So it was with USC tailgaters watching, American College Cricketers battled on the USC soccer field – delighting in playing on the best outfield I have seen a cricket game played on in the USA !

The tailgaters ate & drank, and asked questions about cricket and what they were witnessing – they the unexpected cricket contest as a build up to the USC Trojans vs UCLA Bruins football game !

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE WHOLE.

The Trojans Cricket Club of the University of Southern California (USC) and the Southern California Junior Cricket Association hosted the American College Cricket West Coast Championship this Thanksgiving Weekend for the TV Asia Trophy.

The perfect outfield was fast, and allowed playing of shots like real cricket – along the ground! This was definitely not “bush cricket” as novelist Joseph O’Neill said.

Ammerican College Cricket Advisory Board members David Sentance and Arvin Varma played huge roles in a delightful weekend of competition, as a TV Asia crew reported on the West Coast Championship – next year the 3 games – the Semis and the Finals will be televised from California.

The USC Trojans played undefeated winning all their games, including the Finals vs Thunderbird Graduate School of Global Management. Ravi Thimbawala was declared the Championship MVP for his batting which included scores of 74,44 and 32. Ravi also took 4 wickets with his medium pace, and a run out.

UC Riverside made their American College Cricket debut, won 1 game and lost 1.

The Thunderbird team once again made the 8 hour drive from Arizona, and lost in the Finals for the 2nd year to USC.

USC won their game against rivals UCLA Bruins, just as the Trojans did later in football.

The air was electric as thousands of fans tailgated Saturday for the USC/UCLA football game – hundreds did so whilst watching the American College Cricket teams play on the USC campus.

Schools, meanwhile, are stepping up their efforts to recruit students from other states, using the higher tuition these out of state or international students pay, to help.

How does this affect a possible American College Cricket member or team ? 

1. Schools need you, your tuition $$$, and your academic excellence.

2. They will however have a ready reason to say they cannot afford to fund your sport – cricket.

3. Don’t be put off by that excuse, use # 1 to counter # 2.

4. Remember every school budget includes funds for “student activities” – for a TINY investment in a cricket team our member Colleges are getting a HUGE return on their investment in publicity and student interest, both internationally and domestically. 

5. But Remember practically ALL American College Cricket teams were started WITHOUT school funding so don’t wait for, or depend on school funding. 

According to the New York Times,

“ the wealthiest and poorest students fare better, either because they can afford the hefty increases or because they have enough financial aid to cover them. But students from families with incomes in the low six figures often feel the biggest pinch, taking out more loans with each tuition increase.

Each of the campuses is responsible for making its own cuts, which are based on the number of students enrolled. At Fresno State, 57 positions are going unfilled. In Long Beach, the mechanical engineering program may shut down because there are just a couple of professors still teaching. ”

For more read article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/us/09uc.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23

Shiva Vashishat (UC Davis)cricket, Cameron Sentance (UC Davis) football

The UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans at the first UCLA vs USC Cricket game, Thnksgiving 2010

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE FULL SIZE. College media may use without further authorisation. College cricket players may use to promote their teams & for personal use.

The Cal State Long Beach cricket team is new to American College Cricket, and played their first ACC games in the West Coast Championship at Woodley Fields. Under Captain Kiran Patil they performed well and look to be a fierce competitor in the 2011 nationals,the American College Cricket Spring Break Championship set for March at the “American College Cricket” Stadiium in Ft Lauderdale.

The team included a Doctor, named Healthy ! Dr Healthy Desai is actually the doctor for several of the Cal State Long Beach sports teams. As he is also doing a Fellowship at the University, he was also eligible to play (as a student) on the cricket team.

Unlike other sports the unique educational demographics of cricket demand unique eligibilty rules, hence undergrads, grads, Phd & post-doctoral students can play on their college teams.

Amanda speaks with Kiran, Captain of Cal State Long Beach cricket

Amanda & Jay Varma, MVP

Along with the IPL, American College Cricket is the most important development in world cricket, in decades.

The LA Daily News showed up to cover the first American College Cricket West Coast Championship – and decorated the newspaper’s website with an article and 24 photos of cricket. A landmark for the game, and indicative of the strides American College Cricket is making, in bringing the game back into the American and Canadian mainstream.

Just as US colleges provide so much in resources for the training and development of track & field athletes from around the world, so too cricket can benefit from being highlighted on the USA college sports scene.

