Played at the Raymonds Cricket Ground, two promising teams namely SVPT and Euro School took on each other where in Euro boys won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big 1st innings total plus the wicket looked good to bat on.
However, their decision to bat first wasn’t the best of the lot as Euro Boys were bundled out for 123runs all out in 30 overs with opener Shashwat top scoring with 24 while Aditya Chavan remaining 20*. The bowlers of SVPT did a fantastic job bowling really tight in the right areas with their star all-rounder Atharva Sawant being the pick of the bowler taking 3/15 in 3overs while Rishikesh, Vedant and Vaibhav chipping in with 2wkts each.
Chasing 124, Atharva Sawant who opened the innings scored an anchoring knock of 53* off 52balls(3fours) smashing some really regal shots while also engaging in good running between the wickets. SVPT did lose 5wkts and it wasn’t an easy win but eventually Atharva steered his team towards a 5wkt win with his confident all-round perfomance.
It was a commendable win for SVPT where the bowlers did a fabulous job while Atharva’sall-round show stood out in the match.
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Played at the Central Railway Ground in Lower Parel, it was the all important clash between two really talented teams namely PJ Hindu Gymkhana and NSCI-National Sports Club of India where in PJ Hindu Gymkhana won the toss and elected to bat first on the back of their strong batting line up.
PJ Hindu Gymkhana were off to a blistering start by their talented openers Suhel Mistry (55 off 40, 6fours and 3sixes) and Maulik Merchant (64 off 34balls, 8fours and 3sixes) as they stitched a 119run opening stand in mere 68deliveries developing a positive momentum for their team. While talented wicket-keeper batsman Megh Adhwaryu who has scored a lot of runs in the professional MCA tournaments showed that he can be a equally potent T20 batsman as he smashed a brutal 51* off 26deliveries (3fours. 3sixes). Megh did excellent running between the wickets while also smashed some brilliant shots pushing their team total to a very healthy 213/5 in 20overs.
Chasing 214 at more than 10runs per is always a difficult task in a T20 match and NSCI must have felt the pressure of chasing as their batting line up collapsed to just 101/10 runs all out in 20 overs. The bowlers did an excellent job where in Paresh Shah was the pick of the bowler taking 3/22 while Saurabh Bahutule and Madhav Kotak also chipping in with 2wkts each.
PJ Hindu Gymkhana won the match in a commanding manner by 112runs where in Megh was declared ‘man of the match’ while contribution of Maulik, Suhel and Paresh was equally commendable.
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Played between New Hind and Dadar Union at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana, it was a crucial clash where in New Hind boys won the toss and elected to bat first as they have a strong batting line up to make a decent total.
New Hind CC batting first made a very competitive total of 177 runs in 20 overs on the back of really good batting. Karan Nandey and Shubham Rege stitched a match winning 100runs partnership where in solid Shubham scored while the aggressive Karan Nandey went on to score a stroke filled 52 off 34balls. Both the boys took on the bowlers with dominance smashing some really good shots while also rotating the strike nicely. It was on the back of these two boys the team reached a decent total of 177/10 in 20 overs. From Dadar Union, it was one of the most promising all-rounders in Mumbai Cricket. Tanush showing his worth with the ball changing the script of the game with a match winning bowling spell of 6/32 in 4overs. Tanush bowled in great line and length which reduced Dadar Union to 160/9 in 20overs. Karan Nandey contributed with the ball too as he took 2/24 in 4overs.
Defending 177, New Hind received a tough fight from Dadar Union batsman as the experienced Bhupen Lalwani scored a 38ball 54 brining his experience while chasing while Sairaj Patil also gave a nice contribution with the bat. New Hind bowlers did an excellent job of taking wickets at the tight time where in Karan also contributed with the ball taking 2/24 in 4overs.
New Hind won the match on the back of Shubham and Karan’s batting while Tanush Kotian’s bowling was equally commendable.
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Played at the Oval Maidan in Mumbai, it was a crucial clash between Datamatics and SBI where in Datamatics won the toss and elected to bat first on the back of their strong batting line up and post a decent total.
Batting first, Datamatics posted a very healthy total of 264/9 in 45 overs as most of the batsman from Datamatics chipped in with solid 30’s and 40’s. Dependable pair of openers Vinayak Mulay and Malang Aras gave a thumping start scoring 39 & 44respectively while also stitching a 100runs opening stand. Both the batsman smashed some really good cricketing shots which created a positive momentum for the middle order to carry on. Hemant Khanolkar and Ritesh Palav chipped in with crucial knocks of 41 & 42 respectively stitching a handy partnership which took their team total to a competitive score. From SBI, left-arm spinner Laxmikant Bemde bowled a fabulous spell winning the hearts of everyone in the field coming up with excellent bowling figures of 6/41 in 9overs. Laxmikant bowled at really nice line and length which fetched excellent results.
