Captain's corner - Take 9 : Avinaschander Manivannan

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Avinaschander Manivannan
Left Arm Fast

(Even though it looks blank, do click on the video below, it will play)


Introduction:
Oh these left arm pace bowlers! No matter how much we right arm seamers try, it is these lefties who always steal the limelight. They just have that something different about them coming left arm over the stumps, angling the ball away from the right hand batsmen and occasionally bringing it back in. Cricket is certainly a game of angles and no one can beat these left arm pace bowlers when it comes to the grace and rawness of pace bowling. Avinas, being only one of three left arm pace bowlers for WVUCC (Usman Hashmi and Rajesh) in all the years I have played cricket for WVUCC, naturally is a surprise package full of youthful aggression and style. He could possibly be the youngest debutant of WVUCC (Manish can you confirm that? Editor's note: Only one other player - Kuntal Shah - was the same age as Avinas when he first played for WVUCC) even though I always thought that I would retain that honor for ever myself. Bowling over and around the wicket Avinas always gives me the impression of a young (Chaminda) Vaas, even though I find his mental approach to bowling more comparable to the great Wasim Akram himself. He is a true match winner because he bowls with only one purpose- taking wickets.

Progress:
My first impression of Avinas was that of a young boy who is crazy about cricket and just plays the game for the fun of it. Even though that initial impression has not changed much, I think that the pressure of being the spearhead of the bowling department did work in his favor making him use the faculties of his mind way more than his usual self, thus transforming him into a clever little bowler.

In 2006, when Avinas made his début for WVUCC, he remained for most part an understudy doing his bit when given the chance. Picking up 10 wickets at a strike rate of 13.2 is hardly an average performance considering that it is your first season as a bowler on a ground where the boundaries are short and batsmen are aggressive. This just goes on to tell you how blessed WVUCC has been in the last two years when it comes to strike bowlers.

The most obvious trait in Avinas as a player is his hunger for the game. He is one of those guys who would play a game of tennis ball cricket with the same enthusiasm and commitment as a hard ball league match. How many cricketers come back to play for their team after having undergone surgery on a knee in a season which hardly lasts a couple of months? Not only did Avinas come back from that injury but was quick to get back into the playing eleven at a time when there was extreme competition in the bowling department. At the end he raised his game, bowling with great pace and venom during the play-offs and announcing himself as the best bowler in the play-offs.

During the finals while Ashok was hammering the ball in all directions, it was Avinas with the new ball, and Nishit with the old ball, who kept up the pressure and did not allow any partnerships to form. I believe that we won the finals because of our bowling and fielding, restricting sides like Hurricanes and Steelzags to below-average totals when there were players like Ram, Neveen, and Anu among them. His best bowling spell was during the finals when he troubled all batsmen with some fierce pace and bounce picking up 2 wickets for only 9 runs in 4 overs. During the finals I was fasting and hardly had any fuel to bowl at the death end of the bowling innings. I was worried about it. Avinas, Nishit, and the others, made sure I was under no pressure when I came to bowl. They bowled the best spells of fast bowling I have witnessed a WVUCC team ever come up with. Simply brilliant bowling! What more can I say?

Avinas ended up taking 11 wickets for the season with a phenomenal average of 10.7 runs per wicket.

My Favorite Avinas delivery: Bouncer rising from good length whizzing past the batsman's throat.



My favorite Avinas spell: Match-winning 2 for 9 against Steelzags in the finals.



(Even though it looks blank, do click on the video below, it will play)


Technical Analysis:
Technically analyzing Avinas I was able to pick out some weak areas. The first one is his run up. He has a very haphazard approach to the bowling crease. I think he will do better with a measured, repeated, run up to the crease. Another thing where he can improve is his right arm. It goes down too quickly for my liking. If he is able to delay the decline of his right arm during his jump at the crease, he will get better direction and will add more pace to his armory. Avinas has the most natural bowling action you will ever see. His head is very stable at the point of delivery and his hip rotation is well balanced. He sometimes gets carried away with bowling yorkers and short deliveries. He needs to find the middle length more often using the short ball and the yorker as a surprise weapon. I think that Avinas has very good control over his swing bowling and his seam position is excellent.

Mental Analysis:
It is his mental strength which varies at times, making him an interesting and dangerous prospect. There are times when he is feeling very confident and displays the full range of his talent. At other times when his run up is not good and his injury bothers him, understandably so, he tends to just release the ball off his hands rather than bowling it. One good thing about his bowling is that he does not allow the batsman to dominate him. If a batsman shows intent to thrash him, Avinas puts his level best and it brings out the aggressor in him. There is one other quality which makes him better than the others as a fast bowler. I think he has a great ability of reading the batsman's intent. Just like a good batsman reads the ball off the bowler's hands and not after it has pitched, a good bowler is he who is able to read the batsman's stroke by reading his body movements. That being said, he is still young and will learn a lot in years to come.

What Else:
Avinas certainly needs to get fitter and improve his fielding. At times he is slow in the field and his athleticism is average, at best. Being the youngest fellow in the team, we all expect a little more energy from him. Avinas is probably the easiest bowler to set fields for as a captain. He bowls with a plan and his intent is to pick up wickets. I always keep attacking fields for him and he never fails to impress me.

Since Avinas is the youngest fellow in the team, he is the most obvious choice for others to tease and taunt. The great thing about Avinas is that he always has a smile on his face and never fails to enjoy the humor of the situation. Like most of his team mates, Avinas has an easy going personality and is a comfortable person to be with.

I think that he will do even better in the seasons to come now that he has two successful seasons under his belt. Another thing about him is that he is an expert in cleaning dishes at home since he never cooks yet wants to contribute in some way or another. All in all he is a very good person and an excellent bowler. Keep it up Avi!!

Marks Out of Ten this season (8.5/10)

Captain's corner - Take 8 : Venkata R. Sathi

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Venkata R. Sathi
Right Hand Medium Fast Bowler

(Even though it looks blank, do click on the video below, it will play)


Introduction:
WVUCC has always had problems finding a stable opening bowling partnership but for the last couple of seasons we have been blessed in this department. In 2006 it was Hari Menon and C.V. Karthik who ran through the top order with some fierce pace and swing. In 2007, it was the likes of Venkat, Avinaschander, and Harsheesh Patel who provided the team with early wickets almost every time. Out of the three, the most consistent was Venkat. He was the perfect replacement for C.V. Karthik, darting the new ball back in sharply from the off-stump channel and crashing into middle- and leg-stump on more than a few occasions.

At first look, Venkat doesn't look like a natural sportsman. He has large, rigid, body and seems to move slowly in the field. He sleeps for most of our trips to the ground and hardly talks in the ground. However, this is nothing more than deception. When he has the ball in his hand, he transforms into a force to be reckoned with. Once he got into his stride, he was comfortably my first choice for opening the bowling, even though his control over the extras was a bit problematic early in the season.

Progress:
Consistency in attitude is a trait that many cricketers lack. I have seen in my long years at WVU many cricketers with a lot of ability who came, didn't do well, and then gave up. This is the very trait (unwillingness to give up) which made Venkat grow from a misdirected, all-over-the-place, wild swinger of the new ball to a skillful, controlled, and effective swinger of the cricket ball. He was one of the few members along with his dear friend Nikhil, who never lost hope and kept turning up for the net-sessions, improving slowly but surely and becoming a match-winner for his team.

His first five games yielded only two wickets, not because he lacked the ability, but because he was not putting the ball in the right spot on a consistent basis. His frequent wides down the leg-side made sure that Ashok was always diving around towards his left and people like Harsheesh (standing at deep fine-leg) did not get bored. It was against the Lumberjacks (poor Lumberjacks always give our team members confidence) in his sixth game for WVUCC, that Venkat found the wicket-taking, dangerous line and length. The result, 5 wickets in 4 overs and only 11 runs given. A disaster for the Lumberjacks, but a turning point for Venkat. The mind of a fast bowler is a strange thing. A fast bowler may bowl the greatest spells of pace and swing in the nets, but until and unless he finds the right spot on a particular day on a given ground, he is like a silent storm. Once Venkat understood where his arm needs to be and how the ball needs to leave his hands on this particular pitch, his potent energy found a way out, troubling even the best batsmen in the league. 8 wickets in three matches meant that Venkat was another addition in the long list of matchwinners WVUCC had this season. Not only did his bowling performance improve, and he found out the right technique for his kind of bowling, but his attitude also changed. I think that every fast bowler who lacks in aggression is missing something major in his bowling. Venkat lacked this aggression in his earlier games but now he was firing all cylinders, staring at the batsmen and celebrating every wicket with emotion and passion.

Venkat took 10 wickets in the eight games he played for WVUCC this season with a brillian average of 16.11.

My favorite Venkat delivery: In-swinger from outside off-stump crashing into middle!!
My favorite Venkat spell: Match-winning 5 for 11 against Lumberjacks.

