American College Cricket » 2012

ACC Canadian Universities’ Team named !

ljodah — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:08:56 +0000

The following players have been named to the 1st Canadian University team :

Khushroo Wadia (York U)

Jai Patel (York U)

Hassan Mirza (Ryerson)

Rustam Bhatti (York U)

Farhan Khan (Ryerson)

Hasan Choghtai (York U)

Harsh Desai (Ryerson)

Arsalan Qadir (York U)

Raza Rehman (York U)

Jai Patel & Khushroo Wadia, in 2010, opening the batting for York University when they won the Chanderpaul Trophy

Warren Rajroop (Ryerson)

Hassan Adil (York U)

Jaiveer Chauhan (York U)

Nuuman Aslam (Ryerson)

Tayab Zafar (McGill)

Rayan Pathan (Ryerson)

Sufian Choudhary (Ryerson)

Tristan Ali (York U)

Rustam Bhatti and Raza Rehman did not play in the 2012 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship as they were abroad with the Canadian National team, playing in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier.

Kushroo Wadia played for Canada in 2011, whilst Arsalan Qadir & Tristan Ali have played for the Canadian Under 19 team.

No doubt the opening pair will be the best in the USA or Canada, at any level, Kushroo Wadia and Jai Patel. Interestingly, though both play for York University, Jai Patel is actually an American resident.

Players will be drawn from this 17 shortlisted to play any matches arranged, based on availabilty due to school/work. Other players may be added if neccessary.

There are plans for the Team to play vs an All America College Team, and a Special Guest team at the 2012 American College Cricket Northeast Championship sponsored by Coca Cola on TV Asia.

Players were only selected from Canadian Universities that participated in American College Cricket events.

Back in 1844 when a USA vs Canada cricket match was the first International sporting event, many College (University) students played for both teams.

Ball State University ready to play ball !

ljodah — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:05:35 +0000

by Lloyd Jodah

Its appropriate that a University named Ball State should have cricket, and so it is that American College Cricket has now extended to Ball State University in Indiana.

: some members of the Ball State University Cricket Club

A small club begun 2 years ago the Ball State Cricket Club is now headed by freshman Vishal Patel (President) , sophomore Rushi Parikh is Vice President.

Club President Vishal said, “We want to be the best college team in Indiana, and beat schools like Indiana and Purdue Universities. We look forward to playing in the fall American College Cricket Midwest Championship (for the Gordon Gee Trophy), and then make it to the Nationals next March. Getting the opportunity to play on TV would be like a dream come true.”

He added, “We’re hoping to teach cricket to Middle School kids in Muncie, and expand the gaame further in our community.”

TV Asia will televise over 20 American College Cricket matches in 2012, all the Semis & Finals of the regional Championships. 3 matches of the American College Cricket National Championship last March were on TV Asia in the USA & Canada.

With International Programs set up in 2 cricket playing countries, cricket now gives Ball State University an additional connection to those countries. Established in 1972 the oldest Ball State international program, the London Center, hosts 25-35 full-time students, who live and study in London. There is also a Worcester Center in England, and an Australia Center.

Charlie Cardinal is Ball State’s mascot. He is sometimes called “Charlie.” Actor Doug Jones, who has appeared in many films,including Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Hellboy, Batman Returns, Men in Black II and Hellboy, was Charlie Cardinal, whilst attending Ball State.

Other alumni include David Letterman,cartoonist Jim Davis, the creater of Garfield and Joyce DeWitt, who played Janet Wood in the 1970s sitcom Three’s Company. John Schnattner, another alumni, is the founder and Chairman of Papa John’s Pizza - which makes the cricket team wonder if they’ll get free pizza for a year if they win a regional Championship !

Mark Champion, the narrator of the “I’m going to Disney World !” Superbowl commercials attended Ball State.

Ball State has appeared in five NCAA Division I postseason bowl games, but they have yet to win. However in 2006 Ball State placed 8th in the nation in the Cheerleading Championship.

Ball State University Cricket Club will get free uniforms courtesy of American College Cricket sponsor Coca Cola.

Arkansas Razorbacks join American College Cricket !

ljodah — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:13:25 +0000

The Razorbacks have joined American College Cricket ! A cricket club was formed at the University of Arkansas last year and held its first meeting Sept 8.

Club President Eric Holder said, “We are excited to be a part of such a strong cricketing body. Thank you for accepting our club into your association ! UACC is eager to further the passion of cricket throughout the University and the surrounding area.”

