The UMBC club cricket team was one of 20 teams selected to compete in the 2010 American College Cricket Tournament. [Courtesy UMBC Club Cricket]
With UMBC being one of the most diverse schools in the country is it any surprise that there is a club cricket team on campus? While the sport may be a bit of an unknown to most, the club team has quietly been one of the most consistent club teams at UMBC since its founding just six years ago. They have one Division I championship and multiple other trips to the finals.
But over spring break the team, known as 22 Yards, was selected to compete in a 20 team All-American College Cricket Tournament and finished in the final four.
The trip did start off a bit rocky however as the team lost by five runs to George Mason University. In the game UMBC was trailing by 21 runs with just six balls left. Beenish Bhatia and Chirag Vani were able to put up 16 runs, but fell short.
But that near comeback sparked a six wicket victory over the defending champion Montgomery College in which the team got a bonus point for getting the entire team out.
Later that day the team set out for a second game, this time against Auburn University. Once again it was a six wicket victory for 22 Yards. The team came out hot as the team’s opening batsman, Eraj Raza Abidi, got 50 off 27 balls.
The next day the team got two much needed bonus points in a two wicket victory over George Washington University. First the team got a bonus point for getting all 10 wickets and later Rikin Parikh got the final bonus point for taking two wickets in the final over.
That 3-1 record after the first three days was enough to get 22 Yards into the semi-final round of the tournament, after the opening round-robin pool.
22 Yards was matched up against York College and played in the only International cricket stadium in the United States of America, Central Broward Regional Park.
Team captain Sumeet Chordiya had 60 runs in the game while Anantha Ranga had 32 runs to make the game close but the team came up just seven runs short of the victory.
While 22 Yards is still only a six year old club, they have certainly brought UMBC to the national stage quickly and will be starting their Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board competition In April.
For more information on 22 Yards you can visit their website or facebook page.