Chasing a score of 265 is always difficult in 45overs and that too against the quality bowlers of Datamatics. SBI were all out for 187runs in 31overs despite their top order giving a decent start. From SBI, Manish More(36) and Ameya Ubale(45) batted really well giving a strong fight. All-rounder Ritesh Palav was the pick of the bowlers taking 3/32 in 7overs while Nikhil Patil and Ravi Mali chipping in with 2wkts each.
Datamatics won the match by 77runs and it was surely a collective team perfomance which helped them continue their winning streak.
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Played between Young Star CC and Friend Cricket Club at the Youth’s own Union ground, Young Star CC who have a talented bunch of players elected to bat first with an aim of making a big total to put the opposition under pressure.
Young Star CC batting first were off to a decent start on the back of their opener Rahul Bhat’s 44 but they did suffer some middle order jolts when they were 94/4 at one point. However, Sumedh Kamble who came at no.5 and Nitin Panale who came at no.6 smashed crucial fifties while also stitching a 108run stand which rescued their team from a low total. Sumedh scored 55 off 53balls (3fours) while Nitin scored 66 off 54balls smashing 4fours and 3sixes. Both the batsman looked really good smashing some regal shots eventually taking the team total to 256/all out in 43 overs. From Friends CC, Akshay Nangia was the pick of the bowler taking 3/49 while Sachin Patel also chipping in with 2wkts.
Defending 267, Friends CC were bundled out for 114runs as experienced left arm spinner Prakash Aswani came up with match winning bowling figures of 4/14 in 8.1overs(2maidens). Dhiraj also bowled well taking 2wkts while it was Prakash who showed his experience with the ball restricting Young Star CC to 114runs all-out.
Young Star CC won the match by 153runs and it was surely good batting by Rahul, Sumedh and Nitin while excellent bowling perfomance by Prakash Aswani.
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Friendship Cricket Club (FCC) is back again with its exciting Friendship Trophy that will be played from April 1 to April 29. This is it’s fourth year and the organizers will look to continue their success streak. A couple of members from the organising team; Ashish and Subramanian, have hands on experience of conducting such events.
The playing 10 teams will lock horns against each other in a round robin format. Only the top teams from each of the two groups will make it to the knockout stage. All the matches will be a 15 over affair, with only the knockouts being 20 over games. The rules and regulations of the tourney can be checked online. To energise and rejuvenate the players, FCC will provide energy drinks to the players right at the start of the game.
The participating teams in 2018 are: FCC Smashers (Last year winners), Datafriends (last year finalist), Mulund Excel, Reliance Friends club, Siemens Corporate, Warrior cricket club, SHM-Ulhasnagar, Cricket Club of Dombivli, India First Insurance and FCC Phantoms.
Any cricketing game without appreciation is incomplete. FCC has taken care of the cricket enthusiasts and there is a plethora of prizes to be won. There are many exciting prizes at stake. The winning team will be awarded a trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 12000. The runner up team will be bestowed with a trophy and cash prize of Rs. 7000, and the second runner up will receive a trophy and cash prize of Rs. 3000. Medals will be given to all finalists. In addition, every match will have a Man of the Match prize and there will be accolades for the Best Bowler, Best Batsman, and Man of the Series.
The solid team from the organizing committee are: Dr.Ashish Dhadas, Subramaniyan, Hiren Lakhmani, Prashant Nair and Vikrant Shinde.
Friendship Trophy 2018 is nothing less than an exciting rendezvous. Cricketgraph wishes all the very best to FCC and the participants.
Played at the Azad Maidan, it was a crucial clash between two promising teams namely Crescent Cricket Club and Navroz CC where in Navroz CC won the toss and elected to field first with an aim of restricting the opposition to a low total.
Crescent CC batting first managed to score a fairly decent total of 227/9 in 45overs. Left-handed opener Shreyas Pathak gave a good start opening the inning with a solid 44 while another talented southpaw Ryan Thomas played a brilliant innings of 90runs. Ryan who took only 93deliveries smashed 7fours and a six while also rotated the strike brilliantly engaging in good running between the wickets. It was on the back of promising Ryan, Crescent CC reached 227 as the rest of the batsman below him collapsed with directly no.10 Vishal Bhoir chipping in with 33*. From Navroz, Sandeep Badsiwal was the pick of the bowler taking 3/42 in 9overs.
Defending a moderate total of 227runs, Navroz cc were bundled out for 129/10 all out in 30.2overs with Hitesh Badgujar at no.8 top scoring with a valiant 46*. The bowlers did an excellent job and especially their off-spinner Sunil Punjabi who came up with excellent bowling figures of 4/21 in 6.2 overs. It was good to see 46yr old Sunil playing with excellent spirit and passion towards the game. He who bowled in the right areas which fetched excellent results while medium pacer Vinay Singh was also quite impressive taking 3/21 in 5overs.
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Played at the RTO Ground, Azad Maidan, Patan Cricket Club took on Canara Cricket Club where in Patan CC won the toss and elected to field first as the wicket has something for the bowlers to support and restrict the opposition to a low total.
