On the second day of an exhilarating series of matches in the USAC Men’s 50-Over National Championship, teams from the Mid Atlantic, South, Southwest, and West regions celebrated significant victories. Mid Atlantic edged past East by three wickets, propelled by Stephen Wiig’s five-wicket haul and Sai Teja Mukmulla’s 72 runs. South dominated against Red with a commanding 138-run victory, fueled by Aaron Jones’s brisk century and Adam Khan’s disciplined bowling performance. Southwest triumphed over MidWest by six wickets, with Harmeet Singh Baddhan claiming three wickets and Ali Sheikh contributing a solid 44 runs. West capped off the day’s matches with a resounding 10-wicket win against Blue, where Vedant Jain took four wickets and Zahid Zakhil hit an unbeaten 52.
Mid Atlantic Wins Against East by 3 Wickets
In their closely contested match, Mid Atlantic triumphed over East by three wickets. After winning the toss, East opted to bat first, but their innings faltered as Stephen Wiig produced a standout performance, taking five wickets for merely 18 runs across eight overs. Despite facing early difficulties, East managed to score 143 runs in 39 overs, primarily driven by Akeem Dodson’s resilient 74 off 94 deliveries. Dodson’s efforts, along with Tanveer Ahmed’s contribution of 26 runs, helped East recover from a precarious position.
In response, Mid Atlantic encountered some difficulty at the start, losing early wickets. Rahim Dipu had a significant impact on the match, claiming four wickets for 25 runs, leaving Mid Atlantic’s middle order in disarray. Nevertheless, Sai Teja Mukmulla played a crucial role in the chase, scoring a brisk 72 off 64 deliveries, which included six fours and three sixes. Mukmulla’s aggressive innings helped keep Mid Atlantic within striking distance, and despite losing multiple wickets, he directed the team towards their target.
Eventually, Mid Atlantic reached the target of 144 runs in 33.2 overs, securing victory with three wickets to spare. Mukmulla’s innings was instrumental in leading his team to a win in a game that saw many fluctuations in momentum. The standout performers were Stephen Wiig for his remarkable bowling figures and Sai Teja Mukmulla for his commanding batting, ensuring Mid Atlantic’s success in this critical championship match.
South Overcomes Red by 138 Runs
South claimed an impressive 138-run victory against Red at Woodley Park on November 13, 2024. Red won the toss and opted to bowl, a decision that South capitalized on by putting up an imposing total of 287/8 in 45 overs. Captain Aaron Jones spearheaded South’s batting with a brilliant 102 off just 57 deliveries, striking six fours and nine sixes at an explosive strike rate of 178.95. Utkarsh Srivastava provided solid support with 77 runs from 94 balls, while Unmukt Chand contributed a valuable 55 from 67 balls. Pranav Bhattad also chipped in with a quickfire 38 off 25 balls, helping South amass a challenging score.
Red’s bowlers found it difficult to contain the South batting assault, with only a few noteworthy performances. Aman Patel took two wickets for 57 runs, while Shuaib Syed claimed two for 53, but Jones’s explosive batting overshadowed their contributions.
In their chase, Red crumbled early, losing two top-order batsmen to run outs within the first five overs. While Unmukt Chand attempted to stabilize the innings with 55 runs off 67 balls, the rest of the batting lineup failed to form significant partnerships. Adam Khan’s bowling was particularly damaging, yielding three wickets for just 29 runs across nine overs. Srivastava and Bhattad also grabbed two wickets each, efficiently dismantling Red’s batting order, which ultimately led to their all-out for 149 in 33.4 overs.
This match underscored South’s dominance, with Jones’s explosive batting and Khan’s disciplined bowling propelling them to an easy win.
Southwest Beats MidWest by 6 Wickets
Southwest secured a victory against MidWest by six wickets in their encounter. Choosing to bowl after winning the toss proved beneficial, as they limited MidWest to a modest total of 122 runs in 38.3 overs. MidWest’s batting lineup struggled against Southwest’s disciplined bowling, with only three players reaching double figures. Fahad Babar was the top scorer with 36 runs off 44 balls while Mittansh Nithiyanandam contributed a steady 32 off 58 deliveries.
Southwest’s bowling attack was impressive, highlighted by Harmeet Singh Baddhan, who claimed three wickets for just 19 runs in nine overs. Abhimanyu Poswal also claimed three wickets while conceding only 19 runs in his six-over spell. Akhilesh Bodugum supported this effort, taking two wickets for 19 runs in 7.3 overs, which contributed to MidWest’s struggles.
Chasing a target of 123, Southwest began steadily but suffered two early setbacks within the first eight overs. Smit Patel made a significant contribution with 27 runs off 27 deliveries, including four boundaries and a six. Following Patel’s dismissal, Ali Sheikh took control, scoring a brisk 44 runs off 41 balls at a strike rate of 107.32, which helped maintain Southwest’s momentum. Supported by Aarin Nadkarni’s unbeaten 15, Southwest successfully reached their target in 25 overs, concluding at 124/4.
West Achieves Convincing Win Against Blue by 10 Wickets
West cruised to a commanding 10-wicket victory over Blue in the tournament’s second day. After winning the toss, West decided to bowl first, a decision that quickly paid off as they restricted Blue to a mere 89 runs in 29.2 overs. Blue’s batting struggled to find rhythm, with only Sanjay Stanley managing a noteworthy 25 runs off 41 balls. The West bowlers consistently dismantled Blue’s batting lineup, which failed to breach the century mark.
Vedant Jain showcased an exceptional bowling performance for West, bagging four wickets for just 23 runs in 5.2 overs. He was well-supported by Abhishek Paradkar, who delivered a tight spell by claiming two wickets for merely 11 runs across five overs, alongside Zahid Zakhil, who picked up one wicket for 13 runs in six overs. The West bowlers maintained an impressive economy rate, effectively shutting down Blue’s scoring options.
When chasing a modest target of 90, West’s openers Zahid Zakhil and Rahul Jariwala displayed a blend of aggression and control. Jariwala made 33 runs off 35 balls with four boundaries, while Zakhil anchored the innings with 52 runs off 53 balls, hitting six fours and one six. The duo achieved the target comfortably in just 14.4 overs, finishing at 90/0.
Image Source: Aaron Jones @ Instagram
