April 6, 2024 vs. Penn Alumni

HAVERFORD, Pa. - While it may have not felt like spring, Haverford Cricket opened their spring schedule with a thumping win over Penn Alumni Cricket.  Winning the toss, Senior Captain Rebecca Stern opted to bat first, hoping to take advantage of the overcast conditions.  

Juniors Sidd Phatak and Mohanish Bajaj opened the batting for Haverford.  A subdued start from the Fords saw them through the first 12 overs scoring 55 runs.  The conservative start crucially only saw the loss of Phatak's wicket, creating the opportunity for acceleration through the second half of the innings.  

Bajaj shouldered this responsibility. Scoring just 35 runs off his first 40 deliveries, the second half of Bajaj's innings was as blistering as the spring weather.  Middling the ball all around the ground, he scored at a strike rate just under 200 for the remainder of the innings, including three 6s and six 4s.

Helped at the other end by junior Deep Patel, first-yearear Sanil Kagalwala, and senior Joshua Corbett, Bajaj pushed the total to a defendable 167. As if to add a sprinkle of drama to the end of his innings, Bajaj sat on 98 runs facing the final delivery.

After driving the ball to long on, Bajaj's wanted two, with speedy Corbett scurrying back to the non-strikers end, ensuring Bajaj would carry his bat with exactly 100* runs. 

Injury meant Sophomore Ishpuneet Singh shared the new ball with Kagalwala.  Singh's disciplined swing created the Fords first breakthrough, beating the batsman with an in-swinging yorker to demolish the off stump in the third over.   

The second wicket partnership stabilized the innings before the introduction of Corbett in the eighth over. After being taken for a maximum, Corbett came roaring back, deceiving the batsman with pure (lack of) pace. The ball was launched high, but not very far, with Stern doing well to track the ball through the vortex of spring winds before making a sliding catch. 

Corbett struck once again in his next over. Attempting to drive the ball, the batsman didn't generate near enough pace. Singh showed the world he can take a catch off others bowling, not just his own. He gave Corbett his second wicket with a running snag from mid-off.  

Bajaj's introduction into the attack created more opportunities for Haverford. A poorly timed chip found its way to Singh, who proved his previous performance wasn't a fluke. Penn Alumni sat at 76/4 after 14 overs, eying up an acceleration in the last ten overs.  

Bajaj refused to afford the Penn Alumni the same acceleration he enjoyed. A flighted delivery tempted the batsman down the track. Perhaps distracted by an interesting looking cloud, plane, or other aerial phenomenon the batsman seemed to be looking to the sky as the ball skidded under the bat and into the stumps.  

The following overs saw wickets fall with regularity; Phatak's return to bowling saw him take his first wicket since his first year, beating the batsman with his pace and bounce.  Bajaj took his third when a quicker delivery was nicked straight into Stern's cradle, with one of the sharpest keeping catches while standing up to the stumps. 

While their victory was practically a fait accompli, a couple of run-outs as well as  Kagalwala's first wicket of the season (off a silky smooth catch by who-other-than Bajaj) sealed a 46-run victory over Penn.  

After top-scoring AND taking the best bowling figures for the 'Fords (18-3), it is no wonder that Bajaj was awarded the Man of the Match award.

April 7, 2024 vs Germantown CC 

HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford continued their winning form on Sunday with a clinical defeat of Germantown Cricket Club. After winning the toss, Haverford once again opted to bat first in an extended 30-over affair.

Juniors Sidd Phatak and Mohanish Bajaj were tasked with opening the batting for Haverford. Phatak immediately showed his intent to have an explosive start, smashing a maximum off the second delivery of the match.  They built a swift but safe start to Haverford's innings, scoring at six runs per over before Bajaj departed in the ninth over.

Phatak was joined by Senior Samanyu Kurra who, after a tentative start, smashed a six and two fours on his innings of 31 highlighted by his powerful lofted drives. Phatak steadily held down the opposite end, reaching his half century and then some, scoring 84 off 66 deliveries.  His innings was easy on the eyes, highlighted by classical drives, scoring six 4s and three 6s, including one 'manual' six. 

A hard-hitting cameo of 15 off nine by senior Josh Corbett saw the 'Fords finish with a flourish, putting up a total of 183 for Germantown to chase off their 30 overs.

The new ball was once again entrusted to sophomore Ishpuneet Singh who was again the first bowler to break the opponent's defenses. In his second over, he sent an in-swinging yorker straight into the batsman's stumps. The very next ball he induced an edge so thick the umpire could have no doubt, sending the batsman back to the pavilion for a golden duck. 

After a third wicket partnership stabilized the innings, Corbett once again started the middle over collapse. Deceived by the slower one, the batsman was practically through his shot before the ball had even been bowled. It grazed the batsman's gloves before traveling to Anuj Poddar, taking his first catch for the college.

First year Sanil Kagalwala struck next. His perfect Yorker and high release point completely befuddled the batsman, dislodging the middle stump. A few overs later, the reintroduction of Singh continued the collapse, with the ball clipping the top of the wickets and ending his spell with career best figures of 3/8.

Not to be outdone, Corbett continued the collapse he started. He induced a drive just short of Kagalwala at cover, who stole a wicket with a catch diving forward. Corbett followed this with a shorter ball pulled hard to deep square leg. However, excellent field placing by Phatak meant first year Rustom Dubash barely had to run to complete his maiden catch for the college.  One final wicket for Corbett came off a ball driven to long on. 

Continuing his catching ways, Singh once again made a peachy grab at long-on. This brought Corbett to career best figures as well, finishing the day with 4/31.  

The excellent fielding performance meant Haverford bowled Germantown out for 103 runs, winning by a margin of 80 runs.  The Fords will look to bring their winning form into a series of tough matchups next weekend versus local foes Merion CC and Amwell Valley CC.