Technical Analysis:
Bowling:
Venkat is not the regular seam bowler who runs in, delivers the ball, and bowls a regular line-length stuff. Venkat is a natural inswinger of the new ball. He tries to ball full in order to extract maximum swing. His run-up to the stumps is not smooth and he bowls well when he runs in quick. Earlier in the season when he was struggling with his control, his head was falling away, and there was a degree of reluctance in his right arm which means that he was not allowing his arm to rotate fully at the point of delivery. His seam position is always great and he is a chest-on kind of a fast bowler. The area where he definitely needs to improve is his run-up. I think that if he runs a littler faster, it gives him a better finish at the crease and will also improve his line. One problem he has is that, like Harsheesh, he also looks at the crease when running in to bowl. This is not a good idea for any fast bowler. This completely takes away your focus from the batsman and where you want to bowl to him. If Venkat is able to change his bowling action to be a little more side-on, he can also develop his out-swinger.

Mental Analysis:
It is very difficult to say anything about the mental state of a player like Venkat. He hardly talks and his expressions stay the same. One thing I can say is that once he has the ball in his hand, he is very focused and there is Kumble-like determination written all over his face. Judging from the way he progressed in the season, we may say that Venkat has the mental strength to overcome situations where he has been hit around by the batsmen and come back strong in the next over or the next game.

What Else:
Venkat is a challenging bowler for any captain to set a field for. After the first two games, I had to come up with an innovated field set for his type of bowling. Fine leg, a leg gully, and a deep square leg is hardly a conventional field set. At times we even had to employ a leg slip. The regular gully and slip positions prove to be a total waste for him. Anyway, it was a unique experience for me. Venkat is easy to work with and he always tries his best to implement the team plans. Another thing which people hardly appreciate is that Venkat and Nikhil volunteered to stand on the leg side in almost all the games they were involved in, in order to fetch the balls from the trees. Thank you Venkat for all they you did.

Marks Out of Ten this season (8.0/10)

Captain's corner - Take 7 : Ajay Nayak

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Ajay Nayak
Right Hand Batsman
Right Arm Fast Bowler

(Even though it looks blank, do click on the video below, it will play)


Introduction:
God blessed WVUCC in 2007 with a bunch of quality all-rounders; none as bright and active as Ajay Nayak. Unlike the other all-rounders in the team, who are either batsmen who can bowl or bowlers who can bat, Ajay is equally talented in both. I always felt confident sending Ajay up the order or throwing the ball to him for a spell. Playing in his first season, Ajay made his place in the team as an experienced and mature cricketer. Known more for his acting talents, Ajay was the humorous part of this otherwise serious cricket bunch (Editor's note: scroll down to the bottom of this piece to see an example). He brought a smile on the faces of one and all. Ajay could be a first choice opener in any other PCA team with ease and if the team did not have quality players like Arvind and Manish at the opening spot, Ajay would have opened for the team for sure and scored many more runs than he did this season.

Progress:
For someone playing his first season, Ajay emerged as a seasoned campaigner and while other players in the team took years before they could come to grips with the playing conditions, Ajay started his account off with supreme self -confidence and ease.

My first impression of him was that of a comic character who would struggle making it in to the playing 11. All my doubts about his abilities were thrown out of the window when I saw him bat for the first time during the net sessions. He looked like someone very dangerous as a batsman. The thing which struck me about this new talent was his intent. Each and every stroke of Ajay had some purpose behind it. He is not one of those guys who will settle down, try to buy time and see how things shape up. He is one of those who will shape the things up and make things happen. This is the difference between a good player and a very, very good player.

He justified his selection in the team by scoring three scores above 20 in his very first season for the team. One of those was opening the batting for the team; a match-winning career-best 39 against the Lumberjacks. As a fast bowler Ajay generates a lot of pace and swings the ball away from the batsman. Like all the genuine swing bowlers in the team he suffers with his control of the swinging ball. Ajay raised his hand every time the team needed him for a specific role, whether it was opening the innings in the absence of Manish or Arvind, or taking the new ball. Usually I do not like people asking for things themselves but with Ajay it was different. I could see sincerity in his eyes every time he put his hand up. It was his self-confidence which enabled him to succeed in whatever role was given to him.

He scored 141 runs for the season with top scores of 39, 29, and 21. He also took 10 wickets with best figures of 2 for 23 against the Blitzers. 2 catches and 1 run out effort was the perfect icing on the cake to end a splendid first season. I am not sure about this but these could possibly be the best stats for any all-rounder in his first season for WVUCC (maybe Manish would know. Editors note: Yes, Sohail is right).

My favorite Ajay Nayak stroke: Straight drive for Six!!!
My favorite Ajay Nayak innings 39 against Lumberjacks with 3 fours and 1 six.



Technical Analysis:
Batting:
Ajay's batting strength lies in his back-lift and quick foot movement at the crease. He is a very active batsman at the crease, constantly moving his legs and making room for strokes both on his front foot and back foot. With a high back-lift Ajay is able to hit the ball with a lot of force but also times the ball to perfection. For those of you who have played at the PCA ground and know the conditions of the pitch, you know very well how dangerous a high back-lift could prove to be for the low bouncing balls aimed at the stumps. Surprisingly, Ajay hardly got troubled with this and I think it is because of how quickly he adjusts to the different lengths. Ajay favors the leg side over the offside primarily because he aims to score runs off boundaries and is not an accumulator of runs. He is a good runner between wickets and a good judge of the singles.

Bowling:
Ajay relies on pace more than control to get his wickets, and why not? He is one of the quick arms in WVUCC, along with Avinash and Amol. He can swing the new ball and bowl toe-crushing Yorkers at will. He too, is a rhythm bowler and he has to feel good about himself, his run-up and landing in order to bowl well. He started the season off by doing an excellent job bowling at the death end of the innings alongside me but then lost his rhythm after his return from his PhD qualifying exams. His weakness lies in his delivery and the follow-through. His natural length is right up to the batsman which works well for him as long as the ball swings but proves to be his downfall when the ball gets roughed up. When he is told to bend more at the point of delivery he does well and finds the short of good length on a regular basis. His wrist position is good and his head is well balanced at the point of delivery.

Mental Analysis:
The greatest gift that any sportsman has is confidence and Ajay is never found lacking in this. He believes in himself and applies his talents on the field with determination and a competitive spirit. He was always my number one choice when it came to choosing all-rounders in the team.

At one stage I remember the other senior members of the team telling me that he could be a bad option with the new ball in the end of the season when our new ball pair Venkat Sathi and Harsheesh Patel were not available. This was due to the fear of his lack of control over the new ball. Not only did Ajay control the flow of runs but proved to be a wicket-taker for the team almost always breaking the opening partnership early and putting pressure on the other teams. He took 8 wickets in his last 5 games including the playoffs and made me proud. I always support those who play for the team and back themselves up. Well done Ajay!

What Else:
Apart from all this Ajay is an excellent person to have when travelling to and from the ground. He constantly talks about everything in life and is very expressive. The same happens on the field. It is people like Manish, Arvind, and Ajay who play the sledging game on the field and contribute by applying pressure on the opposition. Being the social man Ajay is, he maintained very good communication with the senior and junior members of the squad and gave a nice balance to the overall shape of the team. If this is how Ajay played in his first season, I wonder about his performance next season being a senior member of the team and one who knows the conditions really well.

Marks Out of Ten this season (8.0/10)

(Editor's note: Anyone who has spent time with Ajay knows that he is a great impersonator of cricket commentators. Unfortunately, the only video that I have is this one where he does his take on Imran Khan. If anyone has access to some of his other impresonations, please do share them with me and I shall post them here.)

Captain's corner - Take 6: Abijit Bhagavatula

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Abhijit Bhagavatula
Right Hand Batsman
Right Arm Legspinner

(Even though it looks blank, do click on the video below, it will play)


Introduction:
WVUCC has had a rich history of quality spin bowlers. Abhijit is the latest addition to that long, talented list. Legspin is probably the most difficult art to master in limited overs cricket. With bats getting thicker and the boundaries getting shorter, legspinners are becoming a rare species, which saddens me a lot. The PCA ground being the way it is proves to be a suicide spot for legspinners as even the most obvious mis-hits and edges carry the potential of landing out of the ground. In the entire PCA league you can hardly find a good legspinner. Not only do you need supreme control over the ball but also the heart of a lion to bounce back after being hit for boundaries. Had Abhijit played for WVUCC when we played in Ohio, he would have had more cushion with larger grounds and thus more success. Despite the disadvantage, Abhijit did not fail to make an impression in his very first season playing for WVUCC.

It is his allround ability as a batsman, bowler and fielder which makes him yet another quality product and one who could easily make it in the playing eleven of any side in the PCA. He started off as a legspinner but was quick to prove how good a batsman he is in the net sessions and capitalizing on the chances he got playing in the middle order. He sealed the point fielding position for himself as well telling you that he was arguably the best fielder we had this season. I also think that he has potential as a captain due to his mature thinking and fighting abilities.

