A tour of England is regarded as an excellent education in a young cricketer’s life. The cricketers representing The Sanmar Group in the Chennai league and other tournaments across India are expected to perform professionally and are given every facility to achieve that goal. To recognise their efforts, the Group has, over the years, instituted a system of rewards for excellence and a tour of England has been one such incentive that the cricket team enjoys.
This year, The Sanmar cricket team toured England from 28 May to 14 June 2013, playing eight limited overs matches in all after the opening fixture was rained out. The tour, a reward for the consistent performances of Jolly Rovers and Chemplast, the two teams that Sanmar fields in domestic cricket, was a successful venture, with the tourists winning six matches and losing one and one match unfinished.
The tour was marked by consistent displays by the Sanmar batsmen, with Nilesh and Bharath Shankar scoring hundreds. Leg spinner Piyush Chawla not only took vital wickets but also scored runs when the team needed them. Skipper Hemanth Kumar, Ashwin and Anand were also regularly among the runs.
Of the bowlers, off-spinner Prabhu was the most successful, while left-arm spinner Syed, Kaushik, Jesuraj, and Sakthi were also consistent.
This is the team’s third tour of England, after equally successful visits in 2004 and 2007. As Bharath Reddy, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs of the Group, puts it, “These tours boost the morale of players and support staff.”
Chemplast 267 for 8 in 50 overs (Nilesh 112, Syed 59, Piyush Chawla 36). Longton 178 all out (Bharath Shankar 4 wkts, Kaushik 2 wkts, Syed 2 wkts).
Chemplast Sanmar 227 for 8 in 50 overs (Ashwin 60, Hemanth 45, Anand 35, Nilesh 48).
Whitmore160 (Prabhu 4 wkts, Piyush Chawla 3 wkts).
Chemplast Sanmar 83 (Bharath Shankar 46) Weston CC (84 for 6, Sakthi 3 wkts).
Chemplast Sanmar 153 for 4 (Bharath Shankar 41, Nilesh 25, Anand 36, Ashwin 25).
Weston CC 107 (Prabhu 4 wkts, Sakthi 3 wkts).
Chemplast Sanmar 228 for 9 (Anand 59, Hemanth 67, Piyush Chawla 57).Cleethorpes CC 158 for 4 in 40 over (Prabhu 1 wkt, Piyush Chawla 1 wkt) (Play had to be stopped at 6.30 p.m.).
Chemplast Sanmar 165 (Piyush Chawla 75, Anand 21).
Ealing CC 104 (Prabhu 6 wkts, Sakthi 3 wkts).
Chemplast Sanmar 251 for 5 in 50 overs (Bharath Shankar 104, Anand 54, Ashwin 32, Ajay 26 not out).
Chemplast Sanmar 184 in 50 overs (Ajay 48, Ashwin 32, Hemanth 23).
CCC 138 (Jesuraj 4 wkts, Prasanth
2 wkts, Prabhu 2 wkts).