Sai Grace Cricket Academy 221/10 in 45.2 overs (Abhishek 50, Shubhal 40, Rahul 3/38) lost to Rao Cricket Academy 227/3 in 30.5 overs (Kunalveer 61, Rahul 53, Sahil 1/26) by 7 wickets
Rao cricket academy gunned down the target of 221 for fun on their way to claim the Uttarakhand Diamond Cricket Cup U-19 trophy. The game was pretty much the replica of the game played in the league stage of the tournament between the two finalists, in fact the RCA bettered the margins this time to make it a one sided final.
The Uttarakhand Diamond Cricket Cup U-19 is a prestigious tournament and is famous all across the hilly state and even among the players of states in the vicinity of Uttarakhand. The tournament hosts some of the top cricket academies of the state which Includes Tanush and Doon cricket academy. 16 such teams from all across the state participated in the tournament. Split across 4 groups, they played three games each in the group stage before top two in each group made it to the quarterfinals.
After two long months, some breathtaking games and exciting on field action we had two top teams to battle it out for the last time in the season. Both the teams, the SGCA and RCA were placed in the group A and they made it to the finals. It was a game of revenge for the SGCA and hence the excitement leading into the finals was amazing.
An early start to the game was not a concern for the SGCA as they elected to bat first after winning the toss as they expected the wicket to break apart in the noon. After losing Navendra early, a breezy partnership between Akhilesh (35) and Shubhal (40) got them on the road for a big first inning total but once the two departed, the inning stalled. The SGCA lost five wickets for just 52 runs between eighteenth and the thirty second over. Some resilient batting from Akhilesh and Sahil saw them cross the 200 mark.
Looking at the fact that none of the SGCA bowlers featured in the top five or even top ten, you would think that they were not a team who could defend but in that’s not the reality. Throughout the tournament they defended two scores lower than what they got here in the finals and even knocked down the Doon cricket academy for 62 in the league phase. Also they advanced to the finals by defending 166 against Mahi Cricket Academy in the semifinals. We can say that the SGCA knew how to bring out the heroes when in need of one.
The second inning began with Rohit and Gaurav negotiating the initial overs before starting the assault. The opening partnership added 72 in just ten overs. A couple of quick wickets bought SGCA back in the game but the relief was shortlived. Kulanveer and Abhishek took the charge and the pair stitched down 85 off just 59 balls. Kulanveer departed after a magnificent 61 off 44 balls with the help of 9 fours and 2 sixes in the twenty third over. Skipper Rahul joined the party with a quickfire 53 off just 38 balls and he sailed the team over the line without much trouble. The revenge talks calmed down as he walloped twenty runs off just four balls in the thirty first over to finish the game.
