Played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Arcs Andheri and North Mumbai Panthers took on each other where in North Mumbai Panthers won the toss and elected to bat first with as Wankhede has always been a wicket where batsman gets some advantage.
Batting first, Arcs Andheri were at one point were struggling for 16/4 and were not looking for more than 100runs but Shubham Ranjane-one of the most prolific and highest run getters in Mumbai Cricket in 2017-18 season once again silently showed everyone how big an asset he can be scoring a solid 65 off 50balls(6fours,1six). Another experienced chap, Parag Khanapurkar who came at no.6 ensured that he took the team total to 164/7 in 20overs scoring a superlative 38ball 61 while also engaging in a 117run stand with Shubham which brought Arcs Andheri back into the game. Medium pacer Rakesh Prabhu was the pick of the bowler taking 3/20 in 4overs.
Chasing 168, North Mumbai Panthers who also have a good batting line up faced real tight bowling from Arcs Andheri bowlers where in fast bowler Tushar Deshpande bowled a really impressive bowling spell of 3/25 in 4 overs while Vineet Sinha and Shibham Ranjane took 2wkts each which restricted Mumbai Panthers to 141 all out in 19.1 overs.
Arcs Andheri won a thriller of a match by 24runs where in Shubham with his all-round show and Parag’s quick 61 played a big role. Tushar’s bowling was also equally commendable wherein he gave crucial breakthroughs.
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Played at the Bengal CC, it was a crucial clash between S.I Group India Ltd and DMCC where in SI Group won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big total an putting the opposition under pressure while chasing.
However, little did they knew on the carnage which they were about to receive from DMCC’s speedster Mehboob Shaikh as he literally ran through the batting line up of SI Group. Their decision to bat first seemed to be a bit costly as they were bundled out for a paltry 29runs/all out in 17.4 overs. Right arm fast bowler Mehboob Shaikh came up with match winning bowling figures of 6/13 in 9overs with 4maidens to clean more than half of SI Group’s batting line up. Mehboob who bowled at a healthy pace coupled it up with nice line and length which reaped rewards for him as well as his team.
And if bundling out SI Group for 29 was not enough, DMCC further stamped their authority by clearing the chase in mere 2.4 overs with opener Shaban Shaikh scoring 29* off 14balls to seal a win for his team in style.
DMCC won the match in an extremely dominating fashion and it was surely Mehboob Shaikh who stood out with his fast bowling in the match.
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Played between Automative CC and E.Merck Sports Club at the Shivaji Park Ground(Mahim Juveniles), Automative CC won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big target and putting E.Merck under pressure while chasing.
Automative CC batting first notched up 214/10 in 44.5 overs which if not the best of the totals is surely defendable. The openers gave a decent start with their in-form all-rounder Virendra Yadav top scoring with a yet another impressive 64runs at no.3. Attacking and dangerous Aditya Shemadkar who is another man in form from Automative CC once again played a very crucial knock of 56 off 43balls which took the team total to 214 runs. Both these boys Virendra and Aditya have been very consistent while Omkar has also been very impressive in the Times Shield. It was a really tight bowling perfomance with Varun Ponkshi and Akshay Bhor taking 2wkts each while the other bowlers chipping in with a wicket too.
Chasing 215, E.Merck were at one point 29/2 but it was their strong middle order which resurrected the innings back into the game and keep the hopes alive. While Amey Lad and Kishor Peonekar smashed crucial 40’s which played a important role but it was Jay Sangani at no.5 who anchored his team towards a semis win with an unbeaten 53* off 64balls engaging in excellent running between the wickets and pushing his team towards a thriller of a win while chasing. Jay co-ordinated well with other batsman and kept the scoreboard ticking. From Automative CC, Kartik Mishra bowled well taking 3wkts.
Even though Automative CC gave a tough fight, E Merck clinched a win by 3wkts on the back of their strong middle order and especially Jay’s unbeaten 53* qualifying in style for the finals.
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To be featured in the top 5 is surely a moment of pride as these these 5-6 players usually are amongst the best amongst hundreds of performances played in that particular month and it indirectly shows the amount of talent and class these players have.
