North Stun South in massive upset !

Saturday July 25th saw the second game in the annual N v S series and it was clear from the outset that the North camp were in determined mood to avenge last years defeat by the South.

On arrival at the Thames Valley University ground, both teams were relieved that the bad weather of recent days had abated and a lovely summer's day was developing. However, after an early morning pitch inspection, Umpire Vish Patel in conjunction with Captains Jignesh Patel , Herbie Jassi and Kal Singh decided that the match should be delayed by approx 15 minutes.

The delay allowed the teams to take in some extra net practice, although certain members of the south opted out and decided the only shots they wanted to make were of the Bacardi or whisky variety......

At just after 11.45 am in now glorious sunshine, the skippers strode on to the pitch with Umpire Patel and the North were delighted to hear that Kal had won the toss and understandably, given the dampness in the wicket, asked the opposition to bat first.

South Team

A huddle from each team followed and shortly afterwards, the North were led out by joint skippers Herbie and Kal and looked very much up for the task. Deepak Kashyap took the new ball as openers Bill Sidhu and Avtar Banse, who had both done a fine job last year, walked out to the applause of their team mates on the boundary edge.

The innings started in extraordinary fashion, with Bill Sidhu, almost Virender Sehwag like, smashing three superb boundaries in only the first 4 balls..the North captains quickly decided that Deepak needed some reassurance and the pep talk did the trick immediately, with the bowler gaining sweet revenge by clean bowling the South's wicketkeeper. Deepak and the North team were ecstatic and the South were 12-1 after the first over.

In a surprise move, Kushal Babla walked in at No 3 instead of the expected Min Duhra to join Taari. After the conclusion of Deepak's over, Amar Marwa opened up at the Perrivale Road end and whilst the " Edgbaston express " may have lost a yard or two over the past year , he settled into a nice rhythm bowling a nagging line and length which left both batsman with little opportunity to break free.

The shackles were well and truly on, and despite Kushal hitting a lovely, but isolated boundary, it was clear that the pressure that the North were building was taking effect. The build up of pressure made off when Taari and Kushal attempted a suicidal run and the North gleefully had the bails off in a flash leaving Kush out for 9.

Having dropped down to 4, Min strode to the crease with a confidence of someone who had retired not out last year, and together with Taari, they set about building a firm foundation to the South's innings. Where Taari was solid but circumspect, Min was attacking and aggression personified, hitting several early boundaries. There was one major scare though when Min attempted to smack a wide delivery by Gurj Johal and even though the shot was hit with venom, it wasn't timed perfectly thus presenting Amar with a difficult opportunity. Amar made a great effort to grasp the ball but the power of the shot was too much and it popped out. Worse was to follow for the fielder as blood poured out from a wound that had opened up as a result of the ball hitting the webbing of his right hand.....the damage was so severe that Amar was quickly taken to the local hospital for treatment. The injury was to rule him out for any further action in the game.

Despite the scare for Min, the South' s innings was now in full flow and The North realised they had to break this partnership and soon and they got just what they wanted when following another mix up between the batsman, Taari was run out for 11.

Min, now joined by Arsh , continued to keep the scoreboard ticking but wickets were now falling in regular intervals, with Arsh being well caught by Herbie off young Josh Nunwa, who was in the middle of a terrific spell of pace bowling .

South skipper J came out in determined mood, and looked very solid early on with some Dravid-esque forward defensives and together with Min, they attempted to put on a much needed partnership , however the now super confident Josh broke through for the North again bowling the East Londonder with a marvellous delivery.

Despite the high level of extra's being bowled, the North were on a crest of a wave , smelling wickets in the air, and sure enough they continued to tumble, with Vikram Gulati, also cleaned up superbly by the boy who now resides in Barbados. The wickets were helping the North as their over rate was appalling at this stage !

While all this was going on, Min at the other end had reached the 30 mark with relative ease and got a deserved ovation by his team mates when walking off.

This however only inspired the North to greater things, with Raj Popat caught easily by Surjiv Singh in the covers and Haps Nirwal, clearly hampered by a foot injury, superbly run out by a combination of Harminder Sagoo and Serg again, who aligned with some hostile left arm bowling was on fire for the North .

