Legends League Cricket | World Giants, not quite old giants

They may have hung up their boots a while ago and they may not be as fit as they used to be. Their passion though is still intact, so are their skills.

The Al Amerat Cricket Stadium here was a witness to several cricketers turning the clock back in admirable fashion over the last 10 days. The first edition of the Legends League Cricket showed that some of the most admired cricketers from the past could delight their fans.

Those cricket lovers may have been disappointed that the final didn’t go the distance, especially after some closely contested encounters in the league phase. The might of the World Giants batting turned out to be too good for Asia Lions.

Stunning onslaught

Daren Sammy’s men won the final by 25 runs. A stunning onslaught from the man who once broke the record for the fastest ODI century, Corey Anderson (94, 43b), powered them to 256 for five. Lions needed an innings to rival — or better — that to overtake such a mammoth total, even on the batting beauty of a wicket. It never came.

Anderson’s wasn’t the only eye-catching innings of the tournament.

There was a 69-ball 140 from Indian Maharajas’ Naman Ojha against Giants, not to mention the superb knocks from the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Upul Taranga, Kevin O’Brien, Herschelle Gibbs, Asghar Afghan and the Pathan brothers, Yusuf and Irfan.

The bowlers had their moments under the lights, too. There was, for instance, this superb final over by Brett Lee for Giants against Maharajas. The former Australian quick gave away just two runs to hand his side a five-run victory.

Other pacers, like Morne Morkel, Nuwan Kulasekara and Ryan Sidebottom, too bent their ageing backs to good effect.

As Pietersen suggested on the opening day, things could get even better in the second season.

(The writer is in Muscat at the invitation of Legends League Cricket).