First Televised Match In USA & Canada By American College Cricket

Saturday Oct 29 2011,in the annals of world cricket will be looked back on as one of the most important days – Rutgers University played NYU-Polytechnic on TV in USA and Canada. It was the first time domestic cricket was televised in the USA and Canada on a major channel, TV Asia. In addition, the enormity of college sports in the USA promises a whole new universe for world cricket.
 
And what a game it was ! Coming down to the last over, the last ball !
 
Rutgers, trying to get 119 to win, had stuttered to 76 for 6 off 15 and their cause looked lost, with only 3 overs left in the 18 overs match. But Asad Ghous attacked the NYU-Poly bowlers for 2 fours and 3 sixes, before being run out, to make it 11 runs needed in the last over !
 
NYU-Poltechnic’s Adrian Gordon took the ball to bowl the final over. Gordon is one of the fastest bowlers in the USA.
 
First ball Gordon was struck for 6 by Taha Khan to make in 5 runs needed in 5 balls. A run later and it was 4 runs needed in 2 balls to win !
 
But then Gordon struck ! getting the next 2 Rutgers batsmen caught out on successive deliveries, he had won the game for NYU-Polytechnic !
 
Batting first Rutgers had lost 2 early wickets before Vinti Kelkar,32 (2 fours,3 sixes) and Adrian Gordon,25 (2 fours 1 six) to them to 69 before Kelkar went in the 9th over. Divyesh Gandhi striking for Rutgers getting both Kelkar aand Gordon.
 
NYU-Poly managed to get to 118 off 18 overs helped by Somesh Batra’s 26 (1 six,1 four). Divyesh Gandhi and Nisarg Choksi, Rutgers Captain, took 2 wickets each.
 
Rutgers lost 2 early wickets and were struggling at 76 for 6 after 15 overs, with Haider Ali scoring18.  
 
So to celebrate its 3rd anniversary American College Cricket made a quantum leap for cricket in America by partnering with TV Asia for the momentous TV event.
 
TV Asia’s viewers are part of the most affluent and highly educated demographic in the United States, and American College Cricket is the ideal television product for companies wishing to market to that audience. From BMW to Universities, major American and Canadian companies now have a new way to reach a key market.
 
Though the camera crew was filming cricket for the first time,they will no doubt get better with each game. Founder of American College Cricket Lloyd Jodah provided commentary.
 
Having set the bar high, by being the first to webcast cricket in America back in March 20, American College Cricket has now taken the game to a whole new level in the USA and Canada.

Click here to see Adrian Gordon interviewed on Cricket World TV

Lloyd Jodah