The underdogs were now going for the kill.sensing that they could finish off the South's innings well before the maximum allocation of 35 overs, with the score now 145-8 in the 25th..only Sunny Singh was looking in some degree of comfort at the crease as the wickets tumbling all around him but even he succumbed, again to Josh, with Davinder Singh making the catch look easy at Gully !

The end was nigh..Sandeep Bajaria was quickly bowled by joint Skipper Herbie and when Min returned to join Rikz, it wasn't a case of how many the South would get but whether they could bat out their full 35 over quota.

Min had clearly decided that attack was the only way and came down the wicket to Herbie only to spoon the ball into the air and the Yorkshireman took the catch nonchantlly.

The South had been bowled out for 159 in just the 28th over - it was a wonderful team effort by the North with almost every member chipping in one way or another. They walked off the field knowing that that had given themselves a great opportunity to win the match. Josh had taken the honours as leading wicket taker and Min had top scored with 33 for a South team who had committed the cardinal sin of limited over cricket ; not batting the full overs.

Lunch followed to the relief of most of the players who had been out there for a full 3 hours or so. Good old "Rita " had done a great job again, judging by the silence as the players munched through their food.

North Team

Just prior to the North innings, both teams reassembled their respective huddles, looking for one last effort in order to achieve that much wanted victory.

Captain Kal and Wicket Keeper Mick Nunwa, who had quietly done a good job behind the stumps, were the openers for the North and it was clear the game plan was to see off the new ball and not to lose early wickets. Runs didn't flow but the two wily old campaigners knew that if the North batted out their 35 overs, victory would surely be theirs what with the target only being a modest 4.57 runs per over. There was also drama early on as Kal survived a run out appeal which looked very close indeed...umpires Bob Singh and Vish Patel deciding to give the benefit of the doubt to the North Skipper.

The luck seemed to even out soon after however when Mick was adjudged caught behind off the bowling of Jignesh Patel for 11 but by all accounts, it was harsh as the bat appeared to hit the ground rather than the ball, nonetheless the South were delighted at the much needed breakthrough.

Surjiv Singh came in at No 3 after impressing in the nets but had little chance to show his class when, J had him lbw for a duck. Once again there was an element of controversy as the batsman seemed to indicate that the ball had hit bat first but the score was now 35-2 and the North were in a spot of bother as the south sensed they were in with a chance of ripping through the top order of their rivals.

Davinder joined Kal as the North attempted to get themselves out of trouble. Whilst Kal had decided to play the anchor role, the youngster began to settle in after a shaky start and got his score to double figures before attempting to hit a short one off Rikz out the ground only to be caught.

Father replaced son as big hitting Harminder Sagoo walked in but he was quickly on his way back as Sunny Singh got him with a brute of a delivery that lifted from just short of a length presenting Kushal with a comfortable catch at Gully. The South were in the middle of a purple spell and with the North now 52-4 sensed that this game was now in the balance .

The two North skippers were now together at the wicket and they knew they had a lot of work ahead of them with the target still over 100 runs away. Kal continued to play thoughtfully taking singles when they were available, while Herbie decided to take the aggressors role, hitting a lovely 6 followed by a couple of sumptuous boundaries.

Just as the South needed to keep the pressure on, they were beginning to haemorrhage extra's with wides and no balls being bowled on a regular basis in virtually every over. Herbie was now opening up and the runs were flowing far too quickly for the South's liking.

Skipper J sensed he had to bring his big guns back and so Min, Sunny and himself all returned for second spells as the South desperately searched for the vital breakthrough...they were however let down as a series of catches were dropped, none of which could be classed as easy but with such a low score in the bank, the South knew these opportunities had to be taken if they were going to win.

As the chances came and went, the South's body language visibly changed and they realised that the game was slipping away. Although Kal was now aided by a runner ( Serg ) due to a hamstring strain, he still continued his marathon stint innings realising he could take the team home. At the other end, Herbie reached the magic 30 and between them, the pair knew when the Yorkshireman walked off that they had virtually guaranteed the win for the North as Deepak took Herbie's place.

The happy hammer began somewhat recklessly, playing and missing on several occasions but after words from Kal, he settled in hitting some lovely shots to the fence. The North players were now sure victory was about to be theirs and the inevitable happened when after a succession of wides and no balls from the South part time bowlers, the winning runs were scored with over 7 overs to spare and 7 wickets to hand.

