Author: Mark Henwood

by Mark Henwood

Mei Chunhua takes Hat-trick in Friendly with Chinese Uni

A mixed team of Bashers assembled to play a Chinese team of university students at Songjiang University on Saturday, March 28, having organized the match following the SCC 6s last November as a pre-season warm-up.

The match was played on a rolled out matting pitch in a football field, surrounded by a running track, out at Songjiang University. That made for short square boundaries, but the unpredictable bounce of the pitch promised to even the contest for the bowlers. The enthusiasm of the Songjiang team was evident in their 8.30am practice ahead of the friendly 20-20 scheduled to start at 12 noon, and the crowd of happy students assembled along the boundary to watch the match. Continue reading “Mei Chunhua takes Hat-trick in Friendly with Chinese Uni” →

by Mark Henwood

Six Over Square Leg: Vikas Laxman Calls Them How He Sees Them

LaxmanThis month we caught up with Vikas Laxman, a regular member of the DPR Hot Dogs D2 side and responsible for organising the umpires in for the SCC League competition.

1. How and when did you get involved in cricket in Shanghai?
In 2006 I was walking around Jinqiao and saw some expats playing cricket in whites at the Dulwich ground. I was so keen to join them that I went there and met Irfan Idress, who was playing for the Hot Dogs. I asked him if I could play in any of the teams, and he introduced me to Chad, the then Hot Dogs D1 captain. I joined the nets on the following Saturday, and it’s been the best thing to happen to me in Shanghai.

2. Who taught you to play cricket?
Actually, in India, no one needs to teach any kid to play cricket. It’s the most loved and played game by almost every kid. So I didn’t get any formal training. Instead I played gully cricket, and then in local grounds with a tennis ball. I started playing with a leather cricket ball from the age of 13-14 at a local club, Hindu Gymkhana, so I got some coaching from the club coaches. My father was also a good player, and we’ve always had good discussions about the game, so that contributed as well. Continue reading “Six Over Square Leg: Vikas Laxman Calls Them How He Sees Them” →

by Mark Henwood

SCC Pirates Win Plate at Beijing Sixes

Pirates in Beijing: (L-R) Sameer Jolly, Amogh Kashyap, J.J. Lim, Ed Jones, Duncan Cockburn, Ben Collins, Sean Malcom, Channa Phillip Front: Manoj Zalpuri, Andy Baggot
Pirates in Beijing: (L-R) Sameer Jolly, Amogh Kashyap, JJ Lim, Manoj Zalpuri, Ed Jones, Andy Baggot, Duncan Cockburn, Ben Collins, Sean Malcom, Channa Phillip

The SCC Pirates represented the Shanghai Cricket Club strongly at the Beijing Sixes last weekend by winning the Plate final. The SCC was also represented at the tournament by the Bashers and Daredevils. Supported by all the Shanghai players during the tournament, the Pirates only lost one game over the weekend. They finished in style by beating the Beijing Misfits in the Plate final with a strong team performance.

by Mark Henwood

Bashers Win Bowl at Beijing Sixes

The Bowl Winners: (L-R) Sean Malcom, Ed Jones, Manoj Zalpuri, Sameer Jolly, Duncan Cockburn, Ben Collins
The Bowl Winners: (L-R) Sean Malcom, Ed Jones, Manoj Zalpuri, Sameer Jolly, Duncan Cockburn, Ben Collins

The Bashers touring side, captained by Sameer Jolly, won the Bowl at the Beijing Sixes last weekend to make it two out of three trophies for the SCC. The Beijing Sixes is always a tough tour in the heat of Beijing and the demands of nocturnal activities. However, despite the Bashers losing their games in pool play, they finished strongly by winning the Bowl final against a cigar smoking Canadian team.

by Mark Henwood

Six Over Square Leg: Catching Up with Andy Baggot

This month we caught up with Andy Baggot, a regular member of the Pudong club, and repeat SCC Pirates tourist.

1. How did you start playing cricket with the SCC?
I’d been in Shanghai for eight years before I got the cricket twitch. I googled cricket in Shanghai, emailed the SCC and was opening the bowling for Rak Mistry’s “Hard Dogs” side that same Sunday!

2. What was your first ever cricket bat?
It was a Gunn & Moore, and about the cheapest bat available in 1979. It was a banjo – ruined me as a player! Continue reading “Six Over Square Leg: Catching Up with Andy Baggot” →

by Mark Henwood

Tour Report: Hong Kong CC in Shanghai

Shanghai CC and Hong Kong CC following the Bokhara Bell Interport Match on September 14, 2013. Hong Kong won by 3 wickets.
Shanghai CC and Hong Kong CC following the Bokhara Bell Interport Match on September 14, 2013. Hong Kong won by 3 wickets.

