Battle Royale

When the initial team announcements for the ISA Cup '08 were made, the tournament trajectory that most anticipated seemed obvious. With the reigning champions Red Bulls, also packing most of the winners from the Fun Cricket '08, the runners up had a lot to prove in their round one match. On July 12th, the two teams met to display some scintillating cricket.

The Assassins brought to the table a versatile bowling lineup with above average fielding and of course the need to redeem the ghosts from their past. The Red Bulls on the other hand, can be described best as the old guard having many veterans from prior tournaments. Talented batsmen backed by good fielders and an average bowling lineup summed up the hype built before the match.

The unfolding of a surprise ending through many twists and turns put the finals on notice for becoming a must-watch event. The 26th of July though turned inconclusive with the rain and dark tormenting players. To reach some conclusion, a 10 over sprint to the finish was decided for the succeeding day.

The games started with the Bulls winning the toss and electing to bat. From the get-go the batsmen seemed to need more time than was provided to settle in. A mediocre run-rate followed by an early wicket culminated in Vinay's entry. The pair then went on to face a few balls well though an untimely run-out led to Praveen's wicket. With the exception of Rana, what followed later seemed to be a repeat of this initial sequence as the fall of batsmen could not be halted.

Successfully capitalizing on the weakness displayed, the Assassins brought down the required runs to a manageable 75. As the subsequent innings began, a few missed catches by the Bulls on some crucial wickets early in the game should have given them a hint of their fate. On the other hand, the risks during the first couple of overs paid rich dividends for the Assassins as they amassed 22 runs. This pace didn't letup until about the 5th over by which time they had a comfortable tally scored.

Though a better bowling performance was showcased during the last few overs, the Bulls seemed ready to sing the blues as the pivotal wicket for the Assassins remained elusive. Needing three runs off three balls, a four down leg side nailed the match for the Assassins. In ambivalence, the dejected Bulls watched as a sea of black erupted in jubilation.