USA Cricketer : DreamCricket Academy

USA Cricket: Stuart MacGill visits DreamCricket Academy and CLNJ Youth Program

openingbat — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:25:00 GMT

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By Venu Palaparthi

Stuart MacGill, the former leg-spin bowler of Australia, visited DreamCricket Academy in Hillsborough, NJ, on Saturday, April 13, 2013. MacGill was on a personal visit to New York and his visit to DreamCricket was facilitated by Jamie Harrison of USYCA. MacGill's visit coincided with DreamCricket's tenth anniversary as a USA cricket portal and fifth year as an academy.

MacGill, who took 208 wickets in 44 Tests, observed students and alumni of the Academy, many of whom are now part of the CLNJ Youth Program, and gave them lessons and tips.

Pic (Right): MacGill shows the kids how to grip the ball as USYCA's Jamie Harrison, Coach Earl Daley and Coach Damien Morgan look on.

The easy going cricketer was a huge hit with the kids, using anecdotes and funny stories to explain what it takes to become a good cricketer.

"[Cricket] is about angles, momentum and levers, I bet you didn’t know that. It is what they teach you in physics," MacGill told the kids. "Kicking, punching, tennis, all ball sports, they are all the same," he said, advising the bowlers to "throw your weight through the ball."

MacGill told the kids "Old, young, fast or slow, you can be any type of body, there is a job for you in cricket. I am not particularly fast, I am not particularly athletic. I would have loved to have been a fast bowler. I would have loved to have scared people. I couldn’t do that."

"What I could do," he said pausing for a second before continuing, "was get him out."

"My favorite thing in the whole world was to get the batsman out."

"Doesn’t matter what the batsman did, I would keep going and keep going. You will get them eventually. The thing that I did best was if they hit a six, it did not bother me. They will smack the ball past you. I would go back to my mark and ignore them. You never stare at the batsman or talk to them. You just go back to the mark and keep doing your job. Keep doing it and keep doing it. You are going to get them eventually."

"Then I would meet him in the dressing room and say, I am so lucky to get you out. I am clearly not good enough to get you out. I saw you walking out there and you were so cool. I couldn’t possibly get you out."

"And you can see the batsman going - 'Are you messing with me?" That's what I liked to do."

Emphasizing the importance of perseverance and understanding their roles, MacGill told the kids, "Don’t try to impress everyone. The cool kids in cricket are the one that will be done soonest."

After the net session was over, he assembled all the kids again and told them, "I am impressed with what I am seeing here today. There are some good skills here. You are very very lucky that the facilities here at DreamCricket, they are as good as the ones we have in Australia. I hope to see some of you playing for USA soon."

MacGill posed for pictures, signed autographs and asked everyone to visit The Cricket Club, his hangout on Google+ together with Aakash Chopra and Damien Martyn.

MacGill was presented with a memento by Kranthi Bayya of DreamCricket Academy. MacGill, who is known to be an avid reader browsed DreamCricket's collection of rare videos, books and memorabilia. MacGill then spoke about his Google Hangout - The Cricket Club's popularity in North America, and about his many interactions over the years with Americans who truly cared about cricket. "You might be surprised, but Michael Jackson played cricket," MacGill said remembering a conversation with Jermaine Jackson.

Upon his return to New York, he wrote a note to Jamie Harrison: "After having spent an afternoon in the nets with a bunch of enthusiastic young American cricketers I'm no longer surprised. When you consider this was just a snapshot of youth cricket in the New Jersey region, it was impressive to say the least.

"One of the aspects of the boys skills that struck me most was the fact that they all had their own individual style and technical flair. This might sound as though its a bad thing, but its quite the opposite. Australian coaches in the last 20 years have worked overtime trying to cloning our best players. Consequently we have robbed our young cricketers of the opportunity to become the best version of themselves possible."

"In just 3 hours, I saw at least half a dozen young players with the skills to compete for many years to come. We had a wide range of spin bowling talent, a great left arm seamer who improved with every ball he bowled and some real pace from an athletic right armer who if we're not careful will probably turn his hand to another sport. Its very exciting."

Pic (Right): Little Tyler gets his first lesson in Physics

MacGill was full of praise for USYCA and its goals: "As for the work that you've done with USYCA; I am absolutely stunned that you have managed to achieve so much in such a small period of time. In Australia cricket has the benefit of vast resources, TV exposure and almost exclusive use of sporting facilities in the summertime, yet we can't boast the enthusiasm and growth that you have in the US. Cricket is a game that provides opportunities for 'regular kids' to triumph over athletes and every single one of us loves to see a kid being given the chance to win because they deserve it.

"I'm convinced that you will have a formidable horde of hungry young cricket players desperate to take on the world before too long. The sooner the ICC realizes the strength of the game in North America rests with its youth and not a bunch of tired ex-pats, the sooner you can genuinely compete on the international stage," he wrote.

"I can't wait to talk with Cricket Australia about the development work USYCA is doing with schools and look forward to watching you take these kids to the next level."

The boys were grateful too. After the session, Parth Sampath who got some leg spin tips wrote, "Thank you DreamCricket for having Stuart MacGill today."

Former Indian wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani shares cricket tips with youth at DreamCricket Academy in NJ

openingbat — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:44:00 GMT

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DreamCricket Media Release

Syed Kirmani, a vital member of the 1983 Cricket World Cup champions from India, shared his knowledge and wisdom with many aspiring cricketers during a visit to the DreamCricket Academy on Sunday in Hillsborough, New Jersey. The former Indian wicketkeeper, who claimed 198 dismissals in his 88-Test career from 1976 to 1986, spent time engaging with junior players during a coaching session at the indoor academy, giving tips on batting, bowling and wicketkeeping before taking pictures and signing autographs for those in attendance.

“This game has given me everything and it was a great way of life for me,” Kirmani told the DreamCricket Academy members during a question and answer session.

Image (right) - Syed Kirmani at the DreamCricket Academy in Hillsborough, N.J. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

Kirmani became the latest big name in cricket to spend time with young American cricketers at the DreamCricket Academy, whose guests since its founding in 2008 have included Ian Pont, K. Bharath Kumar, Chetan Chauhan, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Lance Gibbs and Sunil Gavaskar. Kirmani encouraged all the young players to aim high and not be afraid of challenges on or off the field.

“I had no fear facing the fastest bowlers of our time,” Kirmani said. “When you fear anything, you will not be successful. Whatever happens will happen so be positive. If he is the fastest bowler, I have got the bat. I’ll hit him. If he can knock me, I can also knock him. That is the approach I had. That’s the kind of feeling I always had. The most fearful thing, I have always taken it as a challenge and that brought the best out of me. So what if he’s the world’s best spinner. So what if he’s the fastest bowler in the world. I can also beat him.”

“That should be the feeling in whatever. All right if he’s number one in the class. If he’s number one, I’ll beat him. That’s how you kids have got to think about it. You’ve got to be number one in wherever you are. You’ve got to tell yourself that yes, if he’s a brilliant student I’ll be better than him. If he’s a rank holder, I’ll do better than him. If he’s a better guy than me, I’ll be the leader of the class. That should be the positive thing. That should be your aims. That should be your goals in whatever you want to become.”

Towards the end of the coaching session, Kirmani talked about key areas for cricketers to focus on in order to strengthen their games. He also took aside the wicketkeepers in the group to give tips on how to improve their footwork and body positioning particularly when it comes to standing up to the stumps for spin bowlers. Kirmani kept wicket during much of his career to India’s famed spin quartet of Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan.

Image (above) - Former Indian wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani shares some footwork techniques with a junior wicketkeeper at the DreamCricket Academy in Hillsborough, N.J. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

“It was our privilege to host Padma Shri Syed Kirmani, an iconic cricketer from the winning 1983 World Cup team,” Kranthi Bayya, CEO of DreamCricket, said. “DreamCricket Academy youth and parents enjoyed his many anecdotes and eagerly took in pointers during the coaching session he oversaw along with DreamCricket coaches Earl Daley and Delkash.”

Since 2008, DreamCricket Academy has introduced cricket to hundreds of boys and girls with several junior players going on to represent USA’s junior national teams.

Team USA Cricketer Delkash Shahriarian to launch cricket program for young girls

openingbat — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:49:00 GMT

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'Cricket for Girls' program

The Cricket League of New Jersey (CLNJ) Youth program and DreamCricket Academy announced their support of Delkash Shahriarian’s plans to launch a 'Cricket for Girls' program starting this Fall. Delkash is a member of the USA Women's cricket team.

The program will kick off with a free two-hour clinic for girls conducted by Delkash at DreamCricket Academy's indoor nets in Hillsborough, NJ on Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 11AM. Please email camps@dreamcricket.com to register.

Pic (Right): USA cricketer Delkash Shahriarian will launch a cricket program for young girls in collaboration with DreamCricket Academy

The clinic will be open to girls 9 through 16 years of age. All participants will receive a free goodie bag at the end of the clinic, which includes a hat, a certificate of participation and a t-shirt. Once schools open, efforts will be made to introduce cricket to girls in elementary and middle schools in Central New Jersey with the support of USYCA.

First woman to play in the Cricket League of New Jersey

CLNJ Youth already runs a successful age-group program for boys. The more advanced boys play as part of the CLNJ Colts team in Division 3 of CLNJ adult league. The Colts, comprising fifteen U-15 boys, play under the supervision of Coach Earl Daley and are guided by two senior chaperone players who provide situation-oriented mentoring to the boys.