Progress:
Abhijit started off bowling his gentle legspinners during the net sessions waiting for opportunities to prove his worth. The most obvious, first good impression he gave was that of a very good athelete and swift runner between the wickets. Being a fit individual overall, Abhijit was able to register himself in the good books of the selectors right away. He had a good bowling action and reasonable control over the ball during the nets. It was his batting, though, which was a revelation. I usually do not rate a batsman unless I have bowled to him myself during the net sessions testing him with different lengths, lines and slower deliveries. The first time I bowled to him, I could see right away a batsman with a good, tight defensive technique and the mind of an accumulator; a perfect candidate for the middle order along with Sumanth and Ajay.

Net sessions are there to get into shape and rhythm. The real test for any player is out there in the ground when the pressure is on and you only have limited chances. There are few players who succeed in their very first game the way Abhijeet did. In the only over he bowled, Abhijit took a record 4 wickets giving away only 1 run and becoming only the second bowler in WVUCC history to register a hat-trick. What a start! Much was expected of his bowling for the rest of the season. Apart from another quick spell when he took 3 wickets against the Lumberjacks, Abhijit failed to capitalize on the exceptional start he had. Perhaps the blame lies with the captain for not giving him many opportunities. However, in a twenty five over game if a bowler goes for above 6 an over for a couple of overs, it is very difficult for any captain to persevere with him. Anyway, this was his first season and picking up seven wickets which includes a hat-trick cannot be called a poor start. I hope that Abhijit will emerge as a more consistent bowling option for the team in the future.

Now, the batting. In days gone by, a WVUCC side relied heavily on the shoulders of their captain. Especially while chasing, if I would get out early, the team would crumble and loose. This was probably the first year when I felt that we could win without personally contributing with the bat or ball. I knew that people like Abhijit were there in the middle order to lift the team in times of crises and bat with confidence to take the team to any possible target. Batting down the order Abijit formed more than useful partnerships and ensured that the batting would not collapse. To illustrate this point further, he was involved in five partnerships of 25 runs or more including two 50-run partnerships with Amol and Ashok. He had three scores of above 25 including his matchwinning career best of 43 against the Lumberjacks. His most important innings though came when the team really needed him. Chasing a modest total of 108 against the Strikers, Abhijit walked in when the score was only 23 and we had lost the top five wickets. The pressure was immense and Sanjiv Singh was hurling the ball at enormous pace. The pitch was at its worst and the Strikers were sensing their first ever victory against the WVUCC. Abhijit raised his game scoring a 50 run partnership with Amol and guiding the team to victory with an unbeaten 28 off 42 balls.

In total, Abhijit scored 133 runs in the nine innings he played, taking 7 wickets, 2 catches and was also involed in a run-out effort. A fabulous first season for him!

My Favorite Abhijit stroke: Cut stroke for 4!!
My favorite Abhijit innings: 28 against Strikers including four boundaries.

Technical Analysis:
Batting:
Abhijit is a very stable batsman at the crease. He has a simple technique and one that works best for his style of batting. With a moderate back-lift Abhijit is able to angle his bat towards the third-man region and rotates the strike at will. He likes to cut the ball behind point and his backfoot moves well across to get closer to the ball. He does not like to drive straight and is a little reluctant to force the ball when on his front foot. He has a very good defense and his bat and pad are tightly together when blocking the ball. A Steve Waugh-like batsman, Abhijit is also a good flicker of the ball off his pads. He does need to develop his pull and hook stroke though which will help him on more bouncier tracks if needed.

Bowling:
There is nothing wrong in his bowling action as a leg-spinner. He is swift and his arm is at the right angle at the point of delivery. I cannot comment on his bowling grip since I have not investigated much of that. The problem lies with the pace with which he delivers the ball. In the start of the season he bowled very slow and flighted the ball a lot bowling full tosses and going away for runs. He increased his pace then and improved his control over the ball but then became too predictable, hardly turning the ball. If he is able to find that middle-range bowling speed he is very difficult to play and can pick up more wickets.

Mental Analysis:
As a batsman Abhijit is very strong mentally and this is because he keeps things very simple. He plays the ball on its merit and does not try to experiment too much, waiting for the bad ball. He is an accumulator of runs and picks up singles at will running hard between the stumps. He can come under pressure at times by the opposition but does not allow that to interfere with his plans for too long. He has a good cricketing brain and can prove to be a very good captain in my assessment.

As a bowler, Abhijit was not able to stay strong enough at times in order to pose a great threat for the opposition. Much of that has to do with the limited opportunities a slow bowler like him received in such bowling conditions. This being said, he can learn how to adjust is such bowling conditions by looking at other spinners in the league such as the Steelzags spinners. Once he learns how to manipulate the lengths and pace at which to bowl, he can turn out to be a great bowling asset for his team.

What Else:
Abjijit like Sumanth is a quiet, shy character (what's up with these middle-order batsmen?!). He focuses on his game and concentrates on his performance more than thinking about what the opposition is up to. He remains calm under pressure and does not lose the initiative after getting it. He too prefers to play in the local tennis ball tournament than coming for the practice sessions at times (like the rest of the team) which is understandable. I have high hopes of him in the coming season for WVUCC both with the bat and the ball.

Marks Out of Ten this season (8.0/10)

(Editor's note: Lest all the praise gets to his head, here is Abhijit losing his cool and his wicket. WVUCC needed 1 run to win and Abhijit tried to finish it off in grand style and failed spectacularly, to the great amusement of the cameraperson).

Captain's corner - Take 5: Sumanth Dommaraju

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Sumanth Dommaraju
Right Hand Batsman (Middle Order)
Right Hand Medium Fast

(Even though it looks blank, do click on the video below, it will play)


Introduction:
Consumed in his own thoughts like an innocent young lad, Sumanth Dommaraju follows the Inzamam-ul-Haq school of thought. The most laid-back person in the team, Sumanth is a man who is happy just to be part of this game. I have yet to encounter an occasion where Sumanth walked up to me and asked for a bowl in the nets or to be placed in a specific fielding position. His greatness lies in his simplicity and that is what makes him a wonderful option in the middle order. He is willing to work with any batsman and is at equal ease against the faster bowlers and the spinners. Another good quality he has is that he is able to play his natural game in situations of pressure and situations of dominance, as if he doesn't even care what happens out there.

Progress:
From the very first day I liked Sumanth. There is something in him that reminds me of the kind of person I once used to be. Very few people in the world remain unpolluted by the winds of change. Sumanth is one such man. His batting and bowling potential was never in doubt; it was experience that he was lacking. Like many of his teammates, Sumanth grew as a cricketer with each season he played for the team.

In 2006, his first season in the PCA league, Sumanth largely remained an understudy observing the new surroundings and how cricket was played in this part of the world. Not in any hurry to prove anything to anyone, Sumanth played a couple of good short cameos. He also took 4 wickets one of which was the mighty Naveen Peiris. For some reason, I always felt that Naveen feared Sumanth the most out of the WVUCC faster bowling options, even though I am sure Sumanth never paid much attention to this.

In 2007, Sumanth was ripe and ready to fire. Gaining the experience from the previous season, Sumanth shouldered the burden of carrying the middle order alongside Ashok and Abhijeet with responsibility and supreme confidence. Scoring a total of 143 runs for the season, Sumanth had three scores of over twenty including his career best match-winning 34 against the Hurricanes, outscoring his more well-reputed teammates. Remember that he would almost always come in the late middle-order when you hardly get anytime to settle down and the scoring rate needs to be maintained. Not only did he bat well, he started the season with 7 quick wickets in only five games before losing his line and direction completely. With 7 catches and run-outs, Sumanth clearly emerged as an all-round cricketer and a valuable member of the winning combination. No batsman dares to take his chances when Sumanth throws the ball: flat, hard, and over the stumps. Wow!

I think that Sumanth can be a genuine all-rounder if he works more on his bowling action.

My favorite Sumanth Dommaraju stroke: Flick towards midwicket!
My favorite Sumanth Dommaraju innings: 34 off 25 balls against the Hurricanes including 4 boundaries and a Moin Khan-like six!!!

Technical Analysis:
Batting:
He is an absolute pleasure to watch when batting in full flow. His timing is his greatest asset. He hardly hits the ball but times it so well that the bowlers are stunned. I remember a stroke he played off my own bowling during the net-sessions. He picked up the ball from the off stump line and flicked it over the midwicket boundary for a definite six. I could not believe how anyone could do that, but then it was not anyone.

Technically speaking Sumanth is very nimble on his feet and it is very hard to stop him from scoring off you. He favors the leg side over the off side unlike the other WVUCC batsmen. The only thing which I could suggest he needs to improve is his stance. I feel at times that Sumanth is too low when playing the balls. If he could just keep his body more upright, he would be able to put more force into his strokes. He could also do better with his back foot play which again suffers at times due to his low center of body when he plays his strokes. Apart from that no major technical issues!

