Date:08/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/08/stories/2007070859821800.htm

Sport - Cricket

TNCA first division league from today

CHENNAI: The 2007-08 season of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) first division league will begin here on Sunday.

Twelve teams will contest the tournament, which comprises three-day matches, for the Raja of Palayampati Shield. Defending champion, Vijay CC, takes on IOB Staff Club in a first round encounter at the SRMC turf.

Sadhashiv Iyer (from Grand Slam), left-handed batsmen Abhinav Mukund (from Indian Bank), K. Shree Vasudeva Das (from Globe Trotters) and leg-spinner Shravan Krishnan (from Mambalam Mosquitos) are the notable transfers to Vijay CC.

Jolly Rovers, runner-up last season, has drafted off-spinner R. Ashwin and new-ball bowler A. Avinash (both from Alwarpet). Moving to Alwarpet is Globe Trotters’s S. Vidyut.

Trotters, which opens its season against Rovers at IIT-Chemplast, will gain from the experience of Y. Venugopala Rao (from IOB) and the potential of M. Praveen Srivatsan (from Alwarpet).

India Pistons has recruited left-arm spinner C. Suresh (from TI Cycles) and wicketkeeper Vikram Mani (from Parry’s).

Remarkable transfer

Among the most remarkable transfer is schoolboy-cricketer K. Bharat Shankar, who moves from the fourth division to Indian Bank — part of a grooming process Bank has put in place.

Off-spinner M.O. Arjun Sarathy joins Indian Bank as well.

Sarathy’s former Mambalam Mosquitos teammate S. Anirudha shifts to Aruna. Former Tamil Nadu under-19 captain K. Martin Sanjeev moves to Grand Slam.

The SSI-sponsored Young Stars CC, promoted as second division champion, has a young side; captain K. Srinivasan and the formidable Sadagopan Ramesh will provide direction.

Eagle CC, the other second-division side promoted, will field a squad of promising college and school cricketers. Left-arm spinner R. Raghuram will lead Eagle; hard-hitting batsman T. Karunamurthy is its other cricketer with first class experience.