2/3 on first Predictions....Not Bad eh!

ACL had a decent start then. One tight game, two close games – it was a good advertisement for ACL. It just makes you wonder if Lalit Modi had all this planned out! Back to the action though and let’s get on with what really happened on the field:

a.       Intimidators vs. Challengers: For Intimidators Damru scored big ably supported by BR Hills. Not only did Damru bat, he bowled as well. After Intimidators had scored almost 150 it was always going to be a matter of time before the Challengers’ batsmen perished trying the big shots. However, if there was an award for the worst bowling performance of the season – we got two strong nominations already. Going by the looks of it, they are sure to put in more such award winning performances!

b.      Supernova vs. Ravens: Ravens lost because of two reasons. First, they forgot to bring their prime competency to the game – which is as you know is sledging – and suffered an easy defeat. It is not all their fault though as Lalit had smartly got CM to officiate which made it terribly hard for Ravens’ to sledge freely. Second, they let off Hey Ram and paid the price. Curiously Another Bun quietly hid himself at long on. While Kallizaaban did attack the opposition (and massaged them back by dropping catches), Another Bun was happy sledging his own players.

c.       Vandals vs. Raptors: Raptors got the strategy wrong. They did not send in Betaal alongwith Takla at the top of the order. Raptors played as if they thought a 50 would be a good score. By the time Betaal joined Takla (and both excited themselves enough to play a few shots) any hopes of a decent score had already vanished and it was always going to be tough to defend. Vandals played exactly like an over – confident Indian team against Bangladesh and it required 58 balls to chase it down with half the side out. Vindaloo as usual was seen giving plenty of moral support, free advice and unwanted aggression without doing anything with the bat or ball.

Now that the first round it is back to the drawing board for some teams while other teams who have scraped might do them a favour by going back to their drawing boards as well. Let’s see what happens - will be back for Friday morning predictions!

(P.S.:

Raptors were seen wearing Yellow jerseys with an outline of a lizard on the front. I am sure they would have started out with Raptors but then would have broken it down to its principal components to make it a lizard. Can someone tell them that the time spent in getting weird jerseys might actually be better spent in practicing cricket?

Pyscat was emotional charged after registering the first win. I knew it – was the emotion. Firstly, ‘I knew it’ has already been patented by someone. Secondly, do you know that Supernova has as much chance of winning the ACL as N. Srinivisan resigning from BCCI office on moral grounds?

Craydit and Gladrags were conspicuous by their absence. Gladrags it seems wants to distance himself from the ‘sledging’ team. Someone reminded him that as a ‘leader’ he cannot condone these things. We might see him in an avatar of quiet sporting personality in the coming matches which would be interesting. Craydit for all purposes has resigned himself to the fate that in all certainty his team is doomed.

As you know ACL was also – I am a little emotional myself – ‘Inaugurated’. Given the massive importance of the event in the history of mankind it just made so much sense. I hear that multiple leaders blessed the ACL and encouraged the players in the presence of all the teams - represented only by either the owners/icon players. We might be receiving CDs of it in the coming weeks to have a piece of the history for ourselves.)