Taking into consideration various factors as always like the level of opposition, the level of tournament, the wicket, the match situation, the intensity of the game and the pressure, we come up with the top 5 from a lot of numerous promising performances.
The top 5bowling performances for the month of Feb are mentioned below:
Joint 5th– Aman Manihar(Left-arm spin)-5/6, U/16 Future Star Trophy
Played at the DPC- Dadar Parsi Colony Gymkhana Ground, two really talented teams namely Mumbai Cricket Club and Rizvi School (Bandra) took on each other where in MCC won the toss and elected to bat first since they have a good batting line up.
However MCC were skittled put for mere 88runs in 19.2 overs, thanks to Rizvi’s most promising spinner Aman Manihar. Aman bamboozled the batsman with his accurate left arm spin coming up with one of the best bowling figures in the tournament so far. Aman took 6/5 in 4 overs with 2maidens which was nothing but really impressive and commendable. Aman kept on bowling in the right areas which reaped rewards for him as well as his team.
Rizvi won the match eventually by 3wkts while chasing on the back of his bowling perfomance and this is not the 1st time Aman has made it into the top 5 Rankings!
5th– Parth Tolia- 7/34 (Rigth arm fast), Times Cricket Shield ‘18
Played at the United CC, Cross Maidan between Osian’s Cricket Club and Western Railways A.C, Osians were made to bat first where in they smashed 284/10 in 44.5 overs.
Chasing 286, Western Railways A. C at one point were looking good to win on the back of no.3 Ashish Gharat’s 111 off mere 79balls which included 13fours and 5sixes. Ashish who is known for his attacking style of batting at one point was looking all set to take the match away from the opposition until Osian’s trump card in their fast bowler Parth Tolia ran through the entire batting line up of western railways. Parth came up with match-winning bowling figures of 7/34 in 7.4 overs which brought his team back into the game and eventually help Osians win the match by 16runs. Parth fired at the right time from all cylinders with his excellent line & length along with good accuracy which reaped dividends for him as well as his team. Osian’s won the match which at one point was looking to slip away from their hands and it was all on the back of some tremendous bowling by quickster Parth Tolia.
4th– Adwait Palsule (Right arm off spinner)- 6/39 with hat-trick, U/12 Bhaskar Trophy ‘18
Played at the National CC, Cross Maidan, it was a crucial clash between two really promising young teams namely Chembur Gymkhana and Police Gymkhana Under-12 teams where in Chembur Gymkhana won the toss and elected to field first in order to restrict the opposition to a low total. Police Gymkhana who batted first made a mammoth total of 236/4 in 25 overs on the back of great fifties by opener Soham Mohite and Yug Gala.
Chasing a total of 237 in mere 150balls is always difficult and Chembur Gymkhana were shockingly all out for a paltry 26runs on the back of off-spinner Adwait Palsule’s captivating bowling spell. Adwait not only took a stunning hat-trick cleaning up the middle order, he eventually came up with stunning bowling figures of 6/4 in 5overs (2maidens) to help his team Police Gymkhana win the match by 210runs.
It was a match dominated by Police Gymkhana boys where in Adwait who really bowed with a lot of discipline in the right areas along with Soham and Yug who batted well stood out in the match.
3rd-Shubhro Dutta(Left-arm spinner)- 6/34 with hat-trick, Mumbai Junior Shield ‘18
Played at the Bharat CC, Dadar in Shivaji Park, it was a crucial face off between Modern Cricket Club and Mandvi Muslim Sports Club where the winner would be qualified for the quarter finals. On winning the toss, Modern CC elected to bat first with an aim of making a big total to put the opposition under pressure.
Batting first, Modern cc were cruising on 80 for 2 at one Stage but introduction of Mandvi’s young left arm spinner Shubro Dutta who is a student of M .D. college changed the scenario with his mesmerizing spell in which he claimed six wickets along with a hat-trick. Shubhro was well supported by off spinner Vinay gupta who took 2 for 38. Shubhro created a major dent in Modern CC’s batting line up as kept on bowling at good line and length which reaped rewards for him as well as his team. What’s more he cleaned up the lower order with a hat-trick where Modern CC from 82/2 were all out for 135runs in 36.2 overs on the back of 6 for 31 by Dutta. It was on the back of his bowling, Mandvi Club won the match by 7wkts while chasing and qualified for the quarters.
