A bevy of spinners turned the tide in Accenture’s favour in the demanding Corporate Cricket League, which started during the Cricket World Cup in February 2015 and finished almost a year later.
Lining up tweakers of all varieties — a leggie, two offies, a left-armer and a mystery bowler — Accenture spun a web around its opponents. Playing on turf wickets only enhanced the spinners’ value. Syed Haseeb, in particular, had a dream run in the league. Be it while walking in at No. 3, or bowling during crucial periods, he was the game-changer.
Describing Haseeb’s contribution and craft, vice-captain N.K. Srinivasan said: “Whenever we needed wickets, we threw the ball to him. He bowled a tidy line and slipped in the ‘other one’ which most of the batsmen found difficult to read.” Opening the bowling with left-arm spinner Anurag Khandelwal proved a masterstroke as he tied up the batsmen in the PowerPlay overs.
Accenture’s biggest challenge came in the semifinal against IBM, the latter cruising at one stage before falling short by 14 runs. The final, versus HCL, was a breeze once Accenture rattled up 211 in 30 overs, including 28 (6 4 2 4b 6 6) off the last over, with Srinivasan contributing all 24 runs with the bat in that blitz. The tournament attracted 25 corporate sides.
They were divided into five zones with the toppers, along with the best second-placed finishers, making it to the quarterfinals. K. Rajesh of Vivant Sporting Solutions, the organisers of the event, said: “The IPL, which began in 2008, provided the spark for us. We started the league in 2009 and the participation numbers are growing each year.”
The tournament was a T20 affair in 2014 while this edition witnessed 30-over contests. However, one thing remained the same: the winner (Accenture)! The scores (final): Accenture 211 for seven in 30 overs (Syed Haseeb 38, Kalaiarasan 37, Ronald Rexon 42, Sandeep Srinivasan three for 43) bt HCL Technologies 129 in 21 overs (Karthik Narayanan 69, Anurag four for 24).
Special awards: Best batsman: Karthik Narayanan (HCL); Best bowler: Triambak (HCL); Man-of-the-final: Ronald Rexon (Accenture); Man-of-the-tournament: Syed Haseeb (Accenture).
