Volume 1 May 15, 2011 Issue 24

Ricky Singh, Cosmos CC

EDITORIAL – MOVING IN RIGHT DIRECTION?

INTRICACIES OF CRICKET RULES!

SCCA AFFILIATES WITH USYCA

PLAYER PROFILE – RICKY SING!

SCCA LEAGUE 2011!

SCCA LEAGUE 2011 – SCHEDULE FOR MAY!

HGOCC WORLD CUP TOUR DIARY-II!

EDITORIAL
MOVING IN RIGHT DIRECTION?
If you do not, by now, know as to whom I am talking about, means you
are not following cricket in Southern California. Yes, I am talking
about SCCA who have finally taken a step in the right direction to
address the issues about umpiring. When you walk around the ground
you hear bickering about umpiring decisions. Not many a team, take
the time and trouble, to bring it to the attention of the Administration, in writing,
about their dissatisfaction of the umpiring. It could be due to the fact that the
grievance is from the team that has won the game and they ultimately condone the
action or it could be due to fear of retaliation in future games. Whatever be the
reason, the problem continues to haunt the administration. Under the
circumstances, the present move by SCCA to compile data on umpiring is
commendable.

What prompted this article is the announcement in SCCA web page which I quote
below for ready reference:

“Umpires
Umpires Evaluation form
May 12, 2011 by The Umpiring Committee
An umpire’s evaluation form has been added to SCCA scoring system. All team
captains (losing and winning) or Team officials updating scores each week must
complete this form. All contents will be confidential and reports will only go to
SCCA Executive. No umpires and not even the umpires committee will see it.
Comments and names will be kept confidential. This system will help SCCA rate,
evaluate and also educate umpires to improve umpiring standards in SCCA. Please
be factual and rate in parameters indicated. When pos posting,
ting, please put umpires
names and not teams name that are sending umpires.

Thanks.”

As in every profession there are bad and good umpires. In the absence of use of
technology, umpires are guided by rules, interpretation of such rules and much is
left to the discretion of the umpires within this framework. One sees human
elements coming into play even with the use of technology in World Cup and Test
matches. Our umpires are not an exception to this. At the same time it should not
be left entirely to their discretion. There should be evaluation of their performance
from time to time to keep them from abusing the powers. That is why SCCA action
now seems a correct move to address growing concerns.

As one who regularly reviews the information in SCCA web page, I see non-
compliance with the SCCA requirements in submitting score sheets and the
summary thereof after each game. Very few clubs provide the summary and that
too the winning teams. The losing teams do not bother to write anything.
Summary provided by clubs confine to the description of the game rather than
input on umpiring, wicket condition, and any incidents that took place, etc. In fact,
as was pointed out in the earlier issues of this magazine, the score sheets are
incomplete when a player’s name is written on it. Surprisingly, the qualified
umpires sign the incomplete score sheet instead of insisting on properly filling out
the score sheet prior to signing off. Here we are not talking about teams playing
with ten or less players, but players who have played and have scored runs and/or
taken wickets. No rule will have its effect unless and until it is enforced properly.

Additionally, SCCA should assign an Executive member to review the input

received and make recommendations to the Board to act upon. I do not see this
happening at the present moment. I have seen some recommendations from clubs in
their summary on the behavior pattern of SCCA youth team last year. In fact this
year, USC after their game against University has written as follows:

“1. Grounds man not present on arrival, Missing equipment (Tape Measure, 30 yard
markers)
2. Grounds man finally arrived 15 minutes before start of play to cut grass.
3. Leg Umpiring was a NoNo--show from Pasadena 2. He arrived an hour late and was
correctly asked to leave by Main Umpire.

Very Unprofessional Management.”

Therefore the point that is being made here is that unless and until SCCA ensures
that all clubs irrespective of their loss and/or win in the game, provide input to the
Administration. One cannot always blame the Administration for not doing their
job properly. One has to understand that without the input/feedback from member
clubs there is nothing that could be done, that too, in a methodical way. As the age-
old saying goes “You can take the horse to the water but cannot make it drink” is
true in the case of SCCA and its affiliates. Experience should have taught SCCA by
now that mere sending the forms to its members and expecting them to respond will
not work. SCCA should be firm and impose penalties (not fines) for defaulters. Clubs
will pay off any penalties in cash and continue to default. Since the evaluation of
umpires is an on-field activity, any penalty that would drastically affect the club’s
standing should be considered as appropriate.

In the past, to avoid conflict of interest and/or appearance of conflict of interest,

Umpires Association was kept separate (independent) from SCCA. It is not clear
why this practice was changed. A registered non-profit Corporation is governed by
all applicable laws of the State, including that of non-discrimination, conflict of
interest, nepotism, etc. etc. Even though neutral umpires are assigned to a game the
question is raised as to how ‘neutral’ is ‘neutral’. In some cases umpires are also
playing members of SCCA. Additionally, in SCCA players change their clubs like
they change their shirts. It becomes therefore difficult to get neutral umpires. In
cricket playing countries umpires do not socialize that much with players at least
on the grounds. Here it is common for umpires to socialize with players while
umpiring and on non-umpiring days too. It is understood that with the limited
number of qualified umpires it is difficult to address all these issues. But, there
again efforts should be made to refrain from certain socialization!

Overall, a Move in the right direction by SCCA and wish them Good Luck!
 INTRICACIES OF CRICKET RULES!
Courtesy Thilak Wijedasa

1. No ball- Bowler Foot-faults:

A. The bowler’s back foot must land within, and, not touch the Return crease appertaining to his stated mode of
delivery
B. His front foot must land with some part of the foot, whether grounded or raised, on the same side of the
imaginary line joining the two middle stumps and the Return crease described above, and be behind the
Popping crease.

(This new rule was introduced as the bowler was bowling over the wicket but release the ball as though bowling
round the wicket, also taking into account the position of the sight-screen.)

2. Unfair play:

A. Batsman damaging the pitch

B. Batting side receives one less warning. On the second offence, there is a further warning and
any runs scored are disallowed. 5(Five) penalty runs are awarded to the fielding side and a report is lodged
with the appropriate Governing body

3. A No-ball willfully padded by the striker hits the stumps dislodges the bails and goes to the boundary.
There is an appeal. Is the batsman out? Are any runs allowed? If so, under which column?

The batsman is not out. Boundary is not allowed as the ball was willfully padded. One run is allowed as the
penalty for No ball. It is recorded under ‘no ball’ column.
 SCCA AFFILIATES WITH USYCA!
Courtesy: www.sccacricket.org

The Southern California Cricket Association (SCCA), one of the nation’s largest cricket associations with over
1600 registered players and 48 league teams is pleased to announce its affiliation with the United States Youth
Cricket Association, an organization that has been at the forefront of bringing cricket to US school children and
which recently won a youth development award from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Speaking on behalf of the SCCA, Richard Blackledge the South West Region's Youth Coordinator said, "I
have been talking with Jamie over the last 12 months and monitoring the great progress USYCA has made. I
think, more than any other initiative, the work USYCA has done has shown all US cricketing stakeholders the
real potential for the sport in the USA.

