Date:16/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/16/stories/2008101659932300.htm

Sport - Cricket

Harris leads Hyderabad Heroes to a thrilling win

A. Joseph Antony

— PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

Alok Kapali.

HYDERABAD: Led from the front by Chris Harris (37, 5x4, 1x6), Hyderabad Heroes clinched a cliff-hanger against Dhaka Warriors here on Wednesday night.

With nine runs required off the last over, the home side’s skipper unleashed a six that scaled the arena’s roof. A flowing cover drive from his blade landed the spoils with two balls to spare. Earlier, Alok Kapali lit up the Lal Bahadur Stadium with the first ever century in the ICL.

Chasing 169 for victory, the Heroes lost batsmen at regular intervals. Abdul Razzaq sized up the Dhaka bowling on a firm and batsman-friendly strip, slamming two sixes and as many boundaries. When his mid-stump was uprooted by an angled Farhad Reza delivery, the Hyderabad innings was again in disarray.

The onus of the strike then fell on Stuart Binny, who picked up the gauntlet and cut loose. With Nicky Boje for company, the twosome seemed right on track, till Binny was run out when returning for a second run.

The left-handed duo of Boje and Chris Harris then held fort, the former surviving an lbw verdict after a referral ruled him not out.

The elusive second run did Boje in too. Nerves began to show on the fieldsmen, Farhad Reza fumbling with a straight catch from Harris and conceding a boundary to boot.

Shaky start

The Warriors made a wobbly start, losing wickets off the first and last deliveries in the opening over by Razzaq. Half-way through the contest, the Dhaka squad was reeling at 68 for five. With his bat raised like a tyrannical schoolmaster’s cane when taking strike, Kapali then put the Hyderabad attack to the sword.

With scant regard for spin or speed, the Sylhet native smashed five sixes and 11 boundaries in his rollicking 59-ball revelry. Kapali simply waded into the attack, clumping the bowling as though it was a charity match.

Since he was severe on the spinners, Syed Sahabuddin was introduced from the far end, but the burly speedster was carted to and over the mid-wicket hoardings.

To make matters worse, Sahabuddin spilt a skier off Stuart Binny when Kapali was on 71.

The scores: Dhaka Warriors 168 for nine (Alok Kapali 100; Nicky Boje three for 20, Abdul Razzaq three for 28) lost to Hyderabad Heroes 171 for six (Chris Harris 37 not out, Nicky Boje 31, Stuart Binny 30).