Aaron Jones Smashes Second Century, Wiig Claims Five-Wicket Haul

In day two of the an action-packed series of matches in the USAC Men’s 50-Over National Championship, Mid Atlantic, South, Southwest, and West each clinched significant victories. Mid Atlantic narrowly defeated East by three wickets, led by Stephen Wiig’s five-wicket haul and Sai Teja Mukmulla’s 72-run chase. South dominated Red with a 138-run victory, thanks to Aaron Jones’s rapid century and Adam Khan’s disciplined bowling. Southwest took down MidWest by six wickets, driven by Harmeet Singh Baddhan’s three-wicket spell and Ali Sheikh’s steady 44-run contribution. West wrapped up with a commanding 10-wicket win over Blue, with Vedant Jain’s four wickets and Zahid Zakhil’s unbeaten 52 leading the way.

Mid Atlantic Edges Out East by 3 Wickets
Mid Atlantic defeated East by three wickets, East won the toss and chose to bat first, but their innings stumbled as Stephen Wiig delivered a standout bowling performance for Mid Atlantic, claiming five wickets for just 18 runs in his eight overs. Despite early setbacks, East managed to put up a total of 143 runs in 39 overs, thanks largely to Akeem Dodson’s 74 off 94 balls. Dodson’s resilient batting, supported by Tanveer Ahmed’s 26 runs, helped East recover from an initial collapse.

In reply, Mid Atlantic faced a challenging start with early wickets falling quickly. Rahim Dipu’s bowling was crucial, taking four wickets for 25 runs, causing Mid Atlantic’s middle order to falter. However, Sai Teja Mukmulla anchored the chase with a quickfire 72 off 64 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. Mukmulla’s aggressive approach kept Mid Atlantic within reach, and although wickets continued to fall, he steered the innings to keep the team in the game.

Eventually, Mid Atlantic achieved the target of 144 runs in 33.2 overs, winning with three wickets in hand. Mukmulla’s batting performance proved decisive, allowing his team to triumph in a match that saw several lead changes. The standout players were Stephen Wiig for his impressive five-wicket haul and Sai Teja Mukmulla for his composed and powerful innings, ensuring Mid Atlantic’s victory in this pivotal championship match.

South Defeats Red by 138 Runs
South claimed a commanding 138-run victory over Red when they met at Woodley Park on November 13, 2024. Red won the toss and chose to bowl, a decision South capitalized on by posting an impressive total of 287/8 in 45 overs. Captain Aaron Jones led South’s charge with a stunning 102 off 57 balls, striking six fours and nine sixes at a blistering strike rate of 178.95. Utkarsh Srivastava provided solid support, scoring 77 from 94 balls, while Unmukt Chand added 55 off 67. Pranav Bhattad also contributed a quickfire 38 off 25 balls towards the end of the innings, boosting South’s total to a formidable 287.

Red’s bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught, with only a few standout performances. Aman Patel took two wickets for 57 runs, and Shuaib Syed claimed two for 53, but Jones’s explosive batting overshadowed their efforts.

In reply, Red faltered early, with two of their top-order batsmen run out within the first five overs. Unmukt Chand managed to steady the innings briefly with 55 runs off 67 balls, but the rest of the lineup failed to build meaningful partnerships. Adam Khan’s bowling for South proved devastating, taking 3 wickets for just 29 runs in his nine overs. Srivastava and Bhattad also chipped in with two wickets each, effectively dismantling Red’s batting lineup. Red was ultimately bowled out for 149 in 33.4 overs.

The match highlighted South’s dominance, with Jones’s powerful batting and Khan’s disciplined bowling leading them to a comfortable victory.

Southwest Triumphs Over MidWest
Southwest defeated MidWest by six wickets in their clash. Southwest’s decision to bowl after winning the toss proved advantageous, as they restricted MidWest to a modest total of 122 runs in 38.3 overs. MidWest’s batting struggled against Southwest’s disciplined bowling attack, with only three batsmen reaching double figures. Fahad Babar top-scored with 36 off 44 balls, including five boundaries, and Mittansh Nithiyanandam contributed a steady 32 off 58.

Southwest’s bowlers delivered an impressive performance, with Harmeet Singh Baddhan leading the way, claiming three wickets for just 19 runs in nine overs. Abhimanyu Poswal also took three wickets, conceding only 19 runs in his six-over spell. Akhilesh Bodugum supported with two wickets for 19 runs from 7.3 overs, further stifling MidWest’s scoring opportunities.

Chasing a target of 123, Southwest started steadily but lost two quick wickets within the first eight overs. Smit Patel made an impactful 27 off 27 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six. After Patel’s departure, Ali Sheikh took charge, scoring a swift 44 off 41 balls with a strike rate of 107.32, ensuring Southwest stayed on track. Supported by Aarin Nadkarni’s unbeaten 15, Southwest reached the target in 25 overs, finishing at 124/4.

West Secures Dominant Win Over Blue by 10 Wickets
West cruised to a decisive 10-wicket victory against Blue in day two of the tournament. After winning the toss, West elected to bowl first, a choice that immediately paid off as they restricted Blue to a low score of 89 runs in 29.2 overs. Blue struggled to build momentum, with only Sanjay Stanley managing a notable 25 off 41 balls. Blue’s batting lineup faltered against a disciplined West bowling attack, losing wickets at regular intervals and failing to reach 100.

Vedant Jain was outstanding with the ball for West, taking four wickets for 23 runs in 5.2 overs. He was supported by Abhishek Paradkar, who bowled a tight spell, claiming two wickets for just 11 runs in five overs, and Zahid Zakhil, who picked up one wicket for 13 runs across six overs. West’s bowlers maintained a low economy rate throughout, effectively shutting down Blue’s batting.

Chasing a target of 90, West’s openers, Zahid Zakhil and Rahul Jariwala, showcased aggressive yet controlled batting. Jariwala scored 33 off 35 balls, hitting four boundaries with a strike rate of 94.29. Zakhil played an instrumental role, anchoring the chase with an impressive 52 off 53 balls, which included six fours and one six. The pair reached the target comfortably in just 14.4 overs without losing a wicket, ending at 90/0.