Kevin who scored a fantastic 130 with Sarfaraz a few weeks ago in a high profile Times Shield match is now again back with a bang and this time in the Talim Shield Tournament ’18. Played between MIG and Shivaji Park Gymkhana at the MIG Cricket Ground, MIG won the toss and elected to field first.
Made to bat first, Shivaji Park Gymkhana went on to score 261/7 in 45 overs where in all the batsman chipped in with 20’s and 30’s. None of the batsmen struggled but none of them were able to give good starts either. Fast bowler Pratik Dabholkar and Vijay Gohil were the pick of the bowlers taking 2wkts each. Chasing a target of 262, it’s not the easiest when you are already 2down for 10runs. But opener Sumit Ghadigaonkar scored a stoic 76 off mere 64balls while also stitched a 149run stand with with southpaw Kevin Almeida who went on to score a flashy ton once again reveling under pressure and playing his natural game. Kevin remained unbeaten smashing 114* off 97deliveries (10fours,5sixes) as he anchored the chase successfully. Kevin also got good support from Siddarth Chitnis who scored 55* off 41balls (2fours, 5sixes). MIG CC won the match by 7wkts on the back of a stunning hundred by Kevin while Siddarth and Sumit’s half centuries also played a crucial role.
In the other match between Dadar Union and Parkophene Cricketers at the Karnatak Sporting Association, Cross maidan, Dadar Union won the toss and elected to bowl first. Parkophene cricketers were all out for 213 and at one point struggling for 4/84 and 5/105. However, Middle order bat Jiniv Doshi who came in at no.6 played a laxmanesque innings of 77*off 79balls (4fours,1six). Jiniv played well with the lower order and also did good running between the wickets which took his team total to a respectable score of 213. In reply, Dadar Union were bundled out for 169runs with the back of some good bowling by their pace spearhead Badrey Alam who took 3/29. Experienced Pardeep Sahu with 3/46 was equally impressive while Rajesh pawar and Rehmani sufiyan took 2wkts each. Jiniv’s crucuial 77 at the middle order and some real good bowling by the experienced Parkophene bowlers helped them clinch a comfortable win.
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Played at the B.M.C Ground Shivaji Park, Dadar between RA Podar College and Siddarth College. Siddarth College won the toss and elected to field first with an aim of restricting the opposition to a low total.
Made to bat first, R.A Poddar College hardly looked affected as they did a commendable job with the bat as their aggressive opener Bhupen Lalwani smashed a stroke filled 113 off 97balls (14fours. 1six) to anchor his team’s innings towards a healthy total. Bhupen played some really pleasing shots to the eyes and kept the scoreboard ticking with his fluent batting while Pranav Menon(40), Fahil (39) and Ajinkya (30) also gave handy contributions. Hitesh with 3/36 was the pick of the bowlers while Nikhil and Abhishek also took 2wkts each.
In reply, RA Poddar on the back of quickster Mahesh Patil’s terrific bowling bundled out Siddarth College for just 78runs all out. Mahesh Patil with 6/31 in 9overs (2maidens) was the pick of the bowlers. Mahesh bowled at real good lengths with discipline which reaped rewards for him as well as his team mates. RA Podar College won the match in style and it was surely Bhupen with the bat and Mahesh with the ball who were the standout performers.
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Want a strong game? Want to play at your best potential? Want to never get injured?
Then you should include some must-do exercises as a part of your training!
Since the start of T20s and one-day cricket matches, this game of cricket has become really fast.
Wherein the batsman cannot just continue to defend the balls in order to stay on field. He needs to go
for bigger and better hits to achieve the win. Also, highly developed levels of fielding in the modern times require strong shoulders, arms, and most importantly THE BACK!!
Adding strength training in the program will have the proven benefits of preventing injury, improving
running speed and bowling speed, improve swings to hit the ball and reduce the fatigue effect.
To survive in cricket for long, the player must have a strong fit body and so, strength training plays a very important part of the fitness program.
