him. He was also fortunate to survive on 6 when he
was trapped in front of the stumps, but was spared when the umpire
called no-ball on Buch for overstepping the mark. North West bowled 13
no-balls on the day. Persaud teamed up with Gauranshu Sharma to add 32
for the 5th wicket, but with the required run rate rising, the pressure
started to build until Sharma went for a big heave and was out stumped
for 11 against the off-spin bowling of North West’s captain Roshan
Varadarajan, who finished with 3 for 15 in 8 overs.
Atlantic still held hopes of winning as long as Persaud was at the
wicket, but he finally perished in the 37th over going for a risky
single to get back on strike and was run out for 38 to make it 108 for
9. Parikh bowled Sahan Ratnayake for 2 in the next over to seal the win
as the left-arm seamer finished with 3 for 12 in 7.4 tidy overs.
In the other matches of the day, New York made short work of Central
East’s 141 at Branch Brook Park, winning by 10 wickets in 25.1 overs.
Randall Wilson scored 61 not out and fellow opener Zahib Tariq walked
off unbeaten on 57 for New York. South West defeated Directors’
XI by 128 runs in the other match at Branch Brook Park. Batting first,
SWR made 186 for 9 in 40 overs with Shakeel Ahmad scoring 72 coming in
at number three. Pace bowler Murad Khan then took 6 for 5 in 7 overs
for SWR to help bowl out the Directors’ squad for 57 in 21.4 overs.
South
East defeated North East by seven wickets in a match that was shifted
from Watsessing Park to Orange Park. Faraz Jaferi turned in a solid Man
of the Match all-round display for South East taking 2 for 14 in the
field from 8 overs before scoring 66 not out as South East chased down
North East’s total of 158 for 7, passing the target in 30 overs.
Friday’s games will see North West take on South East in a battle of
unbeatens at Branch Brook Park while Atlantic will take on North East
at the same ground. Central East will play Directors’ XI at Orange
Park. South West will play New York at Weequahic Park. Officials are
hopeful that Watsessing Park will be suitable to use by Saturday as
temperatures are expected to be in the 90s for the rest of the weekend
and should help to dry up the wet field there. All matches are
scheduled for a 10:30 am start.
USACA U-15 National Tournament
Atlantic vs. North West
North West won by 23 runs
Atlantic won the toss and elected to field
North West Batting
Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal
A Buch 22 72 0 0 b Persaud
D Parikh 9 24 0 0 ct Gillard b Khan
V Altekar 0 4 0 0 b Ratnayake
R Varadarajan* 4 7 0 0 runout (Gillard/Razac+)
N Tagare 21 52 0 0 ct Sharma b Patel
M Athavale 5 21 0 0 ct Silva b Persaud
S Yasini 5 8 1 0 ct Rajram b Patel
I Amritharaj+ 0 2 0 0 ct Patel b Persaud
V Jayram 6 18 0 0 ct Silva b Patel
A Prakash 1 3 0 0 ct Razac+ b Persaud
S Pedada 0 3 0 0 not out
Total Extras 62 (2 no balls, 8 byes, 2 leg byes, 50 wides)
Team Total 135 all out in 35.2 overs
Atlantic Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
V Rajram 5-0-23-0
S Khan 6-1-20-1
S Ratnayake 4-0-18-1
N Mehdi 5-0-20-0
G Sharma 5-1-0-14
R Persaud 6.2-0-15-4
R Patel 4-0-15-3
Atlantic Batting
Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal
R Patel 5 30 0 0 ct Parikh b Buch
W Gillard 5 22 0 0 LBW Yasini
R Persaud 38 87 1 0 runout (Athavale/Amritharaj+)
T Silva* 2 19 0 0 runout (Varadarajan/Amritharaj+)
S Khan 0 7 0 0 b Varadarajan
G Sharma 11 43 0 0 st Amritharaj+ b Varadarajan
S Razac+ 0 3 0 0 ct & b Varadarajan
M Singh 2 6 0 0 ct Athavale b Parikh
V Rajram 1 3 0 0 ct Jayram b Parikh
S Ratnayake 2 13 0 0 b Parikh
N Mehdi 3 3 0 0 not out
Total Extras 43 (13 no balls, 1 bye, 1 leg bye, 28 wides)
Team Total 112 all out in 37.4 overs
North West Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets
A Buch 6-0-24-1
S Yasini 7-0-21-1
D Parikh 7.4-1-12-3
R Varadarajan 8-2-15-3
M Athavale 3-0-12-0
S Pedada 2-0-4-0
N Tagare 1-0-6-0
V Altekar 3-0-16-0
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Money magazine noted that Franklin in Somerset county, one of four NJ cities on the Top 100 list, offers many recreational opportunities, "including cricket fields and skateboard ramps."
"Even though it's only an hour away from New York City, this 46-square mile township contains quite a bit of farmland," the magazine noted.
The township's former mayor, Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, actually played in the New Jersey's leagues many years ago. The 17th district, represented by Mr. Chivukula, includes Franklin and Piscataway - another city that was named among the Top 100 best places to live in USA.
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On June 26, when Prince Harry was in New York at the Twins vs Mets game, he had to unlearn his cricket bowling technique as he fired a "laser ceremonial first pitch to catcher Rod Barajas." Prince Harry was in USA to raise money for his Sentebale charity that benefits the people of Lesotho in Africa.
"In pregame, Dickey (RA Dickey) played catch with Prince Harry for five minutes, instructing the member of the royal family to bend his elbow during his throwing motion. Prince Harry originally was prepared to throw the baseball with his elbow stiff and unbent, like in cricket."
Jeff Francoeur who had two of the three Mets hits, engaged Prince Harry, talking smack about soccer. In a more serious moment, the right fielder instructed him to grip the ball across the seams, rather than on the seams, so that his ceremonial first pitch would travel straighter.
"I was laughing," Francoeur said. "When he did throw out the pitch, they had him on the screen. And you could see him -- if you go back and look -- real quick he looks to make sure his hand is on the seam.
Full story here.
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