Extended Merit List (EML) is a team which plies its trade in the Cricket League of University Of Hyderabad. It all started in the year 2009 when a young group of to-be scientists who had a passion for cricket founded a team to participate in the Integrated Premier League. They played fearlessly but lost the match with 3 balls to spare. It was disappointing but they didn't lose hope. They bought i
n new players for the 2009- Cricket Night cup . But, again they couldn't surpass the first round and were disappointed with the loss. So, they went back to the training ground and worked on their flaws and technique. The 2010 Season started on a sad note for the team. In the Integrated Premier League they would play REDDEVILS ( Two players from this team would later become an integral part of EMLs and play an important role in their successes later on.) who were a strong opposition consisting of some classic batsmen and quick bowlers. They sent in reddevils and bowled very poorly giving away 125 runs in 15 overs. The target proved too much for the team and they lost the match by 54 runs. Come the 2010- Night cup and EMLs tasted its first success on the UoH soil, convincingly beating their opponents by 30 runs. In the process, vikas ( their first-change bowler) created history by becoming the first bowler to take a hattrick in the night cup. In the second round, they were drawn against the 7-time Champions- Friends XI . EMLs played the match with their hearts out but eventually lost out by a very small margin of 9 runs. But the signs were there to be seen. They had the potential in them. They just needed another opportunity and as fate would have it, the inaugural Senthil-Balraj Night Cup was conducted by the Students' Union of 2010-11. The team cleared the first round with ease, amassing 62 runs and then bowling out their opponents for 32. In the second round, they were drawn to the highlanders. It was a very close match but in the end, EMLs progressed with a 4 run victory. In the third round, they beat their seniors with a 4 wicket victory to enter the quarterfinals where they would face the strongest team of the competition 200 NOT OUT. EMLs opted to bowl first and restricted their opponents to 62 inside 7 overs. In their reply, they batted beautifully with some classy strokes by their opening batsman K.N.Rakesh but were unfortunate to lose out by a mere 6 runs as they lost wickets at regular intervals. The season was a great one and everyone was satisfied with the team's performance. The 2011 season again started on a disappointing note with them facing SINISTERS, who would later go on to win the Integrated Premier League. EMLs won the toss and opted to field first and restricted their opposition to 67 inside 12 overs. In reply, they started brightly scoring 30 runs inside 6 overs. But a middle-order collapse led to their fall and they found themselves needing 13 runs from the last over, managing only 9 runs. It was a case of so near yet so far. The next tournament was the Nari Night Cup which yet again ended on an unsuccessful note. They signed Nagaraju from the SINISTERS who was known for his hook-shots (a very useful stroke in this format of the game). They started brightly with a 40 run victory over the Students' Centre' team. The left-handed Y.Rakesh stole the show with some huge sixes. In the second round, they were drawn , once again, to FRIENDS XI. EMLs bowled first and restricted the FRIENDS XI team to 45 inside 5 overs. The chase couldnt have started on a better note. Nagaraju hitting the first ball for a six and then Gaganjot Singh flicking one over the "Imli-ka jhaad". But once again a middle order collapse led them needing 10 of the last over. It proved to be too much as they lost the match by 5 runs. This was probably the best performance of the team so far in its history. After the game, the team members sat down thinking what went wrong. They had played so well but in vain .Meanwhile two players from the team expressed their interest in playing for another team since they were not getting enough opportunities and quit it. The scout was back on the job and soon spotted two twins( who had earlier played with some of the biggest teams in the University viz. Friends XI, Bravehearts, Gladiators and SINISTERS) who were released by their former team after their contract expired. This led them to sign the two on a temporary basis. This signing would later prove to be the most important one in its history. The twins bought with them huge amount of experience and the middle-order problem too was solved. The 2nd Edition of the Senthil Balraj Cup was to be held in another weeks time and the team was high on confidence after their historic win in the FCC tourney. The team was registered as EMLs for Yuvi in support for Yuvraj Singh who is fighting a battle for his life. The first match was against the IC BOYS XI. EMLs won the toss and chose to field. They bowled poorly and gave away 33 runs in their 5 overs. In reply, Nagaraju and Achyut chased down the target inside 4 overs. It was a satisfactory victory but still there was room for improvement. In the second round, UnderConstruction awaited them. The UnderConstruction were a formidable outfit with some big-hitters in the form of Ruthvik. EMLs were asked to field first. They started brightly giving away just 10 runs in 2overs with the priceless wicket of ruthvik. But Underconstruction accelerated and with the help of some big-hitting and poor bowling from the EMLs ended up