Contrasting fortunes for Austria's newest clubs

Pakistan United CC, Austria's newest club have made a rapid impact in Austrian cricket, having to date played two games, losing their first game against Concordia CC by 27 runs before winning against the reestablished Sri Lankan CC.

In their match against Concordia CC, who won the toss and batting first, Qamar Abbas, playing his first game for the club since joining from Pakistan CC top scored with 83, ably supported by Satyam Subhash who scored 30 and Christian Kamin, coach to the Austrian Indoor Team, who scored 29, with Pakistan United CC captain Aamir Nafees taking 3-37 in his allotted 8 overs, as Concordia compiled 231 for 7. After a shaky start against the Concordia opening bowlers, Aman Deep and Raza Aqif, PUCC fought back and knocks of 62 from Anjum, 29 from Qasim, 24 from Rashid and 21 from Majid steered them to 200 all out, with Raza Aqif finishing with 4-29.

Aamir Nafees commented on PUCC's inaugural match that ultimately a lack of training and bowling too many wides had been the difference between the two sides, whilst his Concordia CC counterpart, Raza Aqif, paid tribute to Qamar Abbas' knock as being the performance that had set up his side's victory.

Sri Lankan CC, coming back after their predecessors, Sri Lankan Sports Club had folded during the summer of 2001, were playing their inaugural game against Pakistan United CC, and batting first scored 160 in just under 45 overs, with Sampath, one of the few former SLSC players still playing scoring 53, with Chintha chipping in with 35. For PUCC Aamir Nafees took 3-27 whilst Asad took 3-28.

Pakistan United CC then roared to victory at a remarkably rapid rate - thanks mainly due to a century by Rashid Butt, whose powerful hitting had often got PFCC off to a rapid start in 2002. His century came off an astounding 36 balls, with five successive sixes of Sri Lankan opening bowler Sampath. With Shiv Dass the only man to be dismissed, for 43, PUCC overhauled the target in a mere 12.3 overs, with Rashid Butt's century believed to be the fastest in Austrian cricket history certainly in terms of balls faced.

The two sides meet again on May 1st for an ACA Trophy game, which kicks off a mammoth weekend of cricket to coincide with European Spirit of Cricket Weekend.