Lagge Raho Gujjubhai

WHEN Gujaratis and cricket meet, you can expect phrases like: Arre Rajubhai bey four joiye (we want two fours), Rameshbhai fielding paaki rakho (keep the fielding tight) to rent the air.

Lagge Raho Gujjubhai

WHEN Gujaratis and cricket meet, you can expect phrases like: Arre Rajubhai bey four joiye (we want two fours), Rameshbhai fielding paaki rakho (keep the fielding tight) to rent the air. That is exactly what one can hear at the exciting intra-community cricket tournament, Gujarati MiD DAY's '10:10 MiD DAY Cup 2009' being played at Purandhare Cricket Ground in Dadar.

The 10-over format ensures edge-of-the-seat excitement as 30 teams comprising different Gujarati and Marwari sub-castes face off in a competition fiercer than the March heat of Mumbai. The final will be played on Sunday, March 15, with today seeing the start of the pre-quarter round.u00a0

The competition is in its second year and its jump in popularity is borne out by the fact that 14 teams have been added from the 16 teams that competed last year. Says Rajesh Thawani, Editor and Head Special Projects, Gujarati MiD DAY, "We have had enquiries right from November 2008, asking about this year's edition.

The community, which used to play sporadically against each other, is thrilled that they have come under a common cricketing umbrella and can now play against a wider variety of teams."

Colourful MiD DAY shades provide some succour from the blazing sun, beating down relentlessly as players sweat it out on a field whose uneven bounce in patches makes fielding even more challenging. Wild cheering erupts periodically in the stands.

Parched throats are slaked with water, energy drinks and nimbu paani and Gujju-style liquid refreshment the all-time, anytime drink of the community chaas was also seen swirling in a few glasses.

One could also raise a glass of chaas to the fact that the tourney has found a number of sponsors in these days of recession prime being the title sponsor NOCIL Steels Group of Company.

There are several interesting twists even within the T-10 format. A batsman who scores three consecutive fours gets 10 runs for the third four. Two consecutive sixes nets the big-hitter 15 runs for the second six.

Three consecutive wides means the bowler's team is penalized by five runs beware the wides of March! There are two innings of 10 overs each for the final rather a combination of a Test match and T-10.

Families are expected to arrive in droves today and for the final day in what is becoming a heady cocktail of cricketing fizz, fun, family and friendship. The winning team will ride away with prizes worth Rs 2.5 lakh on March 15, a week from now, while everybody winners and losers and all participants go back with the satisfaction of competing in a perfect 10.