A Game of Friends and Rivals: Haverford vs. Wanderers
Match Report: Haverford vs. Wanderers
HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford kicked off a weekend of playing familiar faces on Friday, April 17. A rare Friday fixture, but the Fords were ready for the challenge.
The Wanderers batted first, with a familiar opening pair in Sidd Phatak '25 and Mohanish Bajaj '25, both captains last year. The duo put on a commanding display in the first 12 overs, racking up 125 runs with eight towering sixes and six clean boundaries. At times, it seemed as though everything they touched raced to or over the boundary. The breakthrough finally came in the 13th over, when sophomore Vivaan Hingad struck twice in quick succession to remove both openers and give Haverford a much-needed opening.
Eugene Yang '24 and Deep Patel '25 followed, adding another 35 runs to push the Wanderers to 164 in 19.4 overs, when Yang was eventually caught by sophomore Agastya Singh off the bowling of junior Sanil Kagalwala. This allowed Josh Corbett '24 to chip in with a run as the innings wrapped up.
Chasing 166 in 20 overs, Haverford needed a strong start. Sophomores Agastya Singh and Nihaal Kochar opened with intent, but Singh was dismissed early, caught off a delivery from Phatak. Kochar and Kagalwala then steadied the innings with a 62-run partnership, finding the boundary regularly with two sixes and four fours between them.
However, momentum slipped in the 12th over when Kagalwala fell to Andrew Cornell '19. Kochar followed soon after, leaving Haverford at 79/3 in 13 overs. With 87 runs needed off the final seven overs, the chase began to drift out of reach. Captain Ishpuneet Singh and first-year Rasik Waikar added a further 29 runs, but the required rate proved too steep. When the innings closed at 121/6 after 20 overs, with Hingad and junior Rohan Sarma still at the crease, Haverford fell short by 45 runs.
Even so, it didn't quite feel like a loss in the usual sense. Facing the Wanderers meant lining up against players many of the Fords have shared fields, teams, and friendships with over the years, which gave the match a different kind of energy. There was plenty of competition, but just as much mutual respect and familiarity. On the day, Haverford was outplayed, and that was okay — matches like these are as much about community as they are about results, and the Fords carried both the lessons and the spirit of the game into the rest of the season.
Back on Cope: Alumni Game Brings Fords Together
Match Report: Haverford vs. Haverford Alumni
HAVERFORD, Pa. - Back on Cope Field for the second game of the weekend, Haverford Cricket took on its most anticipated fixture of the season: the Alumni Game.
The atmosphere around the pavilion felt different from the start — less edge, more laughter, and a shared sense of history. With the Fords batting first, the spirit of the match showed immediately in the lineup. Junior Sanil Kagalwala and sophomore Vivaan Hingad, neither regular openers, walked out to start the innings and got things going steadily before Hingad fell to a catch.
Sophomore Yadna Prasad joined Kagalwala at the crease, and the pair kept the scoreboard ticking. Kagalwala led the charge with a quickfire 34 off 27 balls, including three fours and two sixes.
Captain Ishpuneet Singh followed, and alongside Prasad helped stabilize the innings. In keeping with the spirit of the game, both Prasad and Singh retired out to give others a chance at the crease.
Junior Rohan Sarma's outing was cut short by a highly questionable call from umpire Aniketh Rao '25, adding a moment of humor to the afternoon. First-years Oliver Anderson, Rasik Waikar, and Anish More all got their turns with the bat, with Waikar contributing 13 runs.
In a twist on the usual order, sophomore Agastya Singh — typically an opener — came in as the eighth batter. The Fords closed their innings at 132/6 after 20 overs, including two retirements.
If the first innings was relaxed, the second began with a flurry of wickets. The first breakthrough came with Aniketh Rao at the crease, dismissed by Rohan Sarma — a moment that felt like fitting vindication. Sarma went on to lead the bowling effort with an impressive four wickets, while Hingad and More picked up two apiece.
The Alumni found some resistance through a strong middle-order partnership, with their number six batter scoring a brisk 41 off 22 balls before More broke through. Contributions came from across the side, including a well-earned wicket for sophomore Calder Rahn.
After the 20 overs, the match continued in true alumni-game fashion, with an extra five overs allowing more players to have a hit. During this stretch, sophomore Nihaal Kochar added a couple of wickets to his tally.
As always with the Alumni Game, the result mattered less than the occasion — but Haverford will happily take the win. More importantly, it was a chance to reconnect, share the field, and celebrate the community that makes this fixture a highlight of the season.
