Wooster,NC State & George Mason players join Lloyd Jodah for a Q & A session with elementary school kids at the 2011 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship

Elementary school kids see the future ! – & American College Cricket is in it !

Whether its College Football or the NFL, March Madness or the NBA, having a higher competitive level (not to mention role models) to aspire to, is the surest way to ensure growth in a sport. Basketball has seen a huge growth spurt worldwide because of stars like Michael Jordan. 

Our American College Cricket players are visible evidence to any American youth, that there is American cricket, and there is a reason to play the game. Just as in any other American sport, now there are College stars in cricket for them to emulate !

The fact that cricket could be a part of their future, as they get their education is ground breaking for the sport – though it is normal for football, basketball, baseball etc.

 Last March, at the 2011 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship, students and teachers from the local Elementary school in Lauderhill showed up to watch the college teams compete at the Stadium.

 The enthusiastic kids and their teachers were treated to cricket demonstrations and explanations by college players, and American College Cricket President Lloyd Jodah.  

Shane Warne,American College Cricket MVP Adrian Gordon & Liz HurleyShane Watson,ACC MVP Adrian Gordon & Watson's wife Lee Furlong

Through the auspices of Big League USA, the IPL’s Rajasthan Royals invited the 2011 American College Cricket MVP to India to spend a week with the team. NYU-Poly’s Adrian Gordon has been having a great time, in his words :

“ I have to thank you all…this is such an experience its like I can’t even imagine this is happening….
I mean the treatment here is first class “

South Africa's Johan Botha, Adrian Gordon (hiding from the cameras)

at the Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians game

Shaun Tait & American College Cricket MVP Adrian Gordon

Liz Hurley and Shane Warne with American College Cricket MVP Adrian Gordon

Adrian (drinking Pepsi) & friends -speed is popular !

Shane Watson's wife Lee Furlong,Johan Botha & wife of Sean Morris (CEO of Rajasthan Royals)

 

Shane Watson,Adrian Gordon,Watson's wife Lee Furlong

American College Cricket 2011 MVP Adrian Gordon (NYU-Poly) is in India,  in camp with the IPL’s Rajasthan Royals, sponsored by Big League USA. Gordon, who is possibly the fastest bowler in the USA, also scored a magnificent 145* on the large Florida fields at the 2011 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship last March. 

Enjoying his time with the Rajasthan Royals, Adrian reports from India (photos later) : 

American College Cricket founder & President Lloyd Jodah has been invited to, and will participate in the Welcome and Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies of the historic Cricket Exhibition at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on Sunday April 17th.  Accompanying Jodah will be the 2011 co-MVP Adil Bhatti (Montgomery College).

This is the first Cricket Exhibition in the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 74 year history, and it was done in conjunction with the world’s most famous cricket club, Marlbourne Cricket Club (M.C.C) and th C.C Morris Library.

American College Cricket has made huge strides for cricket in America in just 2 1/2 years.

Cricket fans discussing who they thought would win the Chanderpaul Trophy at the national Championship.

RUTGERS SUPER SIX
April 23rd 2011 – 9am – 5pm

The Laws of Cricket apply except:

Each team will consist of 6 players and will play a 5 over game. Each innings will last 5 overs or 20 mins, whichever comes first. Final will be 8 overs.

One bowler can bowl a maximum of two overs.

Wides and no-balls will count as two runs.

Free hits will be offered on both wides and no-balls.

An innings will be concluded if 5 overs are completed or all 6 wickets fall.

The last man will stand while the 5th wicket will act as the runner while the last man will always take strike.

When a wicket falls, 5 runs will be deducted from the batting side total.

Hard Tennis Balls will be used.

Teams and payment should be emailed to me by Monday April 18th. The fees will be $60 per team. Payment made through paypal: (desibabu90@gmail.com or give me a check personally).

Winning team will get prize money, which is yet to be determined.

Gators reviving Double Wicket

In 1971 “Every Picture tells a Story” by Rock Legend Rod Stewart became the first album ever to top both the American & British Charts simultaneously. The album is “a mixture of rock, country, blues, soul, and folk ” and includes the huge hit “Maggie May” about many schoolboys’ fantasy.

Every picture from the 2011 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship tells a story about the effort of the members of American College Cricket to raise the profile of the game and bring it back into the American & Canadian mainstream – keep spreading the photos on Facebook, and the word.

Photos by Greg Uzelac (Northwestern) – College Media & College Cricket players may use.

Cleveland State University honored their Vikings Cricket Club as Club of the Month, for their particpation in the 2011 American College Cricket Championship. The CSU Recreational Center Newsletter said:

This month we would like to recognize the Cricket Club. The Cleveland State Vikings Cricket Club was reactivated in 2009 when President Jagjitan Gill took over (and got in touch with Lloyd Jodah,founder and President of American College Cricket). The Club has been going strong ever since.