On Sunday, August 19, CLNJ Colts made history by fielding the first ever woman to play in a CLNJ league match. Delkash Shahriarian was one of the chaperone players in the final match of the season for the Colts.

Pic (Right): Delkash Shahriarian opened the Colts innings with Rohan Aravindh in last Sunday's match.

Speaking after the game, Delkash said: “The game on Sunday was amazing and our win was a good way to end the season. The Colts are a very talented team and it is great to see CLNJ and DreamCricket support and nurture their talents."

Speaking of her involvement with the NJ Youth cricket program, Delkash said: “I have now seen first-hand the commitment of DreamCricket Academy and CLNJ for promoting youth cricket at the grassroots level. Girls should also take advantage of this youth cricket movement and I am willing to provide my time so that more girls can come forward and enjoy this wonderful game.”

About Delkash Shahriarian

Delkash Shahriarian was the captain of the Rustom Baug Sir Ness Wadia Club in Mumbai, a team she successfully led to victory over stronger women’s teams like Godrej Baug and Dadar Parsi Colony during the 2004-05 season. After graduating from Rachna Sansad’s Academy of Architecture, Delkash joined the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York for her Masters in Architecture. Following her graduation from Pratt, Delkash returned to playing cricket while working as an Architect.

At the 2011 USACA Women’s National Championship, her exceptional performance behind the wickets, followed with a half-century, ensured her a spot on the National Team. A wicket-keeper batswoman, Delkash represented USA in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh in November 2011 and followed that up with a tour of Cayman Islands for the ICC Americas Women’s T20 in April 2012.

Delkash plans to continue her career with the USA Women’s National Cricket team. She continues to train and improve her game skills in preparation for the upcoming Women’s World Cup Qualifier trials in 2013.

Kids enjoy memorable day at MetLife sponsors "Meet the Legend" clinic with Sunil Gavaskar at DreamCricket Academy

openingbat — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:52:00 GMT

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DreamCricket Media Release

About 100 children had the rare privilege to learn from one of the greatest cricketers of all time this weekend when they took part in MetLife sponsors “Meet the Legend” Cricket Coaching Camp with Sunil Gavaskar at DreamCricket Academy in Hillsborough, N.J. Gavaskar, who played in 125 Tests and 108 ODIs for India in a decorated career from 1971-1987 and was the first batsman to score 10,000 career runs in Test cricket, said he was delighted by the support MetLife was giving to enable children to pursue their passion.

“Sports need enlightened sponsors and MetLife have been enlightened sponsors for such a long time because what they’ve done is invested in youth.” Gavaskar said. “I’m so happy to be here at this facility because I was here a couple of years back and to see again that DreamCricket continues to give the opportunity to youngsters to come and play their favorite sport is something which is absolutely terrific and of course without sponsors like MetLife, I don’t think cricket can survive.”

Image (above) - Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar with youth cricketers from the first of three sessions as part of MetLife sponsors "Meet the Legend" Cricket Coaching Camp with Sunil Gavaskar at DreamCricket Academy in Hillsborough, N.J. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

Gavaskar was especially pleased to see the enthusiasm shown by children who were a part of the clinic because initiatives like this are what will sustain the game for future generations.

Image (right) - Sunil Gavaskar (right) shares some batting tips with DreamCricket Academy members Mohammed Surti (left) and Pranav Kanukollu (center). [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

“It’s really a pleasure to be here because the first thing you see is the young eager faces,” Gavaskar said. “It takes me back to a time when I was a school kid and wanting to play cricket. At that stage, your ambitions were limited and you didn’t think about playing for your country. You just thought of trying to do well for your team to make sure that the sport you enjoyed was also a sport whereby you could learn from others. If you learn from that experience it helps you to improve and become a better cricketer but more than just being a cricketer I think what this sport teaches you is to become a good human being.”

The young cricketers, ages 7 through 16, were divided into three separate sessions by age. In the morning, Gavaskar took his time sharing batting and bowling tips with some of the more advanced players to sharpen up their skills with assistance from DreamCricket Academy coaches Earl Daley, Damion Morgan and Delkash Shahriarian.

In the afternoon, the youngest kids in attendance got the chance to ask Gavaskar various cricket related questions during a special Q & A session. Snoopy also made a special appearance for MetLife and got everyone excited by showing off his bowling skills. At the end of each session, every aspiring cricketer got the opportunity to have their picture taken with Gavaskar and Snoopy to cap off an amazing day.

Image (right) - Snoopy shows off his bowling skills. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

“I always love things with children so I enjoy watching them learn about the sport and interact with Sunil Gavaskar but what’s really fun for me is watching the parents who are totally in awe of being able to see their kids learn from a legend,” Laurel Daring, assistant vice president of multicultural marketing for MetLife, said. “In the South Asian community cricket is a huge sport so when this opportunity was presented to us, it really made sense that we could be part of doing something for the first time with DreamCricket and the USYCA that would help MetLife to be a part of cricket with something that is really loved by the community.”

The DreamCricket Academy in Hillsborough, N.J., has been a vital resource for young cricketers since 2008 by offering clinics and coaching camps throughout the year. Willow TV and the United States Youth Cricket Association partnered with DreamCricket to help organize the event for MetLife, which was yet another successful occasion for the development of youth cricket.

“These kids come together and practice day in and day out, they have the love and passion for the game,” Kranthi Bayya, DreamCricket CEO, said. “Having a living legend like Sunil Gavaskar come to visit, spend time with them and share his expertise with them validates our mission at DreamCricket to help support children while they pursue their love of cricket. Everyone knows that MetLife has been a valuable supporter of the South Asian community but this is the first time that they have engaged in youth cricket in America and we are thrilled that DreamCricket could help make it happen.”

VVS Laxman encourages DreamCricket Academy junior cricket players 'to play for love of the game'

openingbat — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:42:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

A lucky group of about 75 cricket fans and local adult and junior cricket players, including many from the DreamCricket Academy and the Cricket League of New Jersey (CLNJ) Colts team and Youth Program, got a rare opportunity to meet one of their cricket heroes over a meal on Tuesday night when Indian Test player VVS Laxman was welcomed for a special dinner at Paradise Biryani Pointe restaurant in East Windsor, New Jersey. The 37-year-old batsman from Hyderabad attended another dinner in Delaware the night before and has also been in Houston on this trip to the United States where he says he has been impressed with the level of interest in cricket. US fans may remember Laxman captained an India A side against an Adam Gilchrist captained Australia A side for a five-match series in 1999 at Woodley in Los Angeles.

Laxman walked in to the restaurant to find highlights playing inside on a projection screen of his famous second innings 281 against Australia at Eden Gardens which paved the way for one of the most remarkable wins in the history of Test cricket, India defeating Australia by 171 runs after being forced to follow-on 274 runs behind after the first innings. After posing for photos with those in attendance, Laxman spent 45 minutes doing a Q & A session covering a wide range of topics. He stressed to the youngsters in attendance from the DreamCricket Academy and CLNJ Colts to play cricket for the love of the game and not get caught up in trying to make a career out of it.

“I think it’s important for youngsters here or anyone to first know exactly what they want,” Laxman told those in attendance. “They should get the right guidance at the right time. I got a lot of support from my uncle. If not for my uncle, it was very difficult for me to actually make a decision that I want to take cricket as a career. So I think as a coaching clinic which DreamCricket is running, it’s very important to give that kind of guidance, give that kind of opportunity for them to first play something which they love. To make a career path will only come when they are 16, 17 or 18.”

Image (above) - VVS Laxman meets members of the DreamCricket Academy on a visit to New Jersey. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com] Click here for more photos from VVS Laxman's July 3 visit to Paradise Biryani Pointe in East Windsor, New Jersey.

“Until that time, it’s love. All of us play cricket because we love the game. We never played cricket with a view to taking it as a career. At 17 or 18, that was the time when you realize you have to take a decision whether to take it as a career or just play it as a hobby. So I think important thing for these kids is to play for the love of the game but give all the necessary encouragement because that’s very important, give them all the necessary facilities so that they can prepare themselves to be the best they can.”

Several youngsters were very curious to find out how much time Laxman spends practicing. He told the crowd that it’s key to have as much preparation as a player can before entering a match, comparing the situation to reading a book before taking a test.

“I firmly believe that especially in a game like cricket, you have to practice a lot of time so that when you are in the middle playing a match, you are not thinking about things you didn’t prepare for,” Laxman said. “Preparation is very important in any walk of life. It’s like in school, when you are reading a textbook, if the textbook is 100 pages and you read all 100 pages and you go to the exam, you are very relaxed. You aren’t having any tension saying, ‘I’ve only read 50 pages and I hope the questions come only from the 50 pages I’ve read.’ Similar in the game cricket, if you prepare well, prepare for each and every opposition bowler you’re going to face, what kind of wicket you’re playing on, once you are in the middle, you are playing with a calm mind.”

“You have to put in a lot of hard work. Especially at your age, I used to just play cricket. That’s why I’m quite happy that DreamCricket has taken the initiative, giving you an opportunity to practice as much as possible because this is the age where you have to practice a lot.”

Image (above) - VVS Laxman during a Q & A session at Paradise Biryani Pointe in East Windsor, NJ. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com] Click here for more photos from VVS Laxman's July 3 visit to Paradise Biryani Pointe in East Windsor, New Jersey.