Strength training should be in the form of functional training that uses compound movements, i.e. a
combination instead of just one muscle at a time.
Progressing the exercise is a vital factor as, using the same weights for everyday workouts for a long
time will make no use. Gradually add weight to the bar while maintaining proper form is the key to
progressing with strength training.
Do the following exercises daily for the much desired effect of improved performance and less injuries.
1. Jump squats: These are too good for a flying catch. The lower body chain gets activated with the
core to provide balance and stability. It helps generate power and trains your heart as well.
2. Lunge with torso twist: This will help the cricketer to hit bigger shots. It strengthens the glutes
and legs and improves the flexibility of the hips. Adding twists engages your core, abs, and
obliques at the same time.
3. Deadlifts: Strengthens hamstrings, glutes and back muscles. Also, quadriceps, abs and shoulders.
4. Push-ups: Excellent strengthening of the upper body along with abs and core.
5. Pull ups: If you want to hit big shots do this one. It strengthens your upper body and core.
6. Alternate arm superman: It strengthens your lower back, improves posture and stability,
activates core with the arm raise as required while bowling. Also, is good for superb
coordination.
7. Rotator Cuff: Strengthening of shoulder plays the most important role for all cricketers
especially the bowlers. Strong shoulders will give you better force production.
8. Squats: Standing and running around for hours together requires a super strong core with
strong legs.
Do not forget to do a good dynamic warm up and cool down with static stretches to maintain good
muscle health and prevent injuries!
In a batsman dominated game since the last 10-12years, it’s really difficult to sustain as a quality bowler and more than that 6-7wkt hauls don’t come by daily. However, Samadhan impressed everyone with a 6wkt haul in a match between BARC & Ceat at the JK Raymonds Ground. CEAT who won the toss elected to bat first with an aim of making a big total.
CEAT were unaware of what was about to hit them as slow left arm spinner Samadhan kept on taking important wickets and did not allow a single batsmen to settle. Samadhan came up with a match winning bowling spell of 6/29 in 7 overs which restricted CEAT to just 107all out. Spinner Santosh Tijori also gave good support to Kanandai as he took 3wkts for 31runs.
In reply, BARC batsmen chased down the score comfortably and won the match by 8wkts where in Samadhan was declared ‘man of the match’ for his fantastic bowling figures of 6/29 which left behind the maximum impact in the match.
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Played at the National CC, Cross Maidan, two teams comprising of really talented players namely Fort Vijay CC and National CC took on each other where in Fort Vijay won the toss and elected to bat first as they have a strong batting line up plus the wicket also looked good to bat on.
Batting first, Fort Vijay scored a very healthy and a defendable total of 270/6 in 45 overs where in left-handed opener Divyansh Saxena who is a young bright prospect in cricket once again stamped his class with counter attacking cricket. Opener Divyansh took on the bowlers and hardly wasted any time at the crease as he anchored the innings till the very end scoring 125* off 117balls(12fours, 3sixes). Not only did Divyansh played a anchor’s role to perfection, he also kept the scoreboard ticking with his aggressive approach. Neelkanth Parab at the lower middle order also chipped in with a crucial 56 to push the team total to 270. Atish Gawand with 2/46 was the pick of the bowlers while the rest of the bowlers also chipped in with a wicket each.
In reply, National CC gave an excellent fightback and almost won the match falling short of just 3runs in a thriller of a chase. The openers gave a decent start while the talented Ajinkya Beloshe top scored with 75 off 93balls (5fours,1six). Prathamesh (30) and Dinar(44) at the middle order also contributed well. Fast bowler Aiswarya Surve with 4/36 was the pick of the bowlers and it was surely a very crucial bowling spell. National CC eventually won the match by 3runs and opener Divyansh Saxena was surely the player who stood out.
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A clash between two powerful and experienced teams of Mumbai namely CCI and Islam Gymkhana took place at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai where in Islam Gymkhana elected to field first after winning the toss.
