After 23 weeks, 111 league matches, 222 innings, and nearly 6,000 overs, the 2012 Shanghai Cricket League has reached its apex.

The semifinals, which began last week with a Division 2 match between the Digital Devils and Pudong Power, are in full swing this weekend with a Division 1 match between the Bashers CC and DPR Hot Dogs, a Division 2 match between the Leopards CC and Dynamite Devils, and a Division 3 match between Pudong Dream Team and the DPR Hot Dogs.

Waiting to meet the winners of these matches in the finals will be the Daredevils in Division 1, the Digital Devils in Division 2 and the Bashers in Division 3. The League Finals will be played on September 16.

From the start of the season on March 18, the SCC League again produced some top level cricket in 2012. In addition to the divisional play, which in many cases came down to the last game of the season to determine semifinal berths, there were also many outstanding individual efforts that call for attention.  Continue reading “The SCC League Semifinals Have Arrived” →

The dog days of August are giving way to September and the SCC League is nearing its apex. With just one more week and two more games to go before the semifinals, the season is coming into stark relief. The match-ups in Division 1 and Division 2 were already set last week, but it will take the final game of the Division 3 season to determine the division’s semifinal matchup.

A Bashers win will see them at the top of the D3 table, with the DPR Hot Dogs and Pudong Dream Team left to battle it out in the September 9 semifinal. A loss, and Pudong will go through top and the Bashers will play the Hot Dogs for the second time in three weeks.

The defending Division 1 champion Daredevils CC lost only 1 match in a 2012 campaign that saw them advance to a second straight finals with an impressive 10-1-1 record. The Bashers, who were the only team to defeat the Daredevils, will meet their greatest opponent in the semifinals, the DPR Hot Dogs, a team they have beaten only once in their eight year history.

Defending Division 2 champion Pudong Power eked into the semis on point differential. They will face the Digital Devils in a rematch of the 2011 final in the first of two semifinal matches. In the second match, a surging Dynamite Devils will face the Leopards CC, a team that appears to be suddenly vulnerable following the loss of stalwart Biplav Pokhrel.

Parthiban Lingam and Stephen Bradley added their names to the SCC League Honour Board on Sunday, both taking five wickets in fine displays of seam and spin bowling. The two bowlers powered their respective teams to victory as the both the Division 2 Digital Devils and the Division 3 Bashers looked to regain the top of the table in their respective divisions.

Division 2
Digital Devils vs DPR Hot Dogs
On a hot and sultry day at Dulwich College, the Digital Devils and DPR Hot Dogs met each other for the second time in 2012. Winning the toss, the Digital Devils opted to bat. The opening partnership of Aravid Arasu (44) and Pandian Janarthanan (37) gave an explosive start and piled up 80 runs in mere 8 overs. Hot Dogs bowlers made a good comeback and dismissed Digitals top order in quick succession. A fifth wicket stand of 83 runs between S.K. De (61) and Amit Pandey (21), along with some lower order hitting took their score past 200. Sudhir Rai (6-0-21-3) and Rak Mistry (6-0-50-2) were best bowlers from Hot Dogs. The Digitals ended their 30 overs with 227 runs for the loss of 7 wickets.

Digital bowlers made an immediate impact from the 1st over and kept a regular check on Hot Dog batsmen. The Digital bowlers dismissed their top and middle order quickly with good assistance from the field. Parthiban Lingam (6-1-25-5) took five wickets and SriChaitanya Vanapali (5-0-12-3) added another three. Mandar Sathe (26*) and Chaitanya Reddy (25) provided late resistance for the seventh wicket but it could not last. In the end, Hot Dogs were all out for 88 in 20 overs.

Digital Devils 227/7, DPR Hot Dogs 88/10 – Digital Devils won by 139 runs. Continue reading “SCC League Week 14 Review: Parthiban and Bradley Take Five Wickets, Add Names to Honour Board” →

Paras Khushulan added his name to the SCC League Honour Boards yet again with the performance of the season, taking apart the cream of the Division 1 Bashers for seven wickets. Conceding only 8 runs – with only two off the bat – Khushulan completed his stand with two maiden overs as Pudong dominated the Bashers at SRFC. Division 2 featured matches between the Bashers and the Leopards and between Pudong and the Hot Dogs. The Bashers, Daredevils, Hot Dogs and Pudong Dads & Lads were in action in Division 3.

Division 1

Pudong Power vs Bashers CC
Under very grey skies and in humid conditions, the Bashers won the toss and sent Pudong in to bat. Pudong openers Russell Cool (45) and Graeme McKim (33) took the score along to 94 before Mckim was out in Phil Mildenhall’s first over and the 17th of the innings. Martin Hanscombe and Cool took the total to 111 before Cool was out caught off John L’Epagniol. A few quick wickets saw Pudong 4 for 141 in the 26th over. Hanscombe and Bernie Hughes steadied the ship before Hanscombe was next out for a tidy 32 caught on the boundary trying to lift the scoring rate. Hughes and Ankit Kawatra (7) then took the score past the 200 mark before he was out LBW. Quick wickets followed as Pudong tried to lift the scoring rate in the final overs before finishing at 9 down for 235 off the allotted 40 overs. Hughes was out in the 38th over for a well-compiled 40 off 30 balls. For the Bashers, wickets were shared amongst Mildenhall with four and Mike Hall with three, while John L’Epagniol claimed one off his 8 overs. Jon Radford provided support in the field with three good catches.