scoring 49 runs in 5 overs. This was a huge total since no team had successfully chased down such a total. The EMLs changed strategy and sent in Gaganjot Singh and Nagaraju, their big hitters. They lost Nagaraju in the first over but gagan accelerated with 2 huge sixes over the "Imli-Ka-Jhaad". Meanwhile, Achyut rotated the strike which took off the pressure from the EMLs. Gagan again hit another six over the mid-wicket region of ruthvik before eventually being run-out by achyut. But half the damage was done by then. At that stage, EMLs required 23 from 3 overs which wasn't a difficult task. Rakesh and Achyut rotated the strike and hit the loose ones for boundaries successfully chasing down the total with 4 bowls to spare. This victory came as a confidence-booster to the team. In the third round they played a team from the MCA dept. winning it comfortably by 8 wickets. In the quarter-finals, they were drawn against the defending champions Team Venky (earlier known as 200 Not Out). The odds were against them and everyone pitted team venky to win the match. The toss was crucial and EMLs were sent in to field first. There was change in the strategy and kedar was given the new ball instead of rakesh, who would be very handy in the slog overs with his ability to bowl in the block areas. EMLs started brightly with some amazing bowling display by Kedar who gave away just 11 runs in his 2 overs against some of the biggest hitters in the university. The other bowlers bowled to their expectations and restricted Team Venky's to 41 in 5 overs. Nagaraju and Gagan opened this time around. Unfortunately, gagan got out early. Achyut was sent in by the captain and he played some classic cover drives and rotating the strike with nagaraju. Nagaraju, on the other hand , miscued a pull shot and was lucky to be dropped at mid-wicket. The next hook was the highlight of the match. It was almost similar to the Sachin-Caddick pull ( WC of 2003). The six took of the pressure and the req. run rate was back to 6. The next over he smashed another six over the square leg needing less than run-a ball for victory. This was like a walk in the park for EMLs with their two most experienced batsmen, the twins, who were masters at rotating the strike, completing the chase with an over to spare. The Victory was well-received by the fans and other teams. It also made them the favorites to win the Night Cup. In the Semifinal, Odisha XI awaited them. As usual, EMLs won the toss and chose to field first. Their two main bowlers, Kedar and Rakesh bowled brilliantly in the first 4 overs giving away just 20 runs. In the 5th over, Kedar sent down a brilliant over giving away just 2 runs and claiming 3 wickets. Odisha XI were 28 in 6 overs and the last over was given to Rakesh who bowled very poorly giving away 17 runs. Suddenly, the momentum was on the odisha side. In their reply, Gaganjot and Nagaraju got out very cheaply increasing the pressure on the middle-order. The experience of the twins again rescued the team with the twins rotating the strike with ease. But in the penultimate over, Kedar got out after trying to clear the ground. The pressure was back on the EMLs who at that stage required 15 from the 11 balls. The left-handed Rakesh went in and on the very first ball he faced, he lofted one over the square leg boundary before flicking one for four the next ball. The last over required them needing to hit 2 runs and achyut, not-out for the 5th time in the series, drove one past the covers creating history. EMLs, hence, became the first team from the Integrated department to enter the final of the Night cup. The final proved to be an exiting affair as well. The Super Psynides, finalists for the past 3 Night Cups, awaited the EMLs. The Psynides were a very strong outfit with 4-5 big hitters and quick bowlers. EMLs won the toss and, as usual, bowled first. The first 4 overs were very poor with some sloppy fielding combined with some big hitting helping the psynides score 34. The next 4 overs were fantastic with Nagaraju and Achyut ( Bowling for the first time in the tournament) giving away just 23 runs. Here the wicket keeper Naveen also deserves some mention for his brilliant keeping behind the wickets. The environment in the dressing room during the break was just fantastic with every player sensing victory given the strong batting line-up. Nagaraju and Achyut went in to chase down the score and went after the bowlers right from the word go. Nagaraju, again hitting a few over the square leg with his trademark pull shot. He soon got out but he had already done the job. Gaganjot was sent in next , who began cautiously rotating the strike with Achyut before smashing two over the "Imli-Ka-Jhaad". Achyut, in the process of finishing the game got out for the first time in the tournament. But Naveen went in and scored the winning runs helping the team to its first major success in the University. It also became the first team from the Integrated to win the Night Cup. With this victory, the team also won the hearts of the HCU crowd . Nagaraju, deservingly, got the man of the series award for his outstanding performances with the ball and the bat. The team was brilliantly supported by WT-FC, the UnderConstruction team, The Underdogs, Crazy Boys and the integrated crowd during the whole tournament without whose support they'd have never won the night cup. The 2011-12 season ended on a dream note and the 'scientists' are now back to their labs focussing on their academic career.
