|
INTER-LEAGUE CRICKET: HOUSTON C.L. vs NORTH TEXAS C.L.
Houston overcomes Dallas in final inning to capture regional crown
Almost non-stop chatter, often filled with cursing and loaded with taunts, surrounded Houston batters Niraj Shah and Rafey Kazi at Memorial Park.
Eleven Dallas defenders knew the only way they could pull off the Central-West regional cricket championship was to cause Houston's Nos. 3 and 4 hitters to lose their temper.
Shah and Kazi simply concentrated on the pitches that zipped in on one hop, reeled off 73 runs without an out, and defeated two-time Central-West champion Dallas 120-119.
The Houston duo still had 25 overs, or 150 pitches, left in the second and final inning when they clinched the win.
Because we only had to get 120 runs, they just had to play smart, Houston coach Mike Greathead said. We absolutely played to our potential and frankly thrashed Dallas.
In the first inning, Dallas put up 119 runs led by Goutham Morab's 35 and Nadeem Harron's 24.
But Dallas knew that would hardly be enough.
Our goal was to get 200 runs, Dallas coach Paresh Chhotu said. (119) is never enough. If we'd put up 200, they'd have had more pressure on them and they'd have been going hard after that mark.
Instead, Shah, who put up 48 runs and Kazi, who had 29, were selective with every pitch, piling up one- and twopoint hits as the Dallas frustration mounted and the trashtalking, which Shah and Kazi said is often just part of the game, commenced.
Houston had 48 points after its first two hitters when Shah and Kazi stepped in front of the wickets to take their hacks.
They cuss at you and say things that I won't say to get you going, Shah said. To have someone like Rafey with so much experience with me kept me relaxed.
Shah was certainly comforted by his partner's six-run shot that made the score 119-64 and sailed over the distant, circular boundary that encompassed the field.
Kazi received a pitch and cracked it to the midwicket area which, in baseball, would be left field.
It was a fluke, Kazi joked. It feels great. Especially when it hits the sweet spot.
|
Central West
Cricket Board - Regional Tournament
