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Premier League Weekend Post-Mortem: TCE catches up with the Madras Kop

Posted: September 1, 2014 by The CouchExpert in Podcast, Uncategorized
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After Liverpool’s comprehensive 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Sunday, TCE team catches up with The Chennai Kop – Liverpool FC’s Chennai Supporters Club to get a feel on their perceptions after this very important victory. TCE also picks their brains on the Champions League draw.

Liverpool’s high pressing and quick tempo proved to be the difference between the two sides at the end of the day, a game during which controversial striker Mario Balotelli made his debut for the Red Merseyside club. After missing two glorious chances in the first half, Balotelli, yet, managed to impress through his determination and work-rate, one that City fans would’ve hardly witnessed during his previous spell in the Premier League. Brilliant individual performances from Sterling, Henderson, Sturridge and Lovren ensured that the result went Liverpool’s way.

This comes in as a much needed victory for last season’s title challengers after the weekend saw Arsenal draw 1-1 at Leicester, and rivals Manchester City lose 1-0 to Stoke City at home.

TCE will continue to cover the Premier League, Champions League, and the soon commencing Indian Super League through audio and video podcasts. Watch out for this space!

 

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Akila Dananjaya can be the next Murali – Ranjan Paranawitana

Posted: June 20, 2014 by The CouchExpert in Uncategorized
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Senior Journalist, Media Manager and Premier Division coach Ranjan Paranawitana picks Akila Dananjaya as an exciting talent among other things in this freewheeling chat with The CouchExpert.

Sightscreens, Advertisement And Electronic Scoreboards

Posted: June 20, 2014 by The CouchExpert in Uncategorized
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TheCouchExpert caught up with structural engineer Anbarasu in Galle, Sri Lanka, to learn as to how electronic sightscreens and scoreboards worked

TCE T20 Championship-II Finals#2: ING hold off Terrific XI in a close finish

Posted: December 20, 2013 by The CouchExpert in Club Cricket, Cricket, TCE T20 Championship
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Finals#2: ING (A2) versus Terrific XI (B2)

15th December 2013 (7:30 am  – 10:30am)

Terrific XI won the toss and elected to field

Two teams with similar fortunes in the league games now crossed swords in the 2nd Finals of the tournament. Terrific XI managed to put their best players on the park, and ING were missing its best batsman (also named Batsman of the Tournament) Somu from their playing XI.

A foggy morning meant that the teams had to wait a good half hour for the sun to come out to knife through the fog for the light to be permissible for play to begin. Nishith won the toss and inserted ING in to bat.

It would be a contrasting start for the Terrific XI opening bowlers Nishith and Shakthi. Nishith had trouble controlling his lines against the left-right opening pairing of Raha and Taha and conceded extras through wides. Shakthi on the other hand tucked the batsmen of any room and keeping things tight.

The tussle between bat and ball remained honest as batsmen didn’t have much difficulty milking the bowling for run a ball, but the bowling was tight enough for batsmen finding it difficult to really get after the bowling.

Every time the batting team looked to up the ante, they skied the ball and wickets tumbled. Raha was the first to go in the fifth over trying to get after Nishith. Vinod followed up the spell of Shakthi with good measure keeping the scoring to a minimum in his first spell. His around-the-wicket angle seemed to be difficult for the batsmen to score against.

ING

Victorious ING team with the winners’ trophy. © The CouchExpert

Shivaraj reaped the rewards at the other end as he knocked over the well set Taha in the 9th over to keep the scoring in check at roughly run a ball. Abhish bowled his leg spinners well with the odd full toss to further keep the batsmen in check.

ING further lost their way trying to get after the spinners as Ameya and Raghavendra lost their wickets. It took a settled partnership between Madhu and Paddy to get the innings back on track for ING.

Things would have take an uglier turn for ING had Madhu’s catch been taken at point pretty early in the innings. What was a struggle to go at run a ball for the best part of 17 overs turned around drastically in the 18th over with two back-to-back no balls. Madhu helped himself to a four and a six off those to launch a spectacular assault in the final 3 overs.

Paddy ran hard to put Madhu on strike as often as he could and Madhu pushed the score at a rapid pace eventually pushing it past 150 while making a vital 50. The final few overs ensured that Terrific XI will have to go over 7.5 and over to win the contest.

Terrific XI started off well with Pankaj and Shivaraj feasting on full deliveries by Paddy for boundaries. Raha followed it up with inconsistent lengths as well as Terrific XI got off to a brisk start. However, Paddy struck twice in his next two overs to send the openers back.

Terrific XI with the runners' trophy. © The CouchExpert

Terrific XI with the runners’ trophy. © The CouchExpert

Tarun though played his strokes to stay abreast with the runrate. He started with a lofted boundary over mid on to signal his intentions. His driving on the off-side was good as well to compound the problems for the ING bowlers.

Suresh gave Tarun good company as the pair went after the ING bowlers in an entertaining partnership punishing loose deliveries on offer – high full tosses, half-volleys on leg stump.

Tarun and Suresh put on 43 runs in a little over 5 overs to push the score to 75 just around the 10th over, when a loose drive outside off stump by Tarun was snapped up by the keeper. The tables turned a bit after that even though Suresh pushed the score above hundred at the turn of the 15th over.

A stunning running catch on the boundary by Sheshagiri when the ball looked set to sail over the boundary turned the game on its head as it got rid of the set batsman Suresh. ING tightened the grip on the game with straight bowling and well set fields to cut any boundaries to bring up a 20 run victory in the end.

