Category: Sports

HOUSTON: Gladiators won TCC Taped ball Winter 2022 tournament by clinically chasing the target of 102 set up by Tuskers. This was a Final between seasoned Gladiators (9^th Final) versus the youth of Tuskers (first final) , in which experience triumphed.

With rain threatening to arrive in the second half, Tuskers after winning the toss chose to bat first. The game started as anticipated, with Gladiator bowlers bowling to a plan and inviting Tuskers openers to play risky shots. Tuskers on the other hand did not hold back and started positively. Vishal provided an early breakthrough by knocking Shan’s stumps and then Mathew lured Sukitha into playing a lofted shot that culminated his innings with Sanman taking a catch on the boundary. At the end of power play Tuskers were 24 for 2. That’s when ever young Subodh, delivered a perfect yorker to uproot in form batsman Gihan. After 8 overs the game was evenly poised with Tuskers score at 47 for 3. Sisindu then launched Ninad for a massive six and just when it appeared that floodgates may open, Ninad bowled a beauty to take the wicket of Geethike caught by Sandeep. Aradhya followed it with the key wicket of hard hitting Sisindu and Sandeep bowled Kumudu to pull back Tuskers to 68 for 7. Some sensible batting towards the end, between Thushara and Tharindu took them to a respectable score of 101.

For Gladiators, Vishal and Ninad took 2 wickets each while Subodh, Mathew, Khatwani and Aradhya chipped in with one wicket each. Calm and reliable wicket keeper Darshan took two catches and athletic fielder Sheetal assisted in one run out.

At the half time, it started to pour heavily, making conditions challenging to bat and Tuskers bowlers who did not allow more than 100 runs in any playoff games were smelling an upset. However, Gladiator openers decided to take the challenge to the bowlers and with some crisp off side shots and rotating strike, Sanman and Amit Patel quickly got off the blocks scoring 22 runs in the first 4 overs. Sisindu then got the prized scalp of Amit. Mathew who has been in good touch joined Sanman and both of them neutralized the bowling attack with high quality display of batting. Sanman scored 32 runs and stitched match winning partnership of 46 runs with Mathew. Mathew (48) and Ninad (9) then finished off the game with relative ease as Gladiators rampaged towards the target in the 16^th over. Gladiators captain Emad, and Mr. Dependable Aradhya did not even have to bat much during the playoff games, which is a testament to how far Gladiators batting has come this season.

For Gladiators, this was a reward for the hard work the team had put behind the scenes and the celebrations after winning their 4^th championship felt like it was their 1^st . This team does not get OLD and loves to have fun!!

Gladiators team was supported on the sidelines by Dinesh (owner J), fast bowler Pawan and Bhargav, batsman Amit Shah and Neeraj and Lucky Mascots Navendu and KP.

The game was followed by a well-managed presentation ceremony organized by Jagdish Biradar. Emad Babri, the captain of Gladiators was handed over the winner’s trophy and the runners up trophy was handed over to the captain of Tuskers Geethike. Mathew from Gladiators was the MVP of the final. Tournament awards were also handed over. Vishal from Gladiators was nominated as the MVP of the tournament. Kusal from SLCC was the best batsman with 275 runs. Kishore from Miura Bulls CC and Kushal from BHCC were the best bowlers with 14 wickets each. Arun from Masters was the best wicketkeeper with 29 Dismissals. Sadesh from HCF was the best Allrounder with 211 runs and 8 wickets. Special Awards for Century were given to Kusal from SLCC and Ashwin from Cougars. Special Awards for Hat Trick were given to Manish from Masters, Moiz from Deccan Royals, Sai Prasad from Woodland Hurricanes and Sampath from SLL. Online scorecard is at: https://cricclubs.com/3T/viewScorecard.do?matchId=1508&clubId=8675 and YouTube video is at https://youtu.be/rijLN6zsAcY

SANTA CLARA: Minor League Cricket (MiLC) announced today that Laxmi – one of America’s leading South Asian food brands – joins as an Official Partner for the most extensive nationwide T20 championship in American cricket, heading into the competition’s third season of play this summer.

Twenty-six teams will again participate in the competition that will take place across August and September, with almost 150 games scheduled to take place this summer leading up to the championship finals.

