South Korea CC's season reaches climax
Tony Munro - 6 June 1999

The Korea Cricket Club season climaxes this weekend with India meeting Rest of the World in the grand final.

In the first semi-final, India, after winning the toss, suffered from early nerves and never recovered from the loss of early wickets, including two run outs.

Only Vimal, late in the batting order, with a contribution of 21 runs, gave some respectability to a total score of 88, reached in 15 overs.

Taimur had the most success (35-3) from an accurate Pakistan pace attack.

The reply from Pakistan looked too easy at 50 for no loss, until Deepak and Sanjay were introduced and succeeded in slowing down the runs and taking vital wickets, Deepak finishing with 11-3.

But the target wasn't high enough, and the Greens got there, after a few scares, with Mujtaba (22) and Taheer (21) top scorers.

A similar story in the other semi-final, All Stars winning the toss, electing to bat, and losing four wickets in their first four overs, including Wotton walking before an lbw decision could be given.

Thomson, in what proved to be his last game in Korea, led a partial recovery, scoring a valuable 38 out of a total of 112, all out on the last ball.

Gaskin, new captain for the injured James, took 18-3 and was the pick of the bowlers for RoW.

The older gentlemen tried to confuse the opposition by alternating speed and spin, and it worked for a while; the result remained open, with five wickets falling in nine overs, and the run rate behind the asking rate.

All Stars prayed for rain, but instead Shah came down hard on them, turned the game in the space of two consecutive overs, and saw Rest of the World easily into the final, with a personal tally of 56 not out. Shadlow (3 for 28) and Thomson bowled tightly, but it's the batting that let the All Stars down.

The two games played on Sunday May 23rd concluded the league portion of the Spring competition.

In the early game, Rest of the World won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan.

Despite the early retirement of skipper Tony James, broken hand when hit by the ball whilst at the non striker's end, RoW reached a reasonable total of 158 with Shah (41) and Kamar (47) the main run getters, and Amjad taking two wickets.

From the start, Pakistan struggled, first against nagging Gaskin's accuracy, then against Shah's sheer speed and finally when faced with the new Sri Lankan slinger.

Only a late flourish by Kashif (24) enabled them to reach three figures. Gaskin took three wickets.

In the second game, with the winners through to the semi-finals, Australia and All Stars battled on, with the more senior team batting first, on full stomachs.

Led from the front by skipper Ross (56), helped by new signing Seeley (29) and fortified by a vintage knock from Dunn (60 n.o.), All Stars reached 204 despite excellent bowling by leading wicket taker Jaya, another 3 to his credit, and returning newly-wed Derbyshire.

Australia stayed with the demanding run rate for a while, but a collapse followed the dismissal of a wandering Derbyshire (38), perhaps with his mind on different things. For the second week running, Ford contributed well with the bat (38), but the accuracy of Martin with six wickets, Sagaram and Wilkinson (two each) proved too much for the young, and still hungry, Aussie team.

India finished top with five wins and will play Pakistan (two wins), who were fourth on run rate at 12.30hrs tomorrow, then RoW (four wins) will play All Stars (two wins) at 15.30hrs.

England and Australia finished with one win each.