"One of our regions cricket associations, Orange County Cricket Association, has already had success working
with USYCA to bring cricket to schools in their district. The SCCA has a very robust Youth program that has
helped produce a number of very talented cricketers but we recognize the fact that we need to work harder to
encourage a greater number and greater diversity of children to take up cricket. We aim to make this affiliation
to USYCA a driving force to help us achieve these goals."

USYCA President Jamie Harrison is equally energized by the new alliance.

"The addition of the Southern California Cricket Association to USYCA will have a huge ripple effect on youth
cricket in the southwest United States," Harrison said. "Working together with SCCA, there's literally no limit
to what can be accomplished to bring our great game to youngsters in Southern California, and the impact of
that will be felt throughout the region.

"With the launching of this partnership, there can be no doubt that Southern California, and the South West
Region as a whole, will soon be a national model for youth cricket in America."

For further information about USYCA please visit www.USYCA.org

For information on the SCCA's USYCA program and how you can receive free cricket sets for schools in your
local area please contact Richard at richard.blackledge@gmail.com
PLAYER PROFILE

RICKY SINGH
Ricky Singh of Cosmos, is one of the entertaining cricketers of SCCA,
who plays the aggressive brand of cricket. Ricky was born in India and
started playing cricket at the young age of 8.

He played the Under-16 and Under-19 cricket in the National

Championships. Gradual and systematic transition took him to Collegiate
Cricket. He played the Inter-University Cricket and was part of the
Victorious Team in 1996 that won the National Championship.

He was a consistent performer in the Club Level Cricket in India. Ricky

moved to USA in 2003. He initially played cricket for Ventura Cricket
Club. His aggressive approach and game-changing innings caught the
attention of the selectors. He was made a part of the South West Region
Side in the National Championship. He represented the South West
Region for 5 years.

Ricky polished his talent, playing alongside Franklyn Rose (Former West
Indian Cricketer), Aseela (Former Sri Lanka ‘A’ Cricketer), Arvind
Shetty (Former Indian Ranji and India ‘A’ Cricketer) and others in
Ventura CC.

In the year 2007, Ricky was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Ricky Singh, Cosmos CC award for his outstanding all-round performance. He scored more than
850 runs with the Bat and also took 38 Wickets.

After representing Ventura CC for 5 years, Ricky has joined Cosmos this season. Talking to Mr. K.C. Rao of
Weekend Cricket, Ricky said “My goal is to take Cosmos to number 1 position.”

Ricky has been a very entertaining cricketer and is popular here for his big Six hitting abilities. He has matured
a lot as a cricketer over the years and would surely be a force to reckon with, this year. His swashbuckling 153
against San Diego – 1 earlier this month is testimony to this. On an unpredictable Matting wicket, where the
Mat was just rolled over the Grass, he looked batting so simple and played every shot with conviction.

Weekend Cricket administration and the readers wish him all the best in his future.
 SCCA LEAGUE 2011!
Staff Reporter

WEEKEND OF APIL 30-May 1:

In all 15 matches were played during this weekend. The results of the same are given below:

INLAND EMPIRE-1 BEAT HOLLYWOOD-2

Hollywood-2 won the toss and elected to bat first. HCC-2 was all out for 204 runs. Thanks to some fine batting
from Pradeep Patel 35, Divyesh Bhakta 25, Kaushik Bhakta 31, and Sandeep Patgel 34. Extras 46 (wides 39).
Viren Patel (3 for 31) and Vimal Patel (2 for 28) bowled well for IE-1. By Division-II standards 204 by HCC-2
was considered as a Match-winning total.

IE-1 started the chase well with an opening partnership of 49 runs between Jay Verma(19) and Dhavel Parekh
(20). This gave the momentum to other players. Gaurav Patel (57) and Yash Doshi (23) batted well to boost up
the total. HCC-2 conceded 38 extras (wides 25) and helped IE-1 to win with a score 208 for the loss of 8
wickets.

At the end of the day, this what IE-1 said:

A very close game ended up in favor of IE1. Lower order of both teams put together valuable runs. For IE1 Jay,
Viren and Vimal bowled very well and with the help of good fielding restricted Hollywood 2 to 204 runs. In
reply IE1 started steadily. Match winning knock from Gaurav (57), important runs from Yash and excellent
finish by Ashish and Sameer helped IE1 successfully chase down the target in a tense situation.

INTERNATIONAL BEAT SAN DIEGO-2

ALL-ROUND DISPLAY BY VISHAL IN VAIN
A fine all-round display by Vishal Upadhyay of San Diego-2 could not save the game for
his team. He scored 46 runs and bowled well to capture 3 wickets conceding 55 runs. San
Diego-2 won the toss and elected to bat first. Jitendra Barlinge 46, Amit Dudhela 52,
Vishal Upadhyay 46 and Suraj Patel 23 batted well for SD-2. Extras 32 (wides 24) also
contributed to SD-2’s total of 228 for the loss of 9 wickets. Adnan Shoaib (4 for 44) and
Mubashar Naagvi (3 for 31) bowled well for Internationals.
Vishal Upadhyay

In reply, International scored 232 for the loss of 8 wickets. Junaid Khan 26, Nasir Memon 86, and Syed Junaid
28, batted well for Internationals. San Diego-2 bowlers conceded 36 extras (34 wides) to help International
total. Vishal Upadhyay 3 for 55 and Amit Dudhela 2 or 48 bowled well for SD-2.
 CENTURY BY NICK KAPADIA IN VAIN
BRIT. & DOM. LOST TO ANAHEIM
Brit&Dom batted first and was all out for 183. Despite a fine century by Nick Kapadia,
Brit&Dom lost the game. Nick Kapadia was the only batsman who resisted the
bowling of Anaheim. Pravin David 21, was the only other batsman who scored for
them. All other batsmen failed to contribute. The total of 183 was possible because
Anaheim conceded 40 extras (wides 32). Aman Ullah 3 for 26, Vishal Thakur 3 for 29,
Nick Kapadia Cinesh (Jaymalia) Fernando 2 for 25 bowled well for Anaheim.

In reply, Anaheim scored 187 for the loss of 4 wickets. Gayan Pelawatta 41, Keyur Patel 52 not out, and Zafar
Majid 57 not out played well of Anaheim and helped the team to win this game. Extras conceded by Brit &
Dom were 21 (wides 16). Sridhar Rangarajan 3 for 35 was the only successful bowler for Brit & Dom.

ALL-ROUND DISPLAY SAGAR PURANKAR

SOUTH BAY BEAT IE-2
A fine all-round display by Sagar Purankar of South Bay helped his team win over Inland Empire-2. Sagar
Purankar scored 77 not out and bowled well to get 3 for 41. South Bay batted first and scored 190 for the loss
of 9 wickets. Abbas Ali Damaani 23; Sagar Purankar 77 not out; and Jatindra Singh 23 batted well for South
Bay. IE-2 conceded Extras 24 (wides 23). Ritesh Patel 2 for 27 was the only successful bowler for IE-2. In
reply, IE-2 scored 158 for the loss of 9 wickets. Samir Patel 25, and Bhargav Kachhadia 35 scored for IE-2.
South Bay conceded 34 extras (29 wides). Surinderpal Singh 4 for30 and Sagar Prankar 3 for 41 bowled well
for South Bay.