Laxmi’s partnership builds on their support of the competition’s second season in 2022, partnering with MILC’s Silicon Valley Strikers as the brand celebrated its 50^th anniversary of providing authentic South Asian cooking ingredients in the United States.

Laxmi is now extending its relationship league-wide for the 2023 season, which will feature 500 players in games held nationwide across 20 cities, the largest cricket competition in the United States.

“We are thrilled to partner with Minor League Cricket and extend the relationship following last summer’s support of the Silicon Valley Strikers,” said Neil Soni (President – House of Spices) and Amrapali Soni (COO – House of Spices). “We have been proud to serve the South Asian community across America for over 50 years, becoming the nation’s most loved South Asian brand, and we know that cricket is a wonderful way to connect with our customers through a sport so many of them follow with passion.”

The Sunoco Minor League Cricket Championship features the strongest cricketers across the country with each team roster including a selection of marquee professional players and a required number of U21 and U19 players to support the development of emerging talent for the United States National Teams. The third season of MiLC will follow the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) season, to be held from July 13-30, with dozens of players taking part in MLC to go on to take part in MiLC.

“The Minor League Cricket Championship has firmly established itself as the key pathway for players to Major League Cricket and the USA National Team,” said Zubin Surkari, Tournament Director, Minor League Cricket. “The support from Laxmi for MiLC’s third season will further accelerate the growth of cricket in more than 20 cities across the country.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Minor League Cricket (MiLC) announced today that Sunoco will be the title sponsor for the third season of the most extensive nationwide T20 championship in American cricket. The Sunoco Minor League Cricket Championship will return this summer, with approximately 150 matches set to take place in August and September. The domestic player draft will take place in May, part of the selection process that will see more than 400 US-based players participate in the tournament featuring 26 teams. The draft date and complete match schedule will be released soon.

The MiLC season will follow the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) season that ends in July, with the world class competition set to ignite a new era for American cricket. Dozens of domestic players featuring in MLC will continue their summer of cricket in MiLC, allowing fans to follow many of the stars of the competition across 20 cities.

“Sunoco is pleased to continue our support of Minor League Cricket,” said Fred McConnell, Director of Marketing, Sunoco. “We know how much cricket means to so many of our customers and station owners, and we’re proud to continue investing in the sport’s exciting growth across the United States.”

“2023 will be a banner year for American cricket, and the Minor League Cricket championship returns to provide another huge step for the sport as all games this season will be played on natural turf or hybrid playing surfaces for the first time,” said Zubin Surkari, Tournament Director, Minor League Cricket. “Improved playing conditions and the growing talent pool in the United States have established MiLC as a key pipeline to both the USA National Team and Major League Cricket and we are grateful to Sunoco and our team owners for their continued investment into the growth of the game across the country.”

America’s first nationwide T20 championship saw its second season won by the Seattle Thunderbolts in August 2022, with the team from the Pacific Northwest claiming a $150,000 first place prize by defeating the Atlanta Fire in the final.

ABOUT MINOR LEAGUE CRICKET

Minor League Cricket (MiLC) is a national Twenty20 cricket competition for city-based teams from across the United States, launched in 2021. The most extensive competition in American cricket, MiLC provides a foundational structure as a pathway to Major League Cricket and the United States National Team for the nation’s best players.

HOUSTON: The prior weekend ended in an anti-climactic washout delaying the much-awaited Final of the TCC Taped Ball Fall 2022 cricket tournament to Feb 4^th. But the rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the finalists, SLCC and Big XII, both of whom had played attractive cricket throughout the tourney. This was the proverbial David versus Goliath matchup – SLCC, the table-topping Goliath, having featured in a dozen previous finals; Big XII, the underdog David, having begun the season with two losses before flipping the script to record eight consecutive wins. Would SLCC’s confidence from being a repeat winner reign supreme or would it be Big XII’s relentless persistence after many a barren season that was going to be rewarded finally?

