Date:24/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/24/stories/2008102457042100.htm

Sport - Cricket

Easy for Rockets

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Rockets found the right propulsion through openers Murray Goodwin and Ryan Campbell to upset fancied Royal Bengal Tigers in an Indian Cricket League (ICL) match at the Sardar Patel Stadium, here on Wednesday. Rockets won by 10 wickets as league topper Tigers suffered its first defeat from four matches.

Rockets’ second victory from five matches proved to be a smooth ride right from the moment Goodwin (61 n.o., 38b, 10x4, 1x6) and Campbell (66 n.o., 35b, 8x4, 4x6) clattered 30 runs from the first two overs while chasing 131.

The highest opening partnership of 137 runs in the brief history of ICL helped Rockets win in 12 overs with Goodwin’s six off Abhishek Jhunjhunwala triggering off victory chants in the stands.

Opting to bat, Tigers scored 131 in 20 overs after suffering a sluggish start. Deep Dasgupta drove the first ball bowled by Jason Gillespie for four but was also the first to go when he tried to steer Rakesh Patel and got castled.

At the other end, Hamish Marshall (20) failed to beat Bhima Rao’s throw and Jhunjhunwala pulled Heath Streak to a waiting Damien Martyn at short mid-wicket.

At 51 for three, skipper Craig McMillan (21) and Rohan Gavaskar (15) joined forces in a 43-run fourth-wicket partnership that was largely instrumental in Tigers reaching 131.

The scores: Royal Bengal Tigers 131 in 20 overs (Craig McMillan 21, Hamish Marshall 20, Lance Klusener 20, Bhima Rao four for 15, S. Sriram two for 23) lost to Ahmedabad Rockets 137 for no loss in 12 overs (Ryan Campbell 66 n.o., Murray Goodwin 61 n.o.).