Bowling:
Sumanth is a rhythm bowler. When his rhythm is good, his run-up is good and his head position is stable when delivering the ball. His wrist position improves and the ball comes out really balanced from his hand. With his side-on action, Sumanth swings the balls both ways, depending on his wrist position and so is an obvious wicket-taking option. When his rhythm and confidence are not right, he tends to rush through his run-up and his head falls away at the point of delivery with his wrist angled too much towards the leg-side. For this very deficiency Sumanth can be an expensive bowler at times giving away extras. I also feel that Sumanth is best when he tries to bowl fast. There are certain bowlers who if told to bowl fast, lose control (like Amol) whereas other bowlers lose control when they are told to focus on line and length. Sumanth is from the latter branch. This is why at times when his fellow mates try to turn his attention towards line and length during games, Sumanth tends to lose confidence and all the technical problems start creeping into his bowling.

Now to Naveen and Sumanth again. With the technical weakness Sumanth has against the right handers, the same becomes his strength against left-handers. His wrist angles the ball across the left-handers and his fullish length ensures maximum swing. This is what I think is Naveen's weakness. He does not like to play the ball straight towards the mid-off region even though he compensates that by a very firm defensive technique. At times I could see it in Naveen's eyes; he wished that Sumanth doesn't come on. I think this is a great compliment for any bowler! Good job, Sumanth.

Mental Analysis:
I don't think that this analysis is of much relevance when you talk about someone like Sumanth. He is absorbed in his own thoughts and hardly expresses anything. Even when he gets out early it is as if he came back after making a century. Forgetfulness is a blessing in certain areas. For a batsman it can prove to be the greatest gift if he uses it to proper effect. I think Sumanth doesn't even remember that the bowler he is facing got him out last time playing a certain stroke. He would face the bowlers as if he faces them for the first time every time. It is therefore hard to put Sumanth under pressure in his batting.

Regarding his bowling, once again if he is left free and told to bowl fast, he will do wonders. When he is told to stick to a line and length, he is not the guy for that. How can you ask the wind to blow in a certain way or the fragrance of a flower to disperse in a certain pattern. They are free of any laws and rules and are beautiful because of this. Sumanth Dommarju is no different!

What Else:
Being the natural talent that Summanth is, he would prove to be a disastrous captain! He hardly talks or presents his version of things. He never suggests anything to the captain and hardly cheers for his side. This being said, this is how he is of great help to the captain. At times I have felt that too many suggestions destroy the plan. I usually lead the team with a certain plan against a team and employ certain specific strategies against different players. At times, they work, and at other times, they don't. In either case these plans and strategies require patience and perseverance. It is players like Sumanth who give me the time and space to lead the way I see best.

Marks out of Ten this season (8.0/10)

Captain's corner - Take 4: Amol Bhavsar

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Amol Bhavsar
Right Hand Fast Bowler



Introduction:
Amol could have easily qualified to be ranked among the all-rounders of the team had he applied himself in the batting department on a more consistent basis. Nonetheless, his bowling ability would be sufficient to make him part of any playing 11. The shortest run-up you could ever see a fast bowler having, Amol is a pretty slippery customer. He generates a very decent amount of pace and generally swings the bowl away from the right handed batsmen, unlike the other WVUCC faster bowling options who curve the bowl back in. When in full rhythm, Amol is one of the most natural outswingers of the cricket ball and is a favorite for many a wicket-keeper, including myself, providing the ball with the maximum chance of take the outside edge.

Progress:
Amol is definitely one of the most senior players of WVUCC alongside Manish and Ashok. Earlier on, he was given the role of opening the bowling for WVUCC due to his innate ability to swing the ball at good pace. However, he always struggled to control the new cherry and used to give away a lot of extras. He proved to be a more lethal weapon with the slightly more older ball finding more control and troubling the batsmen.

For the last two years Amol not only stabilized the middle period of the bowling innings for WVUCC but also picked up crucial top-order batsmen and controlled the flow of runs. He is a dream bowler for any captain in the middle of the innings. The batsmen are completely at sea against his pace, unable to understand how he generates such pace with such a short run-up. He even troubled the best of us during the net sessions. A natural wicket-taker, Amol attacks the stumps and loves bowling in yorkers. At times he gets carried away with this idea and gets punished. It is always hard for him to find that short of good length spot and just bowl wicket to wicket. However, it is this burning desire of his to take wickets which makes him a natural competitor and a thorn in the opposition's plans.

In 2006 Amol picked up 19 wickets at an extraordinary average of 15.11. Being his first season in the PCA league, Amol surprised many with his outswingers and pace. In 2007 the other teams came up with a plan against him, playing him out and testing his patience. That is where Amol gets restless. He is the kind of a bowler who wants to get a wicket every time he delivers the ball from his grip. When they don't come his length becomes shorter and the smaller dimensions of the square boundaries make him an easy target. For this reason alone, I had to use him sparingly this season and with the other magnificent bowling options I had this season, I was able to bring Amol on for short, quick spells. Even then he managed to pick up 15 wickets at an average of 16.73.

My favorite Amol Bhavsar ball: Outswinger from middle stump kissing the outside edge on its way to the keeper.

My favorite Amol Bhavsar spell: 4 for 17 in 5 overs against the Gladiators, ripping through the top order.

Amol's batting never took off the way it should have. I personally think that Amol has a lot of batting ability but he throws away his wicket unnecessarily at times. He has played a few, more than useful innings for WVUCC. One of them was a matchwinning 30 against the Strikers this last season when the top order had failed chasing in a low scoring game.

Technical Analysis:
Bowling:
Amol's bowling technique is very simple yet highly effective. He hardly uses his back and legs for rhythm and pace. All his pace is generated through his bulky shoulders and quick release through the arms. He is probably among the very few bowlers who can swing the ball away from the batsmen even with a chest-on bowling action. The reason for that is his follow-through taking his arm well away from his body and a perfect seam position. I have seen his seam slanted towards the slip cordon coming out of his hand when I have kept up to him. It is simply wonderfully done. The only thing he needs to develop is the inswinger which should not be a big problem given his bowling action. He suffers at times with his length, which in my point of view has to do with the mind more than his technique.

Batting:
Amol always thought like a pinch-hitter and could not develop the temperament for staying at the crease for long. Against the Strikers when he was playing his career-best innings, he thought like a batsman and was able to form a partnership with Abhijeet. When the ball is delivered Amol opens up himself clearing the front foot and setting himself up to loft the ball over the straight boundary. When he connects it is hard to find the ball, but when he misses, it is hard to find the stumps. He is weak playing on the legside and defending balls pitched short.

Mental Analysis:
It is this area which has hampered Amol's batting success and, at times, his bowling. A fast bowler bowling in the batsman's world, where the boundaries are short and the bats are thick, requires a lot of self confidence and a big heart. If you are able to hit Amol for a boundary Amol very quickly tries to bowl faster and in the process loses his rhythm and length. He still needs to learn the art of patience as a cricketer. With the amount of ability that Amol has, he can do wonders only if he is able to absorb the humiliation of being hit a little better. Every bowler has a bad day and every bowler gets hit. A true cricketer is he who fights the tough day out to succeed on another day.

What Else:
Amol is one of the toughest guys to handle for a captain. He has a dominating personality which helps him as a competitive cricketer but can overspill at times and cause problems in the team. He was a bowler who always wanted that extra over, a batsman who always wanted to bat higher up in the order, and a fielder who always wanted the easy fielding positions. Apart from that, he was a great asset for the team and a very good friend. He always tried his best to support the younger bowlers and pass a tip or two standing in his favorite mid-on position.

Marks out of Ten this season (7.5/10)

Captain's corner - Take 3: Ashok Varadarajan

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Ashok Varadarajan (Right Hand Batsman and Wicket Keeper)



Introduction:
There are few cricketers who play the game like I have seen this man play. Full of energy, enthusiasm, venom, and agility. The moment you see Ashok running around on the field or diving around to take catches in the nets, you can figure out that he is a true lover of the game. I have known Ashok for many years and now that he has left the team, it seems like a real asset has been lost. A born athlete and team player, Ashok Varadarajan is my Champion Player of the 2007 season for WVUCC.

Development:
Since time immemorial, WVUCC think-tank has had a policy of reserving one spot in the playing 11 for the guy who shows the most enthusiasm and spirit during the practice sessions. When Ashok first started playing cricket for WVUCC, he did not bowl (he still hardly does) and could barely bat. He was the best fielder we had and the most enthusiastic player on the field. It was his energy and enthusiasm which initially got him into the team. I can hardly remember any game where he was not our first choice for this enthusiasm position, purely for his fielding and spirit.

He spent the majority of his early cricketing days for WVUCC patrolling the boundary lines where he would stand, hour after hour, waiting for one opportunity to display his fielding talent. By far, the safest pair of hands in the team, for years Ashok made little progress in his batting.

