2010 OCC Challenger Series
(5th Edition, Aug 21-22 and 28, 2010)
Lincoln CC Crowned 2010 OCCCS Champions!
Cedar Rapids Kings, 2010 OCCCS Runners-up!
The 2010 OCC Challenger Series cricket tournament started idyllically on Saturday, Aug 21 morning with all eight teams geared up for the battle. All three Omaha teams donning their colorful team attire, Kansas City’s UMKC Blues team, OCC President Bhaskar Krishna and other board members were present during the inauguration ceremony at the serene N. P. Dodge Park, Omaha. After the customary batting and bowling by the OCC founders, the first day's three matches were played in Omaha and Lincoln cricket grounds featuring the teams from Omaha, Lincoln, Kansas City and North Dakota. Later in the evening, the teams from Cedar Rapids and Kansas City joined the other six teams to enjoy the fun-filled banquet. During the banquet, this year's best awards were presented to the players for their performances and services in the Nebraska Cricket League.
The second day's five matches were more electrifying and fiercely fought between the teams to qualify for the semi-finals. When dust settled down in the evening, the battle lines were drawn between the top two teams of each pool. Unbeatable Kansas City's UMKC Blues were pitted against belligerent Cedar Rapids Kings while unassailable Lincoln CC faced the explosive North Dakota's NDSU Bisons.
The semi-finals were both nail-biting thrillers with some high-octane performances from seasoned players guiding their teams to grand finale! The stage was set and befittingly it was clash of the titans at N. P. Dodge Park for the 5th edition of OCC Challenger Series. Lincoln CC and Cedar Rapids Kings were armed to the teeth and once again rehearsed their strategies during the sumptuous lunch. When the real action began, the championship game was elevated to the greatest level of physical and mental strength. The youthful Lincoln CC spearheaded by their captain outplayed Cedar Rapids Kings in an intense, action-packed match to become the new champions! Later, the presentation ceremony was marked with best performance awards, individual medals, runners and winner trophy.
Finally, the sun slowly sunk with loads of cricket memories while the victory celebrations had just begun!
OCC Challenger Series 2010 - Top Performance Awards
| Best Batsman |
NANDUN T (Lincoln CC) |
| Best Bowlers |
GANESH (CR Kings)
GOWTHAM M (Lincoln CC) |
| Most Valuable Player |
NANDUN T (Lincoln CC) |
OCC Challenger Series 2010 – Second Weekend Report
Saturday (08/28/2010)
Semi-finals
Cedar Rapids Kings (Mohan 32, Karthik 3-16, Mitesh 3-23) beat UMKC Blues (Ganesh 2-19) by 1 run
CR Kings was put into bat and good display of swing bowling from UMKC ensured that CRK didn’t go off to a flying start. At the end of 6 overs, CR Kings were 22 for the loss of both openers. Then came the longest partnership of the innings between Mohan and Sunil as they mixed caution with aggression and took the score to 60 at the end of 11 overs without further loss of wickets. In an attempt to accelerate further, CR Kings lost wickets in a heap and were all out for 100 runs. Karthik and Mitesh took 3 wickets each for UMKC Blues. If chasing 100 runs in 20 overs looked easy, CR Kings had other plans. Wickets fell at regular intervals due to some spirited fielding and keeping by CR Kings. At the end, match was headed to a nail biting finish with 3 runs needed from 4 balls and 2 wickets in hand. UMKC Blues ran for everything and ended up losing last 2 wickets to run-outs and the match. The match was won by CRK on the back of some great fielding, work behind the stumps and disciplined bowling efforts, effecting 5 run-outs and 1 stumping in the process. CR Kings won by 1 run and CRK's Mohan was the Man of Match for 32 runs.
Lincoln CC 132 for 9 (Rampi 44, Tarun 3-19) beat NDSU Bisons 131 for 8 (Tarun 38, Vineeth 3-13) by 1 wicket
Lincoln CC held their nerves to defeat NDSU Bisons in the last over after the smiling assassin Rampi smashed 44 runs off 17 balls! Earlier, Tarun propelled NDSU Bisons to reach 131 runs along with Sashi and Manoj amidst good bowling from Vineeth and Gowtham. Tarun’s steady knock of 38 included couple 6s’ and good stroke play. Replying, Lincoln CC were floundering at 42 for 7 in 12 overs as Tarun and Vaibhav were breathing fire and had their tails up. Then entered the warhorse and the real drama unfolded! Rampi’s whirlwind innings included four 6s’ and two 4s’ and especially the three 6s’ in a row surmounted the panicked Bisons and also steered the team into finals.
