The 2024 edition of the USA Cricket Men’s 50-Over National Championship kicked off on November 12th at the Sepulveda Basin Cricket Fields (Woodley Park) in Van Nuys, California. The tournament began with thrilling matches and highlighted several standout performances that established a competitive atmosphere for the championship. Here’s a recap of the key games and highlights from the opening day.
Mid Atlantic triumphed over Blue by 60 runs at Woodley Park – Marder. After winning the toss, Mid Atlantic opted to bat first and amassed a respectable total of 225 runs in 44 overs, losing 8 wickets. Prannav Chettipalayam was instrumental in their innings, scoring 88 off 101 balls with 8 fours and a six. Gauranshu Sharma contributed significantly as well, adding a solid 64 off 96 balls. On the bowling side, Sujith Gowda was the standout for Blue, taking 4 wickets for 49 runs in his 9 overs, while Anirudh Immanuel chipped in with 2 for 36.
Chasing 226, Blue struggled against Mid Atlantic’s disciplined bowling unit. Abhinav Sikharam had a promising start, scoring 33 off 52 balls with 5 fours, and there were contributions from Sohan Bhat (35 off 63) and Sujith Gowda (16 off 22). Ultimately, however, Blue could only manage 165 runs in 43.1 overs, falling 60 runs short. Preet Shah played a key role in dismantling Blue’s batting order, taking 3 wickets for just 33 runs in his full 9 overs. Yasir Mohammed and Noman Iftikhar also aided the cause with 2 wickets each.
With a well-rounded performance both with the bat and ball, Mid Atlantic secured their victory and earned 2 points in the championship, while Blue finished without any points. Prannav Chettipalayam’s key contribution with the bat, scoring over a third of the team’s runs, garnered him the Player of the Match title.
West emerged victorious against East by 91 runs at Woodley Park – Wong. East won the toss and chose to field first. West capitalized on this decision, posting a formidable target of 288 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 44 overs. Achilles Browne led the batting effort with an impressive 103 off 106 balls, hitting 7 fours and 4 sixes, while Sanjay Krishnamurthi provided essential support with a swift 64 off 49 balls, including 5 fours and 3 sixes. Imran Uddin also made a notable contribution with 56 off 63 balls. East’s bowlers struggled against the onslaught, though Shadley Van Schalkwyk was a bright spot, taking 3 wickets for just 7 runs in his 5-over spell.
As they pursued 289, East stumbled early, losing three quick wickets with only 4 runs on the board. Despite the rocky beginning, Achilles Browne anchored the innings with a solid 103, supported by Imran Uddin’s 56 off 63 balls. However, the rest of the batting order struggled, and East finished their innings at 197/8 after 44 overs. West’s bowlers maintained pressure, with Shadley Van Schalkwyk delivering a brilliant performance, taking 3 wickets at an economical rate of 1.4 runs per over. Ayan Desai also played a crucial role, controlling the scoring rate with a 3.00 economy and claiming a wicket.
This win highlighted West’s robust batting and disciplined bowling, enabling them to secure a convincing 91-run victory in the championship.
Southwest triumphed over Red by 67 runs at Woodley Park – Wright. After winning the toss, Red chose to bowl first, which allowed Southwest to build a solid innings. Southwest finished with a total of 264/7 in 45 overs, bolstered by a phenomenal performance from Ali Sheikh, who scored 117 off 100 balls, including 10 fours and 5 sixes. Shreyan Satheesh made a quickfire contribution with 63 off 52 balls, while Rehman Dar added a solid 52 off 75 balls. Red’s bowlers encountered difficulties, but Shreyan Satheesh was able to take 3 wickets for 45 runs in his 9 overs, alongside Rushil Ugarkar and Aarin Nadkarni, who each took 3 wickets.
When it came to their chase, Red struggled to build partnerships after a brief opening stand. Rehman Dar scored 52 off 75 balls, providing some grounding, while Shreyan Satheesh kept hopes alive with a rapid 63 off 52 balls. However, with wickets falling frequently, Red sputtered to a total of 197/9 in 37.2 overs. Southwest’s bowlers continued to exert pressure, led by Rushil Ugarkar, who took 3 wickets for 38 runs in 7 overs. Aarin Nadkarni also made a significant impact, claiming 3 wickets for just 19 runs in 3.2 overs, while Zia Shahzad captured 2 wickets.
Southwest’s thorough win stemmed from Ali Sheikh’s remarkable century and disciplined bowling, effectively defending their total and limiting Red to a below-par score, achieving a clear 67-run victory.
South secured a narrow win over Midwest by 2 wickets at Woodley Park – Severn. After winning the toss, South decided to bowl, enabling Midwest to set a target of 239/8 in their allotted 45 overs. Parth Patel was the linchpin of Midwest’s innings, scoring a solid 48 off 79 balls, while Ferhan Ali contributed a brisk 54 off 50 balls, striking at a rate of 108. Rayhan Ahmed added a late flurry with 32 off 16 balls. South’s bowlers shone with Akhil Posa and Rayhan Ahmed leading the attack, with each taking 3 wickets, though Posa maintained an economy rate of 5.22.
As they chased a target of 240, South faced an initial setback with opener Aran Chenchu falling for only 1 run. However, Aaron Jones steadied the ship with an impressive 110 runs off 108 balls, peppered with 6 fours and 4 sixes, achieving a strike rate just above 101. Sagar Patel chipped in with 40 runs off 68 balls, but the middle order saw regular wickets fall. South reached 231 with 8 wickets down, leading to a tense final stretch, but the tailenders managed to seal the win in 44.5 overs.
Ferhan Ali recorded figures of 3/60 in 7.4 overs, while Rayhan Ahmed delivered an impressive 3/31 in his 6 overs. Despite their commendable efforts, Midwest was unable to stop South’s batsmen from forming crucial partnerships and finishing strongly, particularly due to Jones’s pivotal century. South’s 2-wicket victory highlighted a closely contested match, with both teams displaying individual brilliance but South emerging victorious with just one ball to spare.
Image Source: Achilles Browne @ Instagram