Season after season, Ashok kept coming back with better fielding and some improvement in his batting. It was during the final stages of the season in 2006, that he really discovered himself. His 29 against the PittsPunters in 2006 made all of us realize that if he put in some effort in his batting he could turn out to be the surprise package for WVUCC.

Like many other players in WVUCC, Ashok peaked at the right time in 2007. He was given the wicket-keeping gloves for a consistent period of time and he was quick to seal his spot in the team. He took 18 catches and effected 9 runouts and 1 stumping to finish the season as the best wicket-keeper of the PCA league. However, it was his batting which shocked the opposing teams. Not only did he make the runs quickly but played some of the most brutal cover drives I have ever witnessed. Promoted to the one-down spot in the pressure cooker of the playoffs (semi-final and final), Ashok emerged as the best batsman for WVUCC in the playoffs. Perhaps it was his glovework behind the stumps which boosted his batting.

In 2007, he scored 275 runs which included his career best 60 off 51 balls.

My favorite Ashok Varadarajan stroke: Cover drive for Six!!
My favorite Ashok Varadarajan innings: 60 against Hurricanes in the semifinal.

I can't forget his semifinals innings. I was fasting and the day was humid. I started off playing my strokes and running hard. Very soon, I was running out of breath and it seemed that I would break down at any point. It was Ashok at the other end who kept consuming balls while scoring at a brisk pace giving me time to rest and regather myself. Thanks Ashok!



Technical Analysis:
Batting:
Ashok has quite a lot of technical limitations as a batsman. He hardly moves his back foot thus losing balance at times, like Arvind. His front foot goes across towards cover very quickly thus making it impossible for him to play on the legside. His bat also comes down at an angle towards the gully region. This being said, he has improved quite a lot in all of these areas. His defence is much more solid than before and he keeps a nice, steady head at the crease.

Wicket-keeping:
Keeping wickets is no easy job and every keeper needs time to improve. Ashok, being a natural athlete needed little time to become a very good keeper. He has very good reflexes and his long arms enable him to get to the most farthest of balls. He is very safe against seam bowlers when he is standing back. He still needs a lot of improvement when standing up against the spinners. At times he stands too early and does not allow the ball to come to him, instead grabbing at the ball with hard hands. His footwork also could improve. He relies more on the dive than sideways movement of his legs. Overall a fine keeper.

Mental Analysis:
Batting:
Ashok is strong mentally but it is his enthusiasm at times which spills over and destroys his consistency in batting. I have seen him get out many a time trying to hit the ball for a boundary from an impossible length. Playing on merit is the key for any batsman to be effective in the long run. However, Ashok's aggressive intent also bails him out from difficult situations at times. He has improved in this department and only if he is able to play the ball without making his mind up before the ball is delivered, can he be a top batsman.

Wicket-keeping:
The same applies to his keeping. Many a time, he gets carried away with the idea of stumping the batsman or trying to run him out. It is difficult for him to control his urge for aiming at the stumps and ends up giving away extra runs. Due to this he loses focus from the keeping and his technical faults start troubling him again.

What Else!
As I said earlier, Ashok was an asset for this team and we will really miss him in the coming season. From a captain's point of view, Ashok was the perfect player; hardworking, committed to the team, hardly complains, you can send him at any number in the batting order, you can ask him to field anywhere on the field. Whatever you want of him, he will comply and do his very best at it. I wish him all the success in his life and I thank him for the wonderful spirit and enthusiasm he injected in the team for years.

Marks out of Ten (9.5/10)

Captain's corner - Take 2: Arvind Thiruvengadam

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Arvind Thiruvengadam
(Right Hand Batsman (Opener) and Medium-fast Bowler)
(Editors note: Actually, his last name is Thiruvengadan, but WVUCC has mis-spelled his name forever and the current spelling has been used in the PCA records, so we shall continue to address him as such.
Also, even though it looks blank, do click on the video below, it will play).



Introduction:
Arvind is a typically hardworking and committed cricketer from the subcontinent who thrives on being challenged. I always found him to be very likeable and very decent as a person. He is also very popular with the Indian community at WVU. He provided a much needed solution to the opening problems of WVU for the last two years.

Progress:
In 2006, Arvind was getting into the groove and made useful contributions all through the season. However, he was never able to cross the 20's and 30's, getting out every time he looked like he would make a big one. The thing which helped him this season was his consistent hard work during the net sessions. Whenever he played a poor stroke he would express anger at it and kept trying to overcome his technical problems. He is a whole hearted trier and that shows in his bowling and fielding as well. Being a top order batsman and one on whom the team heavily relied upon this season, Arvind took up the role with great sense of responsibility and purpose. Not only did he score runs, take crucial wickets, and scream the opposition out during the season, he also eased the pressure off the middle order by stabilizing the opening spot. His confidence level went up and that is what he needed to show his real talent. Scoring two half centuries, which included his career best 78 against the Blitzers, Arvind provided the team with solidity in the batting and also took up the role of bowling at the death when the captain needed him the most. He scored 293 runs and took 12 wickets along with 4 catches and 2 runouts. A great all round season!

My favorite Arvind stroke is the lofted cover drive for six.
My favorite Arvind innings of the season was his 78 against the Blitzers which included 8 fours and 4 sixes.



Technical Analysis
Arvind is extremely strong driving the ball in the cover region and lofting it with ease anywhere from the point region to the long off region. His bat comes down slightly slanted towards the off side making his offside play a treat to watch. On the other hand this also proves to be his downfall when it comes to balls pitching on middle and leg stump. Even though he has gotten better at it with time and now plays the ball well towards long on, he still gets into a tangle at times with that line. Most of his dismissals were due to this middle stump line and short of length deliveries. Due to this he loses balance at the crease and exposes his stumps too often. I think the problem is with his back foot which does not move across to cover the line of the ball, staying glued to its initial position, and thus the body falls over to the off side. His other technical weakness is the fulltoss, like most of us.

Mental Analysis:
Arvind covers up for his technical errors by presenting a strong mental batsman to reckon with for the bowlers. He scores off them whenever given the opportunity and does not let the constant talk from the opposition get to him. He is a confidence player and once his confidence is up he is a match winner in his own right.

What Else:
Just like Abhishek and Manish, Arvind too helps me a lot on the field with making certain decisions. Even though he is preoccupied with nagging the opposition and playing mind games with them, he keeps a close focus on the situation of the game and comes up with the right ideas. He is a great example for the younger cricketers when it comes to committment for the team and achieving success through hard work.

Marks out of Ten (9/10)

Captain's corner - Take 1: Abishek Muralidharan

For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each WVUCC player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words...


Abhishek Muralidharan (Right Hand Batsman)



Introduction:
Abhishek is one of the most natural cricketers I have encountered in my cricketing experience. Skillful, athletic, and cool under pressure. I think that he would make a very good captain as well. The first time I saw him was in one of our final games when we played in the Midwest Cricket League in Ohio. He had just landed a day or two before and was ready to play right away, telling you about his love for the game. Even though he didn't impress much with his batting in that first game, his fielding was simply outstanding. Right away, you could see that this guy was a special talent.

Development:
In the 2006 season, which was our first season in the Pittsburgh league, Abhishek showed a few glimpses of brilliance here and there but was never able to fulfill the potential he had as a cricketer. Part of the reason was lack of sleep before the games due to reasons well known to all of us. 2007 was a different season altogether. In his last season for WVUCC, Abhishek stepped up and transformed himself into a force to be reckoned with. With an aggregate of 349 runs, which included three breathtaking half centuries, Abhishek became the rock of our batting. While the other top order batsmen, like myself, were struggling to make runs, Abhishek led the way with the most natural strokeplay you can imagine. I rate him as the best WVUCC batsman for the 2007 season and one of the best WVUCC has ever produced. (Editors note: In 14 innings this season, Abishek failed to reach double digits just 3 times).

Technical Analysis:
Abhishek is the most correct batsman you will ever encounter technically. He plays with a straight bat and his strength is his offside play. He is primarily a backfoot player but plays with equal ease on the front foot. It is very hard to find fault with his batting technique. However, if I were to pick something it would be the middle stump line. At times he struggles with this line and is prone to an LBW dismissal. On the other hand he flicks very well and is comfortable pulling and hooking the ball. Like most of the other WVUCC batsmen, he too struggles against the full toss, even though he got better at putting it away as the season progressed.

My favorite Abhishek stroke is the backfoot cover drive.
My favorite Abhishek innings was the 53 against the Hurricanes.



Mental Analysis:
I think that Abhishek matured as a batsman over the two years I saw him play. The three half centuries he made are a true reflection of his mental growth and maturity. He was one of our senior batsmen this year and I think that the extra responsibility did wonders for him. He was able to concentrate for longer periods of time and form useful partnerships. His biggest mental strength is that he is very calm at the crease and plays his shots whenever offered the opportunity. He can score heaps of more runs if he controls his urge at times to go over the top and take undue risks. Overall a very strong mental cricketer!