Final
Lincoln CC 128 for 3 (Nandun 35*, Sudhir 25, Vineeth 22*) beat Cedar Rapids Kings 127 for 8 (Mohan 23, Gowtham 3-13) by 7 wickets
Lincoln CC trounced Cedar Rapids Kings in the championship finals and proudly lifted the 5th edition of OCC Challenger Series Cup. Put into bat, Cedar Rapids Kings batsmen were all rattled by the bazooka-boy Gowtham and some superlative fielding except for the courageous knock from Mohan. Lincoln CC’s opening pair Sudhir and Nippu replied confidently and briskly added 50 runs in just 7 overs. Later Nandun and Vineeth struck some huge blows to finish off the game with three more overs to spare. Nandun was declared Man of the Match for his entertaining innings of 35 from 29 balls.
OCC Challenger Series 2010 – First Weekend Report
The OCC Challenger Series 2010 started off with a pleasant introduction from Bhaskar of all the 3 Omaha Teams and the UMKC blues at the beautiful NP Dodge Park. Bhaskar spoke about OCC and how it has matured into a club with 10 people to now a 50+ member club. Sethu and Vish did the honors of starting the championship hunt by doing the introductory batting and bowling. The tournament started off with the first match between the UMKC Blues and Omaha Hunters.
Highlight: Srinivas Malkapuram, Jagadish Setti, Phani, Krishna and Jai Ganesh drove 12 hours from Texas to participate in this tournament. We are proud to say that we have dedicated members all over the United States.
Saturday (08/21/2010)
UMKC Blues 105 for 5 (Raghu 40*, Sachin 21) beat Omaha Hunters 104 for 7 (Pradeesh 28, Krishna 27) by 5 wickets
The Kansas visitors registered a thumping victory over Omaha Hunters in the opening match of the tournament. Batting first, the Hunters were tottering in the start but then Pradeesh’s steady innings of 28 and Krishna’s fighting 27 safely guided them to a respectable total of 104 in 20 overs. UMKC Blues’ openers Sachin and Raghu played magnificently for a partnership of 57 runs in just 7 overs. Later Ananya supported the Man of the Match Raghu, to finish off the game with two overs to spare.
Lincoln CC 128 for 6 (Nandun 35, Aikansh 32*) beat Omaha Red Devils 127 for 7 (Praveen G 63, Ruchira 2-12) by 4 wickets
Lincoln CC clinched a last-ball thriller with Aikansh and Nandun playing splendidly throughout their innings. Earlier Praveen G blasted 63 runs off 62 balls along with Bala to help Red Devils post a good total after a shaky start while Ruchira and Gowtham bowled miserly spells to restrict them to 127 of 20 overs. Praveen G was declared as Man of the Match.
NDSU Bisons 103 for 9 (Tarun 38, Devendra 3-22) beat Omaha Chargers 93 for 8 (Bhaskar 19, Sagar 4-19) by 10 runs
NDSU Bisons triumphed over Omaha Chargers in a closely fought match at NP Dodge Park in the evening. NDSU Bisons were struggling initially after losing three wickets but Tarun’s scintillating innings of 38 that included three towering 6s’ helped them reach safety not before Devendra’s three wickets in four balls created havoc! Chargers batting choked under Manoj’s tidy spell and a tremendous bowling effort from Sagar sealed their fate.
Banquet:
The first day of the tournament ended with the annual OCC banquet where mouth watering Indian cuisine was served. All the home teams as well as the visiting teams were well represented at the Banquet along with some players bringing their families. A formal introduction of all the teams was made to audience of 90-plus at the banquet. Prizes were awarded to the NCL league teams and its players in different categories, with the highlights being Nirmal Srinivasan being inducted into the OCC Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions and service to the game of cricket in the Omaha-Lincoln Metro Area. Sam was recognized with the Centurion of the Year 2010 as he was the sole player to score a century in the NCL season 2010. Later, Sandeep N was awarded the Best Batsman, Dana M the Best Bowler, Aikansh S the Best All-Rounder and Vijay Y the Cricketer of the Year.
