In a nail-biting thriller, Benetton CC beat Union CC by just four runs in the second match of the Thane Premier League on Wednesday at Dadoji Konddev Stadium.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Benetton CC posted 143/7 in 20 overs. Yogesh Pawar impressed with a scintillating 63 that came off just 36 balls. The southpaw’s innings was laced with two fours and five sixes. On the other hand, for Union CC, left arm spinner Hrushikesh Pawar was the pick of the bowlers as he claimed 3/24 in his four-over spell.
In reply, Union CC fought hard but fell shy of just four runs in the end as they were restricted to 139/8 in 20 overs. Number nine batter Atharva Dikholkar top scored with an unbeaten 42 from 33 balls, including three hits to the fence. Right arm speedster Ravi Bhumbak wreaked havoc with the ball as he snapped 3/36 in four overs. He struck in the first and third overs of the innings and then in the fag end.
The very first day of the TPL produced this humdinger of a contest and is expected to see a few others in the rest of the week.
Thane is ready for yet another exciting season of the Thane Premier League (TPL). The 12th edition of the TPL will be played from May 1 to 8 at the iconic Dadoji Konddev Stadium in Thane. It will be organised under the able aegis of Maharashtra Maza Seva Sanstha and Vikas Krishna Repale, who himself is a sports enthusiast.
Over the last 11 years, the competition has produced plenty of exciting cricket and offered a solid platform to the budding cricketers to showcase their skills and talent. This tournament has been blessed to have players like Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Atharva Ankolekar, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Shashank Singh, Prashant Solanki, Harmeet Singh, Mohit Awasthi, Hardik Tamore, Prasad Pawar, Royston Dias, Akhil Herwadkar, Ankeet Chavan, Kaustub Pawar, Chinmay Sutar, and Rohan Raje, having featured in it. This year the 12th edition of the TPL is again expected to garner tremendous response from the fans and aficionados in and around the city.
A total of 16 teams will participate in this much awaited tourney and every team can have a maximum of two outstation players. The participating teams are: Eknath Shinde Cricket Club 1, Eknath Shinde Cricket Club 2, SR’s Group, FTL, Union Cricket Club (Kalyan), Boy’s Cricket Club (Dombivali), Ambernath Rising Cricket Club, Benetton Cricket Club, Sportsman Cricket Club, Golden Star Cricket Club, Thane Warriors, AT Sports, Cricket Mantras, Salgaonkar Cricket Club, Eagle Infra, and Maharashtra Cricket Academy.
The upcoming edition of the TPL promises to go through the ebbs and flows and promises to be an entertaining extravaganza. So, all the Thanekars, fasten your seat belts and gear up for this riveting 12th season of the Thane Premier League.
Name: Thane Premier League (TPL)
Organised by: Maharashtra Maza Seva Sanstha and Vikas Krishna Repale
Edition: 12th
Venue: Dadoji Konddev Stadium
Format: Knockout
Final: May 8, 2024
No. of teams participating: 16
No. of outstation players allowed in each team: 2
Sponsors
In the final match of the MCA Corporate Trophy, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd ‘A’ handed a crushing 120-run defeat to DY Patil Group ‘B’.
Winning the toss and electing to field first, DY Patil did a fantastic job with the ball to restrict Jain Irrigation to 57/4 in 5.2 overs. However, Sairaj Patil and Aayush Zimare then came together and stitched a match-winning 132-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Patil starred with a delectable knock of 101 that came off just 45 balls. His entertaining innings was laced with nine fours and eight sixes. Zimare, on the other hand, played the perfect second fiddle as he muscled 48 runs from 32 balls, including four fours and a six. The duo powered Jain Irrigation to a daunting total of 242/6 in 20 overs.
In reply, DY Patil were bowled out cheaply for 122 in 17.3 overs. Parikshit Valsangkar was the lone warrior in the battle as he top scored with 55 runs. For Jain Irrigation, it was off spinner Shashank Attarde, who wreaked havoc with the ball, as he picked 5/29 in four overs. Darshan Mangukiya was the other major contributor with the ball as he returned with figures of 3/12.
Brief Scores: Jain Irrigation 242/6 in 20 overs (S Patil 101) beat DY Patil 122 all out in 17.3 overs (P Valsangkar 55; S Attarde 5/29) by 120 runs
Mansingh Nigade is a popular name in Indian domestic cricket, who has taken giant strides in the field of cricket coaching. Having represented Maharashtra in the numerous BCCI tournaments, Mansingh turned to coaching, with the goal of producing excellent players that would represent India. The 38-year-old continues to play franchise-based cricket that keeps him up-to-date with the growing demands of this fast-paced game.