The Executive Committee is:

Eric Holder – President

Sandeep Rana – Vice President

Ashfaqur Rahman – Publicity/Marketing Officer

Pratyush Rai – Treasurer

Jay Rayaprolu – Secretary

The Club held an internal tournament in October . They also held a fundraiser at TCBY, Garland Ave to raise funds and awareness for the Cricket Club. The Cricket club was also heavily involved in the Clothes Donation Drive by University Recreation towards the end of the year, donating more than 100 pounds of clothes.

Some members also visited the Baptist Collegiate Mission on Campus to give a little ‘tutorial’ on cricket.

The University of Arkansas’ mascot is the Razorback, a type of wild boar, and UA’s teams are often referred to as the Hogs (shortened version of Razorbacks). School colors are cardinal red and white.

A football team began representing the University of Arkansas in 1894 and ended the 2011 season ranked # 3.

In basketball the Razorbacks won the 1994 National Championship under coach Nolan Richardson, and has been to six Final Fours .In baseball it went to the College World Series 6 times.

In 2004 Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown became the first Razorback woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics.

Fans of the University of Arkansas have been “Calling the Hogs” since the 1920s.

University of Arkansas alumni include Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and MLB Cy Young Award winning pitcher Cliff Lee.

Founded in 1871, for the 2011 Fall semester University of Arkansas had an enrollment of 23,199 students, with 5.3 % being International students. The University is ranked high in many academic categories.

The Razorbacks are preparing for their first American College Cricket matches, a double-header against Arkansas State University, which could be the first League games of American College Cricket.

Road to a National Championship !

ljodah — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:39:16 +0000

by Mohammad Suleman.

York College Cricket Club earnestly thanks American College Cricket and its President/Organizer/Founder Mr. Lloyd Jodah. We would also like to congratulate all the participants for a successful 2012 Spring Break Championship that was held in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. from March 14-18, 2012.

York College Cricket Club started in spring of 2010 with the help of American College Cricket president Mr. Lloyd Jodah. Within two months, Cardinals put together the team and registered to compete in 2010 Spring Break Championship where York C were the runner-up after a big loss to York University from Canada. In the same year, 2010 American College Cricket North-East Regional Championship, York lost to City Tech (CUNY) in a thriller.

In the year, 2011 York Cardinals struggled to put together a team for 2011 National Championship due to exam schedule and lack of resources. However, York Cardinals came back strongly in 2011 Regionals and won the title after defeating NJIT in the finals. All the games in 2011 Regionals were televised by TV Asia. It was the best thing that happened to US Cricket in ages.

Year 2012, brought great success for York College Cricket Club. Coming strongly from winning the Regional title just 2 months ago, York Cardinals were committed and ready to take on any challenge. I would like to highlight the hard work of newly elected Club President, Shamas Rehman and Team Captain Khizar Abbas, working hand to hand with Club members, Hayat Sikandar, Bilal Shahid, Akeem Dodson, Yasin Khan, Kashif Choudry, Mudassir Hussain, Hugo D O’Liveira, and Rodigan Micheal. The addition of Karan Ganesh on the team was tremendous.

Cardinals entered the National arena with being one the favorites. York Cardinals defeating NYU-Poly, Auburn and University of Houston Clearlake in the first round, went on to beat Cleveland State in the play-offs and qualified for Semi-finals. On the other hand, USF and York University earned a spot in the Semi’s.

Sunday, March 18, 2012.

The stage was set. Sunny Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Was ready to host the Semi-finals and Final of 2012 American College Cricket Spring Break National Championship at the only ICC certified Cricket stadium in the United States of America. Coca Cola sponsored the event and TV Asia was there to cover the historic event. The crowd was building to witness a great day of action. The night before, back at Hotel, I tried learning how to swim. I was somewhat successful. Then I had a little laugh about people confusing York College with York University. USF moved into the finals after beating York University in the first Semi-final of the day.

Secondly, York Cardinals faced previously undefeated Texas A&M University. Texas A&M bowling first, got off to a ideal start by removing Bilal and Akeem very early. But, calm and smart Karan Ganesh and aggressive hitting by Captain Abbas set up a reasonable total of 147. In reply, Texas A&M were bowled out for 76. “This set up York to take on the University of South Florida in the final match, a team that has reached the Final Four in three of the past four seasons.”

