One of the biggest T20 leagues of Mumbai finally seems to be gathering steam as the tournament which is just into its 3rd day has produced some wonderful matches & outright good individual performances alongwith entertaining knocks. The 5th of May witnessed 2 matches where Shivaji Warriors had to face Thane Marathas in the morning & the in-form Bandra Heroes in the 2nd match.
The 1st match completely belonged to Shivaji boys where they smartly elected to field first at the Police Gymkhana Ground, restrict them to a low total & win the match comfortably. Their strategy did work out well as Thane Marathas were all-out for 109 in 16.3overs. Vijay Reddy with a 30ball 23 at no.3 looked good but hardly anyone fired apart from their no.9 batsman Mukesh Gupta who chipped in with a 18ball 29. Dhrumil Matkar was the pick of the bowlers taking 3/23 followed by 2wkts each for the Sawant duo-Kalpesh & Parth. Chasing 110 was a mere formality for the Shivaji boys as they won the match by 6wkts & chased it down in just 15overs. Opener Kalpesh Sawant chipped in with a quick 29 followed by a 30ball 29 by Sunil & an unbeaten 19ball 27* by Akshay Jhambhekar. Shivaji Park Warriors won the match by 6wkts & all-rounder Kalpesh Sawant was declared ‘man of the match’ for his all-round contribution.
What followed was a 2nd match against Bandra heroes which was a paisa vasool game for both the teams as it was a high scoring game with some good display of clean hitting. Bandra heroes elected to field just like how shivaji boys did in the in 1st match but they weren’t aware of what was about to come as Shivaji warrior opener Sagar Kerkar(RHB) made complete mayhem of the bowlers smashing a aggressive 126 off just 59balls at a strike rate of 218 which included 14fours & 6sixes. Right-handed Akshay Jhambekar also played a fine knock of 74 which helped them reach a very big total of 216/3 in 18overs (2overs cut short due to time constraint). Chasing 219 is an extremely tough task but the form in which Bandra Heroes are made even 218 looked easier. Bandra opener Aman Khan made mockery of the bowlers as he scored a tantalizing 62 off mere 20balls. We can only imagine had he faced a few more overs, he would have scored the fastest hundred ever! The rest of the batsman also chipped in with 20”s with Shoaib Siddique once again contributing with a fine 48* off 36balls to help Bandra win a thriller of a match.
Bandra boys won the match & Aman Khan was declared ‘man of the match’ for his unbelievably quick 62. Bandra Heroes are certainly making it clear that they are the toughest team to beat & are certain favorites for this year’s tournament.
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Who said low scoring matches cannot be interesting, DTDC & Datamatics who entered in the all-important finals just proved everybody wrong as both the teams gave a really tough fight to win the finals of the tournament at the Matunga Gymkhana Ground in Mumbai. On a good track like Matunga’s, Datamatics rightly elected to bat first with an aim of making a big one in the 1st innings.
It was a decent perfomance batting first as Datamatics managed to score 149/8 in 20 overs which is always defendable in a T20 game. The top order of Datamatics completely failed with their top 4batsman hardly making any difference but it was their all-rounder Nehal Katakdhond at no.5 who scored a fighting knock of 53 off just43balls to help his team reach a respectable total. Apart from him, Prem also chipped in with a quick 29 at no.7 further boosting the score. DTDC bowlers did a good job with their bowler Kishor being the pick of the bowlers taking 2/13 in his 4 followed by 2/33 by Sunny. The rest of the bowlers also chipped in with a wicket each.
Chasing an exact 150, Datamatics did not allow the opposition to win easily. In fact at one point they were looking strong to win the match where DTDC was 9 down & 25runs were needed from 10 balls. However, Akash Bharadwaj was the hero for DTDC & the perfect villain for datamatics as he smashed 3sixes in 3balls to completely change the game & a boundary in the 2nd last ball to help DTDC clinch a close victory over Datamatics by just 1wicket & 1ball to spare.
DTDC won the finals and lift the title while Akash Bharadwajw was declared ‘man of the match’ for his match winning 26* & a wicket while Virendra Yadav with over 200+runs & 7wkts was declared ‘man of the series’ Cricketgraph congratulates Akash & the whole team for their win& wishes them all the luck for a great future ahead.