Match 1: The Bokhara Bell Trophy, Shanghai CC vs Hong Kong CC, 40 Over Match
Date: 14 September 2013
Venue: SRFC Far
Toss: Hong Kong, who chose to field
Result: Hong Kong won by 3 wickets (1 delivery to spare)

Hong Kong Cricket Club were scheduled to arrive in Shanghai for welcome drinks, but a terrible rainstorm flooded parts of the city and caused widespread disruptions to trains, busses, taxis, and even planes. The Hong Kong team eventually arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning, and on the same day had to play for the Bokhara Bell Trophy.

The Hong Kong captain, Matt Lyons, won the toss and elected to field, due to the threat of further weather disruptions. The Shanghai openers, Ben Lyons (53) and Peter Worth (7) made a cautious start to the match, with Mark Wright (7.3-1-31-2) and Elliot Andrews (6-0-31-0) making scoring difficult. Wright eventually had Worth caught, and Shanghai was 27/1 after 9 overs. The Hong Kong bowlers kept the pressure on, as Harry Bailey (4-0-15-2) picked up the wickets of Alex Brown (2) and Jon Newton (0), and Iain Coulson (8-0-19-0) strangled the run rate to leave the score at 150/6 after 32 overs. Then the Shanghai batsmen went on attack as Sharaik Kamal (17), Sanjay Anugula (41), Sajid Anwar (8), Razaq Mahmood (15) provided some quick runs in a series of short partnerships. Toby Brown (6-0-46-1) was expensive, but Buddha McGettigan (5-0-28-3) managed to pick up three quick wickets with some fine swing bowling to wrest back some momentum. Then Waqar Khattak (14) and Ankit Kawatra (15 not out) put together an eighth wicket partnership of 39 to push Shanghai over 200, and the innings ended at 204 all out when Tim O’Connell (1) was run out by some smart fielding from Tom Menogue. Continue reading “Tour Report: Hong Kong CC in Shanghai” →

by Mark Henwood

Shanghai Cricket Club Cruises to Win Over Kowloon CC

On a hot and humid day at the Shanghai Rugby Football Club, a spirited performance from the Shanghai Cricket Club led them to a comfortable 4 wicket victory over Kowloon CC.

Kowloon captain Nigel Shroff won the toss and after some deliberation decided to bat first.

The Shanghai opening bowlers Sanjay Anugula (8-2-29-2) and Razaq Mahmood (8-4-26-1), applied early pressure to the Kowloon top order. Ravi Sujanani (1), Ravi Lulla (15), and Dylan Dearing (12) failed to make an impression on the scorecard, but first Roy Lamsam (15) and then, Farooq Saeed (30) provided the captain, Shroff (59), with support. Shroff led from the front with a fighting half century that pulled his team from 41/3 in the 10th over to 167/5 in the 35th over. Continue reading “Shanghai Cricket Club Cruises to Win Over Kowloon CC” →

by Mark Henwood

Thunderstorm Ends Pirates-KCC Match

The Shanghai CC Pirates took on the touring Kowloon CC side on Sunday. The morning was even hotter than the previous day, and once again Kowloon decided to bat after winning the toss.

Dylan Dearing (95 not out) and Ravi Lulla (6) opened up for Kowloon, and soon got the visitors off to a strong start. Dearing was particularly aggressive in dispatching Sameer Jolly (3-0-22-1) for four 4s in the 3rd over, but Prateek Gadhecha (3-0-10-0) managed to control the scoring at the other end. Jolly had Lulla caught by Jon Newton in the 5th over, but that was the last wicket to fall until the final over of the match as Dearing and Farooq Saeed (50) put on a partnership of 141 runs. Continue reading “Thunderstorm Ends Pirates-KCC Match” →

by Mark Henwood

Rewind 1892: The Bokhara Year

In this article, we look back 122 years to the infamous SS Bokhara year of 1892 and the Interport match against Hong Kong in Shanghai. After a pause of 22 years following the win by Shanghai in 1867, the Interport matches between Hong Kong and Shanghai were played regularly during the early 1890s. Hong Kong had been victorious by an innings and 123 runs early in 1892 in Hong Kong, on the back of an excellent 107 by their captain, J. Dunn, and destructive bowling spells of 6/56, from Dr. J.A. Lowson, and 8/60, by E.J.D. Coxon. However, Shanghai managed to regroup to win the return match in October by 157 runs, and the Hong Kong captain, J. Dunn, conceded that "they were outplayed in batting, bowling and fielding." The umpire accompanying the team up to Shanghai, Major Turner, had been instrumental in arranging the first Interport match back in 1866.

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