What Else:
Abhishek also helped me a lot with useful suggestions on the field. He was very quick to realize which bowler should be rested at what time and for how long. He would stand at mid-on and would constantly encourge the bowlers. His calm demeanor eased the not-so-experienced players in the side and gave the captain a lot of confidence.

His marks out of ten (9/10)

Next up! Aravind Thiruvengadam (the revelation)

Captain's Corner - Take 0

After covering the 2007 PCA season in considerable depth, the only thing left on my agenda was to review each WVUCC player's performance. However, to my considerable pleasure, Sohail Chaudhry, the captain of WVUCC, has shared his impressions of each player, and I shall reproduce them here. For the next few posts, I shall hand over the blog to Sohail and let him talk about each player (along with player ratings for the 2007 season). Here is Sohail, in his own words, setting the stage...

I hope all of you are enjoying the post-season break. Well! I wanted to do this for sometime now but never got the time for it. However, Manish's match reports and comments have motivated me to do something I always wanted to do post-season; analyze our performances for WVUCC.

I think that this team did not get the praise and appreciation which it truly deserves (even though Manish has done an excellent job covering the matches).

I am going to give a rating to each and every player who played games for WVUCC this season. Now, I am not as organized as Manish when it comes to statistics and numbers, but I will present my opinions on different players in our team and the league overall from the way I observed these players. I will be looking at each player from a captain's perspective and how beneficial each player was for the team
and in what way. What were the strengths (both technical and mental) of each player and what were his weaknesses.

Since no man can judge his own performances without being biased, I will excuse myself from this exercise. I mean no insult or offense to anyone I criticize and I hope that I don't hurt anyone's feelings. So sit back and enjoy reading what your captain thought of you this season.

Cricket in the 'Burgh - part 22: Team performance

A comparison of the teamwise performances of the members of the PCA reveals just how good this edition of WVUCC was (and possibly why they deserved to come out winners).

WVUCC:
- was the only team to lose fewer than 100 wickets while batting
- had the highest runs per wicket ratio of any team
- had the highest run rate (the only one over 7 runs per over)
- recorded the most number of individual scores over 50
- had the most number of batsman who scored 50's in an innings (5)
- had the fewest ducks recorded by any team in the league
- was tied for the league lead in most wickets captured by the bowlers
- was second in the league in runs conceded per wicket taken

Cricket in the 'Burgh - part 21: Accolades

At the end of the regular season, some of the accomplishments of the members of the team were recognized in a private forum. (Please do note that that stats quoted below do not include the playoff performances).

Best Player: Sohail Chaudhry
308 runs, 24 wickets, 4.9 economy rate, 6 catches, 2 runouts and a stumping.

Whether batting, bowling, or fielding, he is the inspiration for the rest of his team. And, by the way, his primary skill is wicket-keeping! A splendid captain, he has also improved his ratio of winning the toss. This season, for the first time he won more games after winning the toss. Usually we lose when he wins the toss. This year he was 6-2 when he won the toss and 3-1 when he lost. So statistically speaking, it makes no difference if he wins or loses the toss now (a testament to how good the rest of the team is). (And I used the word toss too many times in the paragraph...need to work on my writing skills).

Best Batsman: Abishek Muralidharan
335 runs, and 7 catches.

The 4th leading scorer in the PCA league this year was, by far, our best and most consistent batsman, outshining perennial contender Sohail. The bulwark of our batting, in 13 innings Abishek failed to reach double digits just thrice, while crossing 25 on 7 occasions. Also scored 3 50's - tied for the most by any player in the league. He also led WVUCC with 7 catches, second highest in the PCA league for a
non-wicketkeeper.

Best Bowler: Amol Bhavsar (14 wickets in 10 matches) and
Avinaschander Manivannan (9 wickets in 5 matches)

For the initial 2/3rds of the season Amol was almost unplayable when he focused on just bowling a proper line and length. Ironically, when he looked for wickets he went wicketless. But overall, coming one-change in every match, he invariably put the other team on the back foot with quick strikes. For the last 1/3rd of the season,
Avinash came back from a (potentially career-ending) knee surgery to take 9 wickets in 5 matches, with an economy rate of just 4.16.

Best fielder: Abhijit Bhagavatula

A livewire at point (aren't they all?), Abhijit showed a rifle-like throwing motion to couple with high energy levels throughout the season. He may not have led the list of catchers but his presence at point, especially during the early overs, kept many an opener quiet.

Best wicket-keeper: Ashok Varadarajan

The highlight of WVUCC is that (counting practice and matches) we employed 7 wicket-keepers, with little to choose between the bottom 5. Of the top two, Sohail is good keeping up to the stumps but standing back from the wickets, Ashok has a wider range and greater athletic ability to compensate for lesser technique. Perennially our best fielder, Ashok took up the responsibility of keeping when the previous incumbents did not relish the prospect of a long season. Ashok led the PCA in dismissals by a keeper by a wide margin. He had a total of 25 dismissals as a keeper - 16 catches, 1 stumping, 1 unassisted run out, and 7 assisted runouts. The next closest keeper had just 12 dismissals. And by the end of the season he had even
curbed his instinct to shy at the stumps everytime he got the ball in his hands.

Best innings: Arvind Thiruvengadam
33 against PittsPunters

Last year's most improved player, Arvind exploded at the end of the 2007 season. For the first half of the season he kept finding new ways to get out, usually being the recipient of the one awkward ball of the innings. In his last 6 innings his scores were: 46, 4, 33, 65, 25, 78. His best innings, however, was the 33 he scored against
PittPunters out of a team score of 64! The remaining 10 batsmen only had single digit scores as WVUCC collapsed spectacularly. Great things are still to come from his flashing blade.

Best partnership: Abhijit Bhagavatula and Amol Bhavsar.

When a team is tottering at 23 for 6 and still wins the game in less than 20 overs losing just one more wicket, you know a special partnership has been forged. Curbing their natural instincts to hit out of trouble, Abhijit and Amol stitched together a match-winning partnership against the Strikers, preserving our record of always beating that once-formidable team.

Best bowling spell: Abhijit Bhagavatula

In his first over in the PCA league Abhijit took 4 wickets, including a hat-trick, the second in WVUCC history and the second ever in the PCA.

Best wild card: Ajay Nayak

Ajay opened the batting sometimes, batted at 5, 6, 7 and 8 at other times, opened the bowling, bowled at the death, and bowled in between, fielded in the cover region, fielded in the deep, and at all times made his presence felt vocally. A true team player, he was the first to raise his hand if an opener was needed (when Arvind went to California on a research trip) or an opening bowler was needed (when Venkat hurt his shoulder). Ajay will be hoping to be rewarded with a more steady job title in the future. Now that the coach has gone, maybe his cause will be easier!!

Team spirit award: Nikhil Burri

Nikhil played just 6 matches and was the 12th man for an equal number. He did not get to bat, bowled only 10 overs, and yet was there for every practice and every game he was in the selected 12. When one of the players was leaving for good, he even organized a team dinner so everyone could join in and wish him well. At practice he was always smiling and not once did he complain about his diminished role or that others were selected ahead of him. A true team guy! If he needs any further inspiration he should just look at Ashok who played one whole year as a 12th man who only fielded. Today no WVUCC team will be written down without Ashok's name being pencilled in right away.

Best game: Round 1 versus the PittsPunters

Playing with just 10 members (and one of them pulled up lame half-way through the match) a short-handed WVUCC handled the best shots that the Punters could take to win a humdinger by just 3 runs. Not surprisingly, Ashok contributed those three runs.

Best piece of fielding: Sumanth Dommaraju

Tony Edmondstone of the Strikers hit a ball towards Sumanth at cover and took a step and a half down the wicket before he changed his mind on the run. Too late! Sumanth moved a couple of steps to his left, picked up the ball, and sent in a bullet to the keeper to catch Tony totally out of the crease. A stunning moment that was to be seen to be believed.

Playoff accolades:

Best Batsman: Ashok Varadarajan and Sohail Chaudhry

Last year when the PittsPunters steamrolled through the playoffs, they did so by riding the stupendous batting of Saravanan Annamalai. This year when WVUCC entered the playoffs, the think-tank knew they needed their own Sarav. In a like-for-like replacement pattern, they decided that if Arvind got out, Ashok would go in and if Sohail got out, Abishek would go in. As luck would have it, Arvind got out early and Ashok walked into the tensest of situations and transformed himself into the batsman we always knew he could be. In the playoffs he scored 106 runs in 100 balls, with 12 fours and 4 sixes, being dismissed just once. His partner in crime was Sohail, who scored 121 runs in just 79 balls, with 15 fours and 4 sixes, being dismissed just once, too.

Together they put on an unbroekn 146 run partnership in the semi-finals (in just 14 overs) and 83 runs in the finals.

