No kidding! 1121 runs from 92 overs

It's the usual scoring rate in the last five-odd overs in a one-day international. But when a team scores 1121 runs from 92 overs, it causes...

It’s the usual scoring rate in the last five-odd overs in a one-day international. But when a team scores 1121 runs from 92 overs, it causes jaws to drop, eyes to pop and minds to boggle.

But that’s exactly what Shishir Tiwari, Sufiyan Shaikh and Salim Ansari got together to do for Anjuman-i-Islam High School in their Harris Shield Elite Group tie against St John’s the Baptist School last week. Tiwari hit 318, Shaikh 287 and Ansari an unbeaten 202 to take their school’s run rate up high enough for them to make the semi-finals of the tournament. ‘‘We weren’t playing for records,’’ coach Naushad Khan clarifies. ‘‘We had to better our run rate to qualify for the semis. So the brief for the batsmen was to plunder as many runs as they can. And they did.’’

The foundation was laid by Ansari’s knock. The 15-year-old opened the innings for his school, which was chasing a meagre 46 for the crucial first innings lead. After a cautious start, the wiry five-foot-something lad, who was in the Mumbai under-15 team last year, went hammer and tongs. 166 of his 287 came in boundaries. ‘‘Being the opener, it was my job to give my team a good start. I’m happy that I lived up to the team’s expectations,’’ Ansari says.

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Ansari’s exit brought Tiwari to the crease. The 16-year-old had never before got to three-figures. But after getting his eye in, Tiwari smashed the Baptist bolwers to all corners of the Cross Maidan plot. He scored 318 runs which included 40 hits to the fence and four above it. ‘‘I feel sad for the bowlers. We had no option but to go for the kill. A place in the semis was at stake after all,’’ Tiwari says.

Tiwari and Shaikh were involved a huge 531-run partnership, with Shaikh, the class nine student, smashing 24 boundaries during his stay at the wicket. Despite flaying the opposition, the diminutive lad had a few words of praise for the hapless Baptist bowlers. ‘‘A few of them were good, but we were too good for them,’’ Shaikh says with a wink.

A lack of documentation of facts by the Mumbai Schools Sports Association — the organisers of the inter-school tournament — may deny Anjuman the honour of being record holders when it comes to the most runs scored by a team in school cricket.

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