Eagles went into Round 6 against Real Panthers knowing they can not lose any more games. Abhishek won the toss and elected to field at the picturesque ground at Cypress Canyon Park.
Siva started with a maiden but Abhishek at the other end could not get the desired control in his first over. Siva continued to question the batsmen in his second over that went for just 3 runs. Srinivas repeated his mysterious ball that either slides between the legs onto the stumps or gets a batsman bowled as he attempts to leave the ball perceived to be going down leg side. The ball struck Sanjay at his rear end and diverted onto middle stump. Anil joined Navin (the other opener) who by then was improvising and looking for runs.
Hari bowling the 8th over of the inning bowled Anil with a flighted incoming delivery. Bhupendra was run-out within two balls with Narasaiah coming in from his position at short fine leg. Eagles had lacked this kind of commitment in earlier games and things looked good on this day. Bhanu joined Navin who was doing good at the other end. Navin launched Mudit for a six over long leg in the 9th over. Hari conceded only two runs in the next over and Real Panthers went into the break with a score of 35/3. Navin looked well set but Bhanu at the other end was just trying to get his eye in at the half way mark.
Navin struck Hari for a boundary to mid-wicket and then smartly pulled the next ball to fine leg for a three. In the same over Navin tried the same shot only to see Narasaiah to sprint in from short fine leg and hold onto the catch. The well made 36 (34b, 3*4, 1*6) by Navin had laid the platform for batsmen coming in later on to further consolidate. Vilas was playing with a back pain and never settled in on the day. He was caught behind to give Abhishek his first wicket. Ajay then held a sharp low catch to dismiss Bhanu who looked to get the score board ticking. Bhanu was the senior partner at the crease with two wickets having fallen in quick succession. Captain Giresh then took it upon himself to score briskly with the intent of bringing some respectability to the score.
Giresh (17, 18b) was needlessly run-out as he was pushed for a non-existent second run. Madhu did well to send the ball to the keeper on the bounce and the Real Panthers tail was thus exposed. A score of 63 at the end of 15 overs then changed to 86/9 in 20 overs. Siva picked up two wickets in the final over conceding just two runs. Abhishek standing at short mid-wicket flung himself to his right to latch to an uppish defensive prod by Manoj. The last batsman coming to the crease, played a few dot balls, was frustrated and then was bowled by Siva.
A restrictive spell of 4-1-9-2 by Siva served the cause for the Eagles. Srinivas did very well too, picking up two wickets for just 11 runs. Hari picked up the important wickets of Anil and Navin for 18 runs. Abhishek and Mudit provided good support to further tighten the grip on the Real Panthers batting.
Eagles were fresh from a chase against Panthers and thus were confident of chasing a slightly higher score against Real Panthers on an even better batting track. Disaster struck on just the second ball as Abhishek mis-hit one high to short mid-off where Navin held the catch with ease to give Bhupendra a wicket. Parag walked in to join Hari and the two of them played out that over. The next over by Bhanu saw the two pick up singles by placing the ball. Parag put a waist high full toss from Bhanu over square leg for a boundary. 10 runs from that over settled early anxiety for the batsmen. Giresh replaced Bhanu and a low full toss from Giresh was picked up by Parag for a one bounce boundary towards deep square leg. At 24/1 in 4 overs the Eagles were well placed for the chase. Anil induced an edge from Parag that flew high over the keepers head due to the pace and bounce in the wicket. The keeper could have reached the ball had he been a foot or two taller. Bhupendra at the other end bowled another quiet over thus restricting the score to 26/1 in 6 overs.
