The Shanghai Cricket Club reclaimed the China Cup with a 38 run victory over Beijing Cricket Club at Wellington College on June 10.

Defending a target of 212, the SCC Dragons bowled out the visitors for 173, with Adam Hopkins picking up 4 wickets, while there were two apiece for Deepak Nautiyal (2-46), Waqar Khattak (2-28) and Vaibhav Krishnan (2-31).

Beijing started positively, playing like a side who had a train to catch at Hongqiao, with A. Hafiz (6) striking a maximum in the first over of their innings, but early wickets from Krishnan and Nautiyal (the latter taking a fine high catch to dismiss Hafiz) halted the charge before the introduction of Hopkins strangled the run rate. The left-arm spinner ended with figures of 8-1-9-4 and was supported well in the middle of the innings by the seam of Raj (0-40).

The game was by no means a one-sided affair however. The star man for the BCC Lions was the left-handed Chira. The powerful hitter struck eight 4s and two 6s in a 93-ball knock of 85 that more than kept the Lions in the game. Unfortunately, he lacked support throughout his innings and eventually fell caught-behind by Samuel Kett off Khattak’s bowling.

There was late resistance in the form of a last wicket partnership of 32 between Ali and Guru-it (5*), but when the former fell lbw to Krishnan for 38, it was game over.

Earlier in the day, Beijing won the toss and asked Shanghai to bat. The new ball was swinging, but the Daredevils opening pair of Adrian Russell (47) and Kett (22) weathered the storm, putting on 80 for the first wicket, with Australian left-hander Russell playing some exquisite pulls in his 39-ball stay at the crease.

Both fell in the same over to off-spinner Anwar (2-30) and apart from Dayne Wotton (28), who put on 56 with Khattak (20) before both perished in quick succession to the medium-pace of Guru-it (4-32), no Shanghai batsman really got set.

A stand of 24 for the tenth wicket between Hopkins and Nautiyal – aided by the last ball of the inning striking the keeper’s helmet for five penalty runs – saw the home side end their 40 overs on 211/9, which proved to be a big enough total and see Shanghai win back the China Cup.