The entire North team, including the heavily bandaged Amar, stormed onto the field hugging Deepak and Kal as the revenge win they so badly wanted had been achieved in remarkably easy fashion at 160-4 . The South warmly congratulated their opponents realising that they had been outplayed in all facets of the game.

The celebrations of the North team would continue long through the night, no one was going to take this famous win away from them..it was now 1 v 1 and 2010 was now superbly set up as the ultimate decider.

Gurj Johal

Press Conference - North Team

After watching the press conference of the South yesterday today was the turn of the North to go in front of the waiting media. The location was kept a secret till the last minute so the press were camped outside various locations for days. Leeds United, Elland Road was the odds on favourite to hold the conference but late last night events took a turn as there was breaking news that a lot of media was in the Glasgow area. It was later revealed Tari had a wedding in Glasgow and had told journalists going from Slough that to get to Elland Road they would have to go via Glasgow and if they took him he would show them the way.

Finally the location was revealed as the Sportsman Pub in West Bromwich leading to a mad media scramble to reach the venue on time. Herbie and Kal arrived signing a few autographs on the way with Herbie also pocketing some free entry cards to Angels on the sly which were being handed out by a gentleman at the bottom of the stairs. Barman Amrik had drinks waiting for both Captains but before Herbie could take a sip Kal scolded him and reminded Herbie that there was a strict drinking ban on the North Team. The Captains took their place in front of the media and waited for their questions…..they waited…..and waited! It was then Kal lost his patience and temper and rose to shout ‘can the media please stop stuffing their faces with the mixed grill, we are here for a press conference and not here for you to enjoy the food’. The media men reluctantly put down their giant size kebabs and pork chops and turned to the two Captains for the press conference.

Below is the Full Press Conference

How have you found the preparation of the team compared to last year?

The preparation has been good...certain people had issues with me and Kal being joint captain and threatening not to play, but after discussions with the team everything was sorted out. I know the Bummy lads have been practising well and I have been playing a few matches for my local team, so overall the preparation has been very good

You know the majority of your side from last year but have some new comers in Josh, Tony, Viks and Serg – how have they settled in the team?

The new lads have settled in very well. They have had to pass a test to see if they were true northerners...but they all failed miserably!!! The test was to hum the theme tune to Emmerdale farm!!!!!

As well as getting the four players you also lost four good players from last year in Bob, Rocking Priest, Vish and Balbinder. Will these 4 not playing be a big loss?

Bob, Vish and Balbinder will be missed for various reasons. All three of them contributed really well with the bat and ball. It will be a test for the four new players, but i know they won't let me, Kal or the rest of the team down

Last years wicket though not looking the best played very well, how are you preparing for this years wicket with rumours spreading it could be a green top?

Last years wicket was not the best I agree, but we have our own special plans which will be used on the day.

Do the North have any injuries to report? We broke the story of Bob Singh not playing exclusively last week and know that must be a big blow

Bob Singh is not playing which is a loss and also Kunal but the players that have come into the team I am sure will give 120% once they cross the boundary rope

Going on to the joint captaincy – how do you see yourselves as captains? Are you similar or is it a case of opposites attract?

We are similar captains. Our ideas are the same. We don’t take tutti from nobody...we have both worked well over the last couple of weeks getting our squad together and to be honest we have done a good job

Kal has been training the Birmingham members we hear regularly. Are you hoping this is going to pay off with wickets and runs?

Without a shadow of a doubt....I have been receiving regular updates from Kal on how the Brummy lads have been doing. He has been impressed with the improvements made from last year

We had a scorching day last year with the weather. We could have a mix of weather situations on Saturday, is the team capable of being up to the task of the weather as well as the South

Whatever the conditions are the North team will be up for it

Though I am sure you are not going to tell me but do you have any preference of whether you bat or bowl first on Saturday?

That is the 64 million dollar question!!!!!

Last year bowlers only had to bowl one over, this year it is going to be two over’s each. How are the bowlers coming along, especially those who don’t play regularly?