CCI hardly looked affected after made to bat first and why would they when they have an in-form explosive opener at their helm. Right-handed Paul Valthaty who has been amongst the runs throughout the season continued to stamp his authority and this time he converted his 50’s and 70’s into a deserving 105 coming off mere 78deliveries. Paul hardly spared any bowlers and was entertaining to watch for his 78ball stay at the crease which included 18fours and 2sixes. Saksham at no.3 fell just one short of a solid 50 while the experienced Anand Singh scored an equally impressive and attacking ton at no.4 smashing an 80ball 110(11fours, 2sixes) to help his team post a healthy total on the board. It was certainly good to see Anand back to scoring runs. Left-arm pacer Danish Raini with 3/59 was the pick of the bowlers from Islam gymkhana.
Chasing 271, Islam Gymkhana who have a equally talented batting line up were in for a shock as they managed to score only 184/9 in 45overs. Off-spinner Aniket Redkar spelled trouble for Islam Gymhana as he came up with a match winning bowling spell of 5/6 in 6 overs(3maidens) to wipe up the opposition’s batting line up. Aniket’s majestic bowling figures were a result of excellent line and length coupled with a lot of discipline which reaped rewards for him as well as his team. Cricket Club of India won the match by 162runs and it was definitely Paul, Anand and Aniket who were the standout performers.
Paul Valthaty in the last 10 innings-
Innings-10
50’s-5
100’s-1
Best-105
Runs- 522
Batting Average-52.80
Strike-rate- 128.67
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An intenseful cricketing month of December where high profile tournaments like Giles Shield, Times Shield, Purshottam Shield, Cosmopolitan Shield and Harris Shield were played in full flow amongst other corporate tournaments. The month of December which is considered a very intense month for cricketers witnessed some spell binding knocks which included as many as 8 double tons in the whole month. Apart from the double tons too, there were numerous knocks which took our breath away and hence it was really difficult to shortlist the Top 5 Knocks of Mumbai.
After a grueling session of discussions and shortlisting, here are the Cricketgraph top 5 Knocks in Mumbai for the month of December 2017 in Mumbai Cricket.
Joint 5th– Rahul khicha–154 off 58balls, YCC Omtex Cup ‘17, RHB
Played at the Old Payyade Cricket Ground at Kandivali in Mumbai, a record was created on 9th of December. More than a record, a history in local cricket got created from the bat of Rahul Khicha. We have all seen Chris Gayle and Mccullum do this at the international level but we hardly come across such type of dangerous batsman at the local level. ECM who won the toss elected to put KCD to bat first were hardly aware on what was about to hit them. Opener Rahul demolished the bowlers with his 58ball 154 which included 15big sixes and 12fours which helped KCD post 326/8 in 32 overs. It was on the back of his knock his team won the match by 36runs and Rahul entered his name into the Payyade ground’s hall of fame!
5th-Sagar Shah- 100 off 42balls, GSC Champions Cup ’17, RHB
Just fresh from his batting histrionics in the last match where he took on the bowlers with a 28ball 68, Sagar is stamping his presence as an attacking opener now again with a brutal ton coming off mere 42balls. Played at the Aarey Bhaskar Cricket Ground between Knights and Mumbai Tigers A, Mumbai Tigers won the toss and elected to field first.
However, they were not aware about the zone in which Knight’s opener Sagar Shah was in. Sagar took on the bowlers from the word ‘go’ and continued his form from the last match. The hard hitting aggressive opener this time went on to make 101* off mere 42 deliveries smashing 9fours and as many as 7sixes to enthrall his team mates and the spectators alike. With the help of his knock, Knight were able to post a total of 200/3 in 90 overs which they defended successfully as they won the match by 94runs. Definately a perfect 31st December treat for Sagar and his mates!
