The Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) marked a spectacular celebration of sport and national pride last weekend with its Independence Cup matches at the iconic Padang, featuring high-quality men’s and women’s encounters between Singapore Combined XIs and SCC representative teams.
The men’s match was held on March 30 and 31, while a Twenty20 match between the women’s teams was played on March 29.
“We came up with the Independence Cup to celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday and to showcase the best cricketing talent in the country,” said Krishna Natarajan, convener of cricket at SCC. “We chose the Padang because it has deep historical significance – it’s where the first cricket match in Singapore was played 188 years ago. As a club, we’re proud of our heritage as guardians of cricket and this historic ground.”
The men’s Independence Cup was a rare two-day fixture between SCC XI and Singapore Combined XI (SG XI) – a format not played in Singapore for several years.
SG XI won the toss and batted first but struggled on a slow turf pitch. They were reduced to 22-5 within nine overs due to sharp spells from Harsh Venkataram (4-14) and Riaan Naik (2-29).
A late partnership between Ishaan Sawhney (41 not out) and Kashif Ali (33) lifted them to 115 all out. Akshay Puri also picked up four wickets (4-31).
In response, SCC XI also faltered, slumping to 50-5, before captain Aritra Dutta (58) led a spirited fightback. Despite his efforts, they fell short, all out for 107, conceding an eight-run first innings lead.
SG XI began their second innings cautiously, ending Day 1 at 31-4.
On Day 2, contributions from Manpreet Singh (23), Sawhney (22) and Mason Sherry (23) took SG XI to 135, setting SCC a target of 144. SCC left-arm spinner Aslan Jafri took 3-15.
SCC’s chase was led by Aritra (34), Riaan (28), and a match-winning, unbeaten 54 from Aman Desai. SCC reached the target with seven wickets in hand in just 23 overs.
Pacer Harsh, 17, who claimed six wickets across both innings, was named man of the match.
“The game see-sawed over two days and was challenging due to the unfamiliar format,” said Dutta. “We held our own against a strong SCA side and this match helped me grow as a national player.”
The Women’s T20 match saw SG Women’s XI bowled out for 89 in 17.5 overs. SCC Women’s XI chased down the target in 18.5 overs, finishing at 90-7 to seal a tight win.
Diviya G K, former national captain and SCC skipper, was named player of the match.
“It was a close game, but the girls prevailed,” said Diviya. “Our squad is young and needs more exposure. We’re proud to contribute to the growth of women’s cricket in Singapore.”
The matches featured national players, emerging youth talent, and brought back the longer form of the game – a rare opportunity in Singapore’s predominantly T20 landscape.
“Developing cricket, especially youth and women’s cricket, is a core objective at SCC,” said Riaz Hussein, SCC Captain of Cricket and former national player. “These matches were competitive and played in great spirit. We want all stakeholders to work together to reverse Singapore’s sharp decline in global rankings.”
National selector and ex-captain Munish Arora praised the initiative: “It’s a great opportunity for top local cricketers to adapt to the longer format. It builds patience, endurance and skill consistency – qualities vital for international performance.”
