Nadkarni blasts Texas to victory
There were comprehensive wins for Texas and Virginia on the opening day of the MLC Interstate Tournament
Cricinfo staff
02-Dec-2005
Group A
Texas 309 for 6 (50 overs; Nadkarni 171*, Nanjee 79) beat Washington 155 (36.2 overs; Shah 3-18, K.Patel 3-37) by 154 runs
A match dominated by the batting of Sushil Nadkarni, whose unbeaten 171 proved to be the difference between the two sides. In the pursuit of a large total, he found an able ally in Amir Nanjee, whose 79 proved key in turning a useful score of 200 into an extremely challenging 300 plus. Faced with such a tall order, Washington battled bravely to keep up with the asking rate of a run-a-ball, but had no answers to the spin of Shah and Patel, who each finished with three wickets. A win against Florida tomorrow will guarantee Texas a place in Saturday's final.
Texas 309 for 6 (50 overs; Nadkarni 171*, Nanjee 79) beat Washington 155 (36.2 overs; Shah 3-18, K.Patel 3-37) by 154 runs
A match dominated by the batting of Sushil Nadkarni, whose unbeaten 171 proved to be the difference between the two sides. In the pursuit of a large total, he found an able ally in Amir Nanjee, whose 79 proved key in turning a useful score of 200 into an extremely challenging 300 plus. Faced with such a tall order, Washington battled bravely to keep up with the asking rate of a run-a-ball, but had no answers to the spin of Shah and Patel, who each finished with three wickets. A win against Florida tomorrow will guarantee Texas a place in Saturday's final.
Group B
Pennsylvania 131 (25.1 overs, Mahesh 47*, Ameeq 3-16) lost to Virginia 134 for 5 (31.5 overs, Vicky 51*) by 5 wickets
A low-scoring, but nonetheless competitive match, ended in a five-wicket win for Virginia. Pennsylvania made a confident start to their innings, reaching 63 for 2 from their first 10 overs, but an alarming batting collapse - in which they lost four wickets in as many overs dented their aspirations of a high score. From 87 for 7 in the 17th over, it was left to Mahesh and the tail to reach a competitive total. However, a final score of 131 would be tough to defend. Virginia started badly in pursuit of 132, reeling at 12 for 2 in the 5th over, but the middle-order held firm and, helped by a lusty unbeaten 51 by Vicky, they reached their target with almost 20 overs to spare. Pennsylvania must beat North Carolina tomorrow to have any chance of playing on into Saturday's competition.
Pennsylvania 131 (25.1 overs, Mahesh 47*, Ameeq 3-16) lost to Virginia 134 for 5 (31.5 overs, Vicky 51*) by 5 wickets
A low-scoring, but nonetheless competitive match, ended in a five-wicket win for Virginia. Pennsylvania made a confident start to their innings, reaching 63 for 2 from their first 10 overs, but an alarming batting collapse - in which they lost four wickets in as many overs dented their aspirations of a high score. From 87 for 7 in the 17th over, it was left to Mahesh and the tail to reach a competitive total. However, a final score of 131 would be tough to defend. Virginia started badly in pursuit of 132, reeling at 12 for 2 in the 5th over, but the middle-order held firm and, helped by a lusty unbeaten 51 by Vicky, they reached their target with almost 20 overs to spare. Pennsylvania must beat North Carolina tomorrow to have any chance of playing on into Saturday's competition.
Remaining Matches
Dec 2 - Group A: Texas v Florida - Group B: Pennsylvania v North Carolina
Dec 3 - Group A: Washington v Florida - Group B: Virginia v North Carolina
Dec 4 - Final: Winner of Group A vs Winner of Group B - 3rd-Place Play-off: 2nd in Group A v 2nd in Group B
Dec 5 - MLC 20/20 Festival: MLC`A v MLC B - West Indies Players' Association v England Players' Association. The final starts at 2pm
Dec 3 - Group A: Washington v Florida - Group B: Virginia v North Carolina
Dec 4 - Final: Winner of Group A vs Winner of Group B - 3rd-Place Play-off: 2nd in Group A v 2nd in Group B
Dec 5 - MLC 20/20 Festival: MLC`A v MLC B - West Indies Players' Association v England Players' Association. The final starts at 2pm