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Kimati Sports, one of the leading manufacturers of leather cricket balls in India, in collaboration, with Cricketgraph, launched Corporate Bowler Award this February to recognize the bowling talent in the corporate sphere. The award is bestowed on the best bowler of the week, based on the performance in the corporate cricket leagues. The winner is awarded with attractive prizes which include a certificate of appreciation and a BCCI approved Kimati leather cricket ball.
Javed Shaikh from Pidilite company, bagged the award for his mesmerizing leg spin bowling that was demonstrated against AIDEM. He picked up a fifer giving away only 5 runs. He completely annihilated the opponent team in a crucial encounter at M.B union ground in the ongoing Dreamz Tournament.
Right-arm leg-spinner Javed Shaikh turned out to be quite a revelation as he bowled a mesmerizing spell of 5/5 in his 3.1 overs. A spell like this in a T20 can be done only if you are special & talented enough. Javed completely bamboozled the batsman with his tight line & unplayable deliveries. Due to his bowling, the opponent were all out for paltry 75 runs. Pidilite won the match comfortably.
Kimati Corporate Bowler Award will come back next week with a new winner, till then Cricketgraph and Kimati wishes you all the very best.
The Pidilite team congraulated Javed for his performance by awarding him the BCCI approved kimati ball and a certificate of appreciation.
‘SURYA’- as he is fondly called is the same 14yr old who scored the fastest triple hundred in in the Giles Shield Tournament. He is also the same boy who has time & again scored brutal hundreds & regularly features on Cricketgraph & other media.
When he walks into the crease he hardly looks like a 14yr old kid, when he smashes those flawless boundaries through his wrists, he hardly looks like he is still a kid studying in school. When he shows aggression & dominates the bowlers at will, he looks like an experienced cricketer who has played a lot of International cricket. Such is the class & talent which this boy possesses. Add to it he is a stylish batsman, he has got the right amount of aggression & loves to deal in boundaries.
We at Cricketgraph also interacted with his father & from what we came to know, Suryansh must be the only player or we can say amongst the rare players in Mumbai who studies in IB board(studies at Gundecha International School) and also plays at the State Level. In Mumbai, generally there is a pressure to be in Maharashtra board to play good cricket and excel. Whereas, Suryansh has reversed this myth and kept on playing good cricket in all different levels of cricket be it school, club, academy or state.
And from what we have seen so far- Suryansh is a little impulsive in nature, be it on or off the crease. That said, Suryansh also plays with a lot of focus while batting. He likes to take control right from the beginning while he doesn’t fear stepping out even to the toughest of bowlers. Suryansh is also a natural stoke maker and situations hardly affect his style of batting. Shedge’s hunger for runs is visible when you see him bat at the crease & is a fearless and risk taking batsman. Suryansh also chips in with right arm medium pace & is considered the best fielder at the state level.
Suryansh’s father Prashant Shedge is the group marketing head at Wockhardt Hospitals while Suryansh’s mom Priyadarshini Shedge was an ex-banker with HSBC & Citibank who now dedicates her full time towards Suryansh’s upbringing & taking care of her home, so that Suryansh can focus completely on cricket. He has got doting parents who are always there supporting him.
Lets have a look at some of his achievements,
Statistics of Suryansh between March 2016 & April 2017
Matches include 2day test matches, T20’s, ODI’s, 30-over games and all the formats in the numerous local tournaments of Mumbai.
| Matches | Runs | Not-outs | Average | 50’s | 100’s | Best Score |
| 58 | 3502 | 11 | 75.67 | 21 | 11 | 326* |
If these numbers are anything to go by…Suryansh has just started & this is just a trailer on what is about to hit the Indian cricket.
In the memory of late Shree Arvind Dhakras sir, the tournament has been quite a success & it is certainly becoming a platform to introduce young talents in cricket & one such example was the knock of Prathamesh Shukla who impressed one & all with his aggression & composure at the crease falling just 7runs short of a wonderful century.
It was a match between Santosh Sports Cricket Club & Kedar Sports Club where SPCC won the toss & elected to bat to put the opposition under pressure by posting a healthy total on the board. Their decision to bat first did prove to be correct as SPCC managed to make a very good score of 221 in 45 overs. Right-handed Prathamesh Shukla was the pick of the scorers notching up almost a hundred. Prathamesh scored 93 off just 63balls (6fours, 3sixes) & counter-attacked the bowlers with authority & was quite a revelation for his age. Raj Patil also batted well chipping in with 36.