Big XII skipper Arun won the toss and backed the team’s bowling strengths. Big XII’s four-pronged pace attack comprising the disciplined skipper, his trusted lieutenant Prabaharan, seasoned campaigner Sunny, and talismanic all-rounder Aneesh, was always going to be a handful. Wickets began tumbling when Ranil miscued a hoick off Arun and Eshwar pouched the skier in the deep. The tone had been set, Big XII wasn’t going to choke in big moments. The very next ball Sunny had Kusal nick to Rex and suddenly both SLCC openers were back in the hut for only a dozen runs. Wickets continued to tumble as Prabaharan, Aneesh and Bala skidded past SLCC’s defenses, each picking up a wicket. SLCC now had its back against the wall with the scoreboard 33-5 at the halfway mark. The second half of the SLCC inning witnessed a gritty comeback on the back of a masterful partnership between Thilan and Thusitha. They put on 56 runs as the pair rebuilt amidst the ruins. Thilan played the shot of the morning when he pulled a pacy short ball from Prabaharan in front of square for a stunning six. SLCC completed its innings shortly thereafter setting Big XII 96 runs to win its first title.

Big XII got off to a customary busy start as openers Eshwar and Rajiv scurried to 14 in 2 overs. But SLCC pegged one back when Thusitha had the dangerous Eshwar caught behind. A budding partnership between Rajiv and mainstay Swapnil was cut short by Thusitha as he picked up the second of his eventual four wickets. This brought Big XII’s most capped keeper-batsman Rex to the middle who combined with Rajiv to stitch a useful 24 run partnership that steadied the ship. Just as Rajiv looked set scoring at will with trademark languid grace, a misunderstanding with his former roommate ended in his run out giving SLCC a glimmer of hope. Adriraj’s dismissal mimicked Eshwar’s which brought the in-form Aneesh to the crease. Thereafter Rex was in MVP element, flicking SLCC bowlers repeatedly through square, unsettling their rhythm and haring between the wickets. By the time Aneesh and Rex departed Big XII was just one blow away from victory which was delivered by their semi-final MVP, Prabaharan. Big XII had finally become deserved champions after a decade-long campaign. Writeup is provided by a “professional” blogger/commentator Adriraj Chakraborty

The game was followed by a well-managed presentation ceremony organized by Jagdish Biradar. Arun, the captain of Big XII was handed over the winner’s trophy and the runners up trophy was handed over to  captain of SLCC Dushan. Rex from Big XII was the MVP of the final. Tournament awards were also handed over. Aneesh from Big XII was the MVP of the tournament. For Divn I, Sukitha from Tuskers was the best batsman with 239 runs, Prasad from BHCC was best bowler with 20 wickets, Ranil from SLCC was the best wicketkeeper with 19 dismissals, Sukitha from Tuskers was the best allrounder with 239 runs and 10 wickets. Special awards were given to Prashant from Powerstars for century and Aneesh from Big XII for Hat trick. For Divn II, Paul from Miura Bulls was the best batsman with 201 runs, Jameel from Champions CC II was the best bowler with 13 wickets, Saurabh from Woodlands Hurricanes with 19 dismissals was the best wicket keeper, Gaurav from Miura Bulls was the best allrounder with 166 runs and 10 wickets.Online scorecard is at: https://www.cricclubs.com/3T/fullScorecard.do?matchId=1381&clubId=8675

HOUSTON: Powerstars won the third TCC Taped Ball championship defeating 8^th time finalist Gladiators in the final of the Spring 2022 Premier tournament which is a once in year tournament for the best teams of TCC Taped Ball.

Gladiators won the toss and elected to bat. It was a steady start for the first two overs before Karthik and Eklavya did the damage in the 3rd and 4th over to reduce Gladiators to 20/2 in 4 overs to mark the end of the powerplay. Then the duo of Dylan and Kaly, who bowled exceptionally well in playoffs continued the bowling. Gladiators played the bowlers with caution and steadily marched towards a decent total of 58/2 in 10 overs. Emad Badri ( 46 ) scored some quick runs but regular wickets at other end had Gladiators struggling at 94/5 in 15 overs. Karthik’s strategic bowling changes ensured there were regular wickets taken and restricted Gladiators for 127 for 9. Karthik finished with 3 for 28 in 4 overs including a maiden wicket.

Powerstars Openers Money Singh and Navin Negi started the innings at a very brisk pace and never let the bowlers settle into rhythm from ball one. Sreenivas Seelam joined the chase after 1^st wicket and Navin Negi scored scorching boundaries back to back in Ninad’s over to take the score to 35/1 in 3 overs. At the end of the powerplay of 4 overs, Powerstars were 38 for one. Sreenivasa Seelam joined the party with a beautifully crafted lofted drive on the offside to get the boundary of the bowling of the ace spinner Sandeep K.

