Played at the Karnatak SC, Cross Maidan, it was the all important semi-finals between Nanavati Super Speciality hospital and Shinrai Toyota where in Nanavati who have a quality bowling attack elected to bowl first in order to restrict the opposition to a low total and put them under pressure.
Their decision to bowl first was quite spot on as they successful restricted Shinrai Toyota to 178runs all out in 56.4 overs with Amir and Manesh Bhogle top scoring with 30’s while the rest of the batsman falling for 10’s and 20’s. Not a single batsman was about to convert their starts as the bowling was too tight where in Skipper Sahil Madgaonkar leading from the front as a leader shining with the ball scalping 4/25 in his 8.4 overs while spinner Atharva Ankolekar chipping in with 3/63 in 22 overs. Hero of the quarters Rahul Sawant also chipped in with 2wkts.
Chasing 179 is usually not a tough task but Nanavati did felt some early jitters where they were 3down for 32runs at one stage. However, Prakash aswani smashed 38 while the experience of Bhushan Shinde under crunch situations came in handy as he scored a match winning 61* off 70balls while he also got able support from the talented Atharva who also remained unbeaten with 44* to steer their team to a thumping semi-finals win. Nanavati who have fought hard throughout the tournament were the deserving semi-final winners where in Atharva’s all-round perfomance and Bhushan’s crucial 61 played a big role to register their place in the finals of the prestigious Times Shield.
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Played between two promising teams namely SVPT and BSMS at the Raymond Cricket ground, SVPT won the toss and elected to bat first with an aim of making a big 1st innings total and put the opposition under pressure.
Saraswati English School team took a 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 hundred into a thumping double ton smashing 204* off just 90 deliveries in which he smashed 32fours and 6sixes. Atharva also got a good partner in Vedant who scored 119 off mere 54balls while stitching a 300runs+ stand between themselves propelling their team total to a very big score. Vedant Wadekar smashed 18fours and 4sixes and was equally destructive with the bat where he took on almost every bowler in every corner of the ground.
Chasing 398 in mere 180 deliveries is a gigantic task for most of the teams and BSMS were bundled out for mere 64runs as they may have felt the pressure of chasing such a big score against a quality bowling attack. Right arm leg spinner Kashywap Waykar bowled an amazing spell of 5/7 in 3overs which turned the tides furthermore in SVPT School’s favor. Kashyap bowled at impressive line and length which reaped rewards for him as well as his team.
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Played at the Cricket Club of India, it was the all important match between between two big teams of Mumbai cricket namely Cricket Club of India and PJ Hindu Gymkhana where in CCI won the toss and elected to bat first on the back of their strong batting line up.
CCI were off to a shaky start with their prolific Paul and Saksham failing to give a flying start while Mr.consistent and solid no.3 batsman Vinit Indulkar once again came good smashing a well made 82 off 135balls to bring back the momentum. Vinit also got along well with one of the most utility all-rounders of Mumbai Cricket Sujit Nayak who came in at no.5. Sujit stitched a 100+ run stand with Vinit while also went on to score a ravishing 101 off 146 deliveries. Sujit who is usually attacking this time kept his calm to bring back his team into the game and help them cross the 300run mark which is a good total to defend. Experienced left arm spinner Salil Agharkar and Sachin Wagh took 3wkts each and bowled in the right areas where in CCI managed to score 316/9 in 70overs.
Chasing 317 in 70 overs and especially against a quality bowling attack is not a cakewalk for sure and especially when half of your batsman are bundled out under 150runs but once again middle order batsman Anup Revandkar who came at no.5 scored a match-winning 113 off 131balls (11fours and a six) to anchor the chase for his innings. Sachin Wagh who took 3wkts also gave nice support with the bat scoring 40runs at no.6. Anup not only smashed good cricketing shots but also kept on rotating the strike well which helped PJ Hindu Gymkhana successfully chase down the score in a thriller of a chase winning the match by just 1wkt and 4balls to spare!. PJ Hindu Gymkhana won the match and it was surely Anup’s 113 and some good bowling by the bowlers which did the job for them!
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Played between two really promising teams namely Khar Gymkhana and Ghatkopar Jolly Gymkhana at the Ghatkopar Gymkhana Ground. Ghatkopar boys won the toss and elected to field first with an aim of restricting Khar Gymkhana to a low total and put them under pressure.
However, things turned out to be quite different as Khar Gymkhana boys pounced on the opportunity to bat first as they started attacking from the word Go. Experienced and dependable Akshay Powale who opened the innings smashed an entertaining 82 off mere 35deliveries which included 7 fours and 7sixes. Akshay did not spare a single bowler as he smashed boundaries in all the parts of the ground. Akshay also got good support from Gaurav Suryavanshi who chipped in with 44 while Ankur Kunder who came at no.5 smashed a 21ball 51 to take the team total to 242/7 in 20 overs. Ankur did some tremendous hitting smashing 3fours and 5sixes to pump up the last leg of their innings. Both Akshay and Ankur were a treat to watch.
