Mumbai Own Cricket Awards by NATARAJ PENS was successfully conducted on 31st March 2018 in full capacity consisting of Coaches, parents, cricketers and all the relevant personalities in the field of cricket headed by an illustrious panel of Sir Umesh Patwal (Ex-coach of Afghanistan National team and current coach with Nepal Cricket Team), Mrs. Sangeeta Kamat (MCA Women’s selector) and Sir Nitin Surve( Ex-Ranji Cricketer).
From all the categories of awards which were conducted, College level category was something which which seemed to be the most awaited category of the lot. This is the phase where most of the boys are at their peak age of learning, growing up, working on their techniques, taking major decisions regarding their career. Cricketers at the college level have to balance not only their studies and other commitments but also have to grind hard and practice daily on the field and perform in the matches too. This is the phase where most of the aspiring players set a certain goal to reach in Cricket and take the sport seriously as a career and hence felicitating them for the hard work and great performances they put was really important.
In the College Category Award for the “Best Batsman”award was bagged by Ashay Sardesai who is a young batsman and was in the news for scoring a mammoth 250 in the C K Nayudu U23 Cricket Tournament 2017-18. Ashay smashed 855 runs in 12 matches this season and has been one of the most consistent batsman.
The 1st runner up Japjeet Singh Randhawa also bagged an award and felicitation for scoring 742 runs in 10 matches at a staggering average of 80+. Japjeet has been Khalsa’s most prolific run scorer and has single handedly helped his college team win many matches.
Left-handed attacking opening batsman of the Mumbai team who is making a mark in the Mumbai Cricketing circles with his fearless Batting-Divyansh Saxena was the 2nd runner up with 648 runs in 13 matches.
In the Best Bowler Category-Talented Bowler Abhimanyu Vashishtha who has bagged 41 wkts in 16 matches clichéd the best bowler award. Abhimanyu has been consistent with the ball and is improving everyday as far as his line and length is concerned.
1st Runner up Parag Ovhal from Podar College has also been quite a tough competitor to bag the trophy with his consistent bowling throughout the season. Parag Ovhal took 23 wkts in 9 matches.
2nd Runner-up Rugved Kulkarni from RA Podar College was also felicitated for his performance of 23 wkts in 8 matches this season.
In the All-rounder Category- One of the most experienced and prolific Mumbai all-rounder Shams Maulani who has been a dependable warhorse of whichever teams he plays for bagged the prestigious award. With over 520 runs at an average of close to 55 with the bat and 24 wkts in 9 matches this season, Shams has been exceptional as well as consistent making him a big asset in cricket.
1st Runner-up Suved Parkar who is regarded as one of the most promising talents in Mumbai Cricket right now was also felicitated. Suved with 946 runs at a very healthy batting average and 3 wkts in 11 matches has been very impressive.
2nd Runner-up Varun Lavande who is among the most attacking all-rounders at present was the 2nd runner up smashing 664 runs and 4 wkts in 9 matches.
Most Popular Player Cricket Awards in College Category – Satyak Patel from Rizvi Colllege won the most popular college cricketer with a massive win by 268 facebook votes. Satyak who is one of the most promising bowlers of Rizvi has bowled some amazing spells which made him a mass favorite.
The winners were presented a certificate by NATARAJ PENS & Cricketgraph, a stunning BR Sports English Willow bat/a box of BR Sports Leather balls alongwith Fast & Up Gift Hamper. It was a wonderful evening and this event certainly raised the stakes of local cricket and took the grassroot level cricket to a recognized level.
Played at Basti, two promising teams took on each other namely Basti Blues and Kanpur U-14 Teams where in Basti Blue won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big 1st innings total to put the opposition under pressure.
Basti Blues batting first made a big total of 190/2 in 20 overs on the back of their skipper Abdul Rahman’s brilliant hundred. Opening the innings, Abdul took on the bowlers with dominance as he smashed 6fours and 5sixes at a strike rate of 187. Abdul’s blazing knock was well supported by Pushpendra singh who scored 39 while all-rounder Mohamad Hasan scored an unbeaten 24* before the end of the innings.
Defending 191, the pressure was more on Kanpur team as targets of 180+ are always difficult to chase in a T20 game but spinner Mohamad Hasan came up with one of the best T20 Bowling spells taking an 8wkt haul. Leg-break bowler Mohamad Hasan came up with brilliant bowling figures of 8/32 in 4overs which reduced Kanpur U/14 to 1768 in 20 overs. The strong batting line up of Kanpur where in Divyanshu Singh top scored with a 55ball 78 fell short of 14runs.
Forget about T20’s, 8wkt haul is difficult to get in One Dayers and even in Tests and what Hasan did was simply commendable with the ball which also helped him earn ‘man of the match award’ while Abdul’s brilliant 59ball 110 played a equally big role in the win.
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Played at the plot no.8 cross maidan in Mumbai, it was the all important semi finals between DMCC and GICS where in DMCC won the toss and elected to bat first on the back of their strong batting line up.