Powerstars kept the runs flowing from both ends before Sreenivas was out for 13. Prashanth Manne, who joined Navin Negi, looked in complete control to bring Powerstars total to 78 for two. In the eleventh over, right after the break, Navin Negi brought up yet another masterful and classy Half Century. After the 10th over break, Powerstars upped the ante and scored at will and won the match by six wickets.

Navin Negi dominated the match from Ball one and has made bowling look very easy. Navin Negi was adjudged Man of the Match for his unbeaten knock of 79 of just 53 balls with seven fours and 1 six.

The MVP of the series was Karthik Vadlamudi, who took a total of 17 wickets and scored 213 runs.

The stats sheet in the playoff showed Powerstars dominance with the top 3 wicket takers. The trio of Dylan Joseph, Kalyan Chivukula, and Karthik Vadlamudi each taking eight wickets a piece to ensure comprehensive victories in the Playoffs.

A special mention to Dinesh Kasliwal for keeping the Gladiators team cohesively and running a successful season and been awarded Runners up Trophy.

The core unit of Karthik Vadlamudi, Prashanth Manne, Rohit Bade, Sreenivasa Seelam, Kalyan Chivukula, and last but not least, the beast alias Ronnie Ronaldson ensured Powerstars had a great and successful season.

Under the able leadership of Karthik Vadlamudi and Kalyan Chivukula, Powerstars has grown from strength to strength and is a force to reckon with.

The game was followed by a well-organized presentation ceremony organized by Jagadish Biradar. Dinesh Kasliwal of Team Gladiators was thanked for voluntary work on scheduling. Karthik Vadlamudi, the captain of Powerstars received the winner’s trophy and the runners up trophy was collected by Emad Babri, counterpart from Gladiators. Other tournament awards were presented to Amit Patel (best batsman with 291 runs), Sajid Khan (best bowler with 16 wickets), Shiva Prasad (best keeper with 23 catches), Jayanth Kalakuntla (best all-rounder with 220 runs and 12 wickets), special century award for Rakesh M Raja, Rushang Shah, Hiren Patel and Swapnil Chandrate, special hat-trick award for Archit Shah and Yesu Seelam. Online scorecard: https://www.cricclubs.com/3T/viewScorecard.do?matchId=1193&clubId=8675

HOUSTON: Cypress Super Kings (CSK) won the TCC Professional division championship by dominating the playoffs. Houston Cricket Fighters (HCF) ended up as finalists after losing to CSK by 14 runs in a closely fought game. CSK lost the toss and was asked to bat first by HCF. The openers Aravinthkumar Ganesan (27) and Madhusudhan (12) got CSK off to a rapid start racing to 36 within the 4^th over. Ashwin Ravi (24) anchored the innings with yet another masterful middle order batting display. A brilliant cameo from Sriram Sureshkumar (24), solid support from Vijai Prakash (13) and excellent selfless running from the lower order batsman helped CSK reach a defendable score of 126.

After a quick start from the HCF opening batsman, the CSK bowlers simplified their game plan and stuck to a tight line and length to pull back the run rate below 6. This created a lot of pressure on the HCF batters leading to fall of wickets. Abhishek Ravi bowled an opening spell of 4 overs on the trot testing the batsman constantly and removed both the openers. The experienced Sriram Sureshkumar bowled tidily with an economy under 5 and picked up the crucial wicket of Mayur Patel to end up as the finals MVP. Saravanakumar Selvaraj, who was the pick of the bowlers on finals day, showed his class and guile to get HCF’s top batsman and prized scalp of Amit Rathod and another to finish with a brace of wickets. Karthik Bhupathy – CSK’s very own “game changer” played an instrumental part in getting 2 important wickets and bowled the difficult overs in the back end of the game. He got rid of the explosive Sunil Patel thanks to a brilliant running catch at long on by Aravinthkumar and dismissed Srini Pathala to break HCF’s resistance. Ashwin Ravi, also the TCC taped ball Spring 2022 Professional division MVP of the season, bowled aggressively through the middle and later powerplay overs to deliver the title to CSK by getting rid of 2 quick wickets of back to back deliveries in the 11^th over to give CSK the upper hand in the defense of 126. There was excellent comraderie between the two teams and the game was contested in a healthy manner.