Sunday (08/22/2010)
Omaha Hunters 113 for 9 (Surendar 35*, Sam 30, Sumeet 3-28) beat NDSU Bisons 112 for 7 (Tarun 26, Sumeet 24, Surendar 2-19) by 1 wicket
Once again this match proved to be another nail-biting, last-ball humdinger with all its twists and turns, but the Bisons were hunted down finally. And surprisingly, the greatest hunter was a rookie! Man of the Match Surendar’s blitzkrieg (35 runs off 15 balls) consisted of three monstrous sixes and great running between the wickets. His cool-headed attack and calm demeanor not only won the match but also many cricket admirers! Sam and Vikas greatly supported him to reach the target amid great bowling effort by Bisons. Earlier, NDSU Bisons scored 112 mainly due to the good performances from ever-dependable Tarun and Sumeet.
Cedar Rapids Kings 62 for 2 (Sunil 25*, Prasanna 20*) beat Omaha Red Devils 61 (Sunil 3-10) by 8 wickets
Cedar Rapids Kings routed out Omaha Red Devils in one of the most lop-sided match. Put into bat on dewy morning conditions, Red Devils were snared at regular intervals by the wily bowling of Ganesh and Sunil. Later, Prasanna and Sunil batted with ease to reach the target in 10.4 overs. Sunil was adjudged as Man of the Match for his all-round display.
Lincoln CC 139 for 4 (Nandun 62, Rampi 41) beat KCCC Premiers 116 for 5 (Aaron 32, Mohsin 30) by 23 runs
Lincoln CC continued their winning streak with an emphatic win over KCCC Premiers at Lincoln Municipal Airpark Grounds. Nandun’s swashbuckling innings of 62 and Rampi’s fortifying 41 set up an imposing total against the visitors from Kansas. The KCCC Premiers weren’t able to score freely but Aaron and Mohsin fought back valiantly and contributed 32 and 30 respectively. Eventually, Lincoln CC prevailed over KCCC Premiers and the visitors finally fell short of target by 23 runs.
KCCC Premiers 128 for 8 (Aaron 49, Ganesh 3-18) beat Cedar Rapids Kings 127 for 9 (Mohan 23, Mohsin 3-17) by 2 wickets
After their morning loss against Lincoln CC, KCCC Premiers bounced back to win the game with the help of Aaron’s lusty hitting and Mohsin’s fabulous bowling at Levi Carter Park. Cedar Rapids Kings’ top and middle order batsmen once again proved their mettle and the main contributor being Mohan with some big hits over the boundary. But Aaron’s three big 6s’ and wonderfully struck three 4s’ along with Mohsin’s two sailing 6s’ changed the total complexion of the game in spite of Ganesh’s two strikes in one over. Gurpreet's patient knock saw them home with 2 wickets to spare but couldn’t prevent Cedar Rapids Kings booking their semi-final spot because of higher net run-rate.
UMKC Blues 136 for 7 (Mitesh 35) beat Omaha Chargers 85 for 9 (Sandeep R 21, Bhargav 3-10) by 51 runs
UMKC Blues defeated Omaha Chargers by huge margin to seal their place in the semi-finals. UMKC batted flawlessly through their innings and as Mitesh led the final assault, UMKC Blues posted an indomitable total. In reply, Chargers were devastated by the accurate bowling from Bhargav (3-10) and Harsha. Later Sandeep Raju and Babu steadied the innings but were sluggish due to tight bowling and some excellent fielding. Mitesh chipped in with couple late wickets and was declared as Man of the Match for his gritty 34 runs.