For his match changing 50, Madhusudhan was declared the Player of the Match.

Brief scores: ING 151/4 in 20 overs (Madhu 51 n.o. (29 b, 4X4, 2X6), Paddy 25 n.o. (33 b, 1X4), Shivaraj 2/26) beat Terrific XI 131/9 in 20 overs (Suresh 29 (31 b, 5X4), Ameya 3/23) by 20 wickets.

Full scorecard with wagonwheel, pitch-map is available  here.

Performer of the Match: Madhu – MVP points 27.06

Post-match presentation:

CECC Pune Debuts With a One Wicket Win Over Infosys IMS

Posted: September 21, 2013 by The CouchExpert in CECC, Club Cricket, Cricket
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The CouchExpert Staff

21st September, 2013

Match: CECC vs Infosys IMS

Venue: National Chemical Laboratories Ground, Pune

Toss: Infosys IMS won the toss and elected to bat.

With the monsoon rains just about abating post Ganesh Visarjan, the cricket season is all set to take off in this part of the world. School kids seemed determined as they were put through the paces by their coach at the National Chemical Laboratories Ground in the early hours of the day. The two teams that were to play the game today CECC Pune and Infosys IMS went about with their own preparation running around the outfield where grass was knee-deep across most of the ground.

It was decided ahead of the game that should the ball get wedged across the thickest portions of the out field, 2 runs would be declared! And with the 30-yards circle wiped out by rain, it was decided that there would be no field restrictions at all. The coin was flipped and it came down in the favour of Infosys IMS who decided to bad.

Mohit and Santhosh opened under overcast conditions. Goutham sent back Mohit in the first over as he tried to clear mid-on and holed out to Suhas who took a one-handed catch.  Sachin started with a few extras at the other end, but settled down after a slightly erratic first over.

Standing (L to R): Suhas, Rohit, Goutham,Sachin, Gokul (VC), Deepak, Kangan, Rahul Squatting (L to R): Pradeep, Yugank (C/WK), Gaurav

Standing (L to R): Suhas, Rohit, Goutham,Sachin, Gokul (VC), Deepak, Kangkan, Rahul
Squatting (L to R): Pradeep, Yugank (C/WK), Gaurav

CECC Pune bowlers soon started to weave a web around the IMS batsmen as they played and missed and found run making tough.  With the outfield being heavy, it meant boundary scoring was always going to be difficult and would be gold dust through the day. Goutham and Sachin produced a good spell in tandem as they soon reduced to 23 for 4 at the end of 7 overs.

Only Tango seemed comfortable as he stuck it out for Infosys IMS. His partners though seemed to be in a hurry in getting off the ground as Gaurav, replacing Sachin, struck in his first over as he had Siddharth hit down mid-off’s throat. Suhas, replacing Goutham generated good pace and lift from a dead track to have the batsmen hopping about.

Gaurav proved an able foil to Suhas as Suhas sliced through the middle order in a good  3-over burst. Gaurav generated equal pace and lift as the pair put on a good show of constant pace having the batsmen in constant distress. Only a flurry of boundaries by Viren right at the fag end for a 20-run 10th wicket partnership pushed the score to 97.

Gokul in action during a crucial 6th wicket partnership with Sachin. © The CouchExpert

Gokul in action during a crucial 6th wicket partnership with Sachin. © The CouchExpert

Chasing 98 for a win, CECC Pune lost Goutham in the 3rd over for 6. Rahul at the other end seemed to be in an aggressive mood as he managed to hit a boundary and constantly looked to go over the top. With him, Deepak and captain Yugank falling in quick succession, CECC Pune were reduced to 22 for 4 and had left a buoyed Infosys IMS more than a half chance to claw their way back in.

CECC Pune had to address the slide that was a mini collapse and needed to stitch a partnership of sorts to steady the chase. Bowling heroes Sachin and Suhas dug their heels in a hardworking partnership that involved some luck. Suhas though was out in a bizarre fashion 20 minutes into the partnership as he swung and missed at a delivery. Having missed the ball, he then instinctively replayed the drive as he swung his bat to practice his shot and dragged his back foot outside the crease and an alert ‘keeper Ujjwal stumped him.

Gokul walked in and with Sachin by now fully at ease they backed up the good work done by the previous partnership as they eased into the bowling with regular singles and the odd two. The pressure that the bowlers had managed to build up till that point now was disappearing as the strike rotated with constant regularity.

Slowly, the odd boundary also started to feature in the routine of singles and twos as runs were now being chipped away in chunks. With 20 needed for the win, drinks were called and on resumption both set batsmen, Sachin and Gokul departed as the game took another turn.

CECC Pune made a heavy weather of the last 10 runs as they lost 4 wickets. With the last pair at the crease, still 3 were needed for the win. And when Pradeep tucked behind square for a 2 to tie the score, the non-striker was pulled up for a short run at the keeper’s end to further heighten the tension.

Gaurav though, made up for his mistake by evening the scores off the very first ball of the next over with a single to fine leg. Pradeep finished the game off with a flick to the mid wicket boundary.

For a great show with the bat, ball and more so in the field with his 4 catches, Sachin was the performer of the match.

Brief Scores: Infosys IMS 98 all out in 17.5 overs (Viren 28, Goutham 3/13, Suhas 3/16) lost to CECC Pune 101/9 in 22.3 overs (Sachin 21(25b, 1X4), Gokul 19 (23b, 1X4))

Match Result: CECC beat Infosys IMS by 1 wicket.

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