Laxman also spoke about the family and societal pressures when he was a teenager to decide on a career path. He spoke to the many young Indian-American players and families in attendance about how much emphasis is placed on education in Indian culture and says his family was very supportive of his ambitions, something that any player needs to help succeed.

“I always wanted to be a doctor and that was my goal,” Laxman said. “My parents were doctors. I’m coming from a family where most of them are either doctors or engineers. I went to a school where academics was given more importance than playing any sport. We used to miss an important inter-school competition just because there was a unit test or normal class test on Saturday morning. But every kid in India dreams of playing cricket and I’m really lucky that I’ve been able to realize my dream.”

The batsman said that by the age of 17, just when the academic side of things was starting to get especially intense, his cricket ambitions were burning just as brightly evidence by the face that he was getting ready to break into the Hyderabad Ranji Trophy team in state cricket. His family took a pragmatic approach, giving him a chance to pursue cricket for five more years because if it didn’t work out, he could always come back to medicine whereas if he stopped cricket to pursue medicine for any length of time, the chances were that he would never be able to progress back to an elite level in cricket if he later decided to change his mind.

“We had a family decision where I would play for five years because in sports, age is a huge factor but in medical field you can always come back and do your medicine even though you are in your 20s,” Laxman said. “At that time, I gave myself five years and from 17 to 22. If I don’t make it to the national level and play for the country, I would leave cricket and come back and pursue my goal of becoming a doctor and luckily for me I was able to do that.”

“It was quite a tough time, those five years, because there were times when I used to go with my parents to various functions or parties they used to attend and obviously there were a lot of doctor friends and in front of me they used to ask my dad, ‘How can you take such a big gamble? How can you allow your kid to play cricket?’ Those kinds of questions actually motivated me a lot. Those five years while my friends were enjoying the so-called college life, which is exciting times for anyone, I was totally focused on improving as a cricketer and I was very lucky by the time I was 22 I got to play my first Test match.”

Among the other questions he fielded were the toughest bowler he ever faced (Wasim Akram), the toughest spinner (Muttiah Muralitharan) and the toughest bowler to face currently in world cricket (Dale Steyn). Laxman then took time to sign autographs before everyone in attendance began to dig in to some Hyderabadi Chicken, among other dishes, to mark the occasion.

Click here for more photos from VVS Laxman's July 3 visit to Paradise Biryani Pointe in East Windsor, New Jersey.

Dish Network, SG Cricket join impressive list of sponsors for Radiant Info Atlantic Region Inter-league

openingbat — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 19:37:00 GMT

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USACA's Atlantic Region reached out to supporters and sponsors of cricket in a sponsorship drive to enhance the appeal of the Atlantic Region Inter-league tournament.

Radiant Info, a prominent sponsor of cricket in the region has signed on as the Title Sponsor and the tournament will now be called the Radiant Info Atlantic Region Inter-league.

The Radiant Info trophy and a cash prize of $1000 will be presented to the winner of the inter-league.

Pic (right): Aditya Mishra receiving a prize from NJ Deputy Speaker Upendra Chivukula at NJ's Radiant Info T20 event. (File photo)

Speaking on the sidelines of the ICUSA vs CLNJ match on May 30th, Venu Myneni, CEO of Radiant Info, said: "We are proud to be associated with yet another premier championship in the region. This tournament will not only decide the best league across the Atlantic Region, it will provide a stepping stone for greater visibility if you are an aspirational cricketer."

Dish Network, the leader in cricket programming in USA, has signed on as a Gold Sponsor. The tournament MVP will receive the Dish Network MVP Award and a gift certificate valued at $250.

The New Inning Foundation, a supporter of youth cricket across the country, will also step in as a Gold Sponsor.

The New Inning Foundation will present the New Inning Emerging Player award and a $250 gift certificate to the best U-19 player in the tournament. Speaking about his organization's support, Ram Varadarajan, Founder of the New Inning Foundation said: "I am pleased that the tournament rules encourage U19 cricketers by giving a bonus point for a winning effort by a team that includes an U19 cricketer."

SG Cricket has agreed to come on board as an equipment sponsor. The tournament will be played using SG Test balls and the Best Batsman will receive the SG Best Batsman trophy and a cricket bat made by SG.

InfoDrive and DreamCricket.com signed up as silver sponsors. The top bowler and best fielder will each receive the InfoDrive Medal and four free hours at DreamCricket indoor nets. DreamCricket.com team will also lend its score repository system for the tournament.

[If you wish to sponsor cricket in the region or assist with fundraising, please email frontfoot@dreamcricket.com. SG sponsorship courtesy of Bedessee Imports.]

Towards a better inter-league system - The case of Atlantic Region Inter-league!

openingbat — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:31:00 GMT

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By Venu Palaparthi

Comments

Creating a strong Inter-league system

A strong and competent zonal cricketing system forms the backbone of the domestic cricket structure in most cricket playing countries. Cricketers aspiring to play for their country must rise through the ranks of club cricket, and pass through inter-league cricket, and from there progress to the national team.

By inference, players should choose country over region, region over league, and league over club. That is the natural order.

In USA, I know of cricketers who would rather play for their club when they could be playing for their league. This is not a case of cricketers choosing to play for an IPL team instead of their country - after all, money is not the draw in USA's club cricket.

In the absence of a clearly merit-based heirarchical selection structure, there is no compelling reason to turn out for the league when they could be playing for the club.

Another reason I frequently hear is that the inter-league is not very challenging. A successful zonal competition presupposes parity among the leagues that take part. In several regions in the US, because not all leagues can put together a 'strong' side, a player might find an inter-club match more challenging than an inter-league match.

This problem be easily resolved by creating a divisional structure so as not to dilute the competition. Even India's Ranji trophy has a super-league and a plate-league!

In summary, players are likely to embrace the zonal inter-league system if the competition forms an integral part of a heirarchical selection structure.

A successful zonal competition also has the potential to generate huge local interest. In theory, two leagues playing each other could attract the support (and eyeballs) of their entire leagues as opposed to two clubs playing each other within a league. This greater interest should be sufficient to encourage local sponsors to get involved at the inter-league.

Atlantic Region Inter-league receives sponsorship interest

The Atlantic Region, like every other USACA region, has had an inter-league tournament as part of its playing calendar for some years now. Even though a good number of the top players do play in the inter-league, a concerted effort is being made by the region to give the inter-league its rightful place in the pecking order.

First things first, the league has received a sponsorship boost.

Radiant Info, a prominent sponsor of cricket in the region has signed on as the Title Sponsor. As a result of the sponsorship initiatives, the tournament will now be called the 'Radiant Info Atlantic Region Inter-league Tournament.'

InfoDrive, CES, New Inning Foundation and DreamCricket.com have joined the list of sponsors. In addition, DreamCricket.com will lend its score repository system for the tournament.

While a trophy and a cash prize of $1000 will be presented to the winner of the inter-league, rewards and medals will also be awarded to the tournament MVP, the best bowler, the best batsman and the best fielder of the tournament. The New Inning Foundation will present a $250 gift certificate and the New Inning Emerging Player award to the region's U-19 player in the tournament.

The prizes, sponsorship interest and greater visibility are certain to enhance player participation in the inter-league. But that is only half the battle. A more important determinant of success is the emphasis that the leagues and the region place in encouraging the best senior and U-19 players to take part in the inter-league.

NJ Junior Cricket League kicks off with indoor match between Black Ops and Alpha Wolves

openingbat — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:45:00 GMT

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At the regional AGM held on November 2, 2010, several attendees spoke of a need for a platform for junior cricketers to play year-round cricket. Their wish became a reality on February 12, 2011 when the NJ Junior Cricket League kicked of with an indoor match between Black Ops and Alpha Wolves at the DreamCricket Indoor Nets.

Pic (Right): Pranav Kanukollu [Courtesy: Sateesh KVK]

In the first of the five match indoor series in the league's winter edition, the Alpha Wolves defeated the Black Ops by a margin of 10 runs. In a match where each batting pair played 5 overs, Pranav Kanukollu top-scored for the Alpha Wolves with 13. Yash Kulkarni was the top run getter for Black Ops with 16.

The league, christened the 'NJ Junior Cricket League,' has reached an agreement with clubs in New Jersey and New York for the use of the grounds. When the league moves outdoors in April, it is anticipated that the two founding teams will be joined by several other teams from New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania.

"The league would have remained just an idea without the assurance of the Staten Island Cricket Club who have graciously agreed to continue their support of junior cricket. In addition, we are grateful for the support of Pradeep Vedala, Jaideep Reddy and Bharat Patel from the NJ's leagues for offering the use of their grounds and also agreeing to actively support the league. It is largely due to their support that we can now schedule matches in NJ and Staten Island once the winter ends," Venu Palaparthi said.

NJJCL will play Saturdays and a representative team from NJJCL will also take part in Division 3 of the CLNJ. "We are developing a process wherein eligible junior cricketers, based on skill level and physical ability, will be certified to play alongside senior coach-mentors in a team in the CLNJ," Palaparthi said.

The league would not be possible without the enthusiastic participation of the parents. Having waited for some years for the league to take off, parents demonstrated their eagerness by taking on the roles of scorers, umpires and coaches in yesterday's inaugural indoor match. "All these youngsters have had good skills training, thanks to Coach Daley but it is time they participate in the regular league matches to bring out their true talent, part of which was seen at the last Under 15 USACA inter-region games," Mohan Saikara, father of Harish Saikara told DreamCricket.com. "I believe that this is the first step, and we sincerely hope that it gathers momentum in the coming days," Saikara said.