Coaching experience
Mansingh has completed Level 1 Coaching Certification course of Ace Cricket excellence centre and Level 1 Coaching Certification course of CricKingdom Cricket Academy by Rohit Sharma. After completing his certifications, he joined CricKingdom as the Head of the West Zone. He is the founder and head coach of Sahara Cricket Academy in Pune and has been the mentor and skipper of the team since 2016. Additionally, he has worked as the head coach at the Western Poona Club, chief coach at Legend Cricket Academy in Pune. He has had the honour of coaching Singapore’s captain Chetan Suryawanshi and IPL star Shubham Ranjane. His future assignments comprise of coaching the men’s and women’s international teams of Indonesia.
Playing experience
Before entering coaching, Mansingh played competitive domestic cricket and participated in franchise-based leagues. This right-handed batter and leg spinner represented Maharashtra in Ranji Trophy in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and in Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2006-07. Earlier, he featured in the Col. C.K.Nayudu All India Tournament (U23), Cooch Behar Trophy (U19), and Vijay Merchant Trophy (U16). He was also a part of the 30-member squad of India U19 for the World Cup in 2006. In the same year, he represented Maharashtra in the warm-up game of ICC Champions Trophy against Australia. Also, he played against the Surrey Cricket Club and scored 96 runs.
Besides, between 2011 and 15, he represented Donaghcloney Cricket Club in Northern Ireland in Section One as professional Cricketer and Mentor. In 90 matches, he scored 3860 runs, including eight centuries and 28 fifties and picked 110 wickets. Similarly, he has played in different tournaments like Maharashtra Premier League, Goa Premier League, Hyderabad Test League, Mumbai Premier League, Times Shield, DY Patil T20 League, and Kanga League, to name a few.
In the upcoming days, he will feature in the Bali Blast League, a franchise-based league in which international players from Indonesia and Singapore will participate.
Mumbai’s opening batter, Bhupen Lalwani, had a lion’s share in his team’s success at the recently concluded Ranji Trophy. The 24-year-old right-hander top-scored for Mumbai with 588 runs, powering his team to a record 42nd title win.
Lalwani featured in all the 10 matches that Mumbai played in this Ranji season and started the proceedings with the bat for his side. In 16 innings, he scored at an average of 39.2 and faced as many as 1250 balls, which was also the highest by a Mumbai batter. His aggregate of 588 runs included a century and five fifties. Against Chhattisgarh, he registered his best score of 102 runs from 238 balls, including 10 hits to the fence. In the process, he stitched a 244-run opening partnership with Prithvi Shaw, laying a solid foundation for the batters to follow. It was the highest partnership for Mumbai in this season’s Ranji Trophy and the second-best opening stand in this edition’s tournament.
Lalwani’s performance with bat and his sublime consistency was lauded by the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, who shared an Instagram post congratulating Mumbai for their record 42nd Ranji Trophy win. The youngster found a mention alongside big guns like Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur.
Worli Sports Club suffered a crushing 134-run defeat at the hands of Fort Vijay Cricket Club on Friday in their backyard.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Fort Vijay Cricket Club posted 206 in 34.3 overs. After Shivam’s heroics with the bat that saw a masterclass unbeaten innings of 122 from 103 balls, Fort Vijay Cricket Club was bowled out inside the full quota of overs. Arun Gupta, who opened the bowling for Worli Sports Club, wreaked havoc with the ball as he scalped 5/27 in seven overs. Gupta found an able ally in his opening bowling partner, Sivansh, who claimed 3/24 in seven overs, including a maiden.
In response, Worli Sports Club were skittled out for a miserly 72 in 22.5 overs, losing the match by 134 runs. Fort Vijay Cricket Club’s bowlers created many problems for Worli Sports Club’s batters. Riyansh was the most successful bowler for Fort Vijay Cricket Club as he accounted for 5/31 in six overs, including a maiden. On the other hand, Ankit (12 runs from 14 balls) was the lone batter for Worli Sports Club who could register a double-digit score.
Brief Scores: Fort Vijay Cricket Club 206 all out in 34.3 overs (Shivam 122 not out; A Gupta 5/27) beat Worli Sports Club 72 all out in 22.5 overs (Ankit 12; Riyansh 5/31) by 134 runs
DTDC Express Limited handed a crushing defeat of an innings and 46 runs to Mumbai Police (A) to qualify for the semi-finals of the Times Shield ‘B’ division.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first at the Western Railway Cross Maidan, Mumbai, Mumbai Police (A) were bowled out for a paltry 91 in 37.5 overs. Shreyas Gurav and Rajesh Sardar were the most successful bowlers for DTDC Express Limited as they scalped three wickets apiece. Mumbai Police (A), on the other hand, had a horrific day with the bat as only four of their 11 batters could score in double digits. Yogesh Patil, a right-handed middle-order batter, was the top run-scorer for Mumbai Police (A), as he mustered 18 runs from 19 balls, including a six.
