Route SMS posted a challenging 246 in 40 overs against HUS Films on 25th March in Mumbai during the Gold final match of Shiraz-e-Hind 40 over Cricket Tournament. Bhushan Tandel (45 runs off 43 balls), Saeed Shaikh (50 runs off 46 balls) and Siddharth (55 runs off 30 balls) were the batting pillars that helped Route SMS to put up a strong total on board. Siddharth was simply exceptional with the bat and was a treat to watch. He had the perfect blend of defence and aggression in his entertaining knock. Irfan Ansari and Hitesh Singh shined with the ball for HUS as they picked up three wickets apiece.
Chasing over six runs per over was always going to be tough. HUS batted well and held on to their nerves to score 202-8 in 40 overs. They lost the match by 44 runs. Mehtab Shaikh (44 runs off 54 balls) and Suresh Kamble (54 runs off 46 balls) tried hard but could not help their team to cross the line. Shailesh Dubli and Bhushan Tandel grabbed couple of wickets each for Route SMS.
Siddharth (55 runs off 30 balls) was declared as the Man of the Match for his batting brilliance. Bhushan Tandel of Route SMS and Suresh Kamble of HUS were announced as the Best Bowler and Best Batsman respectively.
MSCI was bundled out for a paltry 110 in 20 overs against Route SMS on 26th March at Venus Sports Academy, Mumbai during the Woods T20 Corporate Cricket Tournament. Opening bat Ankit top scored with 30 runs off 41 balls and found able ally in middle order bat Sunil who scored a quick-fire 29 runs off 18 balls. Bhushan was the wrecker-in-chief as he picked up 3-20 in his spell of four overs. He was outstanding with the ball and maintained a disciplined line and length.
Chasing 111 runs was a cake walk for Route SMS as they achieved the target in just 10 overs. The opening pair of Pranay (48 not out off 30 balls) and Bhushan (50 not out off 30 balls) stitched a beautiful partnership and took their team home. They looked in good touch and helped their team to win the match comprehensively by 10 wickets. Bhushan had an outstanding day on field as he shined with both, bat and ball.
Bhushan (3-20 in 4 overs and 50 not out off 30 balls) was declared as the Man of the Match for his fantastic all-round performance.
Capgemini had a disappointing day with the bat as they were restricted to a modest 126-8 in 20 overs against Airtel on 26th March at Elphinstone Gymkhana, Mumbai in the Champions group semi-final of Milan Mega Corporate T20 Tournament. Jitendra (21 runs off 21 balls) and Akshay (22 runs off 25 balls) provided a good start to their team, however the middle order could not capitalize on this. Daiwat, Kalpesh and Jitesh struck for Airtel with two wickets apiece.
Opening bat Mayank Shirke got off to a flyer with a brisk 37 runs knock off just 28 balls, peppering the boundary rope five times. Shirke was a treat to watch as he played some good cricketing shots. Jitesh (14 runs off 16 balls) and Lalit (18 runs off 18 balls) too chipped in with the bat. Jayshil Churi was exceptional with the ball as he grabbed 3-14 in his four overs. Though a low scoring game, it was a cracker of a contest as Airtel achieved the target in 19.2 overs, winning the match by just three wickets.
Mayank Shirke (37 runs off 28 balls) was announced as the Man of the Match for his match winning batting knock.
Riding on Amol’s (59 runs off 39 balls) batting heroics, Syntel managed to post a decent total of 130-10 in 19.2 overs against DSP Blackrock on 26th March at Venus Sports Academy, Mumbai during the Woods T20 Corporate Cricket Tournament. Opening the innings for Syntel, Amol provided a solid start to his team. He smacked nine boundaries and a six in his entertaining knock. Sunil Nayak was the pick of the bowlers picking up 4-9 in his 3.2 overs.
Though the target of 131 didn’t seem daunting, Syntel bowled well to bundle out DSP Blackrock for 123 runs in 19.1 overs, winning the match by just seven runs. Middle order bat Abhik top scored with 34 runs. Ganesh shined with the ball as he grabbed 3-17 in his 3.1 overs.
Amol (59 runs off 39 balls) was declared as the Man of the Match for his batting brilliance.
JSW posted a daunting 175-5 in 20 overs against Rave Tech on 26th March at Vengsarkar Academy, Mahul, Mumbai during the T20 Master’s Cup 2015-16 Edition 3. Opening bat Harish Kadam was fantastic with the bat as he scored 46 runs off 29 balls, hitting six boundaries and two sixes. Wicket-keeper batsman Rakesh Chaudhary (54 not out off 33 balls) scored a wonderful half century and played a pivotal role in taking his team’s total over 170-run mark. Akshay, though expensive was the pick of the bowlers picking up 2-40 in his four overs.
