Ramveer runs riot in ECB U-17 win

BY : SYED WASEEM AFZAL.
Ramveer Rai churned out a majestic all round performance as Asia Cup bound ECB Under-17 brushed aside visiting Spencer Club Academy by a wide margin of 31 runs on Thursday at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in a 40 overs-a-side.

It was yet another compelling well nigh performance from the home team, who shepherded by rampaging Ramveer Rai delivered yet another deadly blow to complete a hat-trick of wins.

This contest had seen ECB U-17 winning the toss and batting first. Opener Ramveer Rai (44 off 48 balls with 8 fours) progressed in his usual way after getting into the action right from the onset; he first added 52 runs for the opening wicket with Vikram Nayak (9) and then another 46 runs with one drop Farhan Siddiqui.

Talented Farhan Siddiqui (52 off 68 balls with 4 fours) then took center and steadied the innings serenely after two wickets in quick succession had unsettled the momentum at 107 for 3.

Leg-spinning wizard Hassan Jaffery (5 for 31) lived up to his reputation when he weaved a castle around the batsmen, who found his guiles too hot to handle with the exception of wicket-keeping batsman Abdul Rehman (25 off 31 balls).

From a healthy 155 for 5, ECB U-17 lost its plot and in a disastrous slide slipped to 183 all out in 38.3 overs with Jaffery ripping apart the line-up like a proverbial hot knife through the butter.

In reply, Spencer Club Academy’s opening pair of Tom Askew (45 off 68 balls with 4 fours) and Patrick Turk (40 off 56 balls with 4 fours) for once got going when they applied themselves splendidly and stitched together an impressive 79 runs opening stand.

However, the departure of the openers just when they were looking ominous turned the tide against the visitors as Ramveer Rai (5 for 29) clung onto the challenge and upstaged Hassan Jaffery’ 5-wicket salvo with an even damaging five-for.

Red hot, Ramveer wrecked the innings and caused havoc among the ranks of the batsmen, who failed to negotiate his bowling as Spencer Club Academy frittered away a promising start to be eventually bowled out for 152 in 38.4 overs.

Luke Billingham (11 off 19 balls) and Hassan Jaffery (17 off 25 balls) briefly offered some resistance before they too became the victims of Rai, who did a Houdini after Aamer Ali (3 for 31) had given the all-important breakthroughs of the openers.

Brief Scores:
ECB Under-17 beat Spencer Club Academy by 31 runs.
ECB Under-17: 183 all out in 38.3 overs. (Ramveer Rai 44, Farhan Siddiqui 52, Abdul Rehman 25; Hassan Jaffery 5 for 31).
Spencer Club Academy: 152 all out in 38.4 overs. (Tom Askew 45, Patrick Turk 40; Ramveer Rai 5 for 29; Aamer Ali 3 for 31).
Man of the match : Ramveer Rai of ECB Under-17.

Saturday, January 03, 2004.
source : © UAEcricket.com.