Batting first, DMCC were off to a disastrous start with both their openers out for a duck but the rest of the batsman below chipped in with runs. All-rounder Jagdish Jadhav scored a 25ball 46(4fours, 3sixes) which set the tone for the innings while Mayur Panhalkar who came at no.6 changed the script of the game with a 29ball 67 smashing 7fours and 3sixes to take the team total to a very competitive 189/6 in 20overs. Mayur attacked the bowlers with pure dominance and turned back the momentum in his team’s favor with his blazing innings. Jidnyesh who was a bit expensive was the pick of the bowlers taking 3wkts.
Defending a healthy total of 190, the pressure was more on GICS as DMCC have a quality bowling attack. The pressure was quite evident on them as they were bundled out for mere 53runs in 13.4 overs. All-rounder Jagdish Jadhav who was also impressive with the bat was the pick of the bowlers taking a stunning 4/12 in 4overs. The rest of the bowlers also chipped in with wickets giving him good support.
DMCC won the semi-finals by a massive margin of 137runs in a dominating manner on the back of Jadgish’s all-round brilliance and Mayur’s attacking batting while Jagdish Jadhav was also declared ‘man of the match’ for his quick 46 and a 4wkt haul.
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Played at the Oval Maidan, it was a crucial clash between Naval Dockyard & Mahindra Logistics where in Naval Dockyard batted first on a track which has equal support for the bowlers as well as the batsman.
Naval Dockyard batting first made only a meagre total of 126/9 in 20overs where in Mahindra Logistics bowlers did a really commendable job. Mangesh V at no.3 top scored with 31runs while the rest of the batsman failed to convert their starts. All the bowlers contributed well with Narayan, Rohan and Nandan taking 2wkts each. Pankaj Kori was also impressive with the ball where he gave just 9runs in 4overs while also bagging a wicket.
Chasing a moderate total of 127runs, Mahindra Logistics were off to a shaky start with their openers falling out quickly. However Aniket Juvekar and Vedant Ingle took on the onus of chasing on their shoulders as Aniket smashed a swashbuckling 57* off 38balls while Vedant Ingle also gave great support smashing a 32ball 43*. Both the boys looked confident and attacked the bowlers at will finishing off the chase in 14overs.
Mahindra Logistics won the match by 8wkts and it was surely on the back of Aniket and Vedant’s match winning partnership.
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Played at the Singhania School Ground, two really promising teams namely Billabong International School and N.H.P.S (New Horizon) took on each other where in Billabong who have a nice batting line up elected to bat first with an aim of making a big total and put the opposition under pressure.
Batting first, Billabong made a blistering total of 199/7 in 25overs which is anyday defendable. Opener Sai Anurag gave a good start with his 38 but it was their no.3 star all-rounder Aarush Patankar who scored a fantastic knock of 72* off mere 55balls smashing 8fours and 3sixes to take the team total to a very respectable one. Aarush as always looked very confident and took on the bowlers with pure dominance helping his team make a big total. Aman Sarda also played well scoring 38runs while also stitching an important partnership with Aarush.
New Horizon gave a really tough fight but they eventually fell short of 22runs getting all out for 178runs. The bowlers did a really nice job but it was their wily spinner Aarush who was the pick of the bowlers too taking 4/25 in 5overs with one maiden.
Billabong High International School won the match by 22 runs. Aarush Patankar received man of the match
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Played between DPC Sports Club and Dr.DY Patil Sports Academy at Shivaji Park, Dadkar Maidan, DPC Sports Club won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big total on a track which had some support for the batsman.
DPC Sports Club who batted first made a fairly decent total of 342/10 in 70overs wherein opener Saurav Tendulkar scored one of the solid centuries of the tournament smashing 106 off 161deliveries. Even though the rest of the batsman failed to convert their starts, Saurav stitched an 189run stand with Viraj Yadav who went on to score 130 off 133balls smashing 13fours and 5sixes. While Saurav was all about grace and composure, Viraj on the other hand showed dominance and did aggressive batting playing at a strike rate of almost 100. One of the promising left arm spinners in Mumbai Cricket, Karsh Kothari came up with a match winning bowling spell of 5/99 in 22overs. Karsh bowled in the right areas which helped him come up with crucial and timely breakthroughs.
Chasing 343, Kaustubh Pawar as always gave a good start scoring 66 off just 87balls (10fours) creating the positive momentum. However, it was their right handed Sarvesh Damle at no.4 who continued his good form smashing an unbeaten 134* off 136balls smashing 12fours and 3sixes. Sarvesh also got a good support from DY Patil’s most dependable and attacking middle order batsman Yogesh Takawale who also notched up an impressive 101* off 107balls(11fours,1sixes). Both the experienced batsman stitched an unbeaten match winning 212* runs stand which pushed DY Patil to a yet another dominating win. Both the experienced players smashed some amazing shots and completely took on the bowlers at will helping DY Patil win the match by 7wkts.