Chasing 243 at more than 12runs per over, Jolly Gymkhana must have felt the pressure of chasing as they were skittled out for 124runs in 16.5 overs by the quality bowling attack of Khar Gymkhana. Though all the batsman struggled but Pranav Makwana was the shining spot in the dark smashing a fighting knock of 68(39balls). Talented left-arm spinner Anirudha Mainkar was once again impressive with the ball bagging 4wkts to trouble the batsman. Anirudha not only bowled in the right areas but kept giving breakthroughs at regular intervals while Lal Vishwakarma also took 3wkts. Khar Gymkhana won the match by a big margin of 118 runs on the back of collective team perfomance and especially Akshay, Anirudha and Ankur who stood out with their individual perfomances.
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So, this is what it had all come down to!!! Our relentless pursuit to unearth ‘Mumbai ka Accurate Bowler’ was about to come to a conclusion. The young men (and a few women too!!) who mattered were all in readiness, raring to get the red cherry in their hands to talk. The sense of excitement was palpable among participants and spectators alike, as the first thunderbolt made its way towards the sticks at the Grand Finale of ‘NATARAJ Mumbai ka Accurate Bowler’ at Kandivali’s ‘Ithinksportz’ cricket academy.
There were the ‘champions’ from previous chapters, looking for an encore. Then there were the ‘battle-hardened’ finalists, who had come agonisingly close to winning earlier, looking to change the narrative on the big day. And then there were the latest hopefuls, gunning for a major coup, perhaps spurred on by witnessing their peers being engulfed in crowning glory. They all made for a heady mix of raw, mercurial young talent, just looking to explode. We knew we had all the ingredients of delivering a cracker of a finale!!!
A total of 149 participants from schools and colleges around the city registered for the finale. The ‘finalists’ from the earlier chapters were given a direct entry into Round 2, courtesy their consistent performances. Basically, the first-timers were up against it from the word go, with them having to prove themselves to be worthy enough to compete with the best of the best. And compete they did, with a significant number of them progressing through to the final round at the expense of a few finalists from earlier chapters.
A total of 9 players from the college competition made it to Round 3. With the margin for error virtually non-existent, each one of them were feeling the heat amidst a burden of expectations. The lone-standing stump, the only constant between these warriors and their quest for glory. With each close shave to the target, the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ kept getting louder, frustrating the competitors at times, while also making them more determined than ever.
And in a classic ‘David vs. Goliath’ moment, Pravin Upadhyay, the 17-year-old spin bowler from Nutan College in Kalyan, competing in the tournament for the first time, trumped all other finalists from earlier chapters to emerge as ‘Mumbai ka Accurate Bowler’. The crowd watched in bewilderment as the unlikely champion let out a celebratory roar. This was HIS moment!!!
For his unbelievable achievement, Pravin was presented with a kit bag from Mr. Rajeev Mishra from ‘RM Sports’ and a certificate of appreciation from NATARAJ PENS and Cricketgraph. The coach of the academy Mr. Umesh Patwal was full of praise for all the participants who played a part, while also congratulating ‘Cricketgraph’ for their persistent quest towards celebrating local talent via such initiatives.
We, at Cricketgraph, would like to thank all those who have played a part in the success of NATARAJ PENS Mumbai ka Accurate Bowler contest.
Played at Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana, it was a crucial clash between Parel Sports Club and Bhatnagar S & CF where in Parel SC won the toss and elected to bat first on the back of their strong batting line up and make a big total.
Opening the innings, young Pragnesh smashed a thumping 160*off 191balls (15fours, 2sixes) which set the tone for the Parel SC innings. Pragnesh who is already making waves amongst youngsters ensured that he anchored the innings till the very end stamping his class all over. The rest of the batsman batted around him and gave him support with 20’s and 30’s while Tanesh Jain at the lower middle order scored a gritty 59 off 121balls which lended a good support to Pragnesh helping their team cross the 300run mark with ease. Pragnesh on the other hand was really rotating the strike well while also smashed some good cricketing shots without losing his patience taking Parel SC to 331/7 in 70 overs. From Bhatnagar, Atharva Poojari was the pick of the bowler with bowling figures of 3/55 in 13overs.
Bhatnagar on the other hand were bundled out for 234runs with opener Vaishnav Narvekar top scoring with a 121ball 64. Medium pacer Yashraj Malap and left arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar both were impressive with the ball bagging 3wkts each. Parel SC won the match in a dominating fashion by 97runs where in Pragnesh’s 160 remained the highlight perfomance of the match.
– Opener Pragnesh also created a record for being the 1st batsman to remain unbeaten from top to end in Young Comrade Shield Tournament
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Played at the Parsee Cyclists Ground, Azad Maidan, it was the all important finals between SS Travels and Tech Mahindra Business Services after fighting hard and consistently playing well throughout the tournament to reach this stage. SS Travels who won the toss elected to field first with an aim of restricting Tech Mahindra to a low total and chase it down.
