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BARCLAYS SUPER LEAGUE FINAL 2007

Chantilly, 16 September 2007

Northern beat PUC  by 4 wickets

PUC(187 all out in 40 overs)    Yaseer Mohammed 35, Irfan Mohammed 35, Abdul Rehman 23    Prashanthan 8 overs, 1 maiden, 3 for 19.  Qupan 8 overs, 3 for 35 NORTHERN(188 for 6 in 38 overs)    Karthick 50, Pirakash 28, Loyola 25    Abdul Rehman 8 overs, 3 maidens, 2 for 18

Best Batsman: Karthick (Northern) Man of the match:Karthick (Northern)	Best Bowler: Abdul Rehman (PUC)

In beautiful weather and on an excellent ground at Chantilly, Northern beat PUC in the 38^th over of this exciting 40 over game. This was 26^th French Cricket Championship Final but the first ever Barclays Super League Final.

Sent it to bat by Northern, PUC took their time in mastering the early aggressive bowling of Northern backed up by a very attacking field.  Of PUC’s first 24 runs, 23 were extras.  However after Northern’s opening bowlers had finished their 8 over stints, PUC’s middle order batsmen calmed things down and the tail enders contributed to a reasonable score that had seemed unlikely with 10 overs to go. The question remained however as to whether 187 runs would be enough.

The answer seemed to come early in Northern’s innings as their batsmen suffered the same combination of nerves and tight bowling including 3 maidens in 8 overs and 2 wickets for 18 runs from PUC’s Abdul Rehman.  However, led by Karthick with 50 runs, they lost fewer wickets and were gifted four dropped catches by the PUC fielders. In the closing overs, it was more a question of when rather than if they could overhaul PUC’s score.  They achieved this with two overs to spare making it a perfect end to an enthralling game for the spectators.

In addition to the Final itself, the spectators were treated to a gala game in which a Drancy youth team narrowly beat a combined Chantilly (CCC) & Saint Brice (CCSB95) youth team as well as cricket initiation, Indian dances and (in the words of the President of France Cricket) a lively match commentary. Let those who say they find cricket boring come and see what is on offer at Chantilly!

Congratulations to Northern on winning the title and to PUC for making such a game of it.  Also to Saint Brice and Chantilly on preparing the event.

A TV report of the game can be seen until 22^nd September on FR3’s website at: http://nord-pas-de-calais-picardie.france3.fr/videojt/  Choose: Picardie 19/20 and 16^th September. 

Photos are on: http://www.ccsb95.com/index.php?option=com_expose&Itemid=34

Geoffrey AUCKLAND/18 September 2007