|
 Globe Trotters on a roll |
Chennai
Cricket |
With six of the 11 matches in
the First Division of the Chennai cricket league completed on August 3, MRF-sponsored
Globe Trotters have taken a huge lead over the other teams in the points
table, winning three of their matches outright and gaining the first innings
lead in the other games. The team management seems to have done its home work
to perfection, judging by the spirited manner in which the younger players in
the side have risen to the occasion to fill gaps left by star players away
playing representative cricket.
Apart from S Sriram, the
prolific left hand batsman, who has missed almost the entire league so far,
playing for India-A, young Dinesh Karthik, the wicket keeper batsman who
started the season with two electrifying hundreds, is also touring Zimbabwe
along with Sriram.
Those were not the only
problems confronting Globe Trotters. All rounder Aashish Kapoor and skipper
Tirunavukkarasu Kumaran were both banned for the first two matches, over an
incident of inappropriate behaviour in a league game last season. The reason
why the league leaders have made light of the absence of so many stalwarts is
the superb handpicking of talent and excellent man management by the team
management, consisting mainly of T A Sekar and M Senthilnathan.
Aashish Kapoor and Vidyut
Sivaramakrishnan, with two hundreds each and a string of five-wicket hauls
have been in great form, while another lefthander, C Hemant Kumar, has struck
gold with the bat, with three hundreds already under his belt. All rounder
Rajat Bhatia, talented left hand bat Shreevasudeva Das and young off spinner
Gurukedarnath have also been very impressive. Long partnerships, starting from
the first wicket, and going down the order, have been the norm.
Naturally, in a team that has
done so well, the team spirit has been outstanding, thanks in large measure to
the benign but firm influence of coach Senthil, and the other support staff at
the MRF Pace Foundation, including assistant coach C S Umapathi and physical
trainer Ramji. The top class practice and training facilities the players
enjoy at the Madras Christian College School campus have been a huge positive
factor, too.
With Jolly Rovers, four-time
champion in the last four seasons, and Vijay CC suffering some setbacks, and
Mambalam Mosquitos and IOB, the only other teams offering any contest, Globe
Trotters seem headed for triumph in the senior division of the league, unless
the glorious uncertainties of cricket come to the fore in the second half of
the season.
V Ramnarayan
wordcraft@vsnl.com
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