Spencer Academy beaten again

BY : SYED WASEEM AFZAL.
Spencer Club Academy’s second outing at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium did not quite go their way when they were beaten by a better side, this time ECB U-17, who dished out superior play to wrap up a comfortable win by the margin of 56 runs on Sunday in a day-night 40-over game.

In pursuit of a challenging victory target of 205, Spencer Club Academy found few answers to the cocktail of accuracy and economy to which the home subjected them throughout. With no wickets falling inside the first fifteen overs, only 45 runs were scored which made the task of reaching the target particularly difficult after that.

Though openers, Tom Askew (17 off 46 balls with 2 fours) and Peter Turk (31 with 4 fours) batted with increasing defiance and weathered fiery opening spells from SM Fawad (5-0-16-0) and Qasim Zubair (6-0-13-0), their departures at crucial junctures contributed to the team’s eventual dismay.

With the home team applying all methods of throttle, 72 for 2 promised brighter things for the visitors but the failures of dangerous looking Abid Jaffery (13) and skipper Neil Baker (7) one after the other put a damper on their plans.

More grievous blows followed as the Spencer Academy slumped from 91 for 4 to a horrific 99 for 7 with Hussain Jaffery (4), Hassan Jaffery (4) and James Bogle (2) all failing to fire in a decisive turn of events.

It was Sharon Kumar, who ran hot and turned the screws with a fine bag of 4 for 22 that literally squeezed the life out of the chase and from then on, it was all over bar shouting.

With writings on the wall, Paul Askew (18 not out) and Tom Billingham (14) provided some semblance of respectability and delayed the inevitable to take the team to 148 for 8 at the end of the allotted distance. Aamer Ali (2/22) was the other bowler to shine.

Earlier, electing to bat first, a sparkling half-century from Ramveer Rai and some feisty batting from Sharan Kumar and Qasim Zubair powered ECB Under-17 to a competitive total of 204 for 8 in the allotted 40 overs.

Opener Ramveer Rai racked a rampaging 60 off 67 balls, laced with 8 fours while Farhan Siddiqui supported him with a sedate 15 off 39 balls as the duo combined in fine fettle to slam 56 runs for the opening wicket.

One drop Sharan Kumar, consolidated on the gains and feasted greedily on the bowling with a fluent 35 off 38 balls with 4 fours before the tourists hit back to reduce the home team to 147 for 5.

However, in a late spurt, Qasim Zubair (35 off 27 balls with 1 four) got into the act quickly and displayed an admirable swiftness that underlined his immense potential to change the complexion of the game.

Hassan Jaffery was the pick of the lot with figures of 3 for 37 while Abid Jaffery, Patrick Turk and Chris Plume scalped a wicket each.

Brief Scores:
ECB U-17 beat Spencer Club Academy by 56 runs.
ECB U-17 204 for 8 in 40 overs. (Ramveer Rai 60, Farhan Siddiqui 15, Sharan Kumar 35, Qasim Zubair 35; Hassan Jaffery 3/37)
Spencer Club Academy 148 for 8 in 40 overs. (Tom Askew 17, Peter Turk 31, Abid Jaffery 13, Paul Askew 18 n.o., Tom Billingham, 14; Sharon Kumar 4/22, Aamer Ali 2/22)
Man of the match : Sharon Kumar of ECB U-17.

Monday, December 29, 2003.
source : © UAEcricket.com.