All the bowlers have been bowling well in the nets or in game situations. I know 2/3 don't play as much as they want to but the time we have before the game on Saturday will give me and Kal an idea of who is going to bowl when

Is there anyone in the South or a few players who you could say are the ‘danger’ players to your team. Do you have any special plans for them?

We have special plans for all of them!!!!

Where the South struggled last year in the middle over’s the North excelled, especially having vital partnerships and scoring quickly. Will you be looking for more batsmen to stand up and be counted this year?

Definitely...our batting line up will show that on the day. Each batsman has a responsibility to score runs and build partnerships. Last year we did this very well...we shall be looking to do the same again this year

Fielding is key on small pitches so do you have specific plans for specific players?

We have plans for each member of the south team!!!!

One question the CDISC press was wondering is who is going to call the coin toss?

As Kal is the biggest tosser of them all...I will let him do it!!!.LOL

Finally do you have a message for your team and fans past Watford Gap as you go into Saturday’s huge game

MARCHING ON TOGETHER, WE’RE GOING TO SEE YOU WIN...NA NA NA NA NA..WE ARE SO PROUD, WE ARE SHOUTING ALOUD, WE LOVE YOU NORTH, NORTH, NORTH...LETS HAVE IT!!!!

With this final rally call Captains Kal and Herbie were lifted in the air by their adoring fans and carried out to deafening cheers and support all around them

Press Conference - South Team

Today members of the press association from the UK and India were given a rare open question interview with South Team Captain Daddy J. After initial confusion that Daddy J will be holding the press conference with the MCC leading all press turning up in their best suits it was then realised the skipper meant another type of MCC! The skipper looked relaxed while sipping on his alcopops and was unnerved as the press questioned him on numerous issues. The only controversial moment came when a journalist from the North, the Birmingham Echo, attempted to throw a slipper in his direction which he calmly caught one handed and shouted ‘howzat!’ to a rapturous applause and laughter from the press. Daddy J’s personal bodyguards Ricky and Imran removed the offending journalist with Imran insisting he deals with him in his own special way.

Below is the Full Press Conference.

How have you found the preparation of the team compared to last year?

There has been no difference, the boys know what they have to do.

You know the majority of your side from last year but have three new comers in Haps, Rikz and Arsh – how have they settled in the team?

I know what Haps and Arsh do so that makes my life easier. Rikz I am not sure but this was the same case with many players last year who then went on to perform really well.

As well as getting the three players you also lost three good players from last year in Sandeep, Lal and Jigs. Will these 3 not playing be a big loss

Yes we will. Lal/Sunny partnership won the game for us and Jigs picked up a couple of wickets so it is a big loss.

Last years wicket though not looking the best played very well, how are you preparing for this years wicket with rumours spreading it could be a green top?

Its hard to judge the wicket, the forcast is rain this year so we will have to take a look on the morning of the game.

Do the South have any injuries to report? Haps went down with a foot injury a few weeks ago – how is he coming along?

Yes we have a few injuries but I am hoping they will be fit. I have told them to also stay away from the WAG’s.

Going on to your captaincy – how do you see yourself as a captain? Are you a mild mannered Rahul Dravid, A strong Sourav Ganguly or are you the modern type like MSD?

I’m a bit of a mixture of Dada and MSD I think.

Vik once again is your vice captain – do you two bounce idea’s of each other. Does he bring in new idea’s for you to consider?

Yes I have been in regular contact with Vik, we have a good relationship and have been talking a lot, its always good to get a different opinion from the vice skipper.

We had a scorching day last year with the weather. We could have a mix of weather situations on Saturday, is the team capable of being up to the task of the weather as well as the North

It’s a tough one, no one knows.

Though I am sure you are not going to tell me but do you have any preference of whether you bat or bowl first on Saturday?

Like I mentioned before to the journalist from India I will have to take a good look at the wicket before I decide.

Last year bowlers only had to bowl one over, this year it is going to be two overs each. How are the bowlers coming along, especially those who don’t play regularly?

Again it will be tough, last year they all done a great job though we did give away a lot of extra’s. They have been practising and that’s all I ask from them.

Is there anyone in the North or a few players who you could say are the ‘danger’ players to your team. Do you have any special plans for them?

