HSBC beat IBM in thriller

In what could be described as a low-scoring,edge-of-the-seat match HSBC Global Technologies defeated rivals IBM by 15 runs at the Cybage Inter IT Cricket Tournament match that was played at the Poona Club Ground.

In what could be described as a low-scoring,edge-of-the-seat match HSBC Global Technologies defeated rivals IBM by 15 runs at the Cybage Inter IT Cricket Tournament match that was played at the Poona Club Ground. Batting first after winning the toss on a pitch that was friendly to the seamers HSBC soon found that they had made a wrong decision by choosing to bat as they were finding it not only difficult to score runs off the bowlers but also struggling to keep the wickets from falling at regular intervals.

The IBM bowlers bowled an accurate line not giving away anything to the HSBC batsmen. Standing tall amidst the ruins was Jacob George of the HSBC team who managed to anchor the HSBC ship and play a steady knock of 43 off 49 balls.

Clearly struggling to bat on a pitch that was aiding the bowlers the HSBC batsmen were all wrapped up even before their stipulated 20 overs. They folded with the score on the board reading a measly 109 in 17.2 overs. The wreckers-in-chief for the IBM team included Manjit and Deepak Sharma who took three wickets apiece while Udit Gosain took two for no runs.

Beginning with some accurate seam and inswing bowling the HSBC bowlers began ploughing through the IBM top order. Fortunes quickly changed sides as HSBC began to tighten the noose around IBM. Niranjan Dravid tried to steady the innings with a fifth wicket partnership between him and Kiran Lagad for 39 runs but the unpredictable pitch which had turned out to be the demolisher for HSBC proved to be the Achilles heel for IBM too as they lost wickets quickly at regular intervals and ended falling short by 15 runs.

In the other match played at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana,Wipro Technologies scored an emphatic 35-run victory over Syntel.

Wipro scored a massive 191 runs for the loss of seven wickets while Syntel could manage 156 runs for the loss of 5 wickets.

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