It was a whitewash win for DY Patil where in Karsh did a good job with the ball while Sarvesh and Yogesh took care of the chase.
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Played at the Central Railway Ground, it was the all important match between clash between NSCI and Bombay Gymkhana where in Bombay Gymkhana won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big target to defend.
NSCI batting first managed to score 166/8 in 20 overs which is a fairly decent total to defend in a T20 match. The batsman gave quick starts which helped them cross the 160run mark. Opener Kamran Ahmed top scored with a 41ball 49 while Karan Chugh at no.6 gave a crucial contribution of a quick 48 coming off just 23balls which accelerated their team total in the end overs. All-rounder Sohrab Khushrushahi and Burzin Dubash were the pick of the bowlers taking 2wkts each in their spell of 4overs.
Bombay Gymkhana were off to a flying start on the back of their attacking openers Armaan Jain and Shailesh Daga. While Armaan scored a 20ball 33, Shailesh smashed a quikfire 47 off just 25balls smashing 5fours and 2sixes. Both the batsman took on the bowlers with pure dominance while Shailesh fell just 3runs short of what could have been a deserving half century. In-form All-rounder Sohrab Khushrushahi once again played an anchoring knock smashing a 41ball 47 while Shailendra Singh scored the winning runs with a 21ball 32*.
Bombay Gymkhana won the match by 7wkts and an over to spare while Shailesh Daga was declared ‘man of the match’.
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Played at the High Court Maidan, Oval, it was the all important Pre-quarter finals between the powerful Datamatics and O.F Sports Club where in O.F Sports Club won the toss and elected to bat first.
OF Sports Club batting first made a moderate total of 200runs all out in 43.3 overs where in Jayesh T at no.6 played a very impressive and hard fought knock of 88* coming in only 71deliveries. Jayesh smashed 12fours and looked really confident despite lacking support from the other end. From Datamatics, Kavish S and Ravi Mail were the pick of the bowlers taking 3/37 and 2/28 respectively while Sagar and Pratik also took 2wkts each. It was all in all a collective team perfomance which restricted the opposition to a low total.
Chasing 201, Datamatics who were off to a decent start chased down the score with superlative ease in mere 39.3 overs. Solid top order batsman Nikhil Patil who came at no.3 scored a match winning 60runs off 80balls smashing 5fours while Ravi who came at no.6 scored 48*alongwith Ritesh to finish off the chase in style.
Datamatics won the match by 5wkts where in the entire team did their job perfectly first with the ball then with the bat while chasing. With this win, Datamatics continue their winning streak and qualify their spot in the Quarter finals. Must say, they are definately a team to look out for in the final stages of the tournament.
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Played at the New Hind Ground at Matunga, IDBI Federal Life and B2X took on each other for a crucial clash where in B2X won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big target and putting the opposition under pressure.
B2X batting first were not able to make a big target as they were restricted to just 132/all out in 19.2 overs. None of the batsman managed to make a big impact with Shiv and no.4 top scoring with a 22ball 37. Shiv looked good for his stay at the crease where in he smashed 4fours and 2sixes. The bowlers did an excellent job bowling really tight with Rajendra, Aadesh and Pratik bagging 2wkts each. Vivek Patel also took 1wkt with the ball.
Chasing 133, IDBI who have a strong batting line chased it down with ease on the back of two of their most promising batsman-Vicky and Vivek. Opener Vicky Patil smashed a superlative 43ball 55 smashing 7fours and 2sixes while IDBI’s most consistent batsman Vivek continued his purple patch with the ball anchoring the chase with a 62*off just 44balls smashing 9fours and 2sixes. Both the batsman stitched a 122 runs opening stand which did the job for their team.
IDBI won the match comfortably by 9wkts while Vivek was declared ‘man of the match’ for his all-round perfomance while Vicky’s knock also played a crucial role in their team’s win. It was also good to see Vivek playing for his team despite going through an injury.
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Played at the Western Railways Cricket Ground, it was a exciting clash between Malabar Hill Club and PJ Hindu Gymkhana where in PJ Hindu Gymkhana won the toss and elected to bat first considering they have a very good batting line up to make a decent total to defend.
Batting first, PJ Hindu Gymkhana were 48/3 at one point but talented middle order batsman Saurabh Bahutule who came in at no.5 ressurected the innings back smashing a 45ball 65*. Saurabh who smashed 4fours and a six at a strike rate of 145 batted really well and looked confident against the bowlers taking the team total to 169/6 in 20 overs.
Defending 170, PJ Hindu Gymkhana bundled out Malabar Hill Club to just 110runs as Paresh Shah bowled an amazing spell of 4/15 in 3overs. Paresh Shah bowled in the right areas while he also kept on taking crucial breakthroughs which restricted them to just 110.
Malabar Hill Club lost the match by 59runs and Saurabh was declared ‘man of the match. Paresh’s bowling was also equally commendable and it played a equally big role in the win.
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