Grand Forks and Fargo met for a deciding cricket match on October 4, 2026 — but the story was about much more than the final score.
North Dakota may be better known for football, hockey, and long winters, but on a crisp October afternoon, another sport was building its own tradition.
Against a backdrop of trees beginning to turn yellow and gold, players from Grand Forks Cricket Club and NDSU Cricket Club gathered on October 4 for the deciding match of the inaugural ND Friendship Cup.
It was Grand Forks versus Fargo. In many ways, it was also a friendly sporting connection between communities centered around two of North Dakota's major universities — the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University.
More importantly, it was another sign of something that has been quietly growing across the state: a North Dakota cricket community.
A Series Tied 1–1
There could hardly have been a better setup for the final match.
Grand Forks had previously traveled to Fargo and won. Fargo returned the favor when they came to Grand Forks.
So, heading into October 4:
Grand Forks 1 — Fargo/NDSU 1.
The third match would decide the ND Friendship Cup.
The first two games had already produced memorable individual performances, including strong displays from Sriram and Prabhjot in the opening game and Opu of NDSU Cricket Club in the second.
But the deciding match would produce something completely different.
Something that people playing tape-tennis cricket in this region may talk about for a long time.
The Decider Begins
NDSU won the toss and elected to bowl first.
It seemed a reasonable decision for a 15-over match.
Then Sriram on the scorecard — started batting.
And almost immediately, the match changed.
This was not an innings that gradually gathered momentum. Ram attacked from the beginning and continued attacking until the final ball of the Grand Forks innings.
Boundaries kept disappearing.
The total kept climbing.
And somewhere along the way, what had begun as an important innings in a Friendship Cup decider became a record-breaking performance.
178 Not Out From 55 Balls
Ram finished unbeaten on an extraordinary:
178 from 55 balls*
with:
24 sixes · 4 fours · Strike rate 323.6
Twenty-four sixes.
In a 15-over game.
That means 160 of his 178 runs came in boundaries alone — 144 from sixes and another 16 from fours.
It was the innings that separated the two teams.
Tahsin contributed 18 from 12 balls, Hasib added 12 from 9, and Talha finished unbeaten with 20 from 11, but Ram's innings dominated the scorecard.
After 15 overs, Grand Forks had reached:
245/3
A run rate of 16.33 runs per over.
A New Local Six-Hitting Record
RAM — 178 (55)*
24 SIXES | 4 FOURS | SR 323.6
The number that perhaps best describes the innings is not even 178.
It is 24.
Twenty-four sixes in a single innings.
The local tape-tennis cricket community had previously seen exceptional power hitting, including a major six-hitting performance by Khizar from the Fargo cricket community. But Ram's 24 sixes appear to have pushed the mark even further.
On a day intended to decide a tournament, the crowd instead witnessed one of those innings that becomes part of local cricket folklore.
Years from now, somebody may ask:
"What was the record?"
And someone will answer:
"Twenty-four sixes. Grand Forks against NDSU. Friendship Cup, 2026."
NDSU Refuses to Go Quietly
Chasing 246 in 15 overs meant NDSU needed to score at more than 16 runs per over from the beginning.
That is an enormous chase.
But NDSU did not simply surrender to the scoreboard.
Their batters continued attacking and produced a strong 154-run response.
Tanbir led the way with 34 from 19 balls, including five sixes. Zahid struck 29 from 17, Sultan made 21 from 12, and Rakib added 21 from 20.
Delwar remained unbeaten on 12 from 9, while Sakil finished with 9 not out from 6.
NDSU eventually completed its 15 overs at:
154/6
A scoring rate of 10.27 runs per over — a strong batting rate on most days.
On this particular day, however, they had run into an innings of 178.
The Deciding Scorecard
| Grand Forks Cricket Club | NDSU Cricket Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 245/3 | 154/6 |
| Overs | 15 | 15 |
| Run rate | 16.33 | 10.27 |
| Top scorer | Ram – 178 (55)* | Tanbir – 34 (19) |
| Result | Won by 91 runs | — |
Among the bowling performances for Grand Forks, Izaz took 2/38 from three overs, while Haseeb, Ram, Soriiful and Serat also picked up wickets.
For NDSU, Rakib returned 2/43, while Shontu took one wicket.
Grand Forks Cricket Club won by 91 runs and took the deciding match of the ND Friendship Cup.
But the Friendship Cup Was Bigger Than 245 Runs
The scoreboard tells one story.
The photographs tell another.
Two groups of players. Different backgrounds. Students, researchers, professionals, families and friends gathering around a sport many of them grew up playing thousands of miles away.
And now they are playing it in North Dakota.
That may ultimately be the most important part of the Friendship Cup.
Grand Forks and Fargo are separated by roughly 80 miles of Interstate 29. UND and NDSU have one of North Dakota's best-known sporting rivalries.
Cricket offers a different kind of connection.
Players travel south to Fargo.
Fargo players travel north to Grand Forks.
They compete hard for a few hours, argue about runs and wickets, celebrate sixes, take photographs together — and then start talking about the next match.
The word "Friendship" in Friendship Cup therefore feels particularly appropriate. The ND Friendship Cup was aptly coined by Rakib from NDSU Cricket Club.
Cricket Finds a Home in North Dakota
For international communities in places such as Grand Forks and Fargo, sport can become much more than recreation.
Cricket creates a familiar space in an unfamiliar landscape.
It brings together people from countries and cultures where cricket may have been part of childhood — India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and many others — while also introducing the game to friends and families who may be seeing it for the first time.
And North Dakota provides a rather spectacular setting for it.
The cricket season here is short.
Summer disappears quickly.
By early October, green fields begin meeting yellow trees, jackets start appearing along the boundary, and everyone knows winter is not far away.
That makes every remaining weekend of cricket feel a little more valuable.
On October 4, the changing fall colors formed the background as Grand Forks and Fargo completed their first Friendship Cup.
It is difficult to imagine a more North Dakotan cricket scene.
(Winners : Grand Forks Cricket Club , First edition of ND Friendship Cup 2026 by 2-1)
A Cup, a Record, and Hopefully a Tradition
178 NOT OUT
55 BALLS
24 SIXES
4 FOURS
323.6 STRIKE RATE
Ram's innings will understandably be the performance remembered from this match.
But the bigger achievement may be simply getting the tournament started.
The first ND Friendship Cup now has its history:
A tied series.
A deciding third match.
A spectacular October setting.
A 245-run team total.
Twenty-four sixes from one batter.
And two cricket communities coming together.
Grand Forks Cricket Club
ND Friendship Cup Champions — 2026
Grand Forks Cricket Club 245/3 defeated NDSU Cricket Club 154/6 by 91 runs.
But perhaps the best result from the tournament cannot be found on the scorecard.
Cricket between Grand Forks and Fargo now has a beginning.
Hopefully, this was not simply the first ND Friendship Cup.
Hopefully, it was the first of many.
See you next summer. 🏏🍂
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