Any team you play are a danger. We have to look at all 12 players as danger. We just need to get our basics right and not worry too much about them.

What the South done well last year was that their players who don’t play weekly like Min, Sunny, Tari do chipped in. Raj, Jigs took wickets and Vik, Lal scored runs. Will you be looking for similar contributions this year?

Yes the boys know what they have to do and I hoping everyone will contribute as it will lead to victory if they do.

Fielding is key on a small pitch, the team have been training very hard of the pitch on fitness. Are you confident this training will show in the game?

Yes, the boys have worked hard in the field and in the nets – now is the time to deliver as we move from practice to the real deal.

Rumours have been rife of a mole in the South team – has this upset preparation in anyway or is it business as usual?

Not at all. You can’t just point the finger at anyone, we have just got on with it as a team and it was forgotten as quickly as it was brought up.

Finally do you have a message for your team and fans all over London as you go into Saturdays huge game.

We are gunning for victory, be there to support us, your support is appreciated. I am hoping to get the same support from the boys as last year as well which will inspire us to victory once again! Jai Hind!

With this final statement Daddy J said his goodbyes to the press and left with the MCC.

North v South Cricket Match 2008

As we come into the week of the 2009 Chak De Indians Cricket Match we look back fondly on the review of last years match.

South Triumph in SA Epic !

On a beautiful sun drenched day, the Thames Valley University Ground in Ealing was the scene of the inaugural Sharaby Army North v South cricket challenge match and what a pulsating contest it turned out to be !

The two captains met for the toss shortly before the match commenced with South Skipper “ Daddy ”J Patel choosing correctly and not surprisingly, given the look of a under prepared wicket, he asked visiting captain Herbie Jassi to bat first.

Openers Mick Nunwa and Davinder Sagoo duly strode to the crease and battle was about to commence. It was clear from the outset that the North’s game plan was to make sure they saw off the early danger and thus ensure they batted out their full quota of 30 overs. However this policy was scuppered to a degree when Sunny Singh, making the most of pressure put on by Min Duhra’s opening over maiden, got young Davinder to play at one and the ball ballooned straight to J who took the catch easily. The North were 7-1 as No 3 Batsman Raj walked in. The opening bowlers continued to keep things on a very tight rein with Min bowling 3 overs for just one run at one stage and this stranglehold resulted in Raj being dismissed in the 5th over for 6 runs by Jigs Chana and the North were now 15 for 2. Kal Singh now joined Mick at the crease and they set about recovering the situation and Kal after a circumspect start, started to find his form hitting 3 boundaries in quick succession. However, he went for one too many and was well caught by J again at Long On and at this point the North were teetering at 31-3 with 11 overs gone. Deepak Kashyap was the new batsman and after a bit of verbal sparring with Min, he confidently despatched a short ball to the deep mid wicket fence. However disaster struck soon after when he misjudged a slow flighted ball by Raj Popat and was clean bowled. This left North in a perilous position of 37-4 and things got even worse when Vik Gulati, with his very first ball of off spin, got Mick to come down the wicket only for him to miss the flight off the ball, Bill Sidhu then doing the rest behind the wicket nonchantly.

North were now in deep trouble with Harminder Sagoo and Vishal Dutta at the crease….something special was needed and how they delivered. Vish cleverly saw off the express pace of Sunny and then both he and H set about the Souths part timers. Both Batsman played some delightful shots and the run rate was now being accelerated at some pace, with H hitting only boundaries in his innings of 20. Together they took the score beyond the 100 mark and the North were now looking at a very respectful score to set the South later in the day. It was at 121 that H went after a short ball from Kushal Babla but miscued to Avtar Banse. Undeterred Vish continued his marvellous innings and duly Retired Unbeaten at 25 to a tremendous and deserved round of applause by the North team. Gurj Johal and Herbie then came together and Gurj started well hitting a Kush full toss to the fine leg fence. However feeling the effects of a hamstring twinge, he had to call for a runner and so Vish walked back in. Herbie was now beginning to open up and two towering sixes ensued and the lusty blows took North past the 150 mark in the penultimate over, and despite a late flurry of wickets, two to Jigs and one to Vik, the North strode off feeling that they had done as much as they could ( given they were 54-5 at one point ) in setting South a tough run chase.

