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Oct 22, 2008, Wed (ICL Match 15) Ahmedabad Rockets registered one of the easiest victories of this ICL 2008 as they beat Royal Bengal Tigers by   in a day and night encounter at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium at Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Bhima Rao, who bowled an excellent spell conceding only 15 runs and claimed four wickets, and openers Murray Goodwin and Ryan Campbell helped Rockets register an easy win over Tigers.

Royal Bengal Tigers, who won the toss and elected to bat, were all out for 131 in the last ball of their stipulated 20 overs.

They lost their first wicket in Deep Dasgupta, who was bowled by Rakesh Patel, for 11 runs when their score was 31.

Opener Hamish Marshall, looking dangerous again, was unluckily run out for 20 off just 16 balls.

In-form Craig McMillan (21), Rohan Gavaskar (15) and Lance Klusener started off well, but could not sustain their run. None of the other batsmen got any starts.

This caused Tigers, who were 98 for four at one stage, to lose their last six wickets for just 33 runs.

Sumit Kalia was the most expensive bowler for Rockets conceding 38 runs off four overs.

Ahmedabad Rockets got off to a flying start as they scored 58 runs off just five overs.

Both openers Goodwin and Campbell were looking in good nick as they did not spare any of the Tigers bowlers.

They also put in the first century partnership of this ICL tournament. They achieved this feat in only 8.5 overs.

Campbell (66) was looking more ominous as he scored two sixes and a four in one over of Shiv Sagar Singh. His innings, which came off  only 35 balls, comprised eight boundaries and four sixes.

Goodwin’s 61 runs came off in 38 balls and contained 10 boundaries and a six.  

Bhima Rao, who bowled an excellent spell and also instrumental in running out Marshall, won the ‘man of the match award’. 

October 19 (ICL Match 12) Lahore Badshahs defeated Ahmedabad Rockets by 31 runs in a day and night encounter at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Ahmedabad Rockets, who won the toss, asked Lahore Badshahs to bat first.

Azhar Mahmood led the team from Pakistan in place of Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Lahore Badshahs openers Imran Nazir and Imran Farhat gave a brisk start, but Farhat perished when he was caught off skipper Damien Matryn off Jason Gillespie’s bowling for 18 when their team was 28.

Sumit Kalia struck thrice for Rockets when he had Imran Nazir, Naved-ul-Hasan and Shahid Yousuf in three overs putting the Pakistan team on a back foot.

At the halfway mark of 10 overs, Badshahs were 72 for four.

Naved Latif and wicketkeeper Hafiz Khalid tried to build a partnership, but they were both removed by Parvex Aziz in a single over.

Aziz also accounted for skipper Mahmood who caught at the boundary ropes by Gillespie for eight.

Then, Badshahs only managed to score 136 for the loss of nine wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.

Hafiz Khalid (27) was the highest scorer for Badshahs.

Ahmedabad Rockets got off to a poor start as they lost both Ryan Campbell and Damien Martyn at twenty.

Azhar Mahmood and Mohammad Sami claimed wicket apiece.

Murray Goodwin (4) also did not last long as he was caught by Nazir off Naved. Sridharan Sriram (2) also followed suit as he was caught plumb before Saqlain Mushtag.

Rockets were in a shaky ground with a score of 39 for four off eight overs at this stage.

Sodhi (14) played on to his wickets off Shahid Nazir’s bowling, while Pervez Aziz (26) missed the line off the same bowler.

By the time Streak (8) holed out to Khalid off Mughal’s bowling and Kalia (1) was bowled by Mushtaq, it was all over for Ahmedabad Rockets.

Mushtaq was the most successful bowler for Badshahs with figures of three for 26.

Azhar Mahmood was the named the ‘man of the match’ for his captaincy.