The Club recently got back from the American College Cricket National Championship in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. 12 members attended the tournament, where the team feels they played well. But like any team Sadiq Khan feels “the more we play with each other, the better we are going to get.”

The cricket club knows that particpation in a tournament of this magnitude will definitely boost club exposure and particpation.Not only did they get to compete and have fun, but “during this trip we got to meet some really good cricketers as well as coaches,” Khan said.

The club hosted their first tennis ball tournament last summer and are looking to execute a bigger and better one this summer.

Also in the future for the cricket club is the upcoming American College Cricket Midwest Championship in September.

Congrats to Jagjitan Gill, Sadiq Khan, Ishaan Bhatt and the rest of the cricket club for being recognized as this month’s Club of the Month !

Presentation College Chaguanas Cricket Team made a historic trip to play as Special Guests at the 2011 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship, and thoroughly enjoyed the top quality facilities and high level of cricket. Presentation has for years been the top school cricket team in Trinidad & Tobago and has a number of players who have represented T & T at the Under 19 and Under 15 level.

Kieron Joseph (Captain of Presentation College ) 18 years old, has played for Trinidad & Tobago Under 19, said ” This is one of the best places I’ve ever been. It was real quality cricket today. We played against a top side — we were under some pressure but we gave it our best. It’s great experience for when we go back home.”

Principal Gary Ribeiro loved the trip and said “Excellent facilities, excellent welcome, excellent competition ! It’s the furthest north we’ve been in the last 50 years. We’re very pleased to be here as Guests, and we had a tremendous match this morning. We’re just glad we’re playing teams that are fitter.

Many of our boys represent Trinidad at their age group level. We have a couple of men who we figure will be making the West Indies Under 19 .”

University of Central Florida (UCF) vs Presentation College Chaguanas (PCC) :
UCF batted first and Sai Ramesh took the attack to the PCC bowlers immediately smashing 4 sixes and 5 fours in his 56 runs. Together with Kirtan Patel, he had an opening partnership of 75 runs. Ramesh confidently hit the ball all over the Central Broward field. UCF made 170 off their 20 overs, and Varinda Jagrup took 3 wickets for 17 runs in 4 overs.

In response Presentation College lost 2 wickets for 21 runs before Bryan Charles 53 and Keiron Joseph 37 put on 75 runs. Charles struck 4 fours and 1 six,whilst Joseph hoisted 2 sixes. PCC kept losing wickets as they got close to UCF’s total and superb fielding ran out their last 2 batsmen, and Presentation College was all out for 161 off 19.2 overs.Sai Ramesh 2 for 21,Samih Sadiq 2 for 25. UCF won by 9 runs.

Montgomery College (MC) vs Presentation College Chaguanas (PCC) :
Presentation won the toss and sent Montgomery into bat. Montgomery made 195 for 5 in 20 overs.The stylish left handed Danish Ashgar stroked the ball all over for 71 runs, including 5 fours and 5 sixes. With Adil Bhatti Ashgar put on a 82 run partnership. Bhatti made 50, including 4 sixes and 3 fours, before retiring to give his team mates a chance to bat.

Presentation College started off with a 61 run partnership between Mark Deyal 45 and Aleem Khan 32. Khan struck 6 lovely fours whilst Deyal stroked 6 fours. Khan has played for T & T Under 15. Presentation College never threatened Montgomery’s total however and made 170 for 5 in 20 overs. Montgomery won by 25 runs.

University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) vs Presentation College (PCC):
UMBC took first strike under the lights of “American College Cricket” Stadium. Though having playedd a game earlier in the day, the UMBC team was eager to show the form that had won them the WMCB league T20 competition in Maryland 2 years in a row. However T & T Under 15 star Aleem Khan struck early, and UMBC was 21 for 3. Ranga Ananth topscored for UMBC with 25 as they mustered 92 all out in the 20th over. Khan took 3 wickets for 4 runs in 4 overs.

PCC Vice Captain Brian Deyal practically won the game by himself stroking 8 beautiful fours in his 65 as PCC got to the winning total of 93 runs in the 17th over. Presentation won by 5 wickets.

Coach of Presentation College for the past 40 years, Lalman Kowlessar was ecstatic about the trip, and looked forward to making it an annual event. Kowlessar is the 2nd VP of the T & T Board, and Chairman of the National Youth Selection Committee.

American College Cricket President Lloyd Jodah explained, “There are many reasons for having guest teams from the West Indies – in the same manner that Caribbean track & field benefits from US college facilities, we can do the same for West Indies cricket. Also we can influence more young West Indies cricket players to combine college with playing the game.”

“High school cricketers from the West Indies can benefit tremendously from the contact with colleges and college students in the USA & Canada.”