4th-Bravish Shetty- 214 off 170balls, Times Cricket Shield ’17-18
Bravish has over the years proved his capabilities with the bat, he has the right amount of patience, aggression, power and resilience which are all crucial in the making of a world class batsman. In the match played between Reliance and A.G (L&R) at the MB Union cross maidan, A.G won the toss and elected to field first with an aim of restricting the opposition to a low total. However, Reliance were all out for 200 in the 1st innings and in reply, A.G (L&R) posted a big total of 641 where in right-handed Bravish scored a flashy 214 off just 170balls smashing 25fours and 6sixes to take on the bowlers. Bravish’s batting was a pure treat to the eyes as he played some amazing cricketing shots en-route his aggressive double ton. It was on the back of his ton which helped his team win the match handsomely on 1st innings lead.
3rd-Shashank Singh- 237 off 205balls, Times Cricket Shield ’17, RHB
This knock of 237 was his 3rd ton in his last 4 innings and his form continued even after that with a superlative average in the Times Shield Torunament. There are just so many batsmen doing good at the local level in India that the pool of cricketing talent in India is the richest amongst all the countries. Here, you will find hidden unpolished diamonds waiting to get explored on the smallest of opportunities and one of them is surely Shashank Singh who has displayed tremendous amount of capabilities with the bat. Shashank who had a wonderful season so far and has excelled in almost every match and tournament he has got to play. DY Patil who won the toss at the DY Patil ground & notched up 436/7 as opener Shashank smashed an opulent 237 off mere 205deliveries(22fours,12sixes) reminding us of Nathan Astle and Sehwag. MIG CC were in reply bundled out for 178runs as DY Patil were handed over a big win by 258runs on their home turf, thanks to Shashank’s terrific batting.
2nd– Ayush Jethwa- 242 off 202balls, Giles Shield ’17, RHB
This was a match where in Ayush’s team was already in trouble as they had to chase a big total of 373 on the back of Anish More’s fantastic ton of 211* from Parle Tilak. SVIS were at one stage struggling with their openers getting out early but they had their ever dependable trump card in Ayush who turned the tides of the match from nowhere. Ayush went on to score an attacking 242 off 202balls (36fours) which helped SVIS script a thriller of a win while chasing. Ayush on the other hand continued to stamp his class as one of the most promising players in the Mumbai Cricketing Circuit.
& Finally make way for the no.1-
1st Akash Anand- 277 off 379balls, Times Cricket Shield ’17, RHB
We hardly come across wicket-keeper batsmen who are equally consistent with the bat as wicket-keeping is itself a tough job. You need to be on your toes all the time, you have to jump, dive, stay flexible and alert throughout the duration of the match. Hence, a lot of physical and mental energy gets dedicated to these skills alone that you can’t expect a keeper to score big runs or play consistently at an average at which Dhoni plays which is a rarity for keepers. Hence, when you see a 22yr old keeper scoring a mammoth score of 277, there has to be some special talent!
DPC Matunga were all out for 168runs after winning the toss and batting first. Mumbai Port Trust on the other hand went on to make a gigantic total of 768/7 in 157 overs their right handed wicket-keeper batsman Akash Anand went on to score a marathon innings. Akash scored one of the most elegant knocks of 2017 in Mumbai and also the highest score in this year’s times shield scoring 277 off 379balls(25fours, 1six). Akash did a lot of hardwork as he did 171runs in running between the wickets while also stitched a giant partnership of 351runs with the talented no.4 bat Ninad Kadam who scored a fabulous 152 off 153balls.
Mumbai Port Trust won the match on 1st innings and it was definitely on the back of Akash’s 277 which stood out in the match. The amount of patience, resilience and consistency at which Akash played was simply impressive and this is not the 1st time he has impressed the cricketing community as a genuine wicket keeper batsman with such classy knocks. Facing 379deliveires like the old school cricket of Dravid & Laxman is itself an achievement and a difficult task to master in an era of modern day cricket where players just want to hit fours and sixes.
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Srinath Chavan has been one of the most impressive finds in the Ambedkar Tournament. He has a superb free flowing bowling action and bowls at really impressive line and length. What’s more left arm spin bowlers in India has been amongst the rare breeds and when we get to see such talented prodigies performing so well, these are just the positive indicators for Mumbai Cricket.
