M.No.19
Day 10: Friday 9.3.2012:
Pune strikes back for 3-3 draw with Cheetahs
In an action-packed match that produced high quality hockey, Chennai Cheetahs began with a bang as local star, Adam Sinclair, struck in the very first minute to bring the crowd to its feet as they gave a standing applause to the home team, but Pune Strykers silenced the vociferous crowd immediately with Roshan Minz scoring the 100th goal of the Bridgestone World Series Hockey in the 6th minute here on Friday.
Fortunes fluctuated later on as Chennai led twice again but with a resilient Pune Strykers striking back, the thrilling and exciting match ended in a 3-3 draw.
The crowd enjoyed the match which produced high-speed vintage hockey. Cheetahs frontline combined well and worked like a well-oiled machine and with the half-line creating enough through balls, their Pakistani star and penalty corner specialist, Syed Imran Warsi, made up his first-quarter miss to score from the team’s second short corner as he sent home a powerful flick to put Cheetahs in the lead once again in the 30th minute.
However, Pune Strykers, switched up gears to dish out thrilling and fast hockey that gave some anxious moments to the home team. They sustained the pressure to produce an equaliser once again and on the stroke of half time. It was 2-2 for Pune Strykers as Bikas Toppo swept home into an open goal as a brilliant pass from the right, by a hard-working Mario Almada, beat the rival goalkeeper and a defender.
Cheetahs rose to the occasion once again with a superb raid and the set-piece specialist from Pakistan, Imran Warsi, made it 3-2 to help Chennai gain lead for the third time and in the process increased his individual tally to 10 goals.
With Chennai defending in numbers, Pune Strykers showed urgency in the circle and their repeated thrusts upfront got them the equaliser yet again. They missed the first short corner but forced the third and final corner in the 65th minute, and Simrandeep Randhawa took the strike and his low drag flick beat Chennai custodian Jasbir Singh (3-3).
M.No.20
Day 10: Friday 9.3.2012:
Badshahs rule as Wizards magic fails
In a thrilling contest, Bhopal Badshahs outmaneouvred Delhi Wizards 2-1 to take the top position in the inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey here on Friday. Earlier before this match, Pune Strykers and Mumbai Marine were occupying the top-2 position respectively, but the Badshahs just flew over them in the points tally with a fine victory in the 20th match of the tournament, the last match of the day.
Some stars never tire or let their energy fade with age. Sameer Dad of Bhopal Badshahs proved so authoritatively when he set up youngsters for goals on umpteenth occasions in 70 minutes of play, and was the main catalyst of his team’s thrilling win over the hugely talented but increasingly less opportunistic Delhi Wizards.
The match started on a breathtaking pace. Badshahs went up when Dad fetched a penalty corner against the run of play and let others to do the rest. Young gun Laxman Baskaran made his Olympian father and coach of his team, Vasudevan Baskaran, proud with his deadly grounder (14th minute. Wizards goalkeeper Kamaldeep Singh spotted the flight of that blinder, but the sheer power was too much for him to stop the ball from its intended destination.
Delhi replied in style in the next quarter. Bikramjeet Singh, who shot wide his attempt in the first penalty corner, flicked the ball so high that it crashed into the inside roof top (33rd minute) when he got another chance to showcase his ware.
Dad missed some easy chances, but made amends when he selflessly parted the ball to mate AB Cheeyanna, who had to merely tap the ball inside the goal, with the goalkeeper sprawled in front as the crowd came to its feet in the 49th minute.
In the third quarter, when the team played with a player less on account of yellow card suspension, Pakistani star Shakeel Abassi put Manoj Antil with gem of a feed, but the youngster fumbled in the D. The Wizards squandered many such lovely chances. Abbasi stole the ball when Badshahs failed to stop cleanly during their third penalty corner drill only to see Rajpal Singh miscuing his reverse shot. Delhi missed several sitters of this nature to gift the match to Badshahs. Dad was deservingly, declared the man-of-the-match.