2nd-Mahesh Patil- 5/11 (Finals), Thane Vaibhav Tournament 2018
Played at the OFA cricket Ground at Thane, it was the all important finals between Modern Cricket Club and Maggie XI where in Maggie XI won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big 1st innings total.
Maggie XI who went in to bat first were in for a shock as their decision to bat first fell flat. Maggie XI were bundled out for just 73runs all out in 15.5 overs as the bowler who provided maximum damage was this left arm spinner Mahesh Patil who bamboozled the batsman with his wily spin. Mahesh succeeded in giving crucial breakthroughs with tight line and length which reaped rewards for his as well as his team. Eventually Mahesh’s bowling figures read 5/11 in 3.4 overs which is definitely impressive.
Chasing 74runs, Modern CC chased down the score in 10.4 overs and lifted the trophy winning the finals and it was surely Mahesh who played a big role in it.
AND FINALLY THE NO.1
1st-Sharik Baloch(Off-spinner)- 7/33, Finals of MCA Inter School Tournament ‘18
Played at the Sainath Sports Club, Virar, National English High school and Kanchan High School clashed with each other for crucial finals of the MCA U/14 Interschool tournament where in Kanchan High School won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big 1st innings total.
Kanchan High School were however in for a shock as their whole batting line up crumbled as they were bundled out for 105/10 all out in 38.1 overs. All the batsmen struggled to score runs where in 16runs was the highest score smashed by both the openers. Wicket taking machine Sharik Baloch seems to have developed a habit of delivering in every match. Baloch in such high intensity finals once again proved his mettle with the ball coming up with match winning bowling figures of 6/28 in 8.1 overs. As always the off-spinner bowled perfectly in the right areas troubling the batsman with his superlative spin which reaped rewards for him as well as his team.
On the back of his excellent bowling, NES school won the match by 3wkts where in Sharik was again the player who stood out. This was Sharik’s 7th 5wkt haul in a span of just 40 days which desribes a lot about his talent.
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Taking into consideration various tournaments conducted all over Mumbai, the quality of the opposition, the intensity and the level of the game and the series, the wicket, the batting condition and match situation along with various other factors we at Cricketgraph come up with monthly rankings in batting, bowling and all-round performances in Mumbai.
The month of Feb which had big tournaments going on witnessed some really wonderful performances and it was difficult to shortlist and come into the top 5. In fact there were so many amazing performances even in the Top 5 Perfomances we could not hold ourselves but line-up 7 best batting knocks which stood out in Mumbai Cricket for the month of February 2018.
6th-Charu Todankar- 132 off 80balls (RHB), U/16 Future Star Trophy (Finals match)
Delivering in the finals under pressure situations is always tough but the young girl Charu Todankar showed real resilience and character smashing a superlative 132 which included 12fours and 7sixes which took her team Active Sports W.C.A to a big total of 261/8 in 42overs. SSCT on the other hand were all out for 149runs and Active Sports Women’s Cricket Academy won the finals lifting the trophy on the back of her blazing knock.
Joint 5th-Rohan Bhosale- 131 off 58balls, (RHB), Social Hero T20 Tournament ‘18
Playing at a strike rate of 260+, it was a pure treat for his team mates and spectators watching this talented batsman bat. Played between Ruparel College and Chetana College at the LIC cross maidan, Ruparel College’s decision to bat first was completely spot on as they managed to score 229/6 in 20 overs which is a very good score to defend in a T20. The major reason for such a big total was their opener Rohan Bhosale who spelled carnage over the bowlers smashing 131 off mere 58deliveries smashing 20fours and 5sixes. Playing at a strike rate of 226, Rohan did not spare a single bowler leaving behind his presence in almost every corner of the ground with his fours and sixes. In reply, Chetana college was all out for 93runs and Rohan who almost gave us a feeling of watching Afridi or Mccullum at the local level was declared ‘man of the match for that blazing ton.
