The Hsinchu Titans won their debut match, downing the Taiwan Stars with a run scrambled from the match’s final delivery at the Alijaa Cricket Tournament in Chiyai City yesterday.
The scores were tied at 142 with the Titan’s last pair at the crease when Sham Chabukswa bunted the ball to mid-on and sprinted through, narrowly beating the throw and a run out.
“It was our first time to play with a leather ball. We formed the team two weeks ago for this tournament and borrowed the kit,” Chabukswa said. “We hope to get a sponsor, as well as our own uniforms and equipment.”
Titans all-rounder Yogi Yadav said the team of engineers from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was eager to perform over the weekend.
Their chase was powered by opener Tathagata Bhowmick’s 22 and 35 from Chabukswa, who hit a straight six to inject life into what had seemed a faltering chase.
Stars bowler Tanveer Shoaib returned figures of four for 26, but 35 extras undid much of his good work.
Earlier, Kashif Mansour scored 51 to establish a defendable total over the 18-over innings, but his decision to retire with about four overs remaining backfired as the rest of the batting order collapsed to be all out with two deliveries unused — deliveries that could well have secured an unassailable total.
Chabukswa was also his side’s best bowler with figures of three for 27.
In other matches, the Taiwan Daredevils (109 all out) downed Formosa (105 all out) in another close finish.
Formosa failed to score the eight runs required in the final over.
Shiv Bhatt top-scored for Formosa with 42.
Taipei Cricket Association (TCA) beat the Daredevils fairly easily to set up a virtual decider between Formosa and TCA today, with the winner guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals.
The Titans could not back up their debut win, losing heavily to Taipei’s Pakistan Cricket Club (PCCT) and having to pin their semi-final hopes on PCCT beating the Stars today.
The six-team tournament at the Xinmin Road softball grounds in Chiayi City features two pools of three, with the top two teams from each pool to play in the semi-finals and a final today.
Details of the scores can be found on the CricHQ.com Web site by searching for “Alijaa.”
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