TROJAN CRICKET CLUB

Match 1: USC vs VICTORIA: Handa on a rampage! 

First game of the season and the guys were pumped up after a great run in the six-a-side tournament where USC finished second best to the Champions in the semi finals. We had four players who were making their debut for USC: Rohan Handa, Nishant Patel, Rohit Kotian, and Rana Aijaz and make no mistake, each one of them stepped up to the occasion.

For the first time this season, USC finally won the toss, and decided to bat first. It was a dusty wicket to begin with, with a lot of inconsistent bounce and things were only going to get worse. USC started of aggressively with Dushyant and Nishant pulling and cutting lose deliveries to the boundary.  However, Dushyant missed a straight ball and Nishant played a rash shot, both cleaned up, reducing USC for 47/2. Sai and Vishal steadied the ship with some great shots all over the park and  running between the wickets, building a good foundation for the lower middle order to score some quick runs. Abhimanyu, Rana, Tarun and Vinai started of promisingly but fell trying to lift the ante and USC were all out for 120 with 9 balls to spare.

Defending a total of 120 on a wearing pitch and a slow out field, and a bowling line up USC boasts of, we were in a pretty good spot to begin. Rohan Handa reduced the oppositon to 17/4 in 5 overs with a match winning spell of 3-0-4-3! the batsmen had no answers to his inswingers and outswingers, baffling them with the new ball. He was backed up by some tremendous fielding by Abhimanyu who dove to stop a booming drive at short extra cover, followed by a direct hit at the strikers end to see their captain walk back for just 3.  Handa's spell was well backed up by the spinners. Vishal saw 2 catches and a missed stumping go by in his spell and Rana had 1 catch spilled off his loopy off spinners too.However, Pranay stepped up to the occasion with some brilliant keeping grabbing 2 stumpings and an outstanding catch. Vishal ended up with the figures of 4-1-10-3 to finish the opposition for a meek 59! Minus the drop catches, some great effort on the field. We need to take all these chances in tighter games and leave no stone upturned.

Great intent shown by the guys to start the season with a win. It's going to be a hard time for the opposition if USC continue the brilliance in the field followed by some menacing bowling. Great win USC. Fight On!

Player of the Match: Rohan Handa: 3-0-4-3!