In the first match against AP College, Sathaye College won the toss and elected to field first as they have a solid bowling line up. Made to bat first, AP College were bundled out for mere 59runs as their left-arm off-spinner Srinath came up with mesmerizing bowling figures of 7/11 in 7 overs(3maidens). Srinath bowled some unplayable deliveries and was able to hit the right lengths on consistent basis which helped him reap rewards. It was on the back of his wonderful bowling spell that his team Sathaye College chased down the score in mere 9 overs winning the match by 7wkts.
In the 2nd match vs SIWS, SIWS won the toss and elected to bat first. However, SIWS were totally unaware of their in-form Srinath who is looking really good with the ball. Srinath once again came up with match winning bowling figures of 5/28 in 7 overs which restricted SIWS to just 79all out in 27 overs. Sathaye College once again chased down the score in mere 10.4 overs and won the match by 8wkts. Srinath was the standout performer in both the matches and he certainly looks promising to achieve bigger things in cricket if he keeps bowling like this.
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This year’s Purshottam has been nothing short of a thriller as we got to see amazing matches, some scintillating knocks and some breath-taking bowling perfomances. After fighting against numerous teams and a lot of hard work, it was the all important finals between DY Patil and New Hind SC where in DY Patil batted first after winning the toss at PJ Hindu Gymkhana.
Living up to their reputation of a strong batting line up, DY Patil once again notched up a mammoth 609runs for just 5wkts before they declared their innings after facing 100 overs. Opener Shoaib Shaikh who took 2stunning catches in the match once again gave a solid start with his 82(121balls, 13fours, 1six). No.3 bat Aman Khan who has been giving good starts throughout the tournament finally got a deserving ton scoring 107 off 101balls (17fours, 2sixes). Aman played his natural game as always while Shubham Ranjane who is now amongst the top run getters of the tournament continued his purple patch with the bat as he again notched up a match winning knock of 163 off 147balls(13fours,7sixes). Abhishek Nayar(84) and Yogesh Takawale(81) also contributed with crucial 80’s at the middle order taking their team total to a big one.
In reply, New Hind SC were bundled out for just 147 runs as spinner Pravin Tambe continues to shut the critics down that age hardly matters when you have talent. Tambe demolished the opposition’s batting line up with 6/28 in 10.3overs(4maidens) and that too at a crucial stage like finals. DY Patil won eventually won the match on 1st innings lead and Tambe’s bowling played a big role in it. Pravin Tambe was also declared the ‘best bowler of the tournament’ as he has been amongst the top wicket takers this season. Shashank Singh on the other hand was declared the ‘best batman’ in the tournament where he scored a lot of runs including 2 double centuries.
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This is a tournament where the players get to showcase their cricketing skills and resilience. This is also a tournament where a player is keenly watched by a lot of eyes from different corners. And talking about these two kids-Anish and Ronit, they are already making a name for themselves at a very young age since they have been performing well almost since last one year or so.
Played at the National CC between Team A & Team B, Team B won the toss and elected to bat first where in almost every batsman contributed with the bat. Talented Akash Singh who is another promising player was the highest scorer at the middle order scoring an unbeaten 94* off 212balls (12fours,1six) displaying really solid batting and some good shots. Moin Khan, Atharva Bhosale and Khush Jain were the pick of the bowlers taking 2wkts each. Team B eventually reached a very good total of 363/9dec in 112 overs with the help of Akash’s anchoring knock.
Chasing 364, Team A had solid openers at their disposal with Anish More and Roneet Thakkur both giving a good start. While Anish scored 45 off 112balls (8fours), Roneet on the other hand scored 103 off 142balls which included 20fours. Roneet looked solid and played some flamboyant shots as both the players amassed a 122run stand. Team B reached 248/7 in 80overs before the end of the game’s play where the match was declared drawn. Even though no results could be extracted but Akash’s rock solid batting and Roneet’s flamboyance with the bat were the shining sparks in the match.
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