The third time's the charm

By all accounts, this third time was the charm. Faced with the memory of the 2003 Second National Championships with its alleged mismanagement, umpiring disputes and other assorted acrimonies, The US National Championships needed a boost that would bring back the halcyon days of 2002 when the tournament was first launched. The looming shadow of American Pro Cricket, about to begin its inaugural season in July, must have provided a further incentive. What was needed was a jolly good show, and this was precisely what was provided in Plano, Texas (a suburb of Dallas).

The USACA had evidently decided to put all its eggs into one basket. Both the Eastern and Western Conferences were to be played in one location (Plano, Texas) over the same long weekend in June. The choice was not without an element of risk. Memories of the almost total washout of the 2003 finals in Plano, when most of the matches were cancelled thanks to an unseasonable tornado and its aftermath, must have haunted the tournament organizers; and indeed, the squalls did put in an impromptu appearance this year, interrupting one match and shortening others. That the tournament escaped largely unscathed was due as much to the organizers' preparations as the weather gods' uncertain mercies -- this time the local cricket authorities had prepared in advance, and were ready for the rain.

Selecting Plano as the venue for this experiment was not entirely fortuitous. The North Texas Cricket Association (NTCA) had earned top honours from the ICC as having had the best cricket development program in the world in 2003, and it had not been content to rest on its laurels. In letting Plano try again, the USACA was placing its faith on the NTCA's being able to live up to this occasion.

And indeed it did, in fine fashion. The NTCA organizers, Syed Shahnawaz and Jon Gowan, more than outdid themselves in making sure the tournament moved along smoothly and without any major hitches. They even managed to incorporate a coaching clinic by Greg Chappell, who was present at the proceedings. There was unanimous praise for NTCA and the professional way in which the entire tournament was conducted.

The two conferences presented a study in contrasts. In the Eastern Conference, New York dominated the proceedings, with the other three regions reduced to watching themselves being steamrollered by the New York juggernaut. The Western Conference proved to be a far more unpredictable affair, with the winners not being decided until literally the last minute of the tournament.

On the first day, New York appeared to have started off on the wrong foot, after conceding 242 runs against possibly the weakest team in their Conference, the North East. But Steve Massiah scored an unbeaten 103 and Staples 88, and New York won comfortably. Simon had scored a century for the North East that went nearly unnoticed after the brutal demolition by Messiah and the NY skipper.

The Atlantic region took on the 2003 National Champions, South East Region. They scored 234 runs mainly due to some great hitting by Clain Williams(38*), and Nasser Islam took four South East wickets to have them at 137 for 8 before they finally collapsed.

On the second day the rains came, and played their usual tricks with the proceedings. New York destroyed the Atlantic region with some good bowling from Zamin Amin to restrict Atlantic to 168 all out. Owing to the rain delay, New York needed only paltry 85 runs to win the game in 25 overs which they did with ease losing only a solitary wicket in the process.

In the other match, South East restricted the North East to 221 mainly due to some quality spin bowling by USA vice captain, Nasser Javed (Charlie) grabbing five wickets. With the rain playing its part, the revised target of 112 in 25 overs proved far too easy for the National Champions.

On the third day, New York having destroyed Atlantic previously, completely annihilated the South East, who were bowled out for 92 with all the bowlers chipping in with wickets. New York achieved victory target in 18 overs before lunch, losing four wickets on the way. New York had won all their games in the competition with relative ease and proved that they are well and truly the team to beat in the National Championships.

In the other match, The Atlantic Region's Dawood Ahmed (100 off 109 balls) took his team to 262 runs. The North East never looked to be in the hunt, with only keeper Ranaswamy providing any resistance with a dogged 48. NE finally ended on 162, leaving Atlantic as runners up in the Eastern Conference behind champions New York and sealing a berth in the National Championships.

On the first day, South West (LA) faced a newly constituted Northwest Region team who, for the first time, represented all three Northwest Leagues in Washington, Oregon and Northern California, not just the NCCA that the Southwest has been accustomed to facing. The fresh faces, and the energy and attitude they brought with them, introduced a factor into the tournament which was to prove decisive.

Butterflies and sheer nerves on the part of the many inexperienced Northwest players had their effect in the early going, and they were soon at 75 for 5, altough they battled to 186. With a fast outfield, true wicket and big names in the South West batting line up, the LA superstars were cruising at 110 for 3. But Mehul for North West took four wickets, and was well supported by excellent fielding and catching to dismiss Southern California for 162.

In the other match, the hosts, Central West, won the toss and put Central East (Chicago, Michigan) to bat, and dismissed them for 196. Sushil Nadkarni (44) came in after lunch and started belting the ball to all parts. A collapse in the middle order had the hosts in trouble at 110 for 4, but they avoided further setbacks to take themselves home with two overs to spare.

The next day -- when it rained - the game between hosts Central West and North West, the two first-day winners, seemed as if it would head to a close finish when North West scored 232 runs in their 50 overs. However the rain seemed to affect this ground a little more than the others, and both teams had to be satisfied with one point each.

Elsewhere, Tarun Bhoomireddy scored a century to help South West to 274 from their 50 overs. However Rizwan Uz Zaman, the veteran Pakistani Test batsman, scored 75 runs off just 81 balls. The rain interruption also helped the Central East cause by reducing the target and Central East finally won off the penultimate ball of the shortened match.

On the final day, the Western Conference was delicately poised with Central East, Central West and North West in contention for the title and for the top two spots in the National Championships.

Central East, put into bat, were in trouble at 130 for 5 before a 100-run sixth-wicket partnership took them to 254. North West would have to bat exceptionally well under tremendous pressure to get close to this total. Amit Dehra brought his team very close as 10 runs were required off the last over. A controversial boundary that looked a lot like a six and some quickly scampered singles later, and North West won with a boundary off the very last ball with Amit Dehra remaining unbeaten on 82. Amit had ensured his team's qualification to the Nationals as their entire team came to watch the close exciting finish in the game between Central West and South West. If South West beat the hosts, The NW team would be crowned kings of the West.

In the match, South West found it difficult to come together as a team and win despite having an array of star names in their line up. Central West stuck to the basics to restrict the SW team to 186. CW were penalized three overs for their slow over-rate and needed to get these runs in 47 overs. However small this total looked, it was far from easy to get as the CW team needed to erase the horrors of chasing a similar total against New York last year to lose out on the National Championship. CW started disastrously but recovered and scraped home CW were under tremendous pressure having lost eight wickets but got home with two balls to spare.

However, noone knew who the Western Conference champions were until the net run-rates were calculated. After the calculations were done, the Central West team had just managed to edge out the North West by a net run-rate differential of 0.01. CW had retained the championship they won as underdogs a year ago. But the Northwest Region, as the Cinderella team of the tournament, had proved its worth to join Central West, New York and the Atlantic Region in the US National finals to be played later in the year, probably in Los Angeles.