KABIR BEAT REDLANDS

Batting first Kabir put on a match-winning total of 224 for the loss of 8 wickets. Thanks to some fine batting by
Ginjan Patel 89, Nikesh Ahir 51, and Nayan Ahir 25, Extras 40 (wides 29). Naresh Jarecha 4 for 37, and
Saurabh Gupta 3 for 38, bowled well for Redlands. In reply, Redlands scored 127 runs. Rama Chintapalli 26,
and Nimesh Jarecha 21, batted well for Redlands Kabir conceded 27 extras (wides 27). Ankit Bhagat 3 for 28
bowled well for Kabir. Kabir tried six bowlers and everyone got a wicket.

HOLLYWOOD-4 BEAT REGAL

In a low scoring match, batting first, Regal was all out for 113 runs. Aftal Yussuff was the only batsman who
scored 31runs. The highest scorer being 41 extras (wides 35) conceded by HCC-4.

Sahaj Pagae, 2 for 31, Sourirajan Sampath 2 for 15, and Bhavik Bakhta 3 or 3 in 3 overs of which 1 was
maiden bowled well to restrict Regal to 113 runs. In reply HCC-4 scored the required runs for the loss of 4
wickets. Pronit Datta 20 and Satish Balu 40 not out helped HCC-4 to score115 for 4 wickets. Regal conceded
31extras (wides 26). Mayur Bansode 3 for 43 was the successful bowler for Regal.

As of today NO SCORES WERE AVAILABLE FOR THE MATCH BETWEEN SANTA BARBARA
AND BnB

HOLLYWOOD-1 BEAT PEGASUS

ALL-ROUND DISPLAY BY SALMAN AHMED IN VAIN!
HCC-1 won the toss elected to bat first. They did not have a good start and lost half of their side with the
score card reading 40 runs. Then it was Mandeep Singh Dhillon and Ankhit Parmar steadied their innings.
Mandeep Singh Dhillon scored 46 runs and Ankhit Parmar also scored 46 runs. Then it was picked up by lower
order batsmen to give some respectability to the total. Sujesh Pulikkal 43 and Piyush Agram 24 not out
contributed well to bring the total to 211 for the loss of 9 wickets. Pegasus conceded 21 extras (wides 19).
Elmore Hutchinson 3 for 37, Salman Ahmed 2 for 46, and Mustajab (Mushi) Khan 3 for 28 bowled well for
Pegasus.

Youngster, Salman Ahmed followed his 2 for 46 with some fine batting for his 40 runs.
His all-round display could not save his team from defeat.

Pegasus, in reply, was all out for 167 runs. Salman Ahmed 40, veteran Nazim Shirazi 22,
Zeeshan Khamisani 25 and Azzam Haider 26 contributed to this score. Hollywood
conceded only 10 extras (wides 7). Rishab Nanda 2 for 19, Piyush Agram 2 for 24, and
Salman Ahmed Nikhil Iyer 2 for 28 bowled well for HCC-1 to restrict Pegasus to 167. Pegasus lost two out
of the three games played by them so far in the season.

At the end of the game, this is what Pegasus said:

Pegasus needs to continue to gel as a team and come back strong in the next game.

Well played Hollywood.

FLAWLESS CENTURY BY RICKY SINGH

HELPS
COSMOS BEAT SAN DIEGO-1
Ricky Singh of Cosmos CC scored his first century of the season in his second match. He scored 154 runs in
105 balls which included 20 fours and 5 sixers and helped his team to a match-winning total of 322 for the loss
of 8 wickets. He hit all around the wicket. It was a treat to watch him play. Cosmos had the best opening
partnership so far in the league when Ricky Singh(154) and Ali Mukaddam (53) scored 156 for the first wicket.
Other batsmen who contributed to the total were Abhimanyu Raj 23, and Ali Shafi 31 not out. San Diego-1
 conceded 30 extras (wides 16). Bansidhar Gopalachari 2 for 52 was the only
successful bowler for San Diego-1.

San Diego-1, in reply, was all out for 153 runs. Joseph Guiste 33 and Hrishikesh
Unni 23 were the successful batsmen for SD-1. Cosmos had poor bowling in that
they conceded 39 extras of which 35 were wides. Abhimanyu Rajp 4 for 32, Ali
Shafi 3 for 30 and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu 2 for 25.

At the end of the game, this is what Cosmos said:

On a sunny beautiful Sunday morning, Captain Abhishek Pawar won the toss and
elected to bat at the canyon side cricket ground in San Diego. Instead of the usual
Ricky Singh
sniff it out, grind mentality that teams adapt when playing in San Diego, the Cosmos
openers decided to start of positively and make use of the new ball and fielding
restrictions. San Diego had their opportunities early but was not able to take them.
However, once the opening pair got into the grove, the fireworks were on display
throughout the course of the opening partnership of 156 runs. Ricky capitalized on anything wide and short and
Mukaddam made full use of the over pitched deliveries. Both guys took their turns in dominating the bowling
and a stroke of genius from cosmos taking the batting power-play after the 10th over (when SD opted not to
take the bowling powerplay) worked in the favor of the two set openers. SD could not use their spinners
efficiently and they were taken out of the game by some power batting from overs 10-15…. Rajp, alongside
Ricky kept up the rate after the fall of the first wicket (mukaddam) but fell at the brink of the second drinks
break with another handy 52 runs partnership with Ricky. After the break Cosmos lost quick wickets as they
attacking mindset was contagious from Ricky and Mukaddams blasting opening partnership, However Shafi’s
experience in the middle order along with the tail made sure that Cosmos bat out the 45 overs and end up with a
total over 300, Shafi's innings made the difference between 290 or 320. The fall of quick wickets showed proof
that San Diego is a tough place to bat at and if it wasn’t for the exceptional opening partnership and then
Ricky’s continuous onslaught with some extraordinary shots that allowed the game to open up like it did. Ricky
Singh batted like a champion and it was clearly visible what a talent this man is with some amazing batting. He
ended up with a blazing 154, Mukaddam 53 & Shafi 31*.

On starting the chase, 322 was always going to be too much on matting. However, Joe and Gaurav started off
positively and with the help of extras from the new ball bowlers, SD to get off to a 50 run opening partnership.
However, the introduction of spin changed everything with Rajp striking with his first ball. After the first
wicket, San Diego lost wickets at regular intervals as the spin of Gurpreet, Rajp and Shafi was too much to
handle for the San Diego batsman. Rajp and Shafi made light work of the middle order and Gurpreet cleaned up
the tail. Rishi provided some respite with 23 but the best San Diego scorer was extras with 39.
Man of the Match: Ricky Singh for an exceptional knock.