2012 American College Cricket Spring Break National Championship- Finals

(York College Cardinals vs. University of South Florida)

Caridnals batting first scored 151/8 in 20 overs. Akeem Dodson top scoring 78 with Karan Ganesh adding 35 to the total. In reply, USF got off to a fiery start with their openers Sai Ramesh(MVP- 2012 Nationals) and Asgher Shiekh aka Abdullah. Some power hitting by both openers led to change in tactics and York College Captain brought the spin earlier than planned. Interestly, he brought me (Mohammad Suleman –Final MVP) on and I got the break-through for the team.

On the other hand, Sai Ramesh partnered with Indawalla continued their impressive stroke-play and built a strong partnership of 72. Things were looking bright for USF and they were sensing a victory here. I was there for the team. Team believed in me, and skipper brought me on for the second spell. I got the big fish. This changed everything for us. USF’s middle order collapsed. Cardinals were pumped up and had their hopes up again. Also, Bilal Shahid and Yasin Khan generated good pace in their second spells with a mix of slow balls and got 2 wickets each. Karan Ganesh bowled handsomely outside off and bagged 2 wickets aswell. Finally, USF were bowled out for 129. York Cardinals were declared Champions of 2012 Nationals.

I would like to congratulate all our Club members, College, fans, families and friends and Organizers for this great achievement. The Championship was well-organized and well structured. There was no secret to our success. It was all hard work and commitment. Some great all round performances, variation of pace and Spin bowling, attacking and well planned classy stroke playing, sharp fielding and lightning glove work. It was a job well done.

Photos by RIVERVIEW STUDIOS/Connie Yen

NASA Flight for Auburn’s Cricket Captain & 2011 Player of the Year !

ljodah — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:38:46 +0000

: Naveen Thiagajaran, Auburn Cricket Captain & doctoral candidate, & Travis Wheeler

Naveenan Thiagajaran, Captain of the Auburn University Cricket Club, and a 2011 American College Cricket Player of the Year has been chosen to fly on NASA’s Zero-G reduced-gravity aircraft ! Naveen will fly out of NASA’s Lynden B. Johnson Space Center in Houston on May 3.

As Morgan Stashick explained in the Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering media :

Sushil Bhavnani, faculty member in Auburn University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, doctoral candidate Naveenan Thiagarajan and undergraduate student Travis Wheeler have been chosen to fly on NASA’s Zero-G reduced gravity aircraft, affectionately known as the “Vomit Comet.” The team’s project, “Fluid Lateral Motion using Surface Microstructures-Channel Flow from a Large Array,” was selected for the flight to study the effects of microgravity on boiling.

Thiagajaran, who began the project three years ago whilst completing his Master’s, told Morgan, “I am thrilled to be a part of this experience, this project is a significant part of my dissertation, and is a story that I will be proud to tell my grandchildren.”

We haven’t spoken with them, but we’re sure that Naveen’s parents are thrilled at the prospect of grandchildren and great-grands.

An excellent cricket captain and Club President, Naveen led the Auburn Tigers to the final four at the nationals in March 2011, after Auburn defeated University of Florida for the South East regional title in Nov 2010. Losing a number of key players to graduation, Auburn did not fare as well at the 2012 American College Cricket Nationals.

As a batsman, he has given Auburn solid starts as an opener. In 2011 (at the South East regional & the American College Cricket Spring Break Championship) he made three fifties, 56*,59 & 50 . Two of which came against SEC rivals the Gators.

No doubt after his stint in zero gravity Thiagajaran will bring new perspectives to cricket’s eternal debates about a cricket ball’s “flight” and “reverse swing”.

PHOTOS courtesy of Morgan Stashick, Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

TV – Sai Ramesh is 2012 Championship MVP !

ljodah — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:24:30 +0000

TV & Dates set for 2012 Midwest, Northeast & Great Plains regionals !

ljodah — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:44:34 +0000

As announced in 2011 the Semis and Finals of ALL the 2012 regionals will be televised by TV Asia – a total of at least 18 more matches in 2012. TV Asia will also televise the 2013,2014,2015 & 2016 American College Cricket seasons.

Coca Cola sponsored the national Championship in March, and will be the main sponsor of the regionals in 2012.

The dates of the Midwest and Northeast regional Championships have been set. The Mid Atlantic, South East, West Coast & South West will follow.

The Midwest regional for the Gordon Gee Trophy will be on Sept 29 & 30, in Ohio. This year the Great Plains regional will be merged with the Midwest to faciltate televising. Gordon Gee is the President of Ohio State University.

The Northeast regional will be held on Sept 22 & 23, in New York City. Additionally the weekend of Sept 15 & 16 may be utilised for matches involving the All America, All Canada & a Special Guest team.