Young players on the West Coast, and all over the USA now have hope that their talent will have an avenue-what could be more exciting than playing for your college team, like football and basketball players?

And so it was that one of the biggest names in sports at any level in the USA (or the world), the University of Southern California took the field in cricket against Thunderbird School of Global Management, Cal State Long Beach and a team composed of students from UC Davis and some top under 19 players. UC Davis Aggies football Tight End Cameron Sentance was present.The venue was the venerable and scenic Woodley Fields (officially called the Leo Magnus Cricket Complex) and it was the first time American Universities on the West Coast were battling in cricket.

The autumn colors ringed the 2 (of 4) cricket fields as the beautiful California sun came out to see the student-athletes in action.But to avoid making the weekend truly heavenly, a record cold greeted the cricket players. Undeterred, the USC, Thunderbird, Cal State & Shiva Vashishat’s team of mainly UC Davis players put blade to ball, dove for catches and to stop runs, and bowled with competitive fire !

NO MORE DISAPPEARING ACTS

In deference to the World Cup USA Captain (at the Under 19 level) Shiva Vashishat’s team participated as “Special Guests”, as due to various factors he had not been able to start a registered club at UC Davis. With talent like Shiva Vashishat & fellow (Under 19) USA players like Saami Siddiqui and Salman Ahmed, Vashishat’s team won their games.

Shiva Vashishat showed his strong leadership skills and with enough competitive cricket, its easy to see him in the future possibly leading an All American College team or the USA. Vashishat recently spent a month in India, in cricket camp. It’s unfortunate that talent like Vashishat has dissappeared since the World Cup, and is only now being brought back to light with College cricket.

THE TROJANS’ MICHEAL HOLDING AND COLLEGE GAMEDAY & SOWANI’S 95

USC came into the Championship determined to come away with the Trophy, as well as exact revenge against Thunderbird, whilst the Cal State team was experienced playing together and was strong. Beginning with the game against their biggest rivals, UCLA, where they amassed 199 runs powered by Abhimanyu ‘s 65, USC looked good. Their opening batsman/opening fast bowler 6′ 6 Tarun Sandhu reminded one of Michael Holding, as he ran up to bowl.

On College Football Gameday, whilst the Trojans football team was not having a good day against rivals Notre Dame, at the Los Angeles Coliseum,the Trrojans’ cricket making a run at a Championship. Fortunately the cricket finished before the cold rain came down, but the football players had to play on.

Cal State Long Beach played well in their entry into American College Cricket to the sound of their school’s rallying cry “Beach !!”. Their top runscorers were Ronak Patel 43, Ismail 42 and Jay Varma 39. whilst Vivek Sharma had the best bowling performance of the Championship, taking 3 wickets for 16 runs. Doing a Fellowship at Cal State allowed a Doctor to play,his name is Dr Healthy Desai !

Thunderbird’s Nimish Jalan was the top allrounder, slamming 47 in one game and taking the most wickets. Captain Phalgun Balasubramaniam also bowled well. Thunderbird drove 8 hours through desert and mountains to play in the West Coast Championship, such is the spirit of American College Cricket players.

The innings of the Championship was 95 by USC’s Harshad Sowani, followed by USC’s Dushyant Sharma, which included 6 sixes and 4 fours. Sharma reached his 50 in only 17 balls.For Vashishat’s team Jodha Singh scored 71 and 64 not out, Krish Goel 54 and wicketkeeper Saami Siddiqui 32 *.

SUPPORT FOR WOODLEY

American College Cricket President Lloyd Jodah said “Woodley was chosen as the venue for the West Coast Championship to show support for these beautiful and historic fields. Like the Cricket Stadium in Florida, Woodley has been under threat – 2 of its pitches could have been recently lost to cricket. David Sentance mainly, and I, did our best to halt adverse action for now. We appreciate the Southern California Cricket Association for making it possible for us to play here, and we will continue to do our best to ensure Woodley Fields remain the gorgeous cricket facilty it is.”

Since Governor Arnold Schwarzegger was not there, presenting the specially designed Trophy was Amanda McCloud who will be representing the town of Topanga Canyon in the Ms California Pageant next year. Amanda presented the trophy to Tarun Tiyagi, Captain of the West Coast Champions, the University of Southern California, to yells of “Fight On !” by the Trojans players as the sun set over the mountains to the west as if to say, it had seen the future of USA cricket in the 5 regional Championships involving 29 Universities of American College Cricket, and now it could rest.
“Conquest”!