The game was followed by a well organized presentation ceremony organized by Jagadish Biradar. Dinesh Kasiwal of Team Gladiators was thanked for voluntary work on scheduling. Adithya Balasubramanian, the captain of CSK received the winner’s trophy and the runners up trophy was collected by Amit Rathod, counterpart from HCF. Sriram Sureshkumar picked up the award for MVP of the finals and Ashwin Ravi took home the coveted Player of the Series award (351 runs and 14 wickets). Other tournament awards were presented to Suyash Rai (best batsman with 266 runs), Omar Bangash (best bowler with 18 wickets), Saurabh Merai (best keeper with 35 catches), Chitrang Khatri (best all-rounder with 220 runs and 12 wickets), and special century award for Sadesh Chandana and special hat-trick award for Robin Varghese and Sagar Puri. Online scorecard: https://cricclubs.com/3T/viewScorecard.do?matchId=1190&clubId=8675

ABU DHABI: USA’s SAMP Army has announced that it will acquire a franchise in Abu Dhabi T10. Identified as ‘Morrisville SAMP Army’ from North Carolina, becomes the eighth franchisee to compete in the exciting cricket league.

SAMP Army franchise represents unity on and off the field and indomitable passion for cricket. The owner of the Morrisville SAMP Army, Ritesh Patel, is a well-established USA-based entrepreneur who has over 20-years of experience in business growth, consulting and management. He owns several franchise hotels, an indoor Urban Air, a C-Store, an Indoor Cricket and multi-sport complex as well as the SAMP Army Cricket Sports Franchise that participates in competitive tournaments across the USA. The tenacious owner has a strong interest in cricket and enjoys promoting the skills of cricketers.

Ritesh Patel with great delight expressed his thoughts on the Morrisville SAMP Army becoming a part of the Abu Dhabi T10 as he said, “It is an extremely exciting time for our franchise as the Abu Dhabi T10 is a unique and a highly competitive competition which brings together elite players from across the globe. It gives us the perfect opportunity to compete against the elites of cricket and test ourselves out.”

Morrisville SAMP Army also announced the appointment of Madhukar Shree as the CEO of the franchise. He is been in the sports industries for a long, having worked with various international sporting events and franchises.

Speaking on the occasion, Ritesh said, “With the SAMP Army cricket franchise officially going global, Abu Dhabi T10 will also provide us an opportunity to improve and promote cricket in the USA and that’s the whole idea behind appointing Madhukar as the CEO. He has a proven track record of helping brands and sports franchises establish and grow their brand value and we are delighted to have him onboard with us. The Morrisville SAMP Army’s philosophy and vision are aligned with our own franchise’s philosophy as we look to build a strong base for cricket at all levels through a culture that encourages players to improve their cricket skills and fitness.”

On his appointment, Madhukar Shree, CEO of the Morrisville SAMP Army said, “I am excited with the fact that Morrisville SAMP Army will compete in this year’s Abu Dhabi T10, which is one of the most exciting cricket competitions across the globe. Having worked with cricket and non cricket franchises and events across the globe over a number of years now, I hope my understanding and expertise will help the SAMP Army cricket franchise grow and reach new heights. I believe our franchise joining the Abu Dhabi T10 will make the tournament’s competition even more fierce and exciting for the fans to watch.”

Morrisville SAMP Army also announced the signing of four players for their franchise in the Abu Dhabi T10. The signing includes top international players David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Moeen Ali and Shimron Hetmyer.

Expressing his excitement to join Morrisville SAMP Army, Miller said, “I am delighted to join the Morrisville SAMP Army in the Abu Dhabi T10. Entertaining fans and scoring big runs is my agenda here in the tournament and I am looking forward to driving the team towards greater heights.”

Speaking on the occasion, Madhukar Shree, CEO of the Morrisville SAMP Army said, “I am delighted that we have been able to sign on some of the best in the business. David Miller is a destructive batter and I am sure he is keen on bettering his reputation. Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje and Shimron Hetmyer are all world-class individuals who can turn a game around at the drop of a hat. We are looking forward to the team coming together and playing some great cricket and providing some great moments for the fans.”

The Abu Dhabi T10 will kick off from the 23rd of November 2022 and will be a two-week long tournament that will see international cricket stars compete in a short and exciting 10 over format. The Morrisville SAMP Army will be participating in the Abu Dhabi T10 and will help highlight the growing quality of cricket in the USA.