Anil bowled an erratic 7th over. A full toss was hit by Parag over square leg for an easy boundary. Another high full toss was hit for a boundary to deep fine leg on the very next ball. In the next over bowled by Bhupendra, Parag hit a sqaure drive for a boundary, all along the ground, just to the right of point. He then dispatched the very next, good length ball towards mid-wicket for a boundary, by shifting his weight on the back foot. Eagles thus reached a respectable 50/1 in 8 overs. Anil then bowled a relatively quiet 9th over to restrict the scoring to just 6 runs. Naveen then got Hari to hit one uppishly to short mid-wicket where Bhanu held a sharp catch. The 57 run partnership between Hari and Parag had set things up for the Eagles and got them to a position from where losing was not a possibility. Mudit (10*, 6b, 2*4) walked in and struck two boundaries from two balls reminding all of a day, where he had scored a 50 on the same ground in an internal game. Anil kept Parag quiet in the next over conceeding just two runs. At 70/2 in 11 overs it was just a matter of time before the Eagles would overhaul the target of 87 runs.
Mudit placed the ball for a single in the next over bowled by Bhanu. The second ball was a full toss just below the waist that Parag slashed behind point for a boundary. Bhanu then pitched the ball up with mid-off inside the circle. Parag took a step forward and lofted the ball safely over mid-off for a boundary. Mid-Off was moved back, but the very next ball, although at a better restrictive length was hit in the same direction to the left of the fielder standing back on the boundary. The fast outfield gave the fielder no chance to stop the ball from reaching the boundary. With three boundaries in three balls Bhanu was pretty unsure of what to bowl. He bowled another full toss on the stumps that Parag lofted straight above the keeper, slightly to his left for another boundary to bring up his fifty (51*, 44 b, 10*4) and therby a 8 wicket victory for the Eagles.
Eagles chased the target in 11.4 overs bringing them a much desired 3rd victory in the tournament. It was a good all round effort for the Eagles. Excellent bowling by Siva/Srinivas/Hari was supported by good, sharp catches by Abhishek, Ajay and Narasaiah. Superb fielding efforts by Madhu and Narasaiah, yielded important run-outs to peg back the opposition.
It was an splendid consecutive win for the Eagles who seem to be overcoming their earlier erratic performances. The question though is, has the change come too late for securing a place in the semi-finals. Results of other games, seem to indicate that their hopes of making it to the semi-finals and beyond is pretty slim or non-existent.
Siva started with a maiden but Abhishek at the other end could not get the desired control in his first over. Siva continued to question the batsmen in his second over that went for just 3 runs. Srinivas repeated his mysterious ball that either slides between the legs onto the stumps or gets a batsman bowled as he attempts to leave the ball perceived to be going down leg side. The ball struck Sanjay at his rear end and diverted onto middle stump. Anil joined Navin (the other opener) who by then was improvising and looking for runs.
Hari bowling the 8th over of the inning bowled Anil with a flighted incoming delivery. Bhupendra was run-out within two balls with Narasaiah coming in from his position at short fine leg. Eagles had lacked this kind of commitment in earlier games and things looked good on this day. Bhanu joined Navin who was doing good at the other end. Navin launched Mudit for a six over long leg in the 9th over. Hari conceded only two runs in the next over and Real Panthers went into the break with a score of 35/3. Navin looked well set but Bhanu at the other end was just trying to get his eye in at the half way mark.
Navin struck Hari for a boundary to mid-wicket and then smartly pulled the next ball to fine leg for a three. In the same over Navin tried the same shot only to see Narasaiah to sprint in from short fine leg and hold onto the catch. The well made 36 (34b, 3*4, 1*6) by Navin had laid the platform for batsmen coming in later on to further consolidate. Vilas was playing with a back pain and never settled in on the day. He was caught behind to give Abhishek his first wicket. Ajay then held a sharp low catch to dismiss Bhanu who looked to get the score board ticking. Bhanu was the senior partner at the crease with two wickets having fallen in quick succession. Captain Giresh then took it upon himself to score briskly with the intent of bringing some respectability to the score.
Giresh (17, 18b) was needlessly run-out as he was pushed for a non-existent second run. Madhu did well to send the ball to the keeper on the bounce and the Real Panthers tail was thus exposed. A score of 63 at the end of 15 overs then changed to 86/9 in 20 overs. Siva picked up two wickets in the final over conceding just two runs. Abhishek standing at short mid-wicket flung himself to his right to latch to an uppish defensive prod by Manoj. The last batsman coming to the crease, played a few dot balls, was frustrated and then was bowled by Siva.