CSUF BEAT PASADENA-1

Batting first CSUF scored 236 for the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted overs. Thanks to some fine batting by
Rohit Yadav 64, Muhammad Siddiqui 44, Siddhanth Dhume 24 and Venkata Nagaraju 21. Extras47 (wides
32). For Pasadena-1, Uday Sangar 2 for 41 and Anil Kasinadhuni 2 for 41 bowled well. In reply, Pasadena-1
was all out for 125 runs. Mustafa Naqvi 46 was the only batsman from Pasadena-1 who resisted CSUF attack.
Extras 22 (wides 15). Ravi Singh 2 for 30, Viraj Sehgal 2 for 17, and Kunal Jethi 4 for 32 bowled well for
CSUF to restrict Pasadena-1 to 125 runs.

At the end of the day, this is what CSUF said:

On a hot sunny day CSUF captain, Adheesh Bhate, won the toss and decided to bat first. Pasadena was quick to
strike early when Vishal Lakhani got rid of Deepak with a beauty which took his off stump. However, they
could not take advantage any further of the early breakthrough as CSUF batted cautiously till the first break
without losing another wicket. Rohit and Sadiq built a nice platform for the middle order to launch an attack in
the later overs. Rohit and Sadiq built a partnership of 114 runs before Rohit lost his concentration and was clean
bowled by Uday. CSUF middle order took advantage of the nice platform built by Rohit and Sadiq and
dispatched anything loose from the Pasadena bowlers to the boundary. Some nice hitting by the rest of the
CSUF batsmen took the score to 236. Rohit was the pick of the batsmen with a well controlled 64. Other
noticeable performances were Sadiq with 44, Sid Dhume with 24 and Venkata with 21. Uday and Anil were the
pick of the bowlers for Pasadena with 2 wickets each to themselves.

CSUF knew that they will have to bowl good to defend the total. Pasadena batsman started off nicely and
denied CSUF any early breakthrough. But Ravi Singh struck the first blow in the 7th over when Naveen
Seethapathy tried to go over mid-on but mistimed it and was caught by Kunal Jethi. CSUF bowlers started to
put on the brakes on the scoring by taking wickets at regular intervals. But Mustafa kept on battling out despite
not getting any support from anyone else. Kunal Jethi bowled brilliantly and wrapped up the tail and Pasadena
was bundled out for 125 with Mustafa missing out on a 50 by 4 runs. Good batting by Mustafa. Pick of the
bowlers for CSUF was Kunal Jethi with figures of 8.3-0-32-4. Ravi and Viraj both took 2 wickets a piece.

UNITED CC BEAT LA- BENGALS

Playing back to back matches against LA-Bengals, United this time avenged their last week’s defeat. Last week
it was LA-Bengals home ground and this week the match was played in United home ground. Batting first, LA-
Bengals was all out for 94. Rasheed Tanvir 34, and Ahmed Hossain (Raju) 17 are the only two who could
sustain the bowling attack of United. Shankar Sukumar bowled well for United to capture 4 for 17 runs. He
was well assisted in his bowling by Babar Hashim 2 for 13 and Pranav Parekh 2 for 33.

For the first time this season, United had a good opening partnership of 76 runs. Sanjay Poojari 44 not in 41
balls and Rajamani Swaminathan 41 in 35 balls, laid a good foundation for the others to follow. Thereafter it
became only a formality for United to score 99 for the loss of 3 wickets to register a convincing win against
LA-Bengals. Malhari Ghotikar 2 for 8 was the successful bowler for LA-Bengals.

At the end of the game, this is what United said:

United played well. Awesome bowling and great support from fielders. And good to see some good batting for
the 1st wicket.
 DECCAN BEAT WESTWOOD
BY 115 RUNS
Batting first Deccan scored 204 for the loss of 9 wickets in the allotted overs. Thanks to some fine batting by
Ageel Khamisani 56, Zishan Javed 29, and Manan Choksi 24. Extras 40 (wides 23). Mohammed Rafiquzzman
3 for 43 and Balakrishna Pillai 2 for 31 were the successful bowlers for Westwood. In reply, Westwood was
skittled out for 89 runs. Extras 22 (wides 16) was the highest scorer. Vivek Sharma 4 for 23, Rahul Baria 3 for
20 and Clifton Gonsalves 2 for 24 bowled well for Deccan to skittle out Westwood for 89.

CITRUS BEAT BRITAMER

CENTURY BY AIJAZ ALI
Century by Aijaz Ali (132 runs), former USA player helped Citrus to amass 299 runs for the
loss of 7 wickets in the allotted over. Others who batted well for Citrus were the youngster
Shakeel Ahmed 27, Abhisek Vyas 40, and Bilal Qamar 26. Extras 34 (wides 24). Amir
Ranjha 3 for 41, and Mudassar Umar 3 for 60 bowled well for Britamer. Despite a fine all-
round display by Mudassar Umar who followed up his bowling (3 for 60) with a fine batting
performance of scoring 58 runs, could not save his team from defeat.
Aijaz Ali
In reply, Britamer was all out for 211. Mudassar Umar 58, Saifullah Salangi 32, Ahmed Razi
22 and Sulaiman Noor 32 batted well for Britamer. Extras 19 (wides 11). Andi Bhatti 4 for 38, and YasarKhan
2 for 37 bowled well for Citrus to restrict Britamer to 211. 24 wides conceded by Brtiamer bowlers cost the
game, which, otherwise would have been a close game.

At the end of the game, this is what Citrus said:

Excellent batting performance by Citrus on a windy day at Woodley. Shakeel continues to show mental
strength, with Abhi also showing his batting skills improved a great deal. Ali as usual humiliated Britamer s'
bowling line up with a magnificent century. Most of our batsmen had not much left to offer after his 132 runs.
Citrus ended up with a mammoth total of 299. Britamer started their innings with a blast largely due to poor
bowling by Citrus opening bowlers. May be our bowlers were tired from a previous day of intense practice.
However, Andy with his intelligent bowling was able to control run rate easily and forced Britamer players to
play strokes which end up causing them their wickets. He took four important wits with Ashish bowling good
line and length from the other end. All in all this was pretty much one sided game other than some below par
opening bowling from Citrus. Good luck to Britamer for the rest of the season.

CASUALS LOST TO COUGARS

Batting first, Cougars amassed a total of 258 for the loss of 9 wickets in the allotted overs. Samuel Dey 36,
Sanjeewa Wirasinghe 88 and Glendon Mcbeth 55 batted well for Cougars. Extras 31 (wides 23). Gopinath
Warriar with his wicket to wicket bowling captured 4 wickets conceding only 43 runs. He was ably supported
in the bowling department by Adhir Kalyan 3 for 41.

In reply, Casuals was all out for 137 runs. Mohammed Faisal 24, Adhir Kalyan 21 and veteran Lalith Sharma
24 contributed to this total. Extras 39(wides24) was the highest scorer for Casuals. Horace Crogman 3 for 26,
Suresh Jayasekra 2 for 39 and Kenneth Bennett 2 for 28 bowled well for Cougars.