In reply Kedar Cricket Club was all out for 187/10 in 41.5 overs. Anis Iyer played a wonderful innings of 83 & fought well but he lacked support from the other players wherein Pratik Naidu was the 2nd highest scorer with 36. Ankit Nair was the pick of the bowlers taking 3wkts in his 4.2overs.
Santosh Sports Cricket club won the match comfortably by 34runs & Prathamesh Shukla was declared ‘man of the match’. Cricketgraph congratulates Pratham & the whole team for their win & wishes them to keep playing such good cricket in future too.
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Bandra Heroes had a great day in the office as they won both the matches held on 4th May against Shivaji Park XI & Thane Marathas at Sachivalay ground & Police Gymkhana respectively.
The morning match was indeed a great match which turned out to be entertaining as we got to see great individual performances. Thane Marathas won the toss & elected to field first where Bandra made a mammoth 235/6 in 18overs. In reply Thane Marathas managed to score only 165/9 and lost the match to the Bandra Boys. All-rounder Shams Maulani(LHB) was declared ‘man of the match’ as he scored a swashbuckling 82 off just 39balls which included 7fours & 5sixes while Shoaib Siddique also played an entertaining knock of 42* off just 14balls down the order pushing their team total to a healthy 235. Chasing 236, Right-handed wicket-keeper batsman Mehboob Shaikh gave a terrific start & was the lone fighter as he scored a superb 81 off 39balls(10fours,5sixes) at the top of the order but lacked support from the other end. Shams Maulani picked up 2wkts too making it a perfect all-round perfomance.
Back in the day, the evening match was no less an entertaining affair as Bandra Heroes again put their best foot forward to defeat Shivaji Warriors. Winning the toss, Bandra elected to bat first and opener Aman Khan gave a perfect start any team could ask for as he scored a flamboyant 55 off mere 26balls(7fours,3sixes). Left-handed Shashikant Kadam also played a terrific knock scoring 51 off mere 25balls(3fours, 4sixes) to help Bandra reach a defendable total of 164/5 in 20 overs. It was a close match where Shivaji warriors lost the match by just 5runs but this is how matches should be where both the teams give their best. Opener Eknath Kerkar scored a Valiant 61 but the efforts went in vain while all-rounder Shashikant Kadam took 2wkts with the ball making him earn the ‘man of the match title’.
Looking at the current form of the Bandra Boys, they certainly look favorites for this year’s title. Cricketgraph congratulates the whole team for their win & wishes them luck for their upcoming encounters.
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There are good performances & than once in a while in cricket we get to see extra-ordinary performances, Javed Shaikh’s bowling falls into that extra-ordinary slot as he completely annhilated the opposition with his effective leg-spin. Perfomances like this makes it all the more easier for us when we sit down to prepare monthly rankings in bowling, batting & all-round performances.
AIDEM & Pidilite faced each other for a crucial encounter at M.B Union Ground in Mumbai. AIDEM won the toss & elected to bat first with an aim of putting the opposition under pressure. However, their decision to bat first did seem to backfire as they were all out for just 75/10 in 16.1 overs. Right-arm leg-spinner Javed Shaikh turned out to be quite a revelation as he bowled a mesmerizing spell of 5/5 in his 3.1 overs. A bowling spell like this in a T20 can be done only if you are special & talented for sure. Javed completely bamboozled the batsman with his tight line & unplayable deliveries and was supported well by left-arm orthodox spinner Bhavesh who took 3/12 in 3 overs.
Chasing a mere 76 runs, Pidilite chased the score in just 12.5 overs with 6wkts to spare. Opener Harshad Salkar was the pick of the scorer with a 23ball 25. Sharad from AIDEM was the pick of the bowlers taking 3/15 in his 3 overs.
Pidilite won the match by 6wkts & Javed Shaikh was declared ‘man of the match’ for obvious reasons. Cricketgraph congratulates Javed & the whole team for their win & wishes them luck for their upcoming encounters.
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‘Attack’ & ‘confidence’ are the two words which describes the talented Jay Jain as he has consistently scored run in the past one month. Just fresh from a 58ball 104 a few weeks ago, jay bounces back again with a yet another flashy 90 off 67balls while Nilay Pawar also looked promising as he scored a gutsy 69 along with Jay at the Matunga-Dadar parsee colony in Mumbai.
