India Cements ‘A’ and Chemplast Sanmar, the two best sides in the tournament, set up a dream final, but the defending champion raised its game to make the title clash decidedly one-sided.
India Cements ‘A’ retained The Hindu Trophy — the popular cricket tournament for business houses, Government organisations and banks — with a splendid showing in the day-night final at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The competition, which was delayed because of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and unseasonal rains, featured 17 teams vying for the title. India Cements ‘A’ and Chemplast Sanmar, the two best sides in the tournament, set up a dream final, but the defending champion raised its game to make the title clash decidedly one-sided.
The architects of the victory were S. Sharath, the veteran left-hander, and S. Suresh, the captain and all-rounder. Suresh lost the toss, but his batsmen responded by posting a total of 217 for five in the allotted 30 overs.
Sharath conducted a master class in pacing the innings, raising 84 for the fourth wicket with R. Prasanna. Having come to the wicket with his side two down for not too many, the portly batsman took his time settling. But once familiar with the condition of the wicket — good for bating, even if slightly slow — Sharath exploited the spread field.
His duel with the wily D. Vasu made for interesting viewing. Sharath and Vasu, among the finest cricketers to have turned out for Tamil Nadu, tried to out-think the other. Sharath profited by hanging back and pulling Vasu’s flatter deliveries, but the left-arm spinner eventually had his adversary caught in the covers for a 58-ball 70.
The Chemplast Sanmar response was crippled early by P. Amarnath. The pencil-thin seamer, who after an impressive debut Ranji season made waves in the IPL, accounted for two of Sanmar’s most dangerous stroke-players. He surprised S. Vidyut with a bouncer, and followed it by throwing the stumps down after the startled batsman had left his crease. Amarnath then bowled R. Ramkumar with a beauty.
Suresh had Tamil Nadu opener M. Vijay caught behind, all but settling the contest, and capped a fine all-round performance by finishing with figures of three for 13. Although N. Ajay Kudua resisted with an attractive half-century, Chemplast could muster no more than 141.
India Cements fielded magnificently under lights, best exemplified by M. K. Sivakumar’s direct hit from long-off. Sharath was adjudged the Man of the Match.
The scores: India Cements ‘A’ 217 for five in 30 overs (K. B. Arun Karthick 32, S. Suresh 39, S. Sharath 70, R. Prasanna 45) bt Chemplast Sanmar 141 in 26 overs (N. Ajay Kudua 56, S. Suresh three for 13).
S. RAM MAHESH* * *India’s standPowerful India will oppose any moves to throw strife-torn Zimbabwe out of world cricket and is counting on the rest of the Asian bloc for support.
“There is no reason to remove Zimbabwe,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Niranjan Shah said as the International Cricket Council (ICC) debated the African country’s future at its annual meetings in Dubai.
Cricket boards of South Africa and England suspended bilateral ties with Zimbabwe in protest against the deteriorating political situation in Harare.
The ICC’s decision-making executive board will take up the issue after the British government demanded that Zimbabwe be excluded from next year’s Twenty20 World Championships in England.
The support of seven of the ICC’s 10 full members, which include Zimbabwe, is required to suspend a nation from world cricket, but that appears unlikely given India’s stance.
India, the sport’s economic powerhouse, is almost certain to be backed by the three other Asian Test nations — Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh — on keeping Zimbabwe in the ICC. The Asian bloc usually votes together on major cricket issues.
“We understand England’s position because their government wants Zimbabwe out,” said Shah. “Even our tour commitments are determined by government advice. But we will back Zimbabwe to stay in the ICC.”
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