Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar’s grand plan of taking cricket’s legends to the USA is gathering momentum.
The first game was at the Citi Fund baseball park at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York City, with 36,000 clicking the turnstiles.
It wasn’t a high-scoring game with Sachin’s Blasters posting 8-140 and Warne’s Warriors replying with 4-141. The match included just 14 fours and 18 sixes, and Warne took out the man of the match award for his 3-20 off four.
But yesterday, at the Minute Maid baseball park in Houston, the All Stars raised the bar to extraordinary heights with 32 fours and 38 sixes.
Again Warne’s Warriors were successful with 5-262 as Sachin’s Blasters could only blast 8-205 – 57 runs shy.
But the 469 runs off 40 overs had the approximate 27,000-strong crowd in raptures and with the roof closed their loud cheers constantly echoed round the park.
And standing tall was former Sri Lankan skipper-keeper Kumar Sangakkara, whose 70 off just 30 with six fours and six sixes not only won him man of the match, but set the tone for the game.
His timing and placement were sensational, many international batsmen around the world right now would kill to bat like Sangakkara.
He’s the fifth highest Test run-getter in history with 12,400 at 57.40 with 38 tons and 52 half-centuries, and his last of 134 Tests was last August.
Sangakkara’s teammates weren’t too shabby either – Michael Vaughan 30 off 22, Matt Hayden 32 off 15, Jacques Kallis 45 off 23, and Ricky Ponting 41 off 16.
Sure the sands of time have caught up with the pace attack of Shoaib Aktar, Glenn McGrath, and Shaun Pollock, but Muttiah Muralitharan and Graeme Swann are still able to be accurate and get some turn on a perfect batting track.
There wasn’t much chance of Sachin’s Warriors topping 13 runs an over, but they gave it a big shake.
Top of the list was the rare chance of watching Tendulkar and Brian Lara batting together for three overs.
But the best Blaster batting came at the death with Pollock and Swann putting on 62 off just 26 – Pollock 55 off 22 with one four and seven sixes, Swann unbeaten on 22 off eight with two fours and two sixes.
The best of the Warriors’ attack were Warne, Kallis, and Saqlain Mushtaq – remember him?
The Pakistan offie became the fastest to 100 ODI wickets in 53 matches. He retired in 2003 with 288 wickets.
Current world number one ODI bowler Mitchell Starc has the chance to break Saqlain’s record – the big bloke has 90 wickets from 46 games.
Meanwhile, the All Stars roll onto Los Angeles for the third and final game at Dodgers Stadium on November 14.
Irrespective of the knockers, the series has been an outstanding success.
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