Their decision to field first was accurate as they managed to restrict Tech Mahindra boys to just 165runs all out in 33.3 overs. Almost all the batsman failed to convert their 10’s apart from Javed Shaikh at no.3 who top scored with 45(56b). Sameer Rane with 3/24 in 8overs bowled at really good line and length to become the pick of the bowlers while Kastubh Paranjpe also took 3/24 in his 5.3 overs while Vivek Gowda bagged two wickets to make it an overall good bowling perfomance by the SS travels boys.
Chasing 167, Sameer Rane who was the pick of the bowlers opened the innings too smashing a crucial 80 off just 72balls which included 12fours to complete half of the chase himself. All rounder Kastubh who came at no.3 who also took 3wkts was the 2nd highest scorer with 36. Sameer’s counter attacking 80 set the positive momentum for the chase as SS Travels chased down the score in 30 overs while won the grand finals of the tournament by 6wkts. It was a match where SS Travels dominated right from the start as all-rounders Sameer Rane and Kastubh made all the difference and that too in a very crucial finals.
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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 full of experienced as well as young promising names coming under one ground to compete with each other. Parsee Gymkhana who have a strong batting line up elected to bat first in order to make a big 1st innings total.
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 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. 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. Slow left-arm spinner Mushir Khan bowled amazingly well against an experienced and a quality batting line up coming up with bowling figures of 7/101 in 22.1 overs.
Chasing 370, Islam Gymkhana did fought well with some excellent start by the openers where in Musheer also contributed with the bat scoring 49 opening the inning while Aryan Hemdev scoring 50. Apart from him, Akarshit Gomel who has been quite consistent throughout the tournament continued his good form scoring a well-fought 72. If that was not enough, Raunaq also scalped 4wkts with the ball completely owning the day and proving everyone how potent an all-rounder he can be restricting Islam gymkhana to 282/all out. Parsee Gymkhana won the match by 87runs on the back of all-rounder Raunaq while the young Mushir from Islam Gymkhana also won the hearts with his fighting spirit.
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Played at the Cross Maidan, it was the crucial quarters between two really promising teams namely Abhyudaya Bank and Vikrikar where in Abhyudaya won the toss and elected to bat first on the back of their good batting line up.
Abhyudaya Bank batting first notched up a very competitive total of 313/8 in 45 overs on the back of flying start by both the openers-Sanju Raut (95) & Rajesh Shelar (37). While Rajesh was out on 37, experienced Sanju Raut went on to develop his innings falling just 5runs short of what could have been a deserving and a classy ton. Sanju scored 95 off 104balls (10fours, 1six) which included some really good cricketing shots and nice running between the wickets too. Atul Rane also scored a crucial 55 which took the team total to cross the 300run mark. The bowlers did a decent job with Vasim Shaikh being the pick of the bowlers taking 3/49 in 9overs.
Chasing 314, Abhyudaya skittled out Vikrakar XI to just 106runs all out where in Amit Murkar and Prashant Kuprekar took 3wkts each while Jalinder also scalped 2wkts. Abhyudaya won the match by 207 runs and it was certainly Raut’s outstanding 95 which did the job for his team.
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The stage was set, the tables were out, the nets were ready and the wicket was rolled. Yes after a thumping response from various chapters all over Mumbai, it was now time for the Grand Finale NATARAJ PENS presents Mumbai ka most accurate bowler event at the ithink sportszAcademy in Kandivali.
The finalists and winners of the earlier chapters showed up with full grit and determination, the winner of last week’s Mulund’s chapter Pranay Gavande started practicing with other boys from 7am in the morning itself while so many boys once again from different corners of Mumbai along with the finalists and winners of the earlier chapters who were directly given an entry into the 2nd round made it.
Overall 150 students made it to the 1st round of the Grand Finale where in 91 boys were from School and 58 were from College. 50 boys overall made it to the 2nd round while only 18 qualified for the 3nd round.
Then came this 9yr old little genius who had came to the Kandivali Chapter earlier too- the cute little Shane Warne who was the center of attraction of all the spectators. At the age of 9, he was hardly affected by pressure surrounding him, people watching him, his spin was actually an indicator of how good a spinner he will go on to become in the coming days while his accuracy to hit the timbers in every round made him earn fans overnight. This little dynamo surpassed hundreds of boys hitting all the 3stumps, then two and then even the final timber. And that was not all, he again won the sudden death/knockout round too where he was competing with 3 other players. It’s really difficult to hit a single timber twice as a spinner on an uneven wicket under so much pressure where hundreds of people are watching you but Yatarth Yadav excelled all the levels with his superlative talent.
9yr old Yatarth who is a right-arm leg spinner and lives in Goregaon East studies in Model Public School has certainly made his parents, friends and his school proud winning the grand finale of NATARAJ PENS– Mumbai Ka Accurate bowler title. Yatarth was gifted a high quality kit bag from RM Sports, NATARAJ PENS Goodies, a winners certificate from NATARAJ PENS and Cricketgraph along with a Kimati Pink Leather Ball which must have certainly made this mini Shane Warne’s day.
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