East Bay Blazers and Houston Hurricanes Secure Wins
Houston Hurricanes Defeated Lone Star
Houston Hurricanes narrowly defeated Lone Star Athletics by 3 runs in 2024 Minor League Cricket Twenty20 match at the Prairie View Cricket Complex on Aug.31, 2024.
The Hurricanes batted first and scored 151/6 in 19.5 overs, with solid contributions from Lahiru Milantha (38 off 27) and Mukhtar Ahmed (33 off 23). Milind Kumar was the standout bowler for Lone Star Athletics, taking 2 wickets for 44 runs.
In response, Lone Star Athletics came close but fell just short, finishing at 148/8 in their 20 overs. Milind Kumar top-scored with 60 off 42 balls, but the Hurricanes’ bowling, led by Matthew Tromp (2/26) and Usman Shinwari (2/27), held their nerve. Tromp’s all-round performance earned him the Man of the Match title, sealing a tense victory for the Hurricanes.
East Bay Blazers beat Silicon Valley Strikers
At Morgan Hill on August 30, 2024, East Bay Blazers beat Silicon Valley Strikers by 7 wickets. The match saw strong performances from both sides, with the Blazers emerging victorious after a solid all-around display.
The Silicon Valley Strikers, after being put to bat by the East Bay Blazers, struggled to build momentum and finished their innings at 142/7 in 20 overs, with a run rate of 7.10. Kamran Hotak (21 off 23) and Anthony Wadsworth (9 off 11) gave a cautious start but were both dismissed by Rushil Ugarkar, who was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/22 from his 4 overs. Shehan Jayasuriya (29 off 23) and Shivam Mishra (33 off 22) tried to anchor the innings, but frequent fall of wickets hindered their progress. Adit Gorawara added 20 runs off 17 balls, while Gary Graham contributed 15 off 12.
The Blazers’ bowlers maintained pressure throughout, with Sanjay Krishnamurthi (1/19) and Abhishek Paradkar (1/21) being particularly economical. The Strikers managed to reach a respectable total, but it seemed slightly below par given the conditions.
Chasing 143, the East Bay Blazers got off to a steady start despite losing Saideep Ganesh early for 7 off 13, trapped LBW by Nithin Kumar Kanduri. Sujith Gowda (51 off 42) and Man of the Match Sanjay Krishnamurthi (52 off 29) then took control of the innings. Gowda played a composed knock, finding the gaps and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Krishnamurthi was in a more aggressive mood, smashing 4 fours and 3 sixes at a strike rate of 179.31, putting the Blazers in a commanding position.
After the dismissal of Krishnamurthi and Gowda, Aditya Ganesh (17* off 17) and Vikash Mohan (1* off 3) ensured there were no further hiccups, guiding their team to victory at 143/3 in 17.2 overs with a run rate of 8.25.