PIONEER BEAT HOLLYWOOD-5

Hollywood-5, batted first scored 149 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Arinda Das 21, Faraz Haider 29, and Sadat
Chowdhury 22, batted well for HCC-5. Extras 47 (wides 37) was the top scorer for HCC-5. Hemchand
Ramkishun 2 for 28, Sunil Gajula 3 for 14 bowled well for Pioneer.

In reply, Pioneer scored 153 for the loss of 4 wickets and won the match by six wickets. Pioneer has been
unbeaten in their Division so far. Harry Persaud 34, and Monty Venkersammy 48 not out batted well to help
their team record yet another victory. Extras 25 (wides 15). Ivan Singh 3 for 27 was the only successful bowler
for HCC-5.

At the end of the game, this is what HCC-5 said:

Match played in very friendly spirit. The umpires did a great job also.

HCC5 won the toss and elected to bat. They had a decent opening of 43 runs in the first 7 overs mainly due to
some erratic bowling by the Pioneers bowlers. Aninda played well for his 21 before he was foxed by a clever
delivery by Ray. Soon HCC5 were 53 for 3 in 12 overs. Faraz and Vishal had a good partnership and took the
score to 88 before Vishal was run out for 15. Faraz played a responsible innings of 29 before he was the 8th
batsman out with the score reading at 104 in 26 overs . Anil and Sadat frustrated the Pioneers bowlers and took
the score to 146. Sadat was out in the last over for a well played 22 on his debut. HCC5 ended up with 149/9
and played out the whole 40 overs which was a great achievement. For Pioneers Sunil and Ray were
outstanding.

Pioneers started with a bang and scored 31 runs in the first 4 overs. Due to few dropped catches and some
sloppy ground fielding, HCC5 was never able to apply pressure. Ivan and Anil bowled tidy spells however lack
of support from the other bowlers and fielders made Pioneers reach the target without any hiccups. Hopefully in
the next game the HCC5 bowlers and fielders will perform better.

Overall a satisfying performance by HCC5 considering they were playing an unbeaten team.

Good Luck to Pioneers for the remainder of the season.

WEEKEND OF MAY 7 & 8:

UNBEATEN CENTURY BY THILAN INDRASENA

HELPS
HOLLYWOOD-1 BEAT ORANGE COUNTY BY 7 WICKETS
Orange County CC won the toss and elected to bat first. The top order batsmen
of Orange County had good starts but none of them were able to convert it to a
good score. Wickets were falling at regular intervals. Abhisek Vyas who scored
35 runs was the only batsman who stood in the way of HCC-1 running through
the side. OCCC was all out for 152. Hollywood-1 utilized seven bowlers. All
the bowlers who bowled got wickets excepting Nitesh Anandan and Rishab
Nanda. Piyush Agram 3 for 21, Anup Desai 2 for 35, Sujesh Pulikkal 2 for 11,
and Parth Shastry 2 for 17 bowled well for HCC-1. Had it not been for HCC-1
conceding 26 extras (wides 15), OCCC score would have been much less.
Thilan Indrasena
In reply HCC-1 scored the required runs for the loss of 3 wickets and thus won
the game comfortably. Thilan Indrasena’s unbeaten 109 and Nikhil Iyer’s 17 not out helped HCC-1 to seal the
game. OCCC conceded 10 wides.

At the end of the games this is what Hollywood-1 said:

Thilan's Brilliant Hundred was a nightmare that OCCC wants to Forget. Thilan scored six 4s in 1 over. More
coming soon in the match report.

VENTURA BEAT INLAND EMPIRE-1

Ventura, by beating IE-1 by 7 wickets, kept its winning streak. They are now 4-0 in the league.

Batting first IE-1 was all out for 156 runs. Viren Patel 51, Dhaval Parekh 30, and Yash Doshi 23 batted well
for IE-1. Extras 25 (wides 16). Amritpal Singh 3 for 21, and Yaser Mir 2 for 23 bowled well for Ventura.

Ventura, in reply, scored of the required runs for the loss of 3 wickets and thus won the game comfortably by 7
wickets. Ibrar Arshad 33, Gurpreetsingh Sandhu 54 not out and Prabhjot Singh 35 were the scorers for
Ventura. Extras 24 (wides 20). Yash Doshi 2 for 32 was the only successful bowler for IE-1.

LA-BENGALS BEAT BRITAMER

RAIYAN MOINUDDIN’S UNBEATEN 150
LA-Bengals won the toss and elected to bat first. They did not have a good start and wickets fell at regular
intervals. But Raiyan Moinuddin stood his ground and scored an unbeaten 150 to lift the team’s total to 280 for
the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted overs. His unbeaten century included 18 fours and one six. He was ably
supported in this effort by Nadeem Ahmed 26 and Tanin Chowhdury 22. The second highest score was Extras
43 (wides 36). Ahmed Umar 3 for 36 was the only successful bowler for Britamer.

In reply, Britamer put up a good fight and came close when they were all out for 254 runs. They were short by
26 runs. Mudassar Umar 66m Tahir Khan 29, Ahmed Umer 46 and Ahmed Razi 46 batted well for Britamer.
Extras 27 (wides 19). Raiyan Moinuddin 3 for 52, Tanin Chowdhury 2 for 35, d. Abdullah Zaman 2 for 35 and
Mohammed Haq 2 for 63 bowled well for Bengals to restrict Britamer to 254.

SANTA BARBARA AND ANAHEIM

IN A DRAWN MATCH
In this match, both the teams scored the same number of runs, 211. Santa Barbara was all out for 211 and
Anaheim scored 211 for the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted overs. Technically, Anaheim won the game as they
had lost only 7 wickets for 211, whereas Santa Barbara was all out for 211. It is interesting to note that this
match was called a ‘Drawn’ game but Anaheim gets 5 points and Santa Barbara gets 0 poins. One normally
expects in such a situation that either (a) Anaheim is declared winners and gets full 10 points; or (b) points are
shared equally between the two teams. May be, it is time for the Rules committee to re-visit their rules in this
regards. Last year in Division I finals, a similar situation occurred in the match between Hollywood-1 and
Vijayta, and the ruling was different. Of course, points were not in dispute. It was a win or lose situation.

KABIR BEAT CASUALS

DEADLY BOWLING BY DHAVAL DESAI
Deadly bowling by Dhaval Desai (5 for 20 in 8 overs) saw his side comfortably beat Casuals. Batting first
Kabir was all out for 195 runs. Thanks to some fine batting from Umesh Ahir 35, Nayan Ahir 24 and Suketu
Parikh 48. The second highest scorer was exras 37(wides 31). Adhir Kalyan 3 for 24, Phillip Traynor 2 for 35,
Anil Tulpule 2 for 46, and Gopinath Warriar 2 for 19 were the successful bowlers for Casuals.

