ACA Dragons Advance To Quarterfinals Alongside Brooklyn Stars

Benezeer Bhutto Memorial T20
By Dyon Ravello
ACA met Millat semifinalist Brooklyn Stars at Marine Park D on Saturday 28th April 2012. Brooklyn Stars won the toss and elected to take first strike. Stars got off to a flyer taking 19 off the first over. Mikhail Miller drew first blood for ACA, Asim caught at slip by Alex Amsterdam for 28.

Hugo-D’Oliveira. Photo by Shiek Mohamed

The runs continued to flow at the other end with opener Abrar capitalizing on any loose bowling. The introduction on Hugo D’Oliviera pegged the Stars back as he struck twice Waqas bowled with a fast and precise yorker and Nafees caught at the wicket by Lawrence Shoy for nought. Abrar continued to craft his innings taking any delivery on the stump, piercing the cover point region.

Prashant Nair bowling his left arm orthodox restricted the run flow, picking up two wickets in the process. It was not all easy pickings as Nair had his man dropped on the mid wicket boundary with the very next ball, another chance at long off. Abrar brought up his half century before he held out to Michael Noble at long off of the bowling of Dellon Moffatt for 54. Moffat various at the depth proved vital in further stemming the run flow, as he accounted for Janzib caught at long on. D’Oliviera returned in the penultimate over with much success, his lethal yorkers accounting for Kashaif and Babar. D’Oliviera bowling a no ball resulting in a free hit which Yasir could only pick out mid wicket to be run out with a direct hit from captain Ravello, the only mode of dismissal off a free hit. Brooklyn Star closed on124 off 19 overs not utilizing their full qouta. D’Oliviera again led the attack with 4 for 22, Nair 2 for 20 and Moffatt 2 for 14 provided valuable support.

ACA began their chase with a cautious approach against Abrar’s offspin with the new ball. Moffat was the first man to go trying to release the pressure off the last ball of the second over caught at third man off Tahir. Tahir struck again in the fourth over with opener Clint Wiseman caught at mid on leaving Dragons in a spot of bother at 21 for 2. Noble joined Shoy and the pair set about repairing the damage, as they added 45 for the third wicket before Shoy was caught at short third man for a blistering 35 of 19 balls. Karan Ganesh joined Noble and they continued the progression with Ganesh benefitting for some lapse catching mainly by Abrar. Ganesh got to 15 off 9 balls before he fell to Nafees, with ACA needing another 40 runs for victory. Amsterdam failed to trouble the scorers holding out to wide long on. D’Oliviera came to the crease and played his usual cameo to bring the game home with anchor role Noble. ACA completing the win with 25 balls to spare, Noble unbeaten on 34 and D’Oliviera with another match winning performance unbeaten on 10.

Andre Kirton had figures of 4 for 26 against Punjab Lions. Photo by Shiek Mohamed

Park Strikers Turn Back Bedessee
In other matches, Park Strikers played Bedessee Destroyers at Marine Park A, Strikers batting first amassed 132 for 7, with Yaseer scoring 38 and Ali not out 22. Bowling for Destroyers, Keon Lake picked up 4 for 26 with Andre Kirton, A Mohammed and Nicholas Standord snaring a wicket each. In reply Destroyers were on track to complete victory needing 10 off the last over. Kirton scored a boundary of the first ball reducing the equation to six runs off five balls. Good bowling coupled with brilliant support in the field by the Strikers left Bedessee five runs short at the end of the innings. For Destroyers, Henderson Blades scored 28, Mohammed 27 and Kirton unbeaten on 29 of 15 balls.

Bedessee Destroyers Rebound to whip Punjab Lions
Following their defeat to Park Strikers, Bedessee found themselves in a must win position against Punjab on Sunday. The going was rough from ball one as the Lions took 14 off the first over. Usman kept the score ticking as he got support through the middle. Usman topscored with a prolific 91 off 68 balls which included nine boundaries and two maximums, Adnan chipped in with 25 from 14 balls as Punjab closed on 181 for 6 off their allotted 20 overs. Bowling for Destroyers A. Kirton again was the chief bowler with 4 for 26 and R. Amin 1 for 29.

Bedessee in reply suffered an early lost when Romeno Deane held out to Ali off the bowling of Zafar in the third over 16 of 1. Nicholas Stanford and Henderson Blades kept Destroyers in the match, with Stanford heaving over long on for six, and Blades driving through the covers for four. Blades was leg before to Burhan for 27 off 17 balls, that brought Avinash Ramnarine to the middle, and he too continued in the same vein. Burhan bowled Stanford for 59 off 41 balls after a 84 runs stand with Ramnarine, 125 for 3, 15.3 overs. Ramnarine gave way seven runs later for his cameo 25 off 27 balls. Needing 50 off 21 balls, K. Bridgepaul and Andre Kirton ensured there would be no falter as their lusty blows was felt deep in the Lions’ wounds. Destroyers getting home with six balls to spare Bridgepaul not 25 off 12 and Kirton again unbeaten, 28 off 7 balls. Bedessee will hope that Striker took care of Lions in the final group fixture or will have to calculate run rate in the event of a Punjab victory.

ACA Dragons Eliminate Travel Treat
Travel Treat playing their second match of the day faced a similar position as the Destroyers after falling to Brooklyn Star in the morning fixture. Travel Treat won the toss and took first strike, and were in early trouble as Abdullah was leg before to Michael Noble in the first over. Noble removed Ansar and Asim caught at the wicket. Umar played his shots with two sixes over midwicket, but was undone by the pace of Hugo D’Oliviera skying the short delivery to mid on for Ravello to take a simple catch. Zafar and Junaid Mirza put a partnership together as they tried to wrestle the game back. Mirza popped one into the onside attempting a single that was never on with wicketkeeper Noble having all the time in the world to effect the run out. Lawrence Shoy did his work bowling left arm orthodox picking up two wickets as Travel Treat closed on 135 all out off their 20 overs. Noble picked up four wickets, with Shoy grabbing two, and D’Oliviera and Rafique Nafeez a wicket each.

Nicholas Standford struck 59 off 41 balls against Punjab Lions.

In reply ACA Dragons suffered a early lost with Trevor Singh caught at cover point of Umar, 3 for 1. Noble added 17 with Shoy for the second wicket, before Noble was caught at short fine leg sweeping left arm spinner Nadeem. Shoy fell caught at the wicket with no further addition to the score he made 14. Nafeez and Malo Marshall repaired the damage with a 36 run partnership, dominated by Marshall’s powerful hitting. Marshall was given out leg before off Zafar he made 29. Chris Srikissoon joined Nafeez and they both ran four runs to ensure they continue to amass the runs necessary even when the ball had gone into the boundary. Sirkissoon was leg before to Asim as D’Oliviera partnered Nafeez at the crease. D’Oliviera kept up the tempo as Nafeez held the innings together. D’Oliviera was caught at backward point off Asim, bringing captain Ravello to the middle with 50 needed off 36 balls. By the time Ravello held out to Asim at long on off Umar, ACA still needed 30 runs of 18 balls. In the end Sameet Khawaja and Nafeez took the game to their opponents to bring home the match with 2 balls to spare, Nafeez with a match winning knock of 43 not out.