Just fresh from a 41ball 100 in the same tournament in the last game vs Borosil Glassworks which was laced with as many as 9sixes which helped his team clinch a win. Jiniv who already stamped his mark as an attacking opener continued his onslaught vs Kansai Nerolac Paints ltd on 11th march at the Indian Airlines ground at Kalina.
Intelenet Global Services wisely elected to bat first after winning the toss on the back of their in-form opener Jiniv. It again spelled trouble for the opposition bowlers as Jiniv went on to score a magentizing 154* off mere 58balls and this time the sixes count got higher and it touched to 14sixes in the match along with 13boundaries. Jiniv literally treated every bowler with disdain simply attacking every bowler with brute force out of the park with his aggressive batting. It was a pure treat to watch him stand and deliver the bowlers as he entertained everyone present on the field till the very end. What’s more, Jiniv smashed 6sixes in an over which was a complete treat and showcase of his power hitting which took his team total to cross the 200run mark. On the back of his superlative 154, Intelenet reached a nice total of 212/4 in 15 overs.
Kansai Nerolac managed to score only 54/7 in 15 overs on the back of tight bowling by the Intelenet bowlers where in Shashank Mistry was the pick of the bowlers taking 2wkts for 1run while the rest of the bowlers also chipping in with a wicket each.
Intelenet won the match by a record margin of 158runs in a 15over game and it was without a doubt Jiniv who was the ‘man of the moment’ with his blazing hundred.
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It was a very crucial semi-finals between Union C.A and New Hindu CC at the Youth’s own union, cross maidan where in Union CA who have a promising line up of bowlers elected to field first and restrict New Hindu CC to a low total for chasing it.
Their somewhat risky decision to bowl first paid of as New Hindu CC were skittled out for 201/10 in 44overs. Opener Pratik Patil smashed a confident looking 54 while the in-form Virendra Yadav continued to impress with a yet another flawless 64 off 100deliveries. New Hindu CC were looking solid at one point until left-arm spinner Bhavin Darji came and changed the complexion of the game back into his team’s favor. Talented spinner Bhavin who bowled in the right areas came up with excellent bowling figures of 5/31 in 8overs where in New Hindu who were 115/2 at one point were all out for 207 because of his timely breakthroughs. Apart from Bhavin, Prajyot Sakpal also bowled well taking 3/32 in his 7overs.
Chasing 202, it was once again their promising opener Parag Jadhav who ensured that the chase was taken care off. Opening the innings, the dependable Parag smashed a superlative 78 off 119balls laced with 4fours and a six while Omkar Pashte with unbeaten 34* sealed of the chase.
Union CA won the semi-finals and it was surely Bhavin Darji and Parag who turned out to be heroes for their team.
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To be featured in the top 5 is surely a moment of pride as these 5-6 players usually are amongst the best from 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 in Mumbai.
The top 5 all-round performances for the month of Feb are mentioned below:
Joint 5th– Rahul Sawant(RHB & Spinner)- 5/37 and 45, Times Cricket Shield ‘18
Played at the Western Railways, Cross Maidan, it was the all important Quarter Finals between Nanavati S.S Hospital and B.Arunkumar Sports Club where in B.ArunKumar SC won the toss and elected to bat first.
Batting first, ArunKumar Boys were bundled out for just 184runs in49.1 overs . From the bowling side, the bowler who impressed one and all with his superlative perfomance was spinner Rahul sawant as he came up with match-winning bowling figures of 5/35 in 16.1overs(2maidens). Rahul not bowled in the right areas with good accuracy but he also kept taking wickets at regular intervals.
While chasing 185, Nanavati boys did lose quick wickets at the top but their middle order consisting of Rahul Sawant (45 off 40), Bhushan Shinde (29 off 42) and Atharva Ankolekar (32* off 46balls) resurrected the innings back to script a quarter finals win by 4wkts. It was a match where both the teams fought well but it was their all-rounder Rahul Sawant who stood out with excellent all-round show bagging 5wkts while also top scoring with the bat.
5th– Akshay Darekar(SLA)- 6/65 & 32*, Young Comrade Shield Tournament ‘18
Played at the Sydenham College Gymkhana at Oval Maidan, it was a match between two promising teams namely Shivaji Park Youngsters and Dadar Union where in Shivaji Park Youngsters won the toss and elected to bat first.
Their decision to bat was first was not exactly accurate as Shivaji Park youngsters were restricted to a modest total of 259 in 68.2 overs. The bowler who bamboozled the batsman was this 29yr old Akshay who has been an experienced warhorse by now coming up with excellent bowling figures of 6/65 in 20.2 overs. Akshay who has played 47 First Class games showed how potent he can be with the ball as kept on bowling in the right areas with discipline which fetched rewards for him as well as his team.
Chasing 260, they were struggling on 6/62 at one point but it was Akshay Darekar (32*) and Tanush Kotian with 47 saved the grace by not letting their team get all out in two figures. Dadar Union were all out for 159 and lost the match by 110runs but Akshay surely stood amongst the 22boys who were part of that match with his all-round perfomance.
4th-Aditya Dhumal(SLA & RHB)- 54 & 5/21, Young Comrade Shield Tournament ‘18
Played at the New Hind Sports Club, Dadkar Maidan, it was the all important match between two really promising teams namely Maskati Cricket Club and Sind Sports Club where in Sind SC elected to bat first.