Best bowler: Avinaschander Manivannan

In the finals, he stifled the SteelZags with a brilliant display of fast bowling, first tearing apart the openers and then returning to finish the job. His analysis of 4 overs, 1 maiden, 9 runs and 2 wickets tells the whole tale of his dominance.

Cricket in the 'Burgh - part 20: Carpe Diem!!

The opinions expressed in this post are solely that of the author who, especially on this occasion, had an out-of-body experience and was able to watch himself play.

Game 16: Finals - WVUCC versus SteelZags

After a long season, the stage was set for the final of the PCA tournament between the two top guns - SteelZags and WVUCC. Ram Paluri and Sohail Chaudhry had the immense satisfaction of leading their teams to this stage and, fittingly too, since no two finer captains or players play in the PCA.

During the regular season the Mountaineers were 7-1 when batting first and 2-3 when chasing a target. The SteelZags were 9-2 batting first, and 2-1 when chasing. Therefore, both teams knew that the toss would be crucial. Chasing a total, coupled with the pressure of a final, would definitely be a tall order for either team.

Ram won the toss, conducted by Shailesh Bokil, the President of the PCA, and elected to field first. I am just making sure you are paying attention...actually Ram elected to bat first.

The Mountaineers made a couple of changes from the team that won the semi-finals. Abhijit Bhagavatula came back into the middle order, replacing Venkata Sathi. The other change was more unexpected. When he played his last game for the Mountaineers, the WVUCC playes extracted a promise from C.S. Manish that if the team made it to the finals, he would fly back from the MidWest to play in it. They kept up their end of the bargain so the veteran batsman came back for one last fling.

The think tank decided that since the SteelZags had never lost to WVUCC, the players would make sure that the 'Zags were constantly reminded of it. The general crux being that picking today to lose to the 'Eers would be a louy time to do so. The not-so-subtle reminders to the batsmen that if they failed the pressure would be great on the rest of the team, had an instant impact as the 'Zags openers took a very cautious and subdued approach towards the Mountaineer bowlers. The first runs from the bat did not come till the 5th over of play! Ajay Nayak and Avinaschander Manivannan, rightly restored to bowl with the new ball, made batting miserable for the batsmen. Ajay was a little generous with his wides (we have come to expect that from him), but Avinash rose to the occasion with a chilling display of seam bowling. Sridhar Lingam and Verma Sagi hopped about the crease struggling to get the ball away from the square, and the two openers were soon put out of their misery, clean bowled by the opening bowlers.

Srinivas Mandava and Kumar Venkata methodically repaired some of the early damage without ever looking like they could break the shackles. Srinivas was run out backing up too far at the non-strikers end to a direct hit from Nishit Banuri, fielding at square-leg (43 for 3 in 12 overs). This brought Ram to the crease and at once batting looked easier as the captain calmly played out the bowlers. At this point in time Sohail brought in his ace in the hole - Nishit Banuri. As the season progressed Nishit showed great poise in bowling to the opposition's top guns. Of the 9 wickets he took this season he snared 3 openers including Mukesh Patel, and also Naveen Peiris once. Nishit did not disappoint, getting Ram to flick uppishly to the mid-wicket boundary where Arvind Thiruvengadam settled under it Aussie-style - fingers pointing upwards (82 for 4).

Amol Bhavsar added to the 'Zags misery by rushing through Asim Ali's defences in the very next over (82 for 5). One over later, Kumar's long vigil came to an end when he spooned an easy catch to Avinash off Nishit's bowling (86 for 6). Srugun Sreepurum tried to repair the damage but his partners showed their tension by throwing away their wickets. A visibly-upset Srugun was left stranded on 11 runs, while the rest of the team committed hara-kiri to be all out for just 115 in 26 overs. Avinash finished with fantastic analysis of 4 overs, 1 maiden, 9 runs and 2 wickets.

Here is a copy of the SteelZags batting scorecard. The interesting thing to note is that they scored just 9 boundaries in 26 overs, indicative of the splendid bowling and fielding by the Mountaineers.


In the pre-innings huddle, Sohail had just one instruction for the batsmen - attack at every opportunity. WVUCC would not go down without their guns blazing. Even though there were 30 overs to get 116 runs, the Mountaineers approached it as it they had just 25 overs in which to do it.

In the very second over, Ram Paluri bowled a brute of a ball that jumped up from just short of good length, and hit Arvind's gloves in front of his face en route to second slip where Srugun took a very good juggling catch (6 for 1).

Ashok Varadarajan went in full of confidence, stemming from his stupendous partnership with Sohail in the semi-finals. The duo continued from where they left off and eliminated any faint hopes that the 'Zags may have nurtured. Easily playing out Sunil Yendluri and Ram, the duo kept up the pace with well-struck boundaries and the occasional dart for a six. In a tactically shrewd move Ram brought on his spinners - MS and Srugun - from both ends. Once upon a time Ashok would have perished to the spinners but the current edition had overcome his weaknesses through intense net sessions and confidently took the 'Eers to the threshold of victory. With 27 runs needed to win, Sohail played a tired flick that was spectacularly caught by Sunil, one handed on the square-leg boundary, for a well-made 39 in 40 balls, with 5 fours and six (89 for 2).

Drinks were taken with 21 runs needed to win, when Ashok lost his concentration and played all over a ball to be bowled for 46 in 49 balls, with 7 fours and a six (95 for 3).

Abishek Muralidharan looked to finish off the match in a hurry, striking a boundary and a six over cover to bring the required runs down to single digits. At the other end, it was fitting that C.S. Manish was at the crease. He even calmly contributed a flick to the square-leg boundary, defeating the obvious trap set there by the 'Zags. With 4 runs needed to win, Abishek tried to finish the match in one blow but failed to clear mid-off (112 for 4).

Manish and Sumanth Dommaraju calmly took the singles on offer to tie the scores. In trying to go for the winning hit, Sumanth missed an attempted flick to be bowled by Srugun (115 for 5). Abhijit Bhagavatula jumped out of his crease, head in the air, searching for glory off the first ball he faced. Srugun beat the bat and Sameen pulled off the easiest stumping of his career.

However, all this was just a ripple that caused some artificial excitement and made the score look closer. The first ball of the next over was calmly flicked past square-leg (yes, the 'Zags tried that leg-sde trap again for Manish) to bring up the winning runs!! WVUCC had won the PCA championships!!


In a heartfelt congratulatory speech to the rest of the 'Eers Sohail expressed all his happiness, gratitude, and respect for each and every member of the winning squad. For the think tank and the senior members of the squad it was a personally gratifying experience to see the culmination of all the plans - failed and successful - that they had hatched for years. For the newbies on the squad this was an experience to remember.

The transient nature of college-life being such, this would be the last time this team played together. Most of the team will not return the next year, having moved on in pursuit of more lofty goals in life, but the thread of victory will join them for as long as they live.

Cricket in the 'Burgh - part 19: Dating Destiny

The opinions expressed in this post are solely that of the author. However, this report has been prepared with the help of some insider information, eyewitness accounts, and personal interviews. All errors are entirely their fault, not mine.

Game 15: Semi-finals - WVUCC versus Hurricanes

In the summer of 1997, WVUCC narrowly lost to Ohio State University in the semi-finals of the MidWest Cricket Tournament. Since then the team had managed to reach the quarter-finals and semi-finals on two other occasions but got thumped very easily. This year, one of the strongest Mountaineer squads ever assembled stood a very good chance of improving on previous performances. Facing them were the newly-formed Hurricanes team.

Naveen Peiris won the toss and, not surprisingly, elected to bat. Venkata Sathi bowled an inspired spell, completely tying down the batsmen, yielding just 5 runs (of which 3 were wides) in 3 overs. However, it was Ajay Nayak who made the first breakthrough, trapping Vinod Nair in front of the stumps (18 for 1). Ajay is an infuriating bowler (for his teammates). The 6 balls that he lands within reach of the batsman always has them hopping around, but he is a hit-and-miss with his radar, bowling as many wides as good balls. While Venkat was tying up one end, Ajay was helping the scoreboard along, but he vindicated Sohail Chaudhry's faith in his bowling by prising out Krish Kalyanaraman, who began with a well-struck four, but could not keep down a cover drive and Sumanth Dommaraju snapped up the chance. Prasad Joshi faced the brunt of Venkat's bowling and did not have too happy a time with it. Eventually Venkat's perseverance paid off and he bowled his man.

The loss of three quick wickets for just 24 runs brought the two best Hurricanes batsmen to the crease - Naveen and Anu Chopra. The two of them took a very cautious approach, not attempting anything risky (the semi-final was a 30-over affair, so they had more time). Sohail, Amol Bhavsar, and Nishit Banuri continued the good work, keeping things very tight and the Hurricanes played into the Mountaineer hands by not taking them on. It is easy to bowl well when you know the batsman is intent on defence and the 'Eers took advantage by rushing through their overs quickly.

