The cricket team falls 98-97 to the Union College in the opening game-the Williams record

Last weekend, the college club's cricket team took part in their first game, in which they lost just under 98-97 on the unbeaten Union College.

Union started strongly with strong bowling and sharp intensity, and the Ephs were able to react in the course of the game. Unfortunately, the Ephs ended the match one run short.

Despite the difficult loss, this weekend was the team's first competition game after years of hard work.

Current members of the team are not quite sure when Cricket was played at College for the first time, but today's team came together for the first time in September 2022. Akif Ismail '26 remembered that in his first year on college rumors about a committed group of alumen, it was used to scrim as a student. “Some people used to play- once or twice a semester, very casually,” he said.

But when Ismail came to college, this group was long over and the cricket scene was over -frozen. That was until he had a random enema with an alum. “One day I took the bus to North Adams and accidentally pushed into this alum from Pakistan, Sobhan Mehmood '20, and he said to me: 'There is a bat and a ball on the fourth floor of Bascom House”, “Ismail” Ismail said.

Later that day, Ismail returned to college with Mehmood, and the two chased the cricket equipment down.

Even equipped with the tools of trade, Ismail had a lot to do before a cricket match was able to take place – he had to find people who are ready to play.

“I would wake up on Saturday morning [go around] Mission and Frosh Quad knock on … doors and call everyone imaginable, ”he said.

According to Ismail, the willing participants were difficult to find in the United States due to the darkness of the sport. “Not a lot of people know about [cricket]”, He said. “When I go in the city, people say: 'Oh, what insect are you talking about?'”

Ismail, who comes from Pakistan, found that he had rely on the recruitment of other students from South Asia in the team's early phases.

Although the community was small, it quickly became much more than the game. “In my first year, Cricket Club was a room for South Asian to meet [and] Talk about life, ”said Ismail.

When the Clun continued to grow, Jacob Rivet '25 planned to study abroad. Fortunately, he discovered a daily message that promoted the club training of the club. “I wanted to study abroad in India, so I said: 'Age, I have to learn cricket,',” he said in an interview with that Record. And he decided.

Rivet did not want to go alone and gave the news to Bobby Verhey '25, another future member of the team. “[Jacob] Send this daily message with the inscription “There will be cricket tomorrow on the field hockey fields,” said Verhey. “And he writes to me: 'Do you want to go?' And I write back: “I have no idea … [what] cricket [is]But sounds fun. '”

Nobody had played cricket before. Nevertheless, Rivet and Verhey felt greeted immediately.

“We were that [only] Two new boys – all [else] Know how to play cricket, ”said Verhey. “And they were so friendly and so great.”

The club continued to grow in the semesters after Rivet and Verhey joined. However, when the club started increasing the speed, Ismail had to leave the team when he studied in autumn 2024. “I had to give someone to the club,” he said. “I was so happy to find someone much more passion than me.” That someone was Mutaal '27, who took over in autumn 2024 and is now the captain of the team.

Mutaal performed quickly to lead the team. “Now we have this schedule and everyone is aware that we should appear for cricket on Saturday,” said Ismail. After all, they didn't have to use a folding chair instead of actual gates, Rivet noticed.

When Verhey returned to campus outside the campus this autumn after the spring of 2024, he saw the club's growth first -hand. “I came back and [I was] in the hope that the Cricket Club was still going and it turned out [to be] stronger than ever, ”he said.

Ismail noticed a similar improvement than he returned from his semester. “People got better and better and we went faster and faster and found that we remembered [were] Ready for a match, ”he said.

But although the team was in the form of play, the group still had to overcome significant hurdles before they could set up a real competition. “It is very difficult to organize a cricket game where cricket games do not exist,” said Ismail. “You don't even know who you should contact in some schools.”

Fortunately, Mutaal had an ace her sleeve. “I know some of them [Union College’s] Player, ”he said. “I played with them in Pakistan at the club level. So I sent them with a potential organization of a game and they were below. “

The data was determined, the calendar was clarified and the anticipation was built.

However, there was a little problem. Because the team had never played a regulatory game, it had no set squad. To fix this problem, the club had to find some new recruits.

“We turned to two golfers, Peter Dohr [’25] and Owen Nielsen [’27]I think the golf swing would translate well with the cricket swing, ”said Verhey. The team also recruited Peter Deegan-Krause '28 and Nick Mancuso '26, who play in club football. Each of these newcomers appeared in the game on Saturday.

After a fiery PEP discussion by Muhammad Haad '26, it was time to take the field. The team's diversity surprised the union when they entered the field.

Mutaal explained that the entire union team consisted of students from South Asia in which Cricket is most popular. “And then we go into recruited golf sports enthusiasts, baseball athletes, skiers and things,” he said.

For mutaal and Ismail, the diversity of the team has become essential for his nature. “It is our team identity,” said Mutaal.

“[The] The most diverse cricket team in the USA, ”added Rivet.

According to Ismail, the new recruits learned quickly and played well. “[Nielsen] Was incredible, ”he said. “He learned so quickly. He was our Wicket goalkeeper and I thought he would do everything perfectly into a T -shirt. And he had never done it before. “

Another outstanding actor for the Ephs was Adi Malhotra '25, who had 48 runs with 33 balls. At one point in the game, Malhotra scored four six in a row. Sixs – named after their point value – are rare and only occur when a player hits the ball out of the park without touching the floor, cricket's home run.

“At that moment I thought we all thought we would win a match and they have stress,” said Verhey.

The Ephs fought hard to the end, but ultimately were just a run behind Union when the game came to an end.

While the loss was disappointing, the team said that it was so good to get so close to winning. “[Union has] I think I was unbeaten for three semesters at that time, ”said Multalal. “A one-run loss against such an experienced team is not the worst result for a brand new team.”

Regardless of the score, the game for the Williams Cricket program was of crucial importance. “The biggest consequence that we have a cricket game is that many more people are aware of on campus [the club’s] Existence, ”said Ismail.

In fact, it seems as if many people capture the fact that the term “cricket” is not only reserved for entomologists. “There was a party in Tyler last night and the people came up to me and asked us about the cricket match,” said Verhey. “It was cool to see [that] It has won a certain relevance on campus. “