Following lunch, the South openers Bill and Tarri walked out to face the new ball pair of Bob Singh and Vish. The batsman started well, giving the innings a brisk start, however there was a huge let off when Taari miscued one only for H to drop it, the disappointment was there for all to see. However the North soon hit back, with Bob Singh, clean bowling Bill for 7 and at the other end Vish was bowling a lovely line and length. Min came in and No 3 and the North knew that they had to get him early and this was shown even more so when he clobbered a massive six off a free hit in what was the shot of the day. Together with Tarri now playing confidently at the other end, they began to open up and runs were flowing far too swiftly for the liking of North skipper Herbie. A pivotal moment in the match then occurred, Min nearly holing out to the Long off boundary only for Bob Singh to put down a difficult but catchable chance off the bowling of the unlucky Amar Marwa. Min decided to make the most of his second life and numerous boundaries followed as the South looked set to run away with the game at this point reaching 70 for just one off 13 overs. Tarri and Min were now closing in on their respective 25’s where they had to retire , and the North at this point decided this was their chance to get back in the game. Once both batsman had left to standing ovations from the jubilant South players after playing two lovely knocks, Herbie decided that the pace had to be slowed down and introduced Kal , Balwinder and Gurj into the attack. It was doing the trick as Kush in particular found it difficult to get the ball away…..all three slow right armers were keeping a close rein on things and the required run rate was rapidly increasing. J began to feel he had to take control and attempted to cut one of Gurj’s deliveries only to get a top edge and despite a moment of confusion with Amar, wicket keeper Mick duly snapped up the catch and the North sensed this was their chance. Sandeep Bajaria joined his cousin and its fair to say the Souths innings was stagnating to alarming levels, so much so that only 10 runs were scored in a 5 over spell. Balwinder was now in the middle of a lovely spell and duly picked up both Sandeep and Kushal in quick succession .

The North were now sensing a famous win, although Vik Gulati came in and started to restore normal service for the South hitting two glorious cover drives off Gurj. The brummie though was soon to get sweet revenge in unbelievable circumstances. Vik went after a wide one from Deepak and was sensing another boundary only for Gurj to somehow ( surprising even himself ) pluck it out of thin air to the shear delight of his team mates. Chaos ensued as Gurj set upon a shirt waving celebration that Sourav Ganguly himself would have been proud of . The match was now nip and tuck and set up for a thrilling climax….Jigs and Lal were in the middle and batting sensibly and showing all of their vast experience, hitting loose ones to the fence and taking singles very well but then Balwinder , brought back by Herbie in a last ditch effort, had Jigs plum LBW and umpire Haps Nirwal raised the finger of death. Despite the wicket though, Lal was batting with real confidence and the North were looking at defeat with just 14 needed off 4 overs. Sunny was playing a good supporting role at the other end and together, despite the desperate efforts of the North, they took the South home to a wonderful win . The winning run came via an extra and it was followed by the entire South line up running on to the field, shirts off and being waved in celebration, taking in their moment of triumph. It was a deserved win, following outstanding efforts by Min, Taari and J, who took got a splendid four for plus three catches but let it be said the North more than played their part in what turned out to a classic game of cricket. It was not only the South who had won but the Sharaby Army as a whole too. Roll on 2009’s game.

Welcome

Welcome to the Chak De Indians Supporters Club Blog!

We hope to keep this updated with news, pictures, reviews and events of all that goes on within our Club!

We are an Indian cricket supporting club and since we have come together in 2006 we have held numerous events including two dinner and dances, a cricket match with a second game up coming soon, a 25th anniversary celebration of Team India winning the World Cup in 1983, a golf event, a pool competition, we have also held lots of gatherings to view India matches and even had 3 AGM's (we can be serious!!). We also donate to charity yearly and in the last 2 years have raised over £1000 in total

We also follow Team India around the world where and when we can - recent tours include going to the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, going to all the games when India last toured England, the away tour to Australia in 2008 as well as representing in India when England toured there in 2008, the away tour to New Zealand in 2009, the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in England in 2009 and we will be going to the next ICC Twenty20 World Cup in 2010 in the Caribbean!

We hope you enjoy the blogs

Chak De Indians Supporters Club