The introduction of Avinaschander Manivannan, inexplicably held back by Sohail, eased some of the pressure as Naveen found Avinash's line (left-arm over the wicket) to his licking, flicking and cover-driving for a few sixes and fours. The score had reached 113 when Nishit induced a leading edge from Naveen and when Sumanth settled under the catch the Mountaineers began celebrating even before he caught it - Sumanth rarely drops anything and he didn't this time either. Naveen made 30 of his runs in 6 balls (3 fours, 3 sixes) and only 9 in the remaining 39 balls, indicating how he was biding his time and was held in check by some exceptionally tight bowling. 113 for 4 and only Anu Chopra stood between the 'Eers and a big total.

Anu Chopra is one of the best all-rounders in the PCA. A slow left-arm bowler and a right-handed batsmen, Anu's batting style is not necessarily one that you'd drive a 100 miles to see, but it is a very effective one - fetching him over 400 runs this season alone. His biggest weakness is to be told that he cannot bat. He tends to lose his cool and focus, upon hearing that. When Naveen got out the Mountaineers vociferously reminded everyone that the lone batsman for the Hurricanes was gone, and the need to dispel this notion got to Anu, as expected. After a fabulous innings under the circumstances - 41 runs in 58 balls, with 7 fours - Anu was bowled by Arvind Thiruvengadam and at 125 for 5, the Hurricanes were in deep trouble.

Sohail came back to finish things up and, apart from a couple of lusty blows by Upinder Bhat, the Hurricanes could not really accelerate and finished at 155 for 9 in 30 overs. A decent total, but one that should not have posed a challenge for the Mountaineers. The Hurricanes only hope was to take 3 or 4 quick wickets and let the pressure of the situation get to the chasing team, as it so often does.

Iftekhar Kazi produced just the right start for the Hurricanes, having Arvind Thiruvengadam caught at mid-off off a full toss. Ashok Varadarajan walked in and eased into the role of the sheet anchor. It was the month of Ramzan, Sohail was fasting and, consequently, fading in and out. He told Ashok that he was not sure how much longer he could keep playing, so he told him to farm the strike and give him some rest, while Sohail attacked as and when he could. Ashok proceeded to do just that, giving Sohail valuable resting time during an over.

In his undefeated innings Sohail had just 6 dot balls, and hit 10 fours, 3 sixes, 16 singles, and 4 twos, indicating how strong his control of the game was. In contrast, Ashok sedately collected 26 dot balls, against 5 fours and 3 sixes. Between them the duo put on an unbroken 146 run partnership and took the Mountaineers to victory in just 15.1 overs. Sohail finished on 82 off just 39 balls, while Ashok made a career-best 60 off 51 balls.

The best indication of the dominance of the duo - they hit at least one boundary in 13 of the 15 overs they faced!


In the other semi-final, the SteelZags had a chillingly clinical performance in defeating the Gladiators and the stage was set, rightfully, for a clash between the two best teams in the league in the grand finale. The SteelZags came in secure in the knowledge that they had a mental edge over the 'Eers having never lost to them. But the Mountineer team that had lost to them in the past was not the same one that had made it to the final. Sohail Chaudhry was back at the top of his game, the top order batsmen had all struck a purple patch, Ashok Varadarajan had finally fulfilled the potential he had shown all these years, the bowling displayed menace and control in equal measure, the fielding side was easily the best in the league, and a nearly-forgotten veteran was going to come back for one last fling.

Destiny awaited the 'Eers and they had no intention of disappointing her. Only the SteelZags stood in the way. Tune in shortly for the last match report of the season...

Cricket in the 'Burgh - part 18: Outgunning the undermanned

The opinions expressed in this post are solely that of the author. However, this report has been prepared with the help of some insider information, eyewitness accounts, and personal interviews. All errors are entirely their fault, not mine.

Game 14: WVUCC versus Blitzers

The final game of the regular season for WVUCC was bereft of much tension. The second spot in the league, and with it a bye in the first round of the playoffs, had already been secured. In addition, the Blitzers came to the ground with just 9 players.

Sohail Chaudhry won the toss and chose to bat. For the third straight match, and the 5th time this season, the Mountaineers put up in excess of 200 runs (202 for 7, to be exact). The architect of this total was Arvind Thiruvengadam, who made a career-best 78 in 60 balls (8 fours, and 4 sixes). The rest of the batsmen batted around him and ensured that the total was big enough that the undermanned Blitzers did not harbor any thoughts of an unlikely upset.

When you are chasing over 200 runs, and have just 8 wickets to spare, being 56 for 7 is exactly the best way to go about doing it, eventually finishing up at 90 all out. Six bowlers shared the 8 wickets to fall and the Mountaineers charged into the playoffs in style, firing on all cylinders.

They finished the season with a 9-4-1 record (second only to the 11-2-1 mark of the Steelzags), runners-up for the second year in a row in the regular season. They eagerly awaited the winner of the first quarterfinal between the Hurricanes and the PittsPunters.

All the Mountaineers, bar none, wanted a return match with the Punters in the semi-finals, but it was not to be as the Punters choked in their quarterfinal match. They had the Hurricanes reeling at 117 for 7 but could not stop Naveen Peiris (who scored a fantastic 100 not out) from taking the score to 200 for 7. In their chase, the PittsPunters were 135 for 4 at one stage and collapsed to 170 all out with Naveen taking 4 wickets for 18 runs in 5 overs.

The Mountaineers were convinced that they had a date with destiny and she was waiting for them in the finals. But before they got to that the stage was set for the two behemoths - Naveen and Sohail - to face-off once again. Tune in shortly for the next installment in this saga.

Cricket in the 'Burgh - part 17: Lotur Rotak

The opinions expressed in this post are solely that of the author. However, this report has been prepared with the help of some insider information, eyewitness accounts, and personal interviews. All errors are entirely their fault, not mine.

Game 13: WVUCC versus Lumberjacks

Sohail Chaudhry had played the Lumberjacks 5 previous times and had done reasonably well against them (see the end of this article for a more detailed breakdown). The Lumberjacks knew that their best chance of pulling off an upset was by dismissing this ginormous thorn early. Unfortunately for them, they were given a chance to try this right away as Sohail won the toss and chose to bat.

Walking in with Arvind Thiruvengadam, Sohail continued from where he left off in the previous match, thumping boundaries and scurrying for singles, almost at will. Arvind played within himself again, scoring 25 runs (with 4 boundaries) in 20 balls because Sohail was settling in for the long haul. Unfortunately for Arvind, Puneet managed to slip one by at with some low bounce and the first wicket fell at 48.

In preparing for life after C.S. Manish (funny how I manage to keep getting his name into every report long after he is gone!), the WVUCC thinktank came up with a like-for-like solution. If Arvind got out, Ashok Varadarajan would come in, and if Sohail got out Abishek Murlaidharan would come in. Ashok had been questioning his true worth as a batsman and the promotion to #3 was just the tonic he needed to find himself. Sohail and Ashok put on a 101-run partnership with Ashok contributing a steady 38 in 38 balls (2 fours and a six - all hit towards cover). When Ashok fell, Abishek continued along the same vein, keeping Sohail company.

Sohail took a few balls to settle in, escaping a couple of really close LBW shouts. Once he got his eye it, the most-feared all-rounder in the PCA league served notice that his season-long batting slump was over. Wading into the Lumberjack bowling with typical aggression, Sohail did not let up, finding time to play all of his favourite shots and more. While not quite at top form, Sohail still managed to play 63 balls, and find the fence often enough (8 fours, 5 sixes) to notch up the third century of his PCA career. When he finally got out, the score was a formidable 199 for 3. WVUCC finished at 214 for 6 in 25 overs, their second straight score over 200, and the 4th time they had done so in the tournament so far.

I'd like to tell you that the Lumberjacks put up a great fight, and gave the Mountaineers a run for their money, but that would be far from the truth. By now, the bowling of the 'Eers was assuming scary proportions (for the rest of the league) and Venkata Sathi bowled 4 overs in the opening spell, took 5 wickets and gave away just 11 runs. Very few teams can recover from such a start, and the Lumberjacks certainly aren't one of those. The dominance was such, Sohail did not even bowl a ball. Instead he gave some extended time to the other bowlers and this gave Nishit Banuri some valuable time to showcase his talents. Fast emerging as the bowling find of the season, Nishit gave Sohail another shut-down option in the middle overs and the Mountaineers were starting to click at the right time. (Once again, thank you, PittsPunters)

Now for the promised stats on Sohail's love affair with the Lumberjacks. He has played them 5 times so far. Here are his scores (an * indicates a not out innings):

48*

102

69* (in just 19 balls)

11 (batting at #4 for the only time against the LJ's)

102

That is a total of 332 runs at an average of 110.6 in 5 innings.

With this win, WVUCC improved to 8-4-1 and awaited a return match against the Blitzers.