Achilles Browne, Ali Sheikh, and Aaron Jones Light Up the Field with Brilliant Centuries

The 2024 edition of the USA Cricket Men’s 50-Over National Championship commenced on November 12th at the Sepulveda Basin Cricket Fields (Woodley Park) in Van Nuys, California. The tournament opened with exciting matches and showcased a few standout performances that set a competitive tone for the championship. Below is a summary of the games and key highlights from the day’s play.

Mid Atlantic vs Blue
Mid Atlantic Dominates Blue
Mid Atlantic defeated Blue by 60 runs at Woodley Park – Marder. Winning the toss, Mid Atlantic chose to bat and posted a solid total of 225 runs in 44 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. The standout performance came from Prannav Chettipalayam, who scored 88 off 101 balls with 8 fours and a six, anchoring Mid Atlantic’s innings. Gauranshu Sharma added a valuable 64 off 96 balls, providing steady support. Blue’s Sujith Gowda was their most effective bowler, claiming 4 wickets for 49 runs in his 9 overs, while Anirudh Immanuel took 2 for 36.

In reply, Blue aimed to chase down the 226-run target but struggled against Mid Atlantic’s disciplined bowling attack. Despite a promising start by Abhinav Sikharam, who scored 33 off 52 balls with 5 fours, and contributions from Sohan Bhat (35 off 63) and Sujith Gowda (16 off 22), Blue’s batting lineup faltered. Blue ultimately managed only 165 runs in 43.1 overs, falling 60 runs short of the target. Preet Shah was instrumental in dismantling Blue’s lineup, taking 3 wickets for just 33 runs in his full 9 overs. Yasir Mohammed and Noman Iftikhar supported him well, each taking 2 wickets.

Mid Atlantic’s balanced performance with both bat and ball ensured their victory and earned them 2 points in the championship, while Blue earned no points. Prannav Chettipalayam’s pivotal role with the bat, scoring over a third of his team’s runs, earned him the Player of the Match award.

West vs East
Achilles Browne’s 103 Sinks East
West emerged victorious over East by 91 runs at Woodley Park – Wong. East won the toss and elected to bowl first. West capitalized on this, setting a substantial target of 288 runs for 8 wickets in 44 overs. Achilles Browne led West’s batting with a commanding 103 off 106 balls, striking 7 fours and 4 sixes, while Sanjay Krishnamurthi provided critical support with a brisk 64 off 49 balls, including 5 fours and 3 sixes. Imran Uddin also contributed with a steady 56 off 63 balls. East’s bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs, with Shadley Van Schalkwyk emerging as the standout, claiming 3 wickets for just 7 runs in his 5-over spell.

Chasing 289, East faced an early collapse, losing three quick wickets with only 4 runs on the board. Despite the shaky start, Achilles Browne tried to anchor the innings, scoring a resilient 103 off 106 balls, supported by Imran Uddin’s 56 off 63 deliveries. However, the rest of the lineup faltered, and East ultimately fell short, finishing their innings at 197/8 after 44 overs. West’s bowlers maintained consistent pressure, with Shadley Van Schalkwyk delivering a stellar performance, taking 3 wickets at an economical rate of 1.4 runs per over. Ayan Desai also contributed, restricting runs with a 3.00 economy rate and claiming a wicket.

This victory underscored West’s solid batting and disciplined bowling, which outclassed East’s efforts, securing a decisive 91-run win in the championship.

Southwest vs Red
Ali Sheikh Registers Unbeaten Ton in Southwest Win
Southwest claimed victory over Red by 67 runs at Woodley Park – Wright. Red won the toss and opted to bowl first, setting up Southwest’s innings. Southwest posted a solid score of 264/7 in 45 overs, thanks to a brilliant knock from Ali Sheikh, who scored 117 off 100 balls with 10 fours and 5 sixes. Shreyan Satheesh contributed with a quick 63 off 52 balls, maintaining a strike rate of 121.15, and Rehman Dar added a steady 52 off 75 balls. Red’s bowlers faced challenges, though Shreyan Satheesh managed to pick up 3 wickets for 45 runs in his 9-over spell, supported by Rushil Ugarkar and Aarin Nadkarni, who each took 3 wickets as well.

In response, Red struggled to build momentum after an initial partnership but managed a few individual performances. Opener Rehman Dar scored 52 off 75 balls, anchoring part of the innings, while Shreyan Satheesh kept hopes alive with a fast 63 off 52 balls. However, with wickets falling regularly, Red’s chase faltered, ending at 197/9 in 37.2 overs. Southwest’s bowlers kept the pressure up, with Rushil Ugarkar leading the attack, claiming 3 wickets for 38 runs in 7 overs. Aarin Nadkarni also contributed significantly, taking 3 wickets for 19 runs in just 3.2 overs, along with Zia Shahzad, who captured 2 wickets.

Southwest’s comprehensive win was built on Ali Sheikh’s standout century and disciplined bowling, as they defended their total effectively and restricted Red to a sub-par score, securing a clear 67-run victory in the championship.

South vs Midwest
Aaron Jones Scores 110 for South
South clinched a narrow victory over Midwest by 2 wickets at Woodley Park – Severn. South, having won the toss, opted to bowl first, allowing Midwest to set a target of 239/8 in their allotted 45 overs. Midwest’s innings was anchored by Parth Patel, who scored a solid 48 off 79 balls, while Ferhan Ali provided a quick 54 off 50 balls at a strike rate of 108. Rayhan Ahmed’s 32 off 16 balls added a late surge. South’s bowling attack was led by Akhil Posa and Rayhan Ahmed, each taking 3 wickets, with Posa maintaining an economy of 5.22.

Chasing 240, South’s top order faltered initially, with the opener Aran Chenchu dismissed for just 1 run. However, Aaron Jones steadied the innings with an impressive 110 off 108 balls, hitting 6 fours and 4 sixes, and achieving a strike rate just over 101. Sagar Patel’s 40 off 68 deliveries provided support at the top, but wickets fell regularly throughout the middle order. South reached 231 with 8 wickets down, leaving a tense finish, but the lower order managed to cross the line in 44.5 overs.

Ferhan Ali had figures of 3/60 in 7.4 overs, while Rayhan Ahmed was impressive with 3/31 in his 6 overs. Despite these efforts, Midwest couldn’t contain the partnership-building and crucial finishing by South’s batsmen, particularly Jones’s century, which ultimately proved decisive. South’s win by 2 wickets underscored a balanced contest, with both teams showcasing individual brilliance but South emerging victorious with one ball to spare.