Pic (Right) : Zahid Rahmat [Courtesy: Sateesh KVK]

Coach Earl Daley, who has been closely involved with a majority of cricketers, will play a key role in the league and monitor the boys' progress in a team setting.

Recovering from shoulder surgery, Mr. Daley's thoughts were with the league at the start of the first match and he sent a brief encouraging email ahead of the first match: "All the best," he wrote, but not without a reminder that the kids use "proper technique." In keeping with his desire to reinforce proper technique during the winter season, indoor cricket rules have been modified to reward only shots played along the ground.

Over time, the NJJCL hopes to find volunteer coaches to help each team. "We hope that the senior cricketers will pass along their love for the game to the next generation. An enterprise such as this needs the support of the entire cricket loving community," Palaparthi said. Adding that a search was on to find a cricket-friendly lawyer who could help the league pro bono with filing for a non-profit status. "For this league to expand, we need the support of corporate and community sponsors. And for that to happen, it is important to register the league as a non-profit corporation."

Speaking about DreamCricket's role, Kranthi Bayya, CEO of DreamCricket.com, said that as the preeminent coaching academy in the region, DreamCricket was happy to serve as a catalyst for the formation of the league. "We are proud to be involved with the league's formation but I want to be clear that the league itself should be an independent body with active involvement from and support of all leagues, academies and aspiring junior cricketers in the region. This league ultimately belongs to the cricketers."

The NJJCL is not the first junior initiative in New Jersey. As recently as 2007, the now dormant Junior NJ Cricket program boasted 70 young cricketers. In fact, USA U-19 cricketers Mital Patel and Cameron Mirza, took part in that program. If you look back to cricket's glory years in the 19th century, junior cricketers played the sport in the present-day Atlantic Region in large numbers. Cricket was played at schools such as John Quincy Adams Grammar School, Protestant Episcopal Academy, Farmer’s High School of Bellafonte, Central High School of Philadelphia and Lawrenceville School near Trenton throughout the latter half of the 19th century. In 1860, 300 students out of the total strength of 500 students at the Philadelphia Free Academy played cricket. In fact, cricket still survives at Lawrenceville School, which boasts a cricket program that is 150 years old.

Pic (Right): The Alpha Wolves: Back Row - Zahid Rahmat, Shekhar Kripalani, Ryan Aravind, Pranav Kanakollu. Front Row - Advaith Manur and Harish Eashwar [Courtesy: Sateesh KVK]

The truth remains that despite the growing popularity of cricket, there has not been a year-round schedule of matches for the young cricketers to hone their skills. Until last year, aspiring young cricketers from DreamCricket Academy had to travel to California, Michigan and Florida to get real match practice. "There were the national tournament and the inter-academy fixtures, but these were few and far between. To his credit, Coach Daley organized some matches last year against teams from Philly, Maryland and Connecticut. But generally speaking, when you talk about the majority of the boys and you look at what is needed from a cricket development standpoint, the chances of the boys getting a game every weekend were slim to none," Bayya said.

Bayya said that the league was conceived at a meeting that was convened at DreamCricket Pavilion on December 5, 2010. "It is heartening to see the idea come to fruition thanks to the efforts of the kids, the parents, and the coach."

The league is actively recruiting players and volunteers. If you want to join the league and wish to learn more about the league's winter and summer calendar, please write to frontfoot@dreamcricket.com.

Maryland's Prince George's County School Teachers Pad Up for Cricket

openingbat — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:40:00 GMT

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On September 20, USYCA's Jamie Harrison introduced the organization's Schools Program to Physical Education instructors in Prince George's County, Maryland. During the session the Phys. Ed. teachers were given a fun-filled demonstration of the game at the Kenmoor Elementary School, where the meeting was held.

As the teachers left that evening, each was given a free Gray-Nicolls Lazer cricket set donated by DreamCricket.com for this purpose.

DreamCricket.com's "American Dream of Cricket" program has donated some 50 cricket kits in 2010 and is the official equipment supplier for USYCA Schools Program which delivers free equipment and instruction to the schools and local introductory clinics.

At the beginning of the Monday's session, Jamie Harrison spoke about the history of cricket explaining that cricket was America's first team sport, being played in the American colonies throughout the 1700s - George Washington's troops played cricket at Valley Forge.

Speaking of the present day, Mr. Harrison explained that cricket is the world's second most popular spectator sport, after soccer and that the last Cricket World Cup was televised in over 200 countries to over 2.2 billion television viewers. "Immigration from cricket-playing nations has resurrected the game in America and the new shorter version of the game, 20/20, has popularized it with audiences that are accustomed to sports matches that are completed in a few hours," Mr. Harrison told his audience of Phy. Ed. teachers.

Pic (Right): Cricket kits were donated by DreamCricket.com* in support of the USYCA program.

Prince George County Phys. Ed. teacher Charles Silberman, is the county coordinator for the USYCA Schools Program. In this capacity, Mr. Silberman will stay in close contact with the teachers, helping them to make cricket a regular part of their Phys. Ed. classes; he will also help to organize future clinics and community youth leagues.

The USYCA version of cricket is the perfect Phys. Ed. sport at the elementary school level because:

It can be played indoors or outside, on a basketball court, asphalt or grass.
It allows the instructor to observe students both as individual participants and as parts of a team.
Cricket appeals to all children, not just those who are typically large, strong or fast.
Cricket rewards patience, technique and intelligence; stature has very little to do with eventual greatness. This encourages all children to participate.
Cricket prizes good sportsmanship above all else, in contrast to many of the bad role models children are exposed to in other professional sports.
Health benefits include endurance & stamina, balance & coordination and improved hand-eye coordination
Social benefits, such as communication skills, cooperation, and new friendships
Children who may have been unsuccessful at other team sports may find their "inner athlete" as they play cricket

Mr. Harrison demystified the sport by touching on the similarities and differences between cricket and baseball, how runs are scored and outs are made (bowled, caught out, run out only at this stage).

At the elementary level, the version of cricket promoted by USYCA uses soft balls, tossed underhand full-on, so that no protective gear is needed. "I urged the teachers that they should act as bowlers, so that they can adjust their bowling to the batters' skill level and encourage successful batting, as the game is far better when the ball is being put in play," Mr. Harrison told DreamCricket.com.

"They will also have to limit batters' time to accommodate class time restrictions. Having said that, I told them that as instructors, they are free to make whatever modifications they need to; as long as kids are running between wickets, it's cricket," Mr. Harrison added.

After the introductory session, the session moved to the play area outside where the teachers actually played cricket, which is always helpful when trying to teach the game to novices. The teachers were quickly divided into two teams, and within a few minutes, they were playing cricket.

Mr. Harrison provided handy tips and suggestions as common situations arose during the course of play. "The suggestion I made most often was for the teachers, in their role as umpire, to be generous to the batters, especially those that are struggling, in order to encourage the children's love of the game. I repeatedly returned to the idea that they should do everything they can to help the kids to put the ball in play, as the fun doesn't happen until children are enjoying themselves," Mr. Harrison noted.

This group of teachers represents only a portion of the entire school district; additional sessions are already in the works for Phys. Ed. teachers in other schools. Baltimore City Public Schools launch a similar program for their teachers in coming weeks, and Mr. Harrison is addressing the annual convention of the Maryland Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance on October 15 in Baltimore. This is the professional body for state Physical Education teachers, and will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase USYCA’s free Schools Program.

If you’d like to see your local school system playing cricket, please contact us at usyouthcricket@gmail.com, or visit them at usyca.org.

[DreamCricket.com provided the kits free of charge. However, it gratefully acknowledges the subsidized pricing provided to it by Gray-Nicolls' USA distributor Bedessee Sporting Goods in recognition of USYCA's program.]

DreamCricket Academy's Ian Pont appointed bowling coach by Bangladesh Cricket

openingbat — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:48:00 GMT

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Bangladesh has appointed Ian Pont as national team bowling coach after South African Lance Klusener rejected the post, a spokesman said Wednesday. This announcement comes a month after Bangladesh named another Englishman, Julien Fountain, as their fielding coach as the Tigers seek to boost their performance ahead of the 2011 ICC World Cup being co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in February.

Pont, 49, who heads the MCI Academy has conducted coaching camps in USA as international coach for DreamCricket Academy over the last three years.

Picture (right): Ian Pont at the DreamCricket Academy fast bowling camp in Hillsborough, NJ.

"Pont has accepted our offer and is due to land in Dhaka tomorrow (Thursday)," Bangladesh's cricket board spokesman Jalal Yunus told AFP.

"Initially his contract will run up to the end of the World Cup. Then we will consider an extension," he said. With the appointment of Pont, Bangladesh has completed a reshuffle of their coaching staff, now headed by Australian Jamie Siddons.

In additions to his summer and winter camps for DreamCricket Academy in Hillsborough, NJ and in the Bay Area, Pont conducts an annual camp in La Manga, Spain and travels out to Potchefstroom, South Africa for the International Pro Camp he helped create with North West Cricket. The Potchefstroom camp features world-class coaches like Corrie Van Zyl, Gary Kirsten, Graeme Pollock and Jimmy Cook.