In reply, Casuals was all out for 107 for the loss 9 wickets. Cliff Severn, Jr. 33, and Anil Tulpule 24 batted
well for Casuals. Extras 26 (wides 25) was the second highest scorer for Casuals.

Dhaval Desai bowled extremely well to capture 5 wickets conceding only 20 runs. He was ably supported in
this department by Ankit Bhagat 2 for 27.

CENTURY BY SHAKEEL AHMED

BIG WIN FOR SCCA YOUTH
Pacifica was no match for SCCA Youth team. It was totally a one-sided game where SCCA Youth beat
Pacifica by 253 runs. Youth batted first and amassed a total 297 for the loss of 3 wickets. Shakeel Ahmed
 scored 122 runs in 104 balls which included 12 fours and 2 sixers. He was ably
supported by Salman Ahmed 68 which included 5 fours and 3 sixers and Harsh Ronvelia
29.

Pacifica conceded 51 extras (wides 39 and no balls 6) which is less than the total scored
by them. Pacifica was all out for 44 runs. No Pacifica batsman reached the double digit
figure.
Shakeel Ahmed

Hammad Shahid 3 for 14, Salman Ahmed 3 for 15 and he mysterious ‘Youth’ 2 for 7. This is what we wrote
about in our last issue. When the roster of the players playing in that game has been exchanged, where is the
problem in writing the name of the player who bowled and/or batted. Are the umpires signing off on an
incomplete scorebook? It is a shame that umpires are tested and certified but still are not doing their job
properly. This happens most of the time in SCCA Youth game. Are we not teaching the youth the
responsibility?

HOLLYWOOD-4 LOSES TO PIONEER

DEADLY BOWLING BY RAY RAMJOHN
In a match that had full of comedy of errors, Hollywood-4 lost to Pioneer. HCC-4 won the toss and put
Pioneers to bat first. Then they started dropping catches and missing run outs. Besides these HCC-4 bowlers
conceded 40 extras (28 wides). Pioneer batsmen took full advantage of the situation and scored a match-
winning total of 200 for the loss of 6 wickets. As usual, Monty Venkersammy scored 37. Others who helped
Pioneer to reach 200 runs were John Morton 28, and Pronit Datta 28 and Hemchand Ramkishun 39 not out.
The top scorer was extras 40. Pronit Datta 2 for 48 was the only successful bowler for HCC-4.

Ray Ramjohn with his deadly bowling of 8 overs 1 maiden, 14 runs and 4 wickets restricted HCC-4 total to 171.
Pronit Datta 30, Sarju Desai 21, Ravi Bhakta 53 and the 12-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Arjun Patel played
very well to give support to Ravi Bhakta and remained not out with 17 runs to his credit. Well done Arjun and
keep it up. Ray Ramjohn was ably supported in his bowling efforts by Sunil Gajula’s 2 for 38.

At the end of the game, this is what Hollywood-4 said:

Well played Pioneer.

Horrendous fielding by HCC helped Pioneer score almost 200 runs, courtesy to lots of dropped catches and
missed run-outs. 12 year-old wicket-keeping sensation Arjun tried his best to reach those wides and wild
throws. Each and every Pioneer batsman got multiple lives and made merry.

While batting, HCC threw away a good start with a middle order collapse. Ravi and young Arjun starred with
the longest partnership for the 10th wicket putting the senior batsmen to shame. Pronit had earlier almost batted
thru the innings, watching the collapse from the other end of the wicket.
 COSMOS BEAT CSUF
CSUF won the toss but sent in the star-studded Cosmos to bat first. This strategy backfired as the wicket started
deteriorating fast. Cosmos was able to score 246 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. Thanks to a captain’s knock of
84 from Abhisek Pawar, Ali Mukaddam 44 and Inder Bir Singh 23. Extras 25 (wides 13). Ravi Singh 4 for 41
and Viraj Sehgal 2 for 55 bowled well for CSUF. In reply, CSUF was all out for 151. Adheesh Bhage 33 not
out and Kunal Jethi 27 were the only batsmen who scored for CSUF. The top scorer was CSUF was the 36
extras (wides 22) conceded by Cosmos bowlers. Youngster Gurpreetsingh Sandhu who is improving match by
match and season by season bowled well for his 4 for 41. He was ably supported in his attempts by M.U. Shani
Rehman 3 for 25 and Inder Bir Singh 2 for 10.

At the end of the game, this is what Cosmos said:

Cosmos won the toss and elected to bat first. Although CSUF put forward an excellent effort in the field and
bowled tight, Cosmos managed to stick around for the 45 overs, accelerating in the last few overs of the game.
Another good knock from Abhishek along with contributions from all the batsmen got cosmos to a total of 246.
As CSUF started chasing the total, wickets fell at regular intervals due to tight bowling from the cosmos
bowling department. With the wicket deteriorating, CSUF found it hard to bat on. A true captain's innings from
Adheesh showed good spirit in the young team along with a major contribution from Kunal right at the end.
Toss was definitely a key factor in who won the game, because wickets were deteriorating per ball. Batting and
bowling effort put forward by CSUF was full of spirit, and this youthful energy will surely help the team with
games to come. Good luck for the rest of the season.

SAN DIEGO-1 BEAT PASADENA-1

San Diego-1 won the toss elected to bat first. San Diego-1 was all out for 298 runs. Thanks to a fine start (59
runs) from their opening pair Gaurav Khillon 29 and Rahil Iqbal 28). Others that followed took advantage of
the foundation laid by the opening pair and scored freely. Hrishikesh Unni 46, Benson Thomas 27 and veteran
Wayne Copeland 48 batted well to bring the total to 298. Of course, Pasadena-1 bowlers conceded 75 extras
(wides 60) that became the highest individual score for SD-1. May be, this is the highest number of wides
bowled by a team in any of SCCA Divisions. Vishal Lakhina 2 for 52, Noorali Lakhani 3 for 53 and Mustafa
Naqvi 4 for 53 were the successful bowlers for Pasadena-1. Pasadena-1 played with one short and that also
contributed to their poor showing.

In reply Pasadena-1 scored 200 for the loss of 9 wickets. Arjun Singh 25, Usman Ghani 42 and Vishal Lakhina
37 batted well for Pasadena-1. SD-1 conceded 23 extras (16 wides).

PEGASUS LOST TO CARIBBEAN

Caribbean won the toss but put Pegasus to bat first. This strategy seems to have worked as Pegasus was all out
for 135 runs. Zeeshan Khamisani was the only batsman who resisted Caribbean bowling and scored a valuable
50 runs. Caribbean conceded 24 extras (wides 17). Marcus Stewart 3 for 20, Gary Singh 3 for 33 and Roy
DeSilva 2 for 27 bowled well for Caribbean to restrict Pegasus to a small total. In reply, Caribbean scored 138
runs for the loss of 7 wickets.

Roy DeSilva 23 and Mohammed Asad batted well for Caribbean and helped the team to record a victory by
three wickets. Pegasus conceded 33 extras (21 wides). Elmore Hutchinson 3 for 53, and Azzam Haider 3 for
46 bowled well for Pegasus.