5th– Suryakumar Yadav 134 off 85balls (RHB), Inter State One Day Tournament ‘18
One of the most talented prospects of Indian Cricket, Surya’s blazing 85ball 134*in the Inter State One Day Tournament which was fuelled with 11fours and 7sixes against Madhya Pradesh was a silent testimony of his abilities with the bat. The star player attacked the bowlers at a strike rate of 150+ which was a clear indicator of what could hit in the coming season of MPL as well as IPL. It was also on the back of his superlative 134* which helped Mumbai win the match by 74runs.
4th-Raunaq Sharma (RHB)- 178 off 141balls, Young Comrade Shield Tournament ‘18
It was a treat watching Raunaq score effortlessly yet being aggressive playing at a healthy strike rate. Played between Parsee Gymkhana and Islam Gymkhana at the PJ Hindu Gymkhana ground. Parsee Gymkhana elected to bat first. Even though they were off to a shaky start but all-rounder Raunaq Sharma who came in at no.3 played a gem of a knock smashing a superlative 178 off mere 141balls which took the game completely away from the opposition. Raunaq who smashed 21 fours and 7 sixes completely demolished the opposition bowlers with his counter attacking cricket stamping his class in almost every corner of the ground. The rest of the batsman played around him scoring 30”s and 40’s which took their team total to a healthy 369/10 in 69.1 overs. It was on the back of his elegant 178, Parsee Gymkhana won the match by87 runs as the equally strong Islam Gymkhana were all out for 282.
3-Ishan Mithbavkar- 125*(RHB), Chanawala Trophy 2018 (Finals)
It was the all important finals between Abbott CC and Omni CC where in Abbott CC batting first did a really good job notching up 262runs on the board in 40 overs for the loss of 5wkts. Abbott who did lose some early wickets got their innings back into the game as the talented middle order batsman Ishan Mithbavkar smashed a match winning 125 off 119balls which took the game away from the opposition. Ishan smashed 17fours and rotated the strike nicely while also engaged in a superb partnership with Shanatnu Chaudhary who scored 77 off just 59balls which took the team towards such a healthy target. Omni CC on the other hand were all out for 222 runs where in Abbott lifted the trophy and Ishan was rightly declared ‘man of the match for his super match winning ton.
2. Siddarth Chitnis (RHB)-123*off 98balls, Padmakar Talim Shield Semi-Finals
Four of the most prolific teams of Mumbai cricket clashed with each other to seal their spot in the finals. The 1st match was between MIG and Parkophene Cricketers at the Karnatak Sporting Association at Cross Maidan where in Parkophene Cricketers won the toss and elected to field first. MIG batting first hardly looked deterred as their top order chipped in with 30’s and 40’s but it was Siddarth Chitnis at the middler order coming at no.5 who saved the day. Right handed Siddarth smashed a superlative 123* off mere 98balls which took his team towards a very defendable total.
Siddarth delivered when it was needed and it speaks a lot about his cricketing character and resilience at the crease. Chitnis literally took on the bowlers smashing 9fours and 6sixes in his unbeaten knock which helped MIG post 289/7 in 45 overs. Chasing 290, Parkophene boys did experience the pressure of chasing at more than 7runs per over as they were all out for 217runs. Parkophene sealed their spot in the finals and it was on the back of Siddarth’s ton which did the job for his team.
& FINALLY THE NO.1
1. Atharva Sawant(RHB) -200 off 90balls, Singhania Tournament ‘18
The talent of Mumbai Cricket never fails to surprise us. Time and again gems are produced from young talented cricketers and it just renews the hope that Mumbai Cricket as well as Indian cricket is always going to be safe with a large pool of talent.