Prior to 2009, Ian has worked as ECB National Skill Sets Coach, Essex CCC for 3 years as Bowling Coach, and was Assistant Head Coach to The Netherlands, helping take the Dutch to the 2007 ICC World Cup in the West Indies. Ian Pont has built his reputation working with first class and international players such as Darren Gough, Dale Steyn, Andre Adams, Andy Flower, Kabir Ali, Alex Tudor, Andre Nel, Andy Bichel, Maurice Chambers, Alexei Kerveeze and Graham Napier.

Ian's coaching methods offer a progressive and proven path to success. Pont is also author of a 2006 coaching manual, "The Fast Bowler's Bible" and this year, he published his second book, "Coaching Youth Cricket."

Ian has the second longest recorded throw of all time – a mammoth 138 yards (126.18m) or 414 feet – set in Cape Town. He is among the few cricketers who has had professional baseball trials as a pitcher with 6 Major League Teams in 1987. Clocking speeds around 100 mph, he attracted interest from the Philadelphia Phillies. At Major League Spring Training he started as lead pitcher in a professional game for the Phillies making Ian the only modern professional cricketer to play in a professional baseball match.

Ajit Tendulkar gives his views on youth cricket in America

openingbat — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 23:01:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna

With more attention being paid to youth development in the American cricket scene, the demand for quality coaching has started to grow. As part of that, coaches from overseas have started to come stateside to help teach the aspects of the game that may not be readily apparent to kids who aren’t experiencing the game on a daily basis.

Ajit Tendulkar is one such coach who is trying to have a positive impact on American cricket by sharing his time and knowledge with young cricketers eager to grow. As the older brother of Indian superstar Sachin, Ajit acted as a mentor to help put his sibling on the path to greatness.

The elder Tendulkar has completed his seventh visit to the United States to coach at the Cupertino based California Cricket Academy. On the same visit, he conducted a week-long camp at Dreamcricket Academy in Hillsborough, N.J. Tendulkar believes that even though his opportunities in the USA are limited, the time has been well spent.

“As far as players are concerned, there has been progress most certainly, but it’s slow but steady because my tenure was for a short period,” said Tendulkar in an interview during his recent visit to New Jersey and the Dreamcricket Academy.

Tendulkar says that parents play an important role. "They are seeing to it that they follow up on whatever I’ve been talking to the kids and every year I see certain improvement in that direction, whatever I have spoken to the parents and the kids so that’s very satisfying," he said.

Tendulkar has had a hand in aiding the development of many players from the three-time defending U-15 National Champion North West squad. After several years, the biggest improvement he’s seen in the players is in overcoming the obstacles presented by playing on artificial wickets in the U.S.

“I think most of these kids, they are playing on matting wickets and what I’ve found was the bounce was a little too much,” said Tendulkar. “The kids in the beginning were perhaps a little hesitant to play on the front foot comfortably where they’re required to lean over the ball and initially they could not do it properly. But over the period of time, they are realizing the bounce well and adjusting accordingly which is a very noticeable thing among them.”

In terms of comparing the talent in India to the talent available in the USA, Tendulkar believes it is not easy to make an accurate assessment because the approach is different from a cultural perspective and there is a great disparity in the playing numbers as well.

“The option basically here, if you have to pick 10 best kids, you have to pick them from maybe 50 odd boys,” said Tendulkar. “In India, there are so many boys who turn up in one net that picking up 10 good boys is much simpler."

Tendulkar told DreamCricket.com that USA and India cannot be compared. “You can compare two things only when equal opportunity is given to both sides. You really cannot compare kids in America with kids in India because they hardly get, for example, after the practice is over, each one is in his own house and not everyone must be watching cricket."

"In India, you get a lot to learn by watching others, watching senior players, on television or in newspaper. Here there is a possibility that some of the kids are like, after the practice when they go back home, the mind is switched off probably." Tendulkar said that continuity is what is missing in USA. "You learn a lot just by watching also so there is more opportunity there to pick up the game more quickly than you can here,” he said.

In terms of the youth matches he’s seen, Tendulkar wishes there was greater attention given to improving the standard of facilities used. “So far I’ve been only able to watch kids (playing in youth macthes) in California, that too in Cupertino,” said Tendulkar. “Ground conditions were not so suitable for the game basically. So that’s the one thing which needs to be taken care of so that you can really judge them properly.

“The grass on the outfield was so thick that sometimes players wouldn’t know whether they are scoring runs easily. Is it because of the outfield that they have not been able to score runs?"

"That’s slightly confusing maybe for the younger kids. So I think the ground conditions also have to be improved.”

Along those same lines, Tendulkar believes that for USA’s youth system to catch up to the rest of the world, installing turf pitches should be the number one priority. “Pitches, most certainly,” said Tendulkar. “If you get to play on turf pitches, that will be nothing like it because then you are exactly on the same line with regular cricket playing countries. So then you go to let’s say India or any other regular cricket playing country, it will be no different because you have already practiced on turf pitches, and the outfield. That’s the first priority. They should get a chance to play on turf pitches and the outfield has to be reasonably good.”

It’s also important for more opportunities to be given to young cricketers, whether that is through playing in senior leagues or by forming youth leagues around the country which hardly exist outside of New York City.

"The more games you play, the better for you, no matter whether you are playing cricket in America or you are playing cricket in India. So they should get more opportunities against different opponents.” In Tendulkar's view, match play is the only way to maximize exposure to different kind of situations, different types of bowlers, different types of wickets.

Despite the road blocks that are thrown up to prevent kids in America from developing their cricket to the same level as those in Test nations, Tendulkar is pleased with the enthusiasm he has seen from everyone he has come across through his involvement in coaching kids in America.

“There is a lot of interest in America about this game of cricket,” said Tendulkar. “It seems everyone is working to make it happen. Children are keen on playing. They come from long distances sometimes to just play in the nets. Parents are involved. They are taking great efforts so I think that’s a very healthy sign. Everyone seems to be so far very positive and looking forward to making it (work) rather than complaining about it. Whatever is available, they are trying to make the most of it. That’s the very positive thing about cricket in America.”

Tendulkar was also pleased with his first coaching stint at the Dreamcricket Academy, the first time he has done coaching on the east coast.

“The setup here is really good,” said Tendulkar about the Dreamcricket Academy. “I mean four indoor nets, bowling machines, and that helps you to work on your particular weakness if anyone has so that helps really to work on that. I think everything is available as far as indoor cricket is concerned and the other day I saw that DreamCricket is trying to get one of the grounds where they can start outdoor activities (for juniors). So that will be a step for them."

Ajit Tendulkar camps are planned in Washington DC and New Jersey next summer.

Staten Island Live features youth cricket camp by Coach Earl Daley

openingbat — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:41:00 GMT

Here is an extract from SILive website.

Before Shekhar Kripalani, 11, could tell a reporter how long he has been playing cricket, Richard Ramrattan, 12, piped up, “Just say your whole life.”

....

Before they’d cleared off the field, Raymond Ramrattan, 11, of Jersey City, hit a pretty off-drive shot (the ball goes to the side and behind the batter) that even a casual observer could appreciate.

This camp is being conducted under the auspices of the Staten Island Cricket Club by Coach Earl Daley.

Coach Earl Daley takes the boys through their paces; many of the drills for fielding develop skills common to baseball. Originally from Jamaica, Daley played for the USA team and [has served as] a selector for the USA team. A WICB Level 1 coach, he also coaches at the DreamCricket Academy in Hillsborough, N.J., and he plays with SICC.
...

“My mother remembers me watching finals when I was 1-year-old in Sri Lanka,” says Sahan Ratnayake, 15, of Bulls Head. He found out about the Staten Island club from his friend Harish Saikara, 15, of Willowbrook, whose father played in India.

“Every time you play, it’s new and different. Nothing of the same happens. Some things may be in your favor and some not in our favor,” said Harish, explaining his love of the game.

......

For information, call Clarence Modesta at 718-465-1020, or visit www.statenislandcc.org. Walker Park is at 50 Bard Ave., Livingston.

Complete article here.

DreamCricket Academy Announces 'A Summer of Cricket' in New Jersey

openingbat — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:20:00 GMT

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DreamCricket Academy announced today that it is launching a series of summer camps in New Jersey under the banner - 'A Summer of Cricket.'

The program will be launched with a camp for beginners by Jamaican-born former first class cricketer and coach Earl Daley. This camp starts on July 19th. It will be followed by an Elite Level camp by ECB Level III Coach Ian Pont that starts on July 27th. The camps will be held at DreamCricket Academy's indoor training facility in Hillsborough, NJ. Outdoor sessions will be conducted at a Central New Jersey cricket ground.

Beginner Camps (July 19th - July 23rd, August 2nd - August 6th: 5:30PM to 7:00 PM)

DreamCricket Academy Coaches Earl Daley and Malika Frank will conduct two camps for beginners and advanced beginners this summer.

Pic (Right): 2009 Beginner Camp in progress (File Photo)

The first camp will be held between July 19th and July 23rd and the second will be held between August 2nd and 6th. These beginner camps are being offered for $65 for either camp and there are no additional costs for equipment etc.

Those wishing to enroll in these camps can reserve their spots by e-mailing sales@dreamcricket.com or calling DreamCricket Academy at 877-HIT-A-SIX. That is 877-448-2749.

Coach Daley is a highly respected coach in the Atlantic Region who firmly believes that cricket provides skills that youngsters can use in their lives. Discipline, motivation, goal orientation and confidence are some of the core qualities that get emphasized owing to the sport's emphasis on teamwork. The beginner camps will focus on basic skills of batting, bowling and fielding in a fun setting.

