A Tale Of Two Halves

It was a tale of two halves for both sides as one side’s fortunes turned great after their twenty overs break while, for the other, things fell apart their drinks break.

MetroStars won the toss and elected to bowl. Both sides are sitting at the bottom of Division A and needed a win desperately if they are to avoid the drop to Division B.

The innings started easily enough with the Arizona Stallions batting for an average 85 for 2 with both opening batsman being caught in the field. After the break, sensing the run rate of 4.25 wasn’t enough, the Stallions decided to turn up the aggressiveness.

If you split the Stallions innings into two parts, the first 27 overs and the last 13 overs, the numbers could not be more striking. After 27 overs the Stallions were 109 for 3, or a RR of 4.04 at which rate, they would have ended the game at roughly 162 runs. But in the last 13 overs, the Stallions put up an amazing 131 runs, a RR of over 10. The Stallions ended their innings on 240 runs with five men out.

After the innings break, it was the MetroStars turn to respond. After a quiet first few overs the MetroStars got into their groove and began their turn with the bats.

The twenty over mark is again a good mark as the MetroStars ended it at 96 for 2. On the whole, under the overall RR but ahead after their opponents at the same time. But whereas the Stallions hit the gas after the break, it was the MetroStars who hit the breaks or, more correctly, hit the wall after the break.

The wheels really came off for the MetroStars when their lead batsman, Sarvesh Karra, was caught on the on with a high, loft shot that was easily caught just outside the circle. The small man carried his team on his shoulders but his 65 runs proved to be not enough as they were all out for 172 runs after the 34 over.

There was some even handed batting by the Stallions that helped the team along to victory with Murad Khan who hit 62 for 65 and Mohammad Ali who ended his day on a half century. The real hero of the day, however, and Cricket Arizona’s Man of the Match went to Mujtaba Shafiq who bowled for a five for, who sat on a hat trick not once, but twice.