Played between two promising teams namely SVPT and BSMS at the Raymond Cricket ground. Saraswati English School team took the right decision to bat first as they made a mammoth total of 397/3 in mere 30 overs. Right-handed young prodigy Atharva Sawant who opened the innings took on the bowlers from the word go. The opposition bowlers were least aware about the carnage which was about to hit them as Atharva hardly spared any bowler attacking almost every ball which came by his way. Atharva who reached his hundred in mere 41deliveries converted his ton into a thumping double ton smashing 204* off just 90 deliveries in which he smashed 32fours and 6sixes which literally made everyone go in awe with this young lad.
The confidence at which he was batting and the way he was hitting the ball was surely an indicator of a very bright future ahead. BSMS school while chasing were bundled out for 64runs and Saraswati School fetched a big win by a margin of 334runs on the back of his ravishing double hundred.
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Played at the famed MIG CC Bandra where the likes of Rohit Sharma and Prithvi Shaw have trained a lot. It was a crucial finals encounter between Chandigarh and MP and that too on a women’s day which made the event all the more special. Chandigarh who have a solid top order batting line up once again elected to bat first as they have seen successful results so far on winning the toss and setting a target.
Batting first, it was again the Mrs. Consistent Divya Sharma top scoring the innings with a superlative 41 off 38balls(7fours). She as always looked confident smashing some really good shots while the girls from the other end were losing quick wickets. Reena Rani at the middle order also gave a crucial contribution chipping in with 25* off 26balls (5fours). Chandigarh girls eventually reached a defendable total of 128/7 in 20 overs in which Chetna Bairagi was the pick of the bowler taking 2/29 in 4 overs.
Chasing 129 under crunch situation of the finale against talented lot of bowlers is always difficult and MP did face the heat of chasing as Chandigarh’s medium pacer Jyoti Kumari wrecked havoc over the batsman coming up with stunning bowling figures of 4/4 in 3 overs. Jyoti was simply impressive with her line and length bowling real tight. The rest of the bowlers also supporter her really well with all-rounder Reena Rani also bagging 2wkts with the ball.
MP was all out for 87runs as Chandigarh lift the maiden title of Women’s Premier League ’18 winning the match by 41runs. Jyoti Kumari for her fabulous spell was declared ‘man of the match while Divya’s contribution in the series and skipper Mamta’s ton also played a major role in them winning the series.
It was a successful end to the tournament preceded by the presence of Smt. Amruta Fadnavis (Wife of chief minister of Mahrashtra, Nutan Gavaskar & Ajit Tendulkar amongst other dignitaries).
Speaking to Cricketgraph- Skipper Mamta said “it was because of our collective team perfomance where all the girls gave their best we won the finals, also our strategy of taking singles and two’s played proved to be a success”
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Played at the United Cricketers Cross Maidan, it was the all important clash between Union Cricket Club and Union C.A (Kalyan) where in Union C.A won the toss and elected to bowl first with an aim of restricting the opposition to a low total.
Batting first, United Cricket Club were all out for 127runs in 39.2 overs where in most of the batsman failed to convert their scores into 50’s or hundreds. Niranjan Paradkar who came in at no.4 was the highest scorer with 34 as the rest of the batsman struggled to sustain for a longer time at the crease. From Union CA, Parag Jadhav was the pick of the bowler taking 3/21 in 8 overs bowling in good line and length. The rest of the bowlers also did a collectively good job together wherein Bhavin Darji, Dhaval Khimane & Prasad Shingote took 2wickets each.
Chasing 128, Union CA chased down the score successfully scoring 129/4 in 30.2 overs. Openers Parag Jadhav who also took 3wkts and Rakesh Bhoir gave a flying start scoring 34 & 24 respectively. No.3 Parth Vithlani top scored with 37 which eventually pushed Union CA to a win.
It was a thumping Quarter-finals win for Union Cricket Academy where in the all the boys did a collectively good teamwork with Parag Jadhav standing out in the match with his all-round perfomance.
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Played at the Azad Maidan ground in Mumbai, two really promising teams namely Regal Cricket Club and S.K.P Atheltes where in Regal CC won the toss and elected to bat first looking at the pitch conditions which looked good to bat on.