Canara CC who were made to bat first scored 191/10 runs in 43.5 overs which is not the best of the team totals to defend. Despite opener Rajesh Vayal’s excellent start of 70runs in 83balls, the rest of the batsman collapsed as not a single batsman managed to even cross 20runs on the back of tight bowling by Patan bowlers. Medium pacer Vinit Mestry who is a batting all-rounder was the pick of the bowler taking 2/26 in 7 overs while Vishal and Prathamesh also chipping in with 2wkts.
Chasing 192, all-rounder Vinit also opened the innings and gave a thumping start scoring a 45ball 52. Aggressive Vinit smashed 11fours dealing mostly in boundaries to develop the positive momentum while chasing. The rest of the batsman chipped in with 10”s and 20”s along with Suraj jawle smashing 36 at no.5. Patan CC eventually crossed the target of 191 runs reaching 192/8 in 42.1 overs. Off-spinner Ganesh Masurkar gave a excellent fight with the ball taking 5/52 and now allowing Patan CC team to win the match easily.
It was a close match where both the teams gave a tough fight and Vinit stood out with his all-round perfomance while Ganesh Masurkar and Rajesh Vayal were equally impressive.
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There are players who keep on playing their normal game consistently without much extra-ordinariness in it or getting into limelight and then there are players who will rise up to the occasion and deliver it when its needed the most making them a bonafide star in their own right and Suryakumar is one of those players who has become the crisis man for any team he plays for. Surya who had a shaky start to Mumbai T20 ensured that he delivered like a boss when it was needed as he single handedly played a big role in the semi-finals and the finals with blazing knocks.
The all important finals between Mumbai North East Triumph Knights and Shivaji Park Lions was held at the Wankhede on 21st Match 2018 where in Shivaji Park Lions won the toss and elected to bowl first. Their decision to bowl first even looked spot on at one point when Mumbai North East suffered a top order collapse struggling at 16/4 & 34/5 in a finals game. Most of the cricketing pundits had given up and put their bets on Shivaji Park Lions clinching an easy win but that was not the fact as captain Suryakumar Yadav who came at no.7 just like Dinesh Karthik came down the order a few days ago and played a stunning knock rescued Mumbai North East from a low total. Surya went on to score a magnetizing 90* off mere 42deliveries smashing 7fours and 7sixes. Surya anchored the team like how usually Dhoni does down the order as he literally kept on smashing the bowlers out of the park without worrying much or taking any pressure on himself. Surya showcased how he can deliver under intense pressure games while also showed how powerful his reflexes are while he got fantastic support from Parikshit Valsangkar who smashed a 49ball 59* assisting Surya in a match winning 84ball 148 run stand taking the team total to 182/5 in 20 overs.
Chasing 183 and that too against a quality bowling attack in the finals of any tournament in a pressure situation is always difficult but Shivaji Park Lions who were off to a shaky start after their openers fell early gave a brilliant fightback making the match interesting till the very last ball. Bravish, Alpesh, Hardik and Shivam who all have hitting capabilities gave their best with their quick 30’s and 40’s but eventually the match which lasted till the very last ball where in they fell short of 3runs with Shivaji Park Lions reaching 179/8 in 20 overs. Fast bowler Vaibhav Singh was the pick of the bowlers taking 3/38 in 4overs.
Mumbai North East Triumph Knights lift the trophy of JITO Mumbai T20 Premier League ’18 and it was certainly Surya who was the ‘man of the moment”
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Shivaji Park Lions and Sobo Supersonics took on each other for a crucial MPL clash at the Wankhede where in Shivaji Park won the toss and elected to field first as most of the teams who have bowled first have fetched good results at the Wankede stadium.
However, Sobo Supersonics batted well really well after being made to bat first as they notched up a more than healthy total of 194/7 in 20 overs. Opener Abhishek Nayar smashed a strokeful 51 giving a good start while the solid Aakarshit Gomel scored an equally aggressive 30ball 51 also engaging in 100run stand with Nayar for the 2nd wicket. The rest of the batsman chipped in with 10’s and 20’s taking the team total to 194. From the bowlers, Royston Dias with 2/35 was the pick of the bowler while the rest of the bowlers also came in handy with a wicket each.
Chasing 195 in a T20 game is always difficult no matter what the ground or the opposition is but Shivaji Park Lions did a commendable job of chasing it down successfully in just 17.5 overs. Shivaji Park were off to a decent start by opener Paul Valthaty(41 off 29) and Bravish Shetty (34 off 17) who came at no.3. With the 2nd wicket falling for 89runs in mere 8.4 overs, the stage was all set for the talented Alpesh Ramjani to showcase his batting skills as he literally carried on the positive momentum smashing an unbeaten 34ball 64* which included 5 fours and 5sixes at a strike rate of almost 190 to seal the chase for his team. Alpesh who has been a promising run scorer at the local level made full use of the opportunity as he plonked the bowlers with his brutal batting. Hardik Tamore gave a helping hand to Alpesh scoring an 18ball 32 as Shivaji Park Lions finished of the chase in mere 17.5 overs with the loss of just 4wkts.
Shivaji Park Lions won the match by 6wkts in a stylish manner and it was surely Alpesh’s batting which played a big role in this win.
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