Ohio State Buckeyes ( # 7) are the defending Midwest Champions, Ryerson Rams (# 5) the Northeast Champs and Iowa State Cyclones( # 8) the Great Plains Champions.

The dates and venue are subject to change if TV logistics dictate.

FREE uniforms will be provided to ALL teams by American College Cricket sponsor Coca Cola. (Teams from the nationals already received theirs).

For top quality equipment such as helmets,colored & white pads, gloves, guards (arm, thigh,chest,ribs), balls, stumps etc you may purchase at a LOW price through American College Cricket by emailing :

Lloyd @ Dogevpr2@aim.com …….starting NOW.

Equipment Items will be displayed on AmericanCollegeCricket.com soon

Video- Virginia Tech Hokies Cricket debut at Nationals….

ljodah — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:54:43 +0000

Virginia Tech Cricket Club sincerely thanks American College Cricket and its President Mr. Lloyd Jodah. This video is also memorable for the Jersey Handover Event held for the Hokies making their debuts in the American College Cricket National Championship held at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in March 2012.

Virginia Tech under the leadership of Anirudhh Roy (in video) performed exceedingly well at this Championship in the absence of 6 regular players!!!.Hokies lost their first game to Texas Tech mainly due to nervous energy. Bouncing back from this loss, Hokies then beat the #3 ranked Ohio State University. Hokies lost a tough tussle to 2010 Champions: York University, Canada; thereby losing golden opportunity to make it to playoffs. Although ranked #21 now ( ranked #24 before the tournament begun), Hokies believe they played as good as a top 10 ranked team. That is some NEWS.

Lets do it. For the Hokies.

P.S: Correction to video: Swapnil Sheth is the Vice president of the club.
Kareem Akhtar is the President of this Club.

TV -York College Prez Marcia Keizs celebrates school’s 1st National Title !

ljodah — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:02:07 +0000

“Hayat Sikander (York College) with the Chanderpaul Trophy”][/caption]

New Rankings !

ljodah — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:06:25 +0000

: Gavish Sharma (UPenn),Lloyd Jodah American College Cricket President, & York College’s Mohamad Sulema,Abbas Kizer & Shamas Rehman

The Finals of the 2012 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship was the 9th match televised by TV Asia – the first nine ever for domestic cricket in US & Canada. A new Champion, York College led by Abbas Khizer,was crowned, and we got new # 1 & 2 teams !

Iowa State jumped from # 22 into the top 10 ! whilst 2 other relatively new teams, Ryerson University and University of Houston Clearlake continued their strong showings.

Powerhouse Gators suffered the shock of being upset by George Washington University which jumped 10 spots upwards.

With Coca Cola as a sponsor American College Cricket and TV Asia are set to televise at least 18 more games in 2012 – the Semis and Finals of all the regionals. No doubt there will be more shake ups in the rankings as teams do their best, on and off the field, to move up.

RANKINGS – second # represents previous rank.

1—14- York College – Cardinals
2—13- University of South Florida – Bulls
3— 1- Texas A & M – Aggies
4— 9- York University – Lions
5—- 4- Ryerson University – Rams
6—- 5- Rutgers – Scarlet Knights
7— 2- Ohio State University – Buckeyes

8—22- Iowa State University – Cyclones

9— 3- University of Florida – Gators
10–16 -University of Maryland Baltimore Cty – Retrievers

11– 8- University of Pennsylvania – Quakers

12– 6- Auburn – Tigers

13–23- Boston University – Terriers

14–26- University of Houston Clearlake -Blue Herons

15–25- Penn State – Nittany Lions

16–17- Montgomery College – Knights

18–12- Texas Tech – Red Raiders

17–27- George Washington U – Colonials
19–15- NYU-Polytechnic – Fighting Blue Jays

20–21- Cleveland State – Vikings

21–24- Virginia Tech – Hokies

22–20- Carnegie Mellon – Tartans

23– – University of Houston – Cougars
24– Arkansas State U – Red Wolves

25– Embry Riddle Aeronautical U

26– McGill University- Redmen

27–11- University of Southern Cal – Trojans

28–19- Thunderbird School of Global Management – T-Birds
29–29- College of Wooster – Fighting Scots
30–28- Florida Atlantic – Seminoles
31–18- University of Iowa – Hawkeyes
32–31- NJ Institute of Technology – Highlanders
33–32- West Texas A & M – Buffs