2012 Atholstan Cup, October 13-14, 2012, played at Rideau Hall (Ground #1), Ottawa, Ontatio
(Match scheduled as two innings per side)
Quebec 146 all out (46.3 overs; Muhammad Umar 56, Kashif Zahid 26, Adnan Suleman 23, Samad Sheikh 3 wkts for 22, Kumar Erramilli 3 wkts for 40)
Ontario Cricket Association 54 for six wickets (25 overs; Adrian Suleman 3 wkts for 18)
Result: Match abandoned as a draw/no result (Quebec as existing holders of the Atholstan Cup retain the trophy.)
Quebec, as existing holders, retained the Atholstan Cup when the 2012 match between the Ontairo Cricket Assocation and Quebec was abandoned when no play was possible on Sunday (October 14th), the game’s second scheduled day. Quebec scored 146 all out in 46.3 overs on Saturday but the Ontario Cricket Association’s first innings only reached the half-way stage of the 50-over normal standard for the Atholstan Cup. So it will remain unknown if Kumar Erramilli and Zain Mahmood might have carried the Ontario side to a first innings lead after the pair came together with the score 53 for six wickets in the twenty-fifth over. Mahmood notched a single and that proved to be “all she wrote” for the 2012 edition of the Athlostan Cup, thanks to hindsight.
Quebec lost two wickets without scoring a run in the early going before a stand of 38 set the run scoring clock in motion. Sabir Sheikh made 15 runs from 45 balls before being the first of three wickets for Kumar Erramilli. Sheikh’s partner in this third wicket stand, Muhammad Umar, provided the backbone of the Quebec innings, top-scoring with 56 runs before being caught by Erramilli off the bowling of Zain Mahmood. Umar’s was the sixth Quebec wicket to fall when the total had reached 106. Kashif Zahid had contributed 26 runs during a 42-run stand for the fifth wicket. Quebec captain Adnan Suleman battled away for 23 runs in the later stages of the innings. Ontario opening bowler Samad Sheikh took three wickets for 22 runs with fellow opening bowler Zain Mahmood taking two wickets for 27 runs.
Suleman then picked up two wickets in his second over and his third wicket, in the fifth over, saw Ontario struggling at 18 for three wickets. Suleman captured three wickets for 18 runs from seven overs. Ontario opening pening bat Ibrahim Patel was next to lose his wicket, run out 15 runs, which proved to be the top score of the innings that came to a rain-induced conclusion at 54 for six wickets after 25 overs.
Quebec, who went into this match as the current holders of the Atholstan Cup, therefore retain the trophy from this 201 game that was abandoned as a no result. The game was played at Rideau Hall, Ottawa, the residence of the Governor General of Canada. Many thanks to John Lexmond of the Ottawa Valley Cricket Council for providing the scorecards from this match. It’s always good to have a reliable and competent person, such as John, looking after the scoring and providing supporting notes.
Eddie Norfolk