In reply, DTDC Express Limited scored 229 runs in 49.1 overs and took a healthy lead of 138 runs. Batting at number three, right-handed batter Viraj Jadhav starred with a brilliant innings of 54 from 68 balls that was laced with eight hits to the fence. Despite Aaryaraj Nikam’s six-wicket haul, Mumbai Police (A) could not restrict DTDC Express Limited’s run flow.
With a substantial deficit to be written off, Mumbai Police (A) failed again with the bat as they were bundled out for 92 in 31 overs. Suraj Shinde was the lone warrior in the fight with the bat for Mumbai Police (A) as he made 32 runs from 50 balls, peppering the boundary rope five times. Gurav was again among the wickets in the second innings as he accounted for a fifer and bowled well in tandem with Maxwell Swaminathan, who also chipped in with the same number of scalps.
Brief Scores: Mumbai Police (A) 91 all out (Y Patil 18; R Sardar 3/7 ) and 92 all out (S Shinde 32; S Gurav 5/43) lost to DTDC Express Limited 229 all out (V Jadhav 54; A Nikam 6/88) by an innings and 46 runs
Swami Vivekananda International School registered two stunning wins in the MI Junior U16 Boys Inter School Cricket Tournament.
On January 30, Swami Vivekanand International School beat R.V.Nerkar Secondary School (Vasai) by 154 runs at Shivaji Park Central Railway in Mumbai. Left-handed opening batter Kshitij Pal was the standout performer for his school as he muscled 87 off 60, smashing eight fours. The team scored 224/5 in 24 overs and bowled out their opposition for a paltry 70 in 15.5 overs.
Pal was not yet done in this tournament. He played a masterclass on February 2 against Rizvi Springfields High School (CBSE), Khardanda at BMC Shivaji Park. He hammered an undefeated 197 off 103, including 25 fours and eight sixes. Along with his opening partner Aayush Makwana (240; 110b), he stitched a mammoth 385-run partnership and steered his team to 593/2 in 36 overs. Swami Vivekanand International School won this match by 502 runs.
In the same tournament, Dhairya Shah from IES New English School (Bandra) wreaked havoc with the ball, as he snapped 3/6 in five overs, including three maidens. The right-arm speedster achieved this feat against Matunga Premier School on February 2 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. He opened the bowling for his team and broke the back of the opposition. He picked two wickets in the fifth over. IES New English School (Bandra) bowled out Matunga Premier School for a miserly 26 and completed the target in 1.5 overs to secure a 10-wicket win.
Your Cricket Guide’s Kshitij Pal and Vansh Akbari played pivotal roles in their team’s success in the CPL One Day Championship (U17).
Playing as an opening batter, Pal smashed 75 runs from 82 balls, including eight fours, against CPL Mumbai (A) on January 24 at RK Morwah Ground in Bhayander. This left-handed batter was the top run scorer for his team, which scored 285/4 in 40 overs and eventually won the match by 195 runs. The bowling attack was led by Vansh Akbari, who snapped 3/17 in seven overs, including four maidens.
A few days later, playing against Rising Player Sports Association at Oval Maidan on February 5, Pal bludgeoned an unbeaten 163 off 130. He was again the lead run-getter for his side. His entertaining innings was laced with 18 hits to the fence. Of the team’s total of 296 runs at the loss of seven wickets in 40 overs, Pal scored more than half of the runs and steered his team to a magnificent 170-run win.
In the same match, Dhairya Shah opened the bowling for Your Cricket Guide and scalped 1/16 in five overs, whereas Akbari grabbed 1/30 in eight overs. Early in the day, Akbari, who opened the batting with Pal, mustered 37 runs off 36 balls, peppering the boundary rope on seven occasions. For his all-round brilliance, he won the player of the match award.
Riding on Rakesh Naik’s power-packed batting performance, Bhama Cricket Club decimated Sportsmen Cricket Club (Kalyan) by 287 runs on January 28 at Azad Maidan.
Batting first, Bhama Cricket Club piled up a mammoth 386 in 45 overs at the loss of just three wickets. Opening batter Jai Bakshi (54 runs off 37 balls; 4×8) crafted a scintillating half-century to lay a solid foundation. Later, Shivank Rao (153 not out off 128 balls; 4×15, 6×3) and Naik (139 not out off 97 balls; 4×15, 6×8) stitched a match-winning 289-run partnership for the fourth wicket to steer their team to a formidable total.
In the earlier matches, left-handed batter Naik had missed out on scoring back-to-back centuries after getting out on 98 and 95. However, in this match, he was determined to achieve the milestone. The southpaw entertained with a stroke-filled innings. He has been in red-hot form in this ongoing tournament and is also the top run-getter.
After doing his job with the bat, Naik, a left-arm spinner, contributed with the ball, claiming 1/8 in four overs, including one maiden. Bhama Cricket Club bundled our Sportsmen Cricket Club (Kalyan) for a miserly 99 in 30.5 overs.