All-rounder Akhtar Shaikh scores a breath-taking 17ball 59 coupled with 2wkts in the Automative T20 Cricket League ‘17

Some all-rounders have an inborn ability to change the game on their day. They can be brutally dangerous once they get going. We all know how Maxwell, Afridi, Symonds were like at International level! Well, we got to see almost a similar sort of perfomance at the local level where in Akhtar Shaikh simply dominated with the bat while also contributed with the ball to help his team win the match.

Played at the MIG Cricket Ground in Bandra, Namrata Motors won the toss and elected to field first. Batting first, Route Mobile did an excellent job with the bat as they notched up 192runs with the loss of 6wkts in 20 overs. Even though their top order failed to give a flying start, it was their middle order bats Ajinkya Belose and Tanush Kotian who resurrected the innings back. Carrying the positive momemtum left behind by ajunkya and tanush, akhtar shaikh who came in at no.7 changed the script of the game in a span of 20-30 minutes as he scored one of the fastest fifties in Mumbai this year. Akhtar remained 59* off mere 17 deliveries which included 5 fours and 5handsome sixes at a staggering strike rate of 347!

Defending a total of 192, Route Mobile restricted Namrata Motors to just 125/8 in 20 overs. Tight bowling along with discipline showed by the bowlers helped them win the match by 67runs. Chinmay Patil with 2/12 in 3 overs was the pick of the bowlers while Akhtar Shaikh also chipped in with good bowling figures of 2/18 in 3overs. Dinar Gaonkar also took 2wkts. It was a match where Route Mobile dominated from start to end while all-rounder Akhtar Shaikh was declared ‘man of the match’

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