PARTICIPANTS:
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POOL – A
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POOL – B
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NDSU (North Dakota State University)
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CR KINGS (Cedar Rapids)
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OMAHA CHARGERS
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KCCC PREMIERS (Kansas City)
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OMAHA HUNTERS
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LINCOLN CC (Lincoln/UNL)
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UMKC BLUES (Kansas City)
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OMAHA RED DEVILS
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SEMI-FINALISTS:
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POOL – A
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POOL – B
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1) UMKC BLUES (Kansas City)
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1) LINCOLN CC (Lincoln/UNL)
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2) NDSU (North Dakota State University)
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2) CR KINGS (Cedar Rapids)
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OMAHA HUNTERS
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KCCC PREMIERS (Kansas City)
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OMAHA CHARGERS
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OMAHA RED DEVILS
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SATURDAY 08/28/2010 (SEMI FINALS AND CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SCHEDULE)
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TIME
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N P DODGE PARK
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LEVI CARTER
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7:45 - 8:30
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Breakfast
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Breakfast
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8:30 - 10:30
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CR KINGS vs UMKC BLUES
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LCC VS NDSU
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10:30 - 10:45
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INNINGS BREAK
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10:45 - 12:45
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UMKC BLUES vs CR KINGS
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NDSU VS LCC
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12:45 to 1:45
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LUNCH BREAK
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TIME
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N P DODGE PARK
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2:00 - 4:00
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Lincoln CC Vs Cedar Rapids Kings
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4:00 - 4:15
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INNINGS BREAK
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4:15 - 6:15
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Cedar Rapids Kings Vs Lincoln CC
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Tournament Organizer:
Bhaskar Krishna
(402) 415-9033
bhavijus@yahoo.com
Tournament Committee:
Srinivas Malkapuram
(402) 968-4795
srinivas21@yahoo.com
Senthil Ramaiyan
(920) 917-8389
senthilkumaranr@yahoo.com
Balachandar Marimuthu
(402) 541-7495
maribala@gmail.com
Quintus Swampillai
(402) 650-6046
qswampillai@gmail.com
Srinath Komakula
(515) 618-8857
Media Representative:
Senthil Ramaiyan
LCC Representatives:
Sudhir Ponnappan
(402) 202-3863
sudhir449@yahoo.com
Ram Prasad Cheruku
(402) 304-4165
ramki_li@yahoo.com
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OCC Challenger Series 2010
Invitation to Guests
Dear Guest:
The Omaha Cricket Club (OCC) is thrilled to announce the commencement of the OCC Challenger Series 2010. The tournament will be held over two weekends (August 21st–22nd, and 28th, 2010. The preliminary games will be held in Omaha and Lincoln, NE, and the finals in Omaha.
We cordially invite you and your family and friends to watch the games at the N P Dodge Park and Levi Carter Park ( Opp. Airport) in Omaha and at Lincoln Municipal Airpark cricket grounds over the weekends of August 21st-22nd, and August 28th, 2010.
In 1991, the Omaha Cricket Club was formed by a group of passionate people such as Paresh Chotubhai, Sethupathi Thangamuthu, Srinivas Chilukuri, Floyd Campbell, Vish Viswanadhan and many others. The intention was to grow, develop and play the game that we all love, cricket, in the state of Nebraska and beyond. The Lincoln Cricket Club (LCC) was formed in 2001 and ever since then the two clubs have been partners, both on and off the field.
The club has grown immensely in the past 20 years, thanks mainly to the efforts of people such as Bhaskar Krishna, Dr. Ravi Kalaga, Srinivas Malkapuram, Sudhir Ponnappan, Ram Prasad Cheruku, Nirmal Srinivasan and all the members of OCC and LCC. Over the years we have matured into a larger organization and our ultimate aim is to help promote the game of cricket not only in Omaha and the Midwest region but also throughout the country.
One of the important highlights of the past years tournaments were the Saturday night Banquet which had lots of mouth watering Indian food and fun, focusing on the development of cricket in the United States. Each team spoke about their vision of cricket in the future generations. To continue the spirit that was kindled in the past years we are organizing the Banquet this year on Saturday, August 21st, 2010. We would also like to invite you and your family and friends to participate in this fabulous fun-filled Banquet night on August 21st at 7:00pm. Non-Participant’s fee would be $5.00/person for the banquet.
Venue: Kiewit Middle School
15650 Howard St Omaha NE 68118
On behalf of our visiting teams from neighboring states, and members representing American, Indian, Sri Lankan, English, Australian, South African, and Caribbean communities, we are extending this invitation to you and shall be greatly honored to have you and your family at our celebrations.
Sincerely,
Bhaskar Krishna
President, Omaha Cricket Club
Omahacricket.org/Nebraskacricket.org
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