CL HUNDRED BALL BUSINESS LEAGUE - SEMI-FINALS CONFIRMED! (JULY 17TH)

With the group stage now complete, the line-up for the Hundred Ball Business League semi-finals has been confirmed after several weeks of highly competitive cricket.

Group A
PWC finished top of Group A with a perfect record, capping off a strong campaign by defeating Accenture in both of their remaining fixtures in what became effectively a quarter-final to progress unbeaten. Accenture also had a strong showing in the group with their only defeats coming against the group winners. ESB battled well throughout the competition, while Amazon continued to improve with each outing despite missing out on the knockout stages with both teams recording victories against each other.

Group B
Former champions Deloitte underlined their credentials as title contenders by finishing top of Group B with a perfect record, winning all of their group matches. IBM produced a number of strong performances to secure second place, while KPMG and SAP were unable to break into the top two despite some competitive displays.

Group C
Microsoft were the first side to confirm their place in the semi-finals after an excellent start to the competition, winning their opening three matches. FMR rounded off the group stage with an impressive victory over Microsoft after their qualification had already been secured; EirGrid finished as runners-up and missed out on a place in the semi-finals on Head-to-Head. Sogeti pushed the leading sides throughout in what made for a strong group.

Group D
Defending champions EY completed another unbeaten group-stage campaign, finishing top of Group D after adding a final victory to maintain their perfect record. Google and Aon impressed in their debut appearances, delivering fighting performances throughout and creating many competitive fixtures, while Bank of America and Gresham House battled well in the group despite missing out on qualification, while their fixture was hampered by the weather.

The first semi-final sees unbeaten Group A winners PWC take on Microsoft. PWC have been one of the standout teams of the tournament, led well by Asad Ali, winning every group game to top Group A. Microsoft booked their place early after winning their opening three matches before narrowly falling to FMR in a dead rubber. With the likes of Sudhakar Padam, Kuldeep Ghildiyal and Pritish Onmalwar all enjoying strong tournaments, Microsoft have more than enough quality to challenge the Group A winners.

The second semi-final promises to be a blockbuster as defending champions EY face former champions Deloitte. Both sides progressed through the group stage unbeaten, setting up what many will see as a final-worthy contest. EY have once again demonstrated their strength in depth, with Skanda Rao, Swapnil Modgill and Himanshu Kamat having all made major contributions throughout the campaign. Deloitte, meanwhile, have quietly gone about their business with a perfect group-stage record and will be aiming to add another Business Cup title to their cabinet.