The Bashers started badly, losing two early wickets to Pratik Gadecha in the first five overs for only seven runs before a quick partnership between Glenn Rowell and Manoj Zalpuri took the Bashers chase to 61 after 11 overs. Amogh Kasyap then claimed Zalpuri’s wicket before Paras Khushalan took a brace of wickets that soon saw the Bashers tumble to 5 for 67. Khushalan kept the pressure on, continuing to pile up scalps as the Bashers batting attack withered in the face of his deadly swing bowling. Only conceding two runs off the bat during his spell, he finished with the best bowling figures of the season so far: 7.2-2-8-7. The Bashers were all out for 94 in the 25th over. Pudong claimed seven catches with keeper Russell Cool taking three and Martin Hanscombe taking another great one-handed catch at point.

Pudong Power 235/9, Bashers CC 94/10 – Pudong won by 141 runs. Continue reading “SCC League Week 13 Review: Khushulan Takes Seven Wickets in Masterful Performance” →

DPR Hot Dog and long time Shanghai cricketer Mike Tsesmelis added his name yet again to the SCC League Honour Boards with a sterling score of 115 against K2 on Sunday. With an international Frisbee tournament occupying the SRFC all weekend long, only two matches were played on June 10. Still looking for their first win of the season, the Dulwich Knights faced the red hot DPR Hot Dogs in Division 3, while in Division 1, the DPR Hot Dogs looked to even the season series against K2.

Division 1

K2 CCC vs DPR Hot Dogs
K2 won the toss and decided to bat. Openers Waqar Khattak (33) and Shoaib (29) Meer established a good foundation, frustrating the opening Hot Dog bowlers with the determination at the crease. 2011 batsman of the year Muhammad Shafqat added 31 to the board while regular Leopards batsmen Biplav Pokhrel (22) and Manish Lohani (21*) also contributed runs. Venki Eegapati, James Keel and Irfan Idrees all took two wickets a piece. K2 finished their innings on 229 for the loss of 8 wickets.

With such a high total to reach, Hot Dogs captain Mike Tsesmelis was not pleased to see both his openers walking back to the pavilion having faced only 10 balls collectively for 1 run. In at number three, he would anchor the Hot Dogs attack through several partnerships on his way to 115 from 119 deliveries including 10 4s and one 6. Waqar Khattak took three wickets while Sharik and Mehmood and Sharik took two each to keep the pressure on the Hot Dogs throughout the chase. Ben Goodwin added 21, Gavin Morgan 41 as the Hot Dogs ran down the required score with only three  deliveries remaining in the match.

K2 CCC 229/8, DPR Hot Dogs 231/7 – DPR Hot Dogs won by 3 wickets. Continue reading “SCC League Week 11 Review: Tsesmelis Scores a Century” →

The fickle Shanghai weather played a lead role in the results from the Shanghai Cricket Club League on Sunday, May 12. The Division 1 match saw the required target reduced due to weather and bowlers in all division had a banner day as two, Tim Bebb of the Dulwich Knights and Sri Chaitanya Vanapalli of the Digital Devils, added their names to the SCC Honour rolls by taking 5 wickets each.

Division 1
Bashers CC vs DPR Hot Dogs
The Hot Dogs won the toss and chose to field. Opener Keven Wright (30) built a solid foundation as Manjo Zalpuri, Oliver Austin and debutant Chris Jennings each contributed 15 runs. Mike Hall reached the heady plateau of 99 before being caught one short of his first SCC League century off Mike Tsesmelis (4-0-32-1). Irfan Idrees (8-1-37-1) and Ben Goodwin (8-1-32-2) were the pick of the Hot Dog bowlers. The Bashers reached the end of their 40 overs with a score of 248 for 6. Continue reading “SCC League Week 8 Review: Shanghai Weather Makes an Impact; Bebb and Vanapalli Add Names to Honour Board” →

The heat of the Shanghai summer was in the air as the SRFC played host to three Shanghai Cricket Club League matches last Sunday. Off-speed bowler John L’Epagniol added his name to the SCC Honour Boards yet again with a 5-wicket performance as all three divisions saw action. The Bashers met Pudong in Division 1, the DPR Hot Dogs faced off with the Digital Devils in Division 2, and the Dulwich Knights battled the Pudong Dream Team in Division 3. Continue reading “SCC League Week 7 Review: L’Epagniol Takes 5 Wickets” →

Two SCC League cricketers added their names to the honour boards this past weekend with some sterling performances with bat and ball. Waqar Khattak reached a century against the DPR Hot Dogs, scoring 109 in their Division 1 match up. Paras Khushalan scorched the Bashers in Division 2, taking five wickets for only 12 runs in his six overs to help lead Pudong Power to victory. Continue reading “SCC League Week 4 Review: Khattak and Khushalan Add Names to Honour Board” →

Week 3 of the Shanghai Cricket Club League offered a full slate of matches with games taking place at both the Shanghai Rugby Football Club and Dulwich College. 2011 Division 1 runner-up K2 Cricket Club of China were in action for the fist time this year, the two Division 2 Devils teams met for the first time this season to decide club bragging rights, and Division 3 Bashers, Daredevils and DPR Dogs all began their 2012 campaign. Continue reading “SCC League Week 3 Review” →