Their decision to bat first was completely spot on Sind SC notched up a mammoth total of 407/9 on the back of flying start by the openers & especially their left-handed opener Akhil Rajput who went on to score a thumping ton. Apart from them, all-rounder Aditya Dhumal(54 off 51b) and Vaibhav Singh(54 off 41b) at the middle order smashed crucial fifties which took their team total to cross the 400run mark.
Defending a big total of 402, Maskati fell prey to the quality bowlers of Sind SC & especially their experienced all-rounder Aditya Dhumal who once again showed his experience. Aditya came up with match winning bowling figures of 5/21 in 13overs with 6maidens which inflicted maximum damage to the Maskati batting line up. Aditya who bats equally well is a genuine all-rounder and this is not the 1st time he has come up with such amazing bowling figures. Sind SC won the match by 252runs and it was definitely Aditya who played a big role in the win.
3rd– Prasad Chandra(SLA)- 5/35 and 46, Thane Vaibhav Tournament’ 18 (Finals)
Delivering in the finals from all cylinders is very difficult and though Prasad’s team lost the match but he won the hearts of many with his all-round perfomance. Played at the Central Maidan in Thane, it was the all important finals between Valuable Sports Club and Reliance Group Sports Club wherein Valuable Sports club won the toss and elected to bat first and scored 215/10 in 35overs. Slow left-arm spinner Prasad Chandra was really impressive with the ball coming up with excellent bowling figures of 5/35 in 7 overs. Prasad bowled in the right areas while troubled the batsman with his wily spin which helped him take a superb 5wkt haul.
The finals was perfectly intense and it remained a thrilled till the very end where in Reliance gave a tough fight to Valuable CC. The match was so exciting that no one could guess the winner till the very last ball. Prashant Jangam(44), Mayuresh Tandel(43) and all-rounder Prasad Chandra(46) came up with crucial 40’s but eventually Reliance lost the match by just 1run where in the last ball took away the results in Valuable CC’s favor.
Prasad Chandra’s all-round contribution in the match was really commendable and he certainly won the hearts of many even though his team fell short of mere a run to clinch the title.
2nd– Raunaq Sharma (RHB)- 178 and 4wkts, Young Comrade Shield Tournament ‘18
Played at the P.J Hindu Gymkhana at Marine Lines, it was a high octane match consisting of two really talented teams namely Parsee Gymkhana and Islam Gymkhana wherein Parsee Gymkhana who have a strong batting line up elected to bat first in order to make a big 1st innings total.
Even though Parsee Gymkhana 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 Islam Gymkhana. 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 taking the team total to 369/10 in 69.1 overs.
Chasing 370, Islam Gymkhana were all out for 282runs where in Raunak scalped 4wkts with the ball completely owning the day and proving everyone how potent an all-rounder he can be. It was a commendable win for Parsee Gymkhana and it was certainly Raunaq who stole the limelight with his excellent all-round display.
AND FINALLY THE NO.1
1st– Rakesh Naik(RHB & SLA)- 105 and 5/ 69, Mumbai Junior Shield ‘18
Scoring a hundred and taking a 5wkt haul is a very rare feat in cricket & dependable all-rounder Rakesh Naik registered his name into this elite list of Mumbai Cricket History where he achieved this feat. Played at the United Cricket Club, Cross Maidan, it was the all important match between Shastri Hall Cricket Club and Blue Star Cricket Club where in Blue Star won the toss and elected to bat first.
Batting first, Blue Star were struggling at one point after the top order failed to capitalize with their scores reading 36/4 and 72/5 at one stageuntil their experienced all-rounder Rakesh Naik came to the rescue. Rakesh who already proved his mettle in Mumbai cricket with a consistent season both with the bat as well as with the ball in Kanga League made sure he introduced himself to the opponents who were not aware about him. Rakesh brought his team back into the game with a match winning 115* off 127deliveries which included 8fours and 8sixes to anchor his team towards a defendable total of 219/8 in 45 overs. At one point where his team was not looking good for more than 150, Rakesh helped his team make a comeback.
If that was not all, while defending an achievable target of 220, Blue Star CC restricted Shastri Hall Boys to just 171 runs all out. All-rounder Rakesh Naik yielded magic with the ball too after a superlative ton taking a superb 5wkt haul. Rakesh came up with excellent bowling figures of 5/17 in 7.1 overs with his left arm spin which steered his team towards a thumping win. Bluetstar won the match by 48runs and it was certainly their star all-rounder Rakesh Naik who grabbed everyone’s attention!
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Played at the Shivaji Park Ground in Dadar, it was the all important semi-finals between L&T Sports Club and BMC where in L&T won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big 1st innings total and put the opposition under pressure.
However, their decision to bat first seemed to have backfired as they were all bundled out for 103 runs. At one point they were 18/5 and luckily with the help of Sagar Kamble’s 39, L&T reached 103/10 in 23.5 overs. From the bowling side, Harkesh Mehar and Santosh Dhande took 3wkts each while Sandeep Pawar and Santosh Dhande also chipped in with 2wkts. Overall it was a very good bowling perfomance by MCGM where in they did not allow any batsman to score runs freely.
Chasing 104, it was a mere formality to chase where in solid opener Sandesh Paralkar smashed 55 off 47balls (9fours) which anchored the chase for MCGM. Sandesh played some excellent shots in his match winning half century where in MCGM now seal their spot in the finals of the Times Shield on the back of excellent bowling and a solid fifty by Sandesh.
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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”
CRICKETGRAPH