Regal CC batting first did face some early jitters losing quick wickets at the top. However, Nehal Shaikh who came at no.4 ensured his team was back into the game on the back of his match winning 84 off 72balls (6fours, 3sixes). Nehal took on the bowlers and changed the momentum with his counter attacking cricket which included some really good shots. Nehal also received good support from Vinit Parab who came at no.5 smashing a crucial 48 off 34balls. It was the middle order which brought Regal CC back into the game as the team total reached 265/10 in 43.5 overs which is surely defendable. From the bowling side, Omkar Mandrekar was really impressive as he was the pick of the bowlers with 4/51 in 9 overs.
Defending a total of 266, Regal CC bowlers gave their best as they skittled out SKP boys to 166/all out in 29.1 overs. Nikhil Bhopnikar and the experienced Saeed Khot bowled really well taking 3wkts each which did the job for their team. Saeed with 3/40 and Nikhil with 3/57 were really impressive bowling in the right areas.
Regal CC won the Quarter finals by 99 runs and seal their spot in the semis where in it was a collective team perfomance from the boys.
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Played at the Shivaji Park, Dadar, Chandigarh took on the mighty Uttarakhand team where in Chandigarh on the back of their strong batting line up elected to bat first and make a big 1st innings target.
Their decision to bat first was quite spot on as they made a very big total of 183/3 in 20 overs where in the average total so far in the tournament has been around 120-130. Openers Divya Sharma and Mamta Kothiyal set the fields on fire keeping the opposition bowler on toes with a match winning opening stand of 143runs. Mamta Kothiyal converted her fifty into a blazing ton which came of mere 71deliveries smashing 14fours in it while the consistent Divya smashed her 2nd back to back half century. Both the girls looked really impressive as they took on the bowlers with pure domination.
Chasing 184 on a difficult track under hot sunlight against quality bowling attacks in a T20 is definitely tough and Uttarakhand must have felt the pressure. Uttarakhand were eventually all out for 90runs where in Ruchi Kapoor & Chammi took 2wkts while the rest of the bowlers also did an excellent job.
Chandigarh clearly dominated the match as they won by 90runs and skipper Mamta was declared ‘outstanding player of the match’ for her brilliant 102runs. After winning the match and on being asked the strategy for today’s game, Mamta said- ‘We were just planning to take singles and two’s as much as possible and not looking to smash boundaries in every ball as that would eventually build the team’s innings and then bowl tight while defending which fetched us good results’
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Madhya Pradesh team was on fire on the opening day proving out to be one of the strongest teams in the opening day as they dominated upfront in both the T20 matches they played on the back of collective perfomance led by their skipper Shakti Raut.
In the 1st match, MP took on Maharashtra where in Mahrashtra won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big total and putting the opposition under pressure. Mahrashtra were however bundled out for 85runs all out in 13.3 overs as the batsman found it hard to convert their starts on a difficult track. Right arm off spinner Shakti Raut who is also the captain of MP was the pick of the bowlers taking 3/9 while Bhavna Srivastav also did a good job bagging 3wkts for 29runs in her 4 overs. MP chased down the score with superlative ease winning the match by 5wkts in mere 14.5overs. Opener Mahima Devre set the tone for the chase with 31runs while middle order batsman Aayushi Dongre was the 2nd highest scorer with 24. MP won the opening match where in Skipper Shakti Raut was declared ‘man of the match’
In the 2nd match vs Uttar Pradesh too, MP were made to bowl first and they did a good job again where in UP made 120/7 as the 1st innings target. Shakti Raut was again the pick of the bowlers taking 3/24 in 4overs while Chetna Bairagi chipping in with 2wkts. Chasing 121, Shakti raut steered the chase with an attacking 25ball 43* which helped MP win the match by 5wkts & 4.4overs to spare. Shakti smashed 6fours and a six entertaining her team mates as well as the spectators with his counter attacking cricket.
Shakti was again declared ‘man of the match’ as MP won twice in a day which is quite commendable as it takes a lot of fitness and hardwork to play twice in a day. The whole MP team co-ordinated well and all the players gave their best to bring their team at the top of the table.
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