MIG won the toss & elected to bat first to put Bhosale Cricket Academy under pressure. Their decision to bat first proved to be correct as they managed to score a mammoth 223/5 in 30overs. Nilay Pawar scored a confident looking 69 off just 55balls which developed the positive momentum for the team. Coming at 2 down, jay Jain scored a swashbuckling 90 off just 67 balls(6fours, 4sixes) to steer his team total to a very healthy 223 in 30 overs. Both the batsman batted well & attacked bowlers with complete authority. Left-arm spinner Ayush Singh was the pick of the bowlers taking 4wkts & was the only bowler who looked really good enough to trouble the opposition.
Chasing 224, Bhosale Cricket Academy managed to make only 100/7 & M.I.G won the match by 123 runs. Left-arm spinners Sairaj Murthy (3wkts) & Atharva dakve(2wkts) took 5wkts together to rattle the opposition.
Team MIG won the match by a big margin & Nilay powar was declared ‘man of the match’ for his all-round perfomance as he not only scored 69 but also took a catch & a wicket. Cricketgraph congratulates Nilay & Jay while also appreciates the good bowling of Ayush, sairaj & atharva and wishes them all the luck to keep playing good cricket for a long long time.
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The Fort Vijay Ground witnessed a low scoring yet an exciting encounter between two competitive teams namely Reliance Nippon & WNS. Team WNS won the toss & elected to bat first with an aim of making a big total, however the decision to bat first did prove them a little costly as things did not go in their favor.
Batting first, WNS managed to make only 112/9 in their quota of 20overs which is a chaseable score at any part of the day. None of their batsman right from their top order to the bottom could make much of a difference to the scorecard. Nikhil at no.7 was the only one who looked a little good while he lacked support from the other end. The bowlers also did a great job by not allowing any batsman to settle at the crease while also taking wickets at the right time. Right-arm off spinner Santosh Bhillare was the pick of the bowlers taking 4/22 in his 4overs doing the maximum damage. Santosh bowled really tight & kept on giving breakthroughs while Munna also bowled well taking 2wkts while giving only 15runs in his 4overs.
Chasing 113, WNS gave a really tough fight & did not allow them to win before taking their 7wkts. Dhawal Patel batted well & was the pick of the scorers with a 28ball 30 while Munna remained 22* off 17balls making it an all-round perfomance.
Reliance chased down the score in 19overs & won the match by 3wkts where Dhaval Patel was declared ‘man of the match’ while off-spinner Santosh & all-rounder Munna’s perfomance was also equally appreciation worthy. Cricketgraph congratulates the whole team for their win & also wishes them all the luck for their upcoming encounters.
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The Mitsui Shojit-20 League got off to a terrific starts with one of the strong favourites Mumbai Police Cityriders were given a jolt by the Bandra Heroes who defeated them by 7 wickets in the opening game in the double-leg of the Mitsui Shoji T-20 League, sponsored by Lal Bharwaney and held at Police Gymkhana ground, here today.
Put in to bat, Mumbai Police Cityriders, inspite of a fine knock of 53 by their Mumbai opene Jay Bista, the team could muster only 127 for eight in their allotted overs which is not the best of the scores to defend in a T20 game. Bista’s knock contained eight hits to the boundary but he lacked support from the other end. Chasing 128 to win, Bandra Heroes were given a pretty good start as their openers hit up 34 runs in the very first four overs before both the openers fell to the artistry of spinner Vinayak Bhoir. They did lose another wicket but then the pair of skipper Sujit Nayak (33*off 25balls, 3×4, 1×6) and Khizar Dafedar (45* off 21balls, 5×4, 2×6) saw them through without any further hiccups. Ex India cricketer Wasim Jaffer is also a part of the Bandra Heroes team. Both the players khizar and Sujit stitched a match-winning partnership to steer their team towards the victory line.
Bandra Heroes won the match by 7wkts and 6.3overs to spare & Sujit and Khizar’s performance was surely the highlight of the match & especially Khizar dafedar who contributed well with his all-round performance.
Earlier in the morning as a part of the pre-opening ceremony, Sports Journalist of Mumbai (Media XI) played well to notch up 128 for 3 in 15 overs. Thanks to some aggressive batting by skipper Devendra Pandey (27) and left-hander Taus Rizvi (25), However, hosts Mitsui Shoji XI overhauled their score in 14 overs as Mukesh Gupta (71) and Sachin Upadhaya(34) took them home for the loss of just two wickets. Mukesh was particularly outstanding as he scored a unbeaten 71* off just 42 balls dominating the bowlers with authority.