Advanced Beginner Camp (July 19th-23rd and August 2nd - 6th: 7:30PM to 9PM)

Coach Earl Daley will conduct sessions in two separate camps for advanced beginners - July 19th - July 23rd, August 2nd - August 6th: 7:30PM to 9PM. These camps cost $65 for five-days.

DreamCricket Academy is also planning a camp by Ajit Tendulkar (brother and mentor of Sachin Tendulkar) in the mid-August timeframe. Details of that camp will be announced once details are finalized.

Elite-level Camp (July 27th - 30th: 7PM to 9PM): The Academy's visiting international coach, Ian Pont will be conducting an Elite Level camp between July 27th and July 30th. This 4-day evening (7PM to 9PM) camp has been designed for cricketers who already play club cricket or have undergone some training in cricket. The cost of this camp is an unbeatable $99!

Pic (Right): Coach Pont with Graham Napier (courtesy MCI)

The camp follows the time-tested methodologies that Mr. Pont, an ECB Level III Coach, uses at his international camps in Potchefstroom, South Africa and at his own Mavericks Cricket Institute in England. Through participation in Coach Pont's camp, cricketers learn how to fine-tune their skills and improve their game to the next level. Topics covered at this camp include defensive and aggressive play, tactical and technical coaching, shifting momentum when needed, shot selection and shot execution.

Those wishing to enroll in these camps can reserve their spots by e-mailing sales@dreamcricket.com or calling DreamCricket Academy at 877-HIT-A-SIX. That is 877-448-2749.

About DreamCricket Academy:

DreamCricket Academy, which was founded in 2008, has steadily become the pre-eminent coaching institution in the tri-state area. The Academy is proud to have introduced cricket to hundreds of boys and girls through its Kiddie Cricket and Summer Camp programs. After receiving initial training in the camps, boys wishing to continue playing cricket can do so by joining the year-round cricket programs offered by the Academy.

The Academy has made huge strides in only two years since its founding. In addition to winning praise from visiting greats including Sunil Gavaskar, Balwinder Sandhu and Lance Gibbs, the Academy is proud of the fact that five DreamCricket Academy cricketers now play in New Jersey's senior cricket leagues.

Also, the DreamCricket Academy Under-13 team recently finished runner-up at a national level invitational tournament held in Cupertino, California.

Four boys recently earned selection to the USA Atlantic Region's Under-15 team. Plans are underway to send a team to the World Masters Under-13 Invitational - a 10 nation tournament in Jamaica and Barbados.

DreamCricket Academy is affiliated to USA Cricket Association and is a proud supporter of youth cricket across USA.

West Indies cricketing great Lance Gibbs with boys from the DreamCricket Academy, Hillsborough, NJ

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar with boys at DreamCricket Academy, Hillsborough, NJ

Balwinder Sandhu, member of the victorious 1983 World Cup Indian team, speaks to boys at DreamCricket Academy, Hillsborough, NJ

Nauman and Rushi get the bowling machine going for some batting drills conducted by Coach Ian Pont at DreamCricket Academy

DreamCricket boys huddle with former TN Coach Bharath Kumar during a break in practice

Bowling supervised by Coach Bharath Kumar

CCA Invitational: Hosts are U-13 winners and DreamCricket Academy are runners-up. All Stars reign in Under-17 category.

openingbat — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:55:00 GMT

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By David Sentance

Comments

Since its founding in June 2003, California Cricket Academy has galvanized both Northern California and US Cricket in the area of junior cricket. Seven members on the USA Under-15 team have participated in matches hosted by the Academy and over 250 active league cricketers have been trained in the six year existence of the CCA. Most impressive is the volunteer base of eighty parents, with seven volunteers assigned to help maintain each of the two Cupertino grounds at Dilworth School and the Cupertino Library.

Five Under-13 teams contended for first spot in the CCA 25-over Invitational tournament which started on June 23rd with an opening ceremony that included several local Cupertino Council members and the deputy mayor. The teams participating were: DreamCricket Academy, Northern California Cricket Association, CCA Champions, CCA Challengers and Los Angeles Tri-Counties (representing Orange, Riverside and San Bernadino counties of Southern California).

Pic (Right): True to their name, the CCA Champions were crowned champions in the U-13 tournament

This was only the second tournament for the visiting DreamCricket Academy team which is coached by Jamaican born cricketer - Earl Daley and his wife Malika Frank Daley. And it was the first tournament for the Southern California based team coached by former Sri Lankan test cricketer, Malayasian National, Australian Level 3, Coach Mumtaz Yusef.

With the most match experience of any team, the CCA Champions, the senior of the two CCA sides, were the favorites to win the tournament. The CCA Academy has implemented a winning formula for developing young cricketers that could be replicated nationwide if funds were available.

According to Kinjal Buch, wife of Hemant Buch, who co-founded CCA along with her husband, the CCA’s Silicon Valley location has a 30% Asian, 12% of which is Indian. The high educational level of Cupertino’s cricket parents encourages full parental involvement in an area where median house prices are in the $1 million range!

Pic (Left): The DreamCricket Academy U-13 boys finished runners-up.

Ajay Athavale, CCA President, remains clear in his training objective when he says: “We want one great team not eleven individuals,” he’s also a realist noting that “Cricket was a Gentleman’s game.” Currently, Maharashtra coach Shyam Oak, lives in Mumbai and Poona when not coaching in Cupertino, directs a three month six times a week training regime based on rigorous physical conditioning applied to technical skills training.

USACA Treasurer John Thickett, a generous individual CCA sponsor in the past three years, believes the CCA’s youth program is the best organized in the United States.

Under-13 Day 1: CCA Challengers vs Tri-Counties

Library Ground June 24th: CCA Challengers 94/7 Tri-Counties 70. Challengers won by 24 runs

The Under-13 tournament started on the clay wicket of the Cupertino Library Fields at 9.30 sharp. The first game was between Challengers - the young farm team of the CCA, and Tri-Counties. This was Tri-Counties first competitive match. Challengers won the toss and their opener Swapnavo Biswas(14) teamed with number 3 Shankara (10) as they put on a re-assuring 27 run partnership before Shankara was run out by Nihar.

Swapnavo then teamed with Monil Patel (10) before he was caught out by Arjun off Paras Choudhry’s bowling for a team leading score 14 in 47 balls. The Challengers tail-enders wagged effectively with Apurna scoring 13 not out in 21 balls. Challengers made 94 (including 41 extras) for 7 in their 25 overs. Tejas Peruvamba was the most effective of the Tri County bowlers with 1 for 9 runs in 4 overs. In their innings, Tri-Counties scored a confidence inspiring 70 (including 22 extras) all out. Opener Braham (6) did well to stave off a rampant Shankara who took a devastating 3 wickets for 2 runs in his 5 over opening spell. Lakshya Jain took 2 for 15 and Apurva Mishra effectively staked his claim as an all-rounder with bowling figures of 2 for 20. Challengers defeated Tri-Counties by 24 runs-a good result for both teams.

Tri-Counties managed by Pradeep Patel and coached by Mumtaz Yusef were well pleased with this first match.

Under-13 Day 1: CCA Challengers vs NCCA

Library Ground June 24th: Challengers 83 all out NCCA 59/7, Challengers won by 24 runs

After a delicious curry lunch, the second game on the Cupertino Library pitch was between Challengers and the NCCA. Challengers again won the toss and elected to bat. The home side scored 83 which included 26 extras. After the Challengers openers were dismissed cheaply with one run on the board, number 3 Vikram Ramesh(11) teamed with Monil Patel(9). The pair stabilized the innings scoring a 35 runs partnership from 76 balls. Apurva Mishra’s match winning contribution of 29 runs not out in 30 balls, his second undefeated innings, scored more than half the CCA Challengers runs as he teamed with Lakit Jain for a 24 run partnership. Apurva, a black-belt in karate, rose to this occasion after Challengers posted five ducks.

Nikhil was the most economical NCCA bowler with 1 wicket for 9 runs. Shivane Sabharwal 2 for 15 and Kushal Singh 2 for 12 also bowled well for the NCCA. The CCA Challengers were all out in 24 overs.

Batting in reply, the NCCA put up a dogged defense using their full 25over allotment, scoring just 26 runs with 33 extras for an innings total of 59 for 7. No batsman made double figures for the NCCA. Kushal Singh led the NCCA batting with 7 runs. Challengers won the game by 24 runs. Challengers Monil Patel’s economical 5 runs in his 5 over opening spell set the tone early in this duel of bowlers. Ajit Kumar was the Challengers most successful strike bowler with 2 wickets for 12 runs.

Under-13 Day 1: NCCA vs DreamCricket Academy (DCA)

Dilworth June 24th: DreamCricket Academy 83 /6 defeated the NCCA 57 all out by 25 runs

The opening game at Dilworth on the June 24th between DCA and the NCCA went the full 25-over round. DCA scored 82 (39 extras) for 6 with opener Vivek Narayan (18) their top-scorer. Kushal Singh 2-16 and Nikhil 2-20 were the top NCCA wicket takers.