A restrictive spell of 4-1-9-2 by Siva served the cause for the Eagles. Srinivas did very well too, picking up two wickets for just 11 runs. Hari picked up the important wickets of Anil and Navin for 18 runs. Abhishek and Mudit provided good support to further tighten the grip on the Real Panthers batting.
Eagles were fresh from a chase against Panthers and thus were confident of chasing a slightly higher score against Real Panthers on an even better batting track. Disaster struck on just the second ball as Abhishek mis-hit one high to short mid-off where Navin held the catch with ease to give Bhupendra a wicket. Parag walked in to join Hari and the two of them played out that over. The next over by Bhanu saw the two pick up singles by placing the ball. Parag put a waist high full toss from Bhanu over square leg for a boundary. 10 runs from that over settled early anxiety for the batsmen. Giresh replaced Bhanu and a low full toss from Giresh was picked up by Parag for a one bounce boundary towards deep square leg. At 24/1 in 4 overs the Eagles were well placed for the chase. Anil induced an edge from Parag that flew high over the keepers head due to the pace and bounce in the wicket. The keeper could have reached the ball had he been a foot or two taller. Bhupendra at the other end bowled another quiet over thus restricting the score to 26/1 in 6 overs.
Anil bowled an erratic 7th over. A full toss was hit by Parag over square leg for an easy boundary. Another high full toss was hit for a boundary to deep fine leg on the very next ball. In the next over bowled by Bhupendra, Parag hit a sqaure drive for a boundary, all along the ground, just to the right of point. He then dispatched the very next, good length ball towards mid-wicket for a boundary, by shifting his weight on the back foot. Eagles thus reached a respectable 50/1 in 8 overs. Anil then bowled a relatively quiet 9th over to restrict the scoring to just 6 runs. Naveen then got Hari to hit one uppishly to short mid-wicket where Bhanu held a sharp catch. The 57 run partnership between Hari and Parag had set things up for the Eagles and got them to a position from where losing was not a possibility. Mudit (10*, 6b, 2*4) walked in and struck two boundaries from two balls reminding all of a day, where he had scored a 50 on the same ground in an internal game. Anil kept Parag quiet in the next over conceeding just two runs. At 70/2 in 11 overs it was just a matter of time before the Eagles would overhaul the target of 87 runs.
Mudit placed the ball for a single in the next over bowled by Bhanu. The second ball was a full toss just below the waist that Parag slashed behind point for a boundary. Bhanu then pitched the ball up with mid-off inside the circle. Parag took a step forward and lofted the ball safely over mid-off for a boundary. Mid-Off was moved back, but the very next ball, although at a better restrictive length was hit in the same direction to the left of the fielder standing back on the boundary. The fast outfield gave the fielder no chance to stop the ball from reaching the boundary. With three boundaries in three balls Bhanu was pretty unsure of what to bowl. He bowled another full toss on the stumps that Parag lofted straight above the keeper, slightly to his left for another boundary to bring up his fifty (51*, 44 b, 10*4) and therby a 8 wicket victory for the Eagles.
Eagles chased the target in 11.4 overs bringing them a much desired 3rd victory in the tournament. It was a good all round effort for the Eagles. Excellent bowling by Siva/Srinivas/Hari was supported by good, sharp catches by Abhishek, Ajay and Narasaiah. Superb fielding efforts by Madhu and Narasaiah, yielded important run-outs to peg back the opposition.
It was an splendid consecutive win for the Eagles who seem to be overcoming their earlier erratic performances. The question though is, has the change come too late for securing a place in the semi-finals. Results of other games, seem to indicate that their hopes of making it to the semi-finals and beyond is pretty slim or non-existent.
MoM : Parag Ahire (51*, 44b, 10*4). This one is dedicated to AK, RSG, SK and RB
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