Match between Walferdange Optimists CC and Star Cricket Club was an exciting encounter that took place at Pierre Werner Cricket Ground on Thursday 18th of May. Star Cricket Club emerged victorious, winning the match by 5 wickets.
Star Cricket Club won the toss and elected to bowl first.
In the 1st inning, WOCC 1 started off steadily with Richard Neale and Ed Packard opening the innings. Neale played a composed knock of 24 runs off 32 deliveries, including a boundary and a six before being caught by Vijay Desai off the bowling of HSV Virdee. Packard contributed a quickfire 18 runs off just 14 balls, hitting two boundaries, but was dismissed by JM Madan.
The middle order struggled to build substantial partnerships, with Thomas Martin (1), Ben Embleton (12), and Asghar Ali (22) all getting starts but failing to convert them into big scores. Sambhav Puri was the pick of the bowlers for Star Cricket Club, taking 4 wickets for 22 runs in his 4 overs. Joost Mees (19) and Pankaj Malav (18*) played crucial cameos towards the end to help WOCC 1 post a total of 131 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Sambhav Puri was the pick of the bowlers for Star Cricket Club, claiming 4 wickets for 22 runs in his 4 overs. JM Madan also performed well, taking 3 wickets for 21 runs.
Chasing a target of 132 runs, Star Cricket Club got off to a shaky start as Mayank Nagayach (6) and Ady Manepalli (0) departed early in the second over of Ed. Shiv Karan Gill scored a cautious 17 runs before falling to Eliyas Jabar Khel's bowling. However, Vijay Desai played a brilliant innings, anchoring the innings and smashing 50 runs off 36 deliveries, including seven boundaries and a six.
MK Balu (20) provided valuable support to Desai, but it was Roshan Paul Vishwanath who stole the show with a blazing unbeaten knock of 33 runs off just 16 balls, smashing two fours and two sixes. Star Cricket Club reached the target with 11 balls to spare and five wickets in hand, finishing on 133 runs.
WOCC 1 bowlers tried their best to defend the total, with , Atif Kamal, Eliyas Jabar Khel, and Pankaj Malav picked up a wicket each and Ed with two wickets on his name. However, their efforts were not enough to defend the modest total set by their team.
Star Cricket Club reached the target of 132 runs in 18.1 overs, securing a 5-wicket victory and clinching the match. They displayed a strong batting performance, making effective use of their resources and capitalizing on the opportunities provided.
The match was an entertaining contest, with Star Cricket Club showcasing their skills and determination to emerge as the winners. Walferdange Optimists CC fought hard but fell short in their defense of the total. Both teams displayed sportsmanship and contributed to an enjoyable cricketing spectacle.
Written by Sareer Shah