For the NCCA opener Rudrik (16) led the batting ably supported by number 7 Shivane(11). With five of the remaining NCCA players scoring ducks they were all out for 57 (including 17 extras) as DCA came out victors by 25 runs. Vivek Narayan 2 wickets for 5 runs (including a difficult caught and bowled), Gavranshu 2 for 8 and Raymond Ramrattan 2 for 10, underpinned an economical winning bowling performance for DCA. Vivek Narayan proved to be the best all-rounder in this game but the spectators also witnessed some spectacular fielding from the DCA boys including a juggling catch by Richard Ramrattan and a spectacular full-stretch catch by Ryan Aravind.

Under-13 Day 1: Tri-Counties vs CCA Champions

Dilworth June 24th: Tri-Counties 58/6 lost to Champions 59/0 by an innings

In the second game at the Dilworth Elementary Ground, Tri-Counties won the toss and elected to bat on the Astroturf wicket. Shikar (24) batting number 3 scored over two-thirds of the earned runs as Tri-County ended their 25overs with 58 (including 21 extras) for 6. All of the CCA Champion bowlers took a wicket each. Captain Neil Tagare (27 in 46 balls) scored swiftly with M Buch (13 in 39 balls) as they steered the Champions home to victory in just over half an hour at the crease. Both opening batsmen were not out, as Champions scored a total of 59(19 extras) runs for no wicket. The Champions coasted to an easy victory by an innings in 10 overs.

Under-13 Day 2: CCA Champions vs DreamCricket Academy

Library Ground June 25th: DreamCricket Academy U-13 47/7 lost to CCA Champions 118 for 7 by 71 runs

The Under 13 June 25th day of the tournament continued in perfect cricket weather as the CCA Champions played DCA at the Library Ground. Hirsh Solanki was the Champions dominant bowler taking 4 wickets in one over including a hat trick.

A right hand fast medium pace bowler Hirsh, whose family hails from Gujarat, bowls off a rhythmic twelve pace run up with a high delivery release that enables pin-point accuracy for his off-breaks that land on a full length. Hirsch’s yorkers in the batsman’s block-hole will be feared in future. One of Hirsch’s wickets in his 5 wicket effort was caught off a brilliant catch at silly mid-on.

Chasing a mammoth target of 119 on the Libary Ground clay wicket, a surface that DreamCricket Academy team is unaccustomed to, the boys showed poise as they dug their way out of the Hirsch induced crisis with straight bats and determination. Coach Daley has imparted character to his team, which was demonstrated as the DCA team ended their innings with 47 runs for 7 wickets.

On interviewing CCA's Hirsch Solanki after his match winning performance, Hirsch gave credit to training at the DreamCricket Academy's fast bowling camp, conducted by Englishman Ian Pont, and a CCA organized cricket tour to Maharashtra with its enhanced opportunities for gaining mental toughness playing against well coached opposition on turf wickets.

Under-13 Day 2: DreamCricket Academy vs CCA Challengers

Library Ground June 25th: DreamCricket Academy U-13 53 beat Challengers 42 by 11 runs.

A nail biter of a game played out between the CCA Challengers and the Hillsborugh based DreamCricket Academy at the Library Ground's clay wicket. CCA Challengers lost the toss and soon had DCA reeling DreamCricket openers were dismissed cheaply out LBW to S.Srikantan and Vivek Narayan, a usually reliable opener who plays men’s league cricket in New Jersey.

Gauranshu Sharma repaired the damage with a determined 14 runs off 63 balls, scoring more than half DreamCricket’s batted runs and ending highest individual score for the visitors. Wickets tumbled regularly as DCA put just 24 scored runs on the board. The highest scorer was extras with 29 as DCA finished their innings with 53 runs in 24 overs on an unpredictable track.

The Challengers bowlers were devastating with S. Srikantan taking 3 wickets for 6 runs in 4.5 overs finishing with a 2.00 bowling average. This stunning bowling performance was beaten by Apurva Mishra who took 3 for 4 in five overs for a superlative bowling average of 1.33. Lakit Jain mopped up with 3 for 8 and a third place average of 2.67. Challengers could easily be forgiven for assuming victory was theirs’ for the taking.

Challengers got off to a wobbly start when their openers S.Srikantan(2) and Ajit Kumar were easily dismissed by DCA. But with V. Ramesh stabilizing the innings for over an hour scoring 16 in 48 balls and Ramesh also in control, Challengers were cruising comfortably to victory.

An all CCA final looked firmly set for the following day, then according to a proud Coach Daley who played his cricket for Milburn CC in Jamaica, “...came a brilliant full-stretch catch to his weaker side by Ryan Aravind who caught Ramesh’s hard stuck on-drive at ground-level for a brilliant caught and bowled.”

The young Challenger team were awestruck as their in-coming batsmen, drained of confidence fell cheaply to the DCA dream team. None of the remaining seven batsmen scored more than 3 runs as Challengers scored 25 runs. Including extras, Challengers were all out for 42 in 22 overs.

DreamCricket Academy's stunning snatch of victory from the jaws of defeat was secured by tight bowling, which by Under-13 standards, gave up a miserly 17 extras. Ryan Aravind’s (16), the highest score for DCA, followed his dominating 4 for 11 bowling resulted in a 2.75 bowling average; definitely a man of the match performance.

Talking to the Coaches Daley after the match - the following day - Malika Daley, a therapist by training, was effusive about Aravind’s performance. It was a sure reminder that one young man most certainly can make a difference. Ryan’s turn around effort had a primal, dramatic, unforgettable quality. South African singer Miriam Makaiba sang Malika as a theme song against apartheid in 1960, a song so unique in resonance that it recalls a troubled time and place. This day it was Ryan Aravind’s effort that resonated as he carried his team triumphant into the finals.

Under-13 Day 2: Tri-Counties vs NCCA

Dilworth June 25th: NCCA 104/9 defeated Tri-Counties 68/8 by 36 runs.

The June 25th morning game at Dilworth was between Tri-Counties and the NCCA. NCCA won the toss and decided to bat. Batting number 2, R.Sauthur (15) played a captain’s innings for the NCCA who struggled to score runs as Tri-Counties gave them away instead as the NCCA as ended 104/9 innings helped by 68 extras.

T.Peruvemba was the most successful Tri-Counties bowlers with 2 wickets for 13 runs ending with a team leading bowling average of 6.5 runs. In reply, S. Gupta (14) batting number 2 played a captain’s innings but found little batting strength to rely on for the rest of the team. Kanth (5) was the next highest scorer as Tri-Counties fell short of their goal by 36 runs, ending their innings at 68 for 8. In addition to two runs out, six wickets were evenly distributed between 6 NCCA bowlers. S.Sabharawal won the NCCA bowling honors with 1 wicket for 3 runs in 4 overs including a maiden.

Under-13 Day 2: NCCA vs CCA Champions

Dilworth June 25th: NCCA 61 lost to CCA Champions by 8 wickets.

The afternoon game at Dilworth between the NCCA and Champions started at 2.08 with a solid partnership of 30 between NCCA Captain R Suthar(6) and A Prabhu(7). They crafted a solid foundation which was not built on by successive NCCA batsmen. The NCCA 20 scored runs were greatly aided by 41 extras at the Champions gifted as the NCCA innings closed at 61 for 9 wickets in 25 overs. For the Champions, Dasarthy (4) and Khasigwala’s (7) opening partnership was broken up early by Kushal Singh and R Suthar. The Champions reliable Avinash Ghimikar (15) and Champions captain Neil Tagare (22) were easily up to the task, as they overhauled the NCCA total in twelve overs, steering the Champions to victory by 8 wickets.

Under-13 Day 3: CCA Challengers vs CCA Champions

Dilworth June 26th: U13 CCA Champions 175/2 defeated U13 Challengers 72 all out by 104 runs

The following morning at 8.53 the U-13 CCA Challengers took on their CCA academy rivals the Champions, on the Astroturf of Dilworth. CCA records tumbled as the Champions R Khasgiwala (59) and S Dasarthy (61) scoring at the rate of just under a run a ball, opened with a 134 run partnership that lasted over an hour and half. After Dasarthy was bowled by A Kumar and R Khasgiwala was run out, Champions captain Mihir Athavale (15) was joined by A Murthy (13) with the score on 154.

Both batsmen combined for an unbeaten 20 run partnership as Champions finished their over 25 over allotment with a total of 174, the largest innings of the Under 13 tournament. To the Challengers credit there were only 28 extras in the 174 total, a testament to tidy, economical bowling under adverse conditions. The Challengers showed character under pressure-a good omen for their future as a cricket team. Wicket-taker A Kumar was the most effective bowler for the Challengers taking 1 for 24 in 4 overs. Faced with a daunting task the Challengers got their collective heads down as left-hander S Srikarnan and right-handed batsman Mohil Patel opened with a respectable 28 partnership which was broken up by a catch to mid-wicket. Wickets fell rapidly after that wicket-keeper Shashir Dholakia (4) showed resistance until Neil Tagare ran him out.

The tail wagged as A Kumar(14) and Satish Ghimikar(2) posted the Challengers second highest partnership of 8 runs. Helped by 27 extras combined with 45 earned runs, Challengers resistance lasted for just over two hours, their combined efforts recorded as a reasonable total of 72 runs. A Murthy 3 for 9 (average 3), R Bise 3 for 5 (average 1.67) and M Buch 2 for 6(average 3) were the Champions most successful bowlers as Challengers lost by 104 runs.