At the end of the game, this is what Pegasus said:

Pegasus played with 10 fielders and severely understrength, but still put up a good fight. Time to continue
gelling together as a team and keep fighting.

Highlights

• Good spells from Marcus (3 wickets), Gary (3 wickets) and Roy (2 wickets)
• Fifty from Zeeshan (50 runs)
• Fearsome bowling from Elmore (3 wickets) and Azzam (3 wickets)
• Match winning innings from Asad (55 runs)
• One very ordinary Bat/Pad decision that turned the tables in favor of Caribbean.
• Good luck to all teams for the future!

CORINTHIANS BEAT CENTURY

MEVAN FERNANDO’S 5 FOR 44 IN VAIN!
Corinthians continued their winning streak by defeating Century CC. This was not an easy victory for
Corinthians. They had their anxious moments. Mevan Fernando bowled extremely well for Century. But, at
the end it was not enough to save the game.

Corinthians won the toss but put Century to bat first. Century was all out for 192. Thanks to some fine batting
from Manula Vithana 58, Mevan Fernando 23 and Akeesha Fonseka 45. Extras 21 (wides 18). Richard
Blackledge 3 for 31, David Pieters 2 for 47 and Andrew Price 2 for 32 bowled well for Corinthians to restrict
the opponents to 192. In reply Corinthians scored 193 for the loss of 8 wickets. Abbaas Nordekh 67 and David
Pieters 45, batted well for Corinthians and helped the team record yet another victory of the season. Extras 26
(wides 15). Mevan Fernando (5 for 44) who bowled well for Century .

At the end of the game this is what Corinthians said:

A great game of cricket between two evenly matched teams. Corinthians won the toss and elected to field first.
The track was looking worn and it was a cloudy, breezy morning. Richard and Dave Pieters opened the
bowling but in the windy conditions it was difficult to hit line and length. The Century batsmen capitalized on
anything short and rocketed to 23 before Dave got Harry to edge one to keeper Mark Punshon. Richard struck in
the 9th over when Malinda top edged a pull shot which flew down to deep fine leg in the wind and was superbly
taken by Vedant. Vedant struck in the 14th over thanks to a catch by Brendan but the Century run rate was still
good having moved on to 71.

The introduction of the two spinners, Andy Price and Abbas proved a good move as the pair bowled well
together, reducing the run rate considerably. Abbaas dismissed danger man Manjula who hit an aggressive 58,
thanks to a catch from Pramukh and Andy accounted for both Mevan and Ryan, Ryan going to a well held
caught and bowled chance thanks to some great pressure bowling. Andy finished with 2-32 and Abbaas 1-20
from 6 overs.

Dave and Richard came back on to try stopping the Century tail from wagging and did a good job. Dave with
the wind on his back bowled a spell of 6 overs 1-17. Richard finished with figures of 3-31 from his overs.
Century all out for 192.

The wind continued to blow into the second innings but Century opening bowler Mevan made the conditions
work for him. He tied down the Corinthian batsmen and made 4 breakthroughs in his first spell. Corinthians
were struggling at 46 for 5 after 16 overs. Once again the middle order showed their strength. Abbass and Dave
Pieters came together for a partnership of 112 which swung the game around. Where everyone had struggled
this pair made batting look effortless. They came out and played positively. They were aggressive, smashing
some huge sixes, but it was controlled aggression at the right time. Dave finally lost his sticks just after the last
drinks break. Abbass put on another useful 20 runs with Andy but tried to hit over the top into the wind and was
caught in the deep. When Andy went in the 41st over the game was still on. Corinthians needed 26 from 4 overs
with 2 wickets remaining. Faran and Vedant kept their heads and played some very tidy shots to bring the game
home for Corinthians.

A good win in a hard fought game. Good luck to Century.

INTERNATIONAL BEAT HOLLYWOOD-2

Hollywood-2 won the toss but sent International to bat first. International was 206 for the loss of 9 wickets in
the allotted overs. Fine batting from their veterans, Imran Habit 20,Rashid Zia 84 and Bashar Naqvi 22 helped
the team to reach a respectable total of 206 runs. HCC-2 conceded 39 extras (33 wides). Hitesh Bhakta 3 for
29, Jain Bhakatga 2 for 46, and Hitesh Bhakta 2 for 41 bowled well for HCC-2.

In reply HCC-2 was all out for 164 runs. Suresh Narsai 31, Sandeep Patel 21, Hitesh Bhakta 21 and Vitesh
Bhakta 26 batted well for HCC-3. Extras 29 (wides 25). Veteran Zaffar Siddiqui 2 for 28 and Mubashar Naqvi
2 for 34 bowled well International. In all 7 bowlers bowled for International and everyone who bowled got
wickets.

CITRUS LOST TO UNITED

Citrus won the toss and batted first. Citrus was all out for 196. Salman Ahmed 43 and Saad Khan 59 batted
well to help their team reach a respectable total. Extras 18 (wides 11). Shankar Sukumar 4 for 43, Babar
Hashim 2 for 45 and Rajamani Swaminathan 2 for 18 bowled well for United.
In reply, United scored 198 for the loss of 7 wickets. United’s opening pair(60 runs), Sanjay Poojari 39, and
Rajamani Swaminathan 27 in 22 balls gave a good start in their chase. This foundation inspired the batsmen
that followed. Pinak Patel 36, Praveen Chava 22 not out and Ramesh Srinivasan 29 not out batted well and
helped United to a victory by 3 wickets. Extras 24 (wides 16). Fahim Khan 2 for 30 and Saad Khan 2 for 39
bowled well for Citrus.

At the end of the game this is what United said:

Good bowling by united. Need improvement in fielding (specially taking the catches) and some good signs of
good batting side. Needs further improvement in batting from middle order batsmen

USC BEAT UNIVERSITY

USC won the toss but sent in University to bat first. University was all out for 178 runs. Zia Sshamsi 55 and
Santosh Jois 29, batted well for University and helped the team reach a respectable total. Extras 43 (wides
22). Tarun Tyagi 3 for 33, Dushyant Sharma 4 for 37 and Ashish Relan 2 for 21 bowled well for USC. In
reply, USC scored 179 for the loss of 8 wickets and thus won the game by two wickets. Tarun Sandhu 26,
Dushyant Sharma 20 and Tarun Tyagi 81 not out. Extras 21 (wides 17) Anant Kulkarni 3 for 45 and Fazal
Shamsi 3 for 38 bowled well for University. ). It was unfortunate that Tarun Tyagi missed his century. The
innings ended since his team won and deprived him of his century. Good luck in the future games.

At the end of the game this is what USC said:

• Grounds man not present on arrival, Missing equipment (Tape Measure, 30 yard markers)
• Groundsman finally arrived 15 minutes before start of play to cut grass.
• Leg Umpiring was a No-show from Pasadena 2. He arrived an hour late and was correctly asked to leave by
Main Umpire.