Under-13 Day 3: DreamCricket Academy vs Tri-Counties

Dilworth June 26th: DreamCricket Academy 131 defeated Tri-Counties 43 by 88 runs

On June 26th at Dilworth, Tri-Counties won the toss and decided to field. With openers Vivek Narayan(1) bowled N. Shah and S. Singh(3) run out, Ryan Arvind (32 not out) was called on to right the ship which he did effectively with his captain V.Barbhaiya who played a spectacular knock of 34. The two featured in a 72 run partnership.

Ryan Arvind retired not out with the score at 100. S Gupta then ran out two DreamCricket Academy batsmen before taking a wicket himself. N Shah got the remaining wicket for Tri-Counties as DCA finished their innings with a score of 131 for 6 including 52 extras. Shah was the Tri-Counties best bowler taking 2 wickets for 9 runs in five overs which included 3 maidens, a fine performance. Tri-Counties were all out for 43 in 24 overs, including 18 extras, losing the game by 88 runs. Ryan Arvind led the DreamCricket bowling taking 2 wickets for 1 run in three overs to end the game with a .5 bowling average for another Man of the Match performance. His effort was aided by Humzah (2 wickets) and Rohan (1 wicket). For Tri-Counties A. Patel (11) and S.Peruvemba (6) showed some resistance with a seventh wicket partnership of 15 runs, thereby avoiding a rout.

Under-13 Championship Match - CCA Champions vs DreamCricket Academy

Dilworth June 27th - CCA Champions 146/5 beat DreamCricket Academy 70/7 by 77 runs.

The Under 13 final was web-streamed live by eParasaran on the internet as CCA Champions took on DreamCricket Academy, based in New Jersey. The CCA Champions were fresh off a dominating batting performance against Challengers. On this occasion Neil Tagare (76) their most prolific batsman, the Champions' young Tandulkar, combined for a opening partnership of 119 runs with M Buch (35) aided by weak fielding on the part of DreamCricket Academy. That is when Richard Ramrattan broke through taking Buch’s wicket caught and bowled. Vivek Narayan captured Neil Tagare’s wicket after the Champions posted their second consecutive century opening partnership in the tournament.

Hirsch Solanki (8) moved the score along briskly before he was run-out. At this point, Richard Ramrattan established himself as the strike bowler for DreamCricket Academy match as he enticed Mihir Athavale(11) and A Murthy(1) into giving up their wickets, tempted by his flighted balls to be stumped by the alert wicket-keeper and captain for the championship game V. Barbhaiya. This left Khasigwala (7) and Darthy not out at the end for a total of 146 which included just eight runs in extras, a testament to DreamCricket Academy's tidy bowling.

In response DreamCricket Academy put on 20 for the first wicket. Opener Vivek Narayan (9) was tempted out of his crease by the right-handed spinner Mihir Athavale and stumped by wicket-keeper Vijir. S Kripilani (4) put up less resistance being caught by Bhise off A Ghirnikar’s bowling. Ryan Ardvind (4) batting number 3 was also out cheaply as DreamCricket Academy failed to get traction in their batting.

G Sharma (10 not out) and Richard Ramrattan(8) had good innings but DCA scored just 41 with 29 extras for a final innings score of 70 as the over allotment ran out.

CCA Champions lived up to their name with the strongest batting line-up in the tournament. DreamCricket though handily beaten by 77 runs were the most dangerous bowling side, giving away the least extras of the tournament while defending and winning with low scores. On this occasion the bowlers were dominated by the batsman, particularly right-hander Neil Tagare of Champions who with his big frame, strong forearms and supportive family will be a batting force to be reckoned with in future.

Neil Tagare was by far the most dangerous and aggressive batsman in the Under 13 tournament. Mohak Buch was the most economical bowlers for Champions with just 2 runs and over while A Ghimkar was the leading wicket taker with 2 for 14 in four over for the Champions best bowling average of 7.

Under-17: All Stars vs CCA Champions

Spartans Ground June 24th: U17 CCA All Stars 124 lost to CCA Champions 125/3 by 7 wickets.

The Under 17 Tournament play started on June 24th at the Spartans Cricket Club ground in San Jose. It was hoped that an east coast team might participate but no team materialized. The U17 tournament was played between three teams, the CCA Champions, CCA Challengers and the All Stars drawn from Northern California league teams. The All Stars opened the Under 17 US Invitational against CCA Champions with a depleted team. The Under 17 age group remains hard to capture for cricket events as school pressure for college entry is tough at that age and cricket has yet to achieve National Collegiate Athletic Association scholarship status.

The All Stars scored 124(29 extras) with Ramnarine 25 and wicket-keeper Z.Sattur 38 scoring the majority of runs. The CCA Champions A.Watave, brought on late as number 8 bowler, ripped through the All Stars side with 5 wickets for 11 runs-an impressive performance earning a 2.20 run bowling average.

The CCA Champions replied with A Talwalkar (21) and A Buch (20) putting on 45 for the first wicket. Batting number 3, A. Watave’s 43 not out in 58 balls broke the back of the All Stars team as he combined in a 57 runs partnership with A Buch. Champions captain V.Suni scored 6 before by Nazeer off V.Sehgals’s bowling for 6 runs. Singh, Ramnarine and Sehgal were the wicket takers for the All Stars and Sehgal ended with 1wicket for 8 runs in 3 overs-the best bowling performance for the All Stars. The Champions A.Watave was definitely man of the match taking 5 for 11 and scoring a match-winning 43 not out.

Santa Clara Cricket Club Ground June 25th: CCA Challengers 53 all out lost to All Stars 54/0 by 10-wickets

On June 25th, the U17 CCA Challengers played the All Stars at the Santa Clara Club ground and lost by ten wickets. Challengers were all out for 53 and the All Stars captain J.Singh scored 39 runs in 25 balls including three 6’s while his opening partner Z.Zadoo(2) remained content to anchor the partnership. The slaughter lasted less than two hours.

Under-17 Championship Match

Santa Clara Cricket Club June 27th: All Stars 180/5 defeated Champions 115 by 65 runs

While the CCA Under 13 Champions side dominated the competition things played out differently at the Santa Clara Cricket Club ground where the Under 17All Stars took on the CCA Under 17 Champions team.

Put in to bat by Champions, the All Star team changed their line-up from the previous game with the addition of players not previously available owing to school constraints during the week. Openers, J Singh(38) and Z.Zadoo(9) posted a strong partnership of 52. Singh dominated the Champions bowling as he saw Pradhan off with two consecutive 4’s in the first over. Bowling fast from the other end A Buch bowled unchanged in his eight overs. He had Singh caught by Watanave to break-up the 52 run opening partnership in his seventh over- a wicket-maiden.

The All Stars strong batting continued with R.Ramnarine (20) and wicket-keeper Sattaur(54) adding 17 for the second wicket and 30 for the third. CCA Captain P.Suri enticed both batsmen into giving up their wickets as Ramnarine was caught by Buch and Sattaur stumped. The All Stars batting showed its depth as S.Abudlghani scored 17 runs before he was caught by Buch off Vardarajan’s bowling with the score on 136. Sattaur(54) was the last All Star wicket to fall with the score on 173. There were just 20 extras in 40 overs given by the CCA Champions as the All Stars closed their innings at 180/5.

In reply the Champions were all out for 59 with Watanave (20) P. Singh (16) and D.Parikh (16) their top-scorers as the rest of the team combined for just seven runs. Wickets taken by the All Stars were evenly distributed with openers Akhtar and Niazi taking 2 for 32 and 2 for 23. J Singh took 2 for 25, S.Abdulghani 2 for 13 while S.Sehgal had the best bowling spell of all, with just 2 runs off 4 overs ending with a 2.00 average, by far the most economical outing of the All Star bowlers. The Champions were a stronger bowling than batting team and will need to hone their batting skills against top-notch competition if they want win. Amazingly the All Stars gave away over 56 extras as Champions were 115 all out in 34 overs. The Champions lost by 65 runs.

PostScript: Historical Resonance

Having watched the sixth CCA US Invitational Tournament one could clearly see cricket’s future in the US building on a strong foundation. Several names come to mind as potential future stars but they have their own story. Having earlier written the history of the Citrus Colony Cricket Club which existed from 1895 to 1900, the achievement of the California Cricket Academy has strong historical resonance. Located east of Sacramento, near Rocklin, a British colony grew up with its own club house and a strong interest in sports. Most residents came from India and grew fruit for a living. They played hard and as their cricket improved they took on the best California Cricket Association (founded at the Occidental Hotel on Montgomery Street in San Francisco in 1892) teams. Within six years the CCC sides were the best in California.

The CCA has had greater impact as it has leveraged internet savvy executives with strong management skills in conjunction with USACA sanctioned events such as the second US Women’s Trials. Citrus Colony did not have a schools program nor does the CCA but that is set to change with Vijay Pradhan’s leadership of the schools program. Vijay plans on using six certified coaches in the local schools combined with a summer camp to reinforce skills. Hitesh Lokanki the CCA webmaster has planned enhancements to the CCA website to make it more interactive for Vijay’s program.

The future looks bright for the CCA as it has shown the ability to attract strong successor leadership. Ajay Athavale who has succeeded Hemant Buch, has a clear vision for his organization but most importantly he remains a team player, modestly acknowledging the achievements of his executive team. This frankly I found most impressive and hopeful aspect of the whole tournament.

Gray Nicolls TV shows Romeno Deane and Cameron Mirza at DreamCricket Indoor Nets

openingbat — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:08:00 GMT

Click on image below to see Americans Romeno and Cameron show off their skills at DreamCricket indoor nets.