Very Unprofessional Management

BnB LOST TO HOLLYWOOD-3

Hollywood-3 won the toss but sent in BnB to bat first. BnB was all out for 158. Thanks to some fine batting by
Pankaj Patel 31 and Manish Bhatt 33. Extras 39 (wides 27) was the top scorer for BnB. Ankur Patel 2 for 22
and Mahesh Sanmukh 3 for 28 bowled well for HCC-3.

In reply, HCC-3 scored 159 for the loss of 2 wickets and thus won the game by 8 wickets. HCC-3 started their
chase poorly by losing two quick wickets. But then it was the unbroken partnership between Roshan R. Bhagat
and Ankur Patel that steadied the innings and carried it through. Roshan R. Bhagat 51 not out and Ankur Patel
47 not out batted well for HCC-3. Extras 35 (wides 30) Hitendra Patel 2 for 54 was the only successful bowler
for BnB.
 REDLAND LOST TO COUGARS
Cougars won the toss and batted first. Cougars scored 161 for the loss of 9 wickets. Horace Cogman 53 and
Umeed Khan 30 batted well for Cougars. Extras 18 (wides 15). Ankur Naplan 4 for 26 and Sarthak Datt 3 for
32 bowled well for Redlands. In reply, Redlands was all out for 142 runs. Saurabh Gupta 47 was the only
batsman who resisted Cougars bowling. Extras 24 (wides 17). Sanjeewa Wirasinghe 4 for 22 and Muhammad
Ansari 2 for 30 bowled well for Cougars. Cougars utilized 6 bowlers and everyone who bowled got wickets.

SCCA LEAGUE 2011 - SCHEDULE FOR MAY!

Courtesy of WWW.SCCACRICKET.ORG

Divisio
Date HomeTeam AwayTeam Ground Umpire 1 Umpire 2
n
Div I Sat 05/21/2011 Orange County Pegasus Wright Hollywood3 Hollywood3
Div I Sat 05/21/2011 Cosmos Caribbean Wong Ventura Ventura
Div III Sat 05/21/2011 Bengals Deccan Highland Redlands Redlands
Div IV Sat 05/21/2011 Anaheim Cal-Bel Marder International International
Div IV Sat 05/21/2011 Santa Barbara BritDom Severn Westwood Westwood
Div V Sat 05/21/2011 Pioneer Youth Smith Murphy Colts Colts
Div V Sat 05/21/2011 Dolphins Regal Marina Vista Pasadena2 Pasadena2
Div I Sun 05/22/2011 Vijayta CSUF Marder Hollywood3 Hollywood3
Div I Sun 05/22/2011 San Diego1 Hollywood1 Canyonside Cougars Cougars
Div II Sun 05/22/2011 Inland Empire1 International Smith Murphy University University
Div II Sun 05/22/2011 Century Hollywood2 Severn Pasadena1 Pasadena1
Div II Sun 05/22/2011 Corinthians San Diego2 Wright Pacifica Pacifica
Div III Sun 05/22/2011 Friends USC Carson Cosmos Cosmos
Div V Sun 05/22/2011 Kabir Redlands Marina Vista Britdom Britdom
Div V Sun 05/22/2011 Eagles Hollywood4 Highland Citrus Citrus
Div V Sun 05/22/2011 Casuals Hollywood5 Wong Santa Barbara Santa Barbara
 HGOCC WORLD CUP TOUR DAIRY-II!
Courtesy: David Sentance of HGOCC

The HGOCC, because of tour leaders twenty years of carefully cultivated contacts through the Hollywood
Cricket Club were invited guests of the former President of HCA Mr Vinod at the Secunderabad Country Club.

Founded as a transit stop by the British Army in 1878,

transported back to formal colonial times where members
wore collared shirts and long trousers we walked into the
bar, replete with insignia of British Raj and Indian regiments
and absorbed our new surroundings. All eyes were a huge
screen where India’s effort to qualify for the final against
Pakistan was on full display. Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi
had his head in his hands as his team began to falter chasing
the Indian total. When the victory was recorded Kingfisher
beers flowed and some in our direction-an auspicious end to
our first day in India.
Once off club grounds on a tour
of Hyderabad, the bus stopped
for coconuts and cane juice.
Kamal cane juice concocted
from Hyderabad juice presses to
be as fine as that in Guyana.
Coconut juice specialist Amar
Chanderpaul brought twenty
coconuts off startled vendors. He
and Kamal pronounced the juice
as good as back home (Guyana)
even before we broke out the
rum and coke.

If water was dicey in India

between beer, tea, rum, cane and
coconut juice, we never knew it!
The party members also found
Hyderabad to be a cricket gear paradise. In the evening a taste of the Mughal period was displayed at Paradise
Restaurant with its biryani dishes and bidri style crafts.

Returning to the Secunderabad Club by

tut tut brought us face to face with the
class segregation of the city as our driver
was not allowed onto club grounds. Next
time by car I noted! No cars were needed
the next day as the second HGOCC match
of the tour was on club grounds on a
small jewel of a ground with tight
boundaries, again overlooked by a
mosque. Batting first, but without our
three Pakistani HGOCC members who
were not issued visa to travel to India,, we
soon knocked up runs with ease but 167
was not enough as our local hosts carted
our depleted bowling all over the field.
Our host Mr Vinod, supported by a couple
of ex-Ranji trophy players gave us a fine
example of how to maximize the charm of
the ground by turning singles into fours.
With one over left in the match HGOCC
conceded the inevitable by six wickets
and headed off to a wonderful biryani lunch in the ball-room of the club house.
Friday night the Secunderabad
club-house came alive with
families watching movies. Next
morning we caught the
Kingfisher flight to the
Bollywood capital of Mumbai.
Forty two thousand security
personnel from all branches of
the armed forces and police
patrolled the access to
Wankhede stadium. India
overhauled Sri Lanka’s brilliant
275 batting effort in the final
overs of the game. To my mind
the most sublime innings of the
final was Mahela
Jayawardene’s unbeaten
century which raised the tempo
of the game to true
championship performance if
glory was to be won.
Jayawardene was used to pressure having been Sri Lankan captain when gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team
outside Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. India’s victory celebrations spilled over the next day in Mumbai where the
Maidan Oval was agog with players involved in ten over games rotating their way to different matches infront
of the nineteenth century Unicef world-heritage status British colonial era Indo-Saracenic style buildings of
Mumbai University and the Prince of Wales Museum.

A saunter across the maidan, followed by a taxi ride to Gandhi’s house, the
Malabar Hills and the Parsee vulturetorium where bodies are left for
picking to death by carrion eaters and Mumbai’s assault on western
sensibilities was begun. The conundrum faced by the traveller is whether
reality is that of the billion visited or the individual doing the visiting. The
sweet success of victory will dissipate as the poverty on Mumbai’s streets
will remain but this dichotomy only underlined the importance of cricket
to India with all its uplifting possibilities. One wonders whether a Lord
Taverner’s like organization will take cricket to the inner city or whether
the frenzied cricket madness that is the Maidan Oval supplants such
initiatives.

To be continued…..