It was wonderful run chase by Rave Tech as they cruised to the target in 19.3 overs, winning the match by six wickets. Amey (62 runs off 47 balls) and Akshay (50 not out off 27 balls) shouldered the responsibility of their team and played matured innings. With his outstanding all-round performance, Akshay was instrumental in Rave Tech’s comprehensive victory. He struck at a rate of close to 200, hitting seven boundaries in his entertaining knock. Ranjit Pillai grabbed 2-31 in his four overs, with Rajesh Pingulkar picking up 1-33 in his four.
Akshay (2-40 in 4 overs and 50 not out off 27 balls) was declared as the Man of the Match for his match winning all-round performance.
Omni Marines posted a modest 101 on board against World Sports Event Management on 26th March in Mumbai during the Chanawala Challengers T20 Tournament. Pranav top scored with 38 runs but was the lone fighter for Omni Marines. Asgar was the pick of the bowlers picking up 3-7 in his 1.1 overs.
In reply, Ravi Thakur single handedly took his team World Sports Event Management to a comprehensive victory achieving the target in just 11.1 overs, winning the match by eight wickets. Thakur smacked nine boundaries and a six in his 36-ball unbeaten knock. He punished the loose deliveries at will and provided a solid start to his team at the top of the order. Omkar picked up 2-18 in his four overs and was the only wicket-taker for Omni Marines.
Ravi Thakur (53 runs off 36 balls) was announced as the Man of the Match for his brilliant batting.
Vinayak Marine Services (VMS) posted a challenging 141-8 in 20 overs against Osian’s Cricket Club on 27th March at Vengsarkar Academy, Mahul, Mumbai during the T20 Master’s Cup 2-15-16 Edition 6. Aabid top scored with a brisk 38 runs off 25 balls and found able allies in Rahul Soans (27 runs off 27 balls) and Ankit Kanadia (24 runs off 33 balls). Harsh, Aditya Singh and Jignesh Thakker shined with the ball as they grabbed couple of wickets apiece.
Ankit anchored the VMS’s innings beautifully scoring 45 runs off 40 balls, hitting seven boundaries. After shinning with the ball, Aditya Singh contributed with a quick-fire 30 off just 22 balls, smacking three boundaries and two sixes. Singh was a treat to watch and played some good cricketing shots in his wonderful knock. Nirav Bheda chipped in with an unbeaten 26 off 20 cherries, peppering the boundary rope three times. VMS achieved the target in 19 overs, winning the match by six wickets.
Aditya Singh (2-16 in 4 overs and 30 runs off 22 balls) was declared as the Man of the Match for his fantastic all-round performance.
Riding on Ritesh Patil’s (52) and Dipesh Hemdev’s (43) batting brilliance, Rajawadi Cricket Club posted a challenging total of 179 in 39.5 overs against Swastik Cricket Club on 27th March at D.P.Z (Matunga East), Mumbai during the Summer Vacation Cricket Shield organized by Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). Dipesh who made his debut was exceptional with the bat. His innings was a perfect blend of defence and aggression. Hemdev was involved in a 70-run partnership with Patil, which was the turning point of the game. Shahbuddin Raheem was the pick of the bowlers for Swastik picking up 4-19 in his 7.5 overs.
After putting up a strong total on board, Rajawadi went out all guns blazing and bundled out Swastik for a paltry 90 in 26.2 overs, winning the match by a big margin of 89 runs. Slow left arm bowler Rahul Desai was the wrecker-in-chief as he grabbed 4-25 in his nine overs. Desai was right on the money and bowled a consistent line and length. Rahul received good support from Nitin Gamare who finished off with the figures of 3-19 in his 6.2 overs. Irfan Malik top scored with 25 runs for Swastik.
Rizvi Springfield and Al Barkat High School faced off against each other in the Elite Group final of Giles Shield. It was a four day match that was played between 22nd March and 25th March at Oval Maidan, Mumbai.
On day one, batting first, Al Barkat was bundled out for 117 in 69.3 overs, thanks to Amanullah Manihar (4-20) and Aziz Nabeel (4-39), who bowled exceptionally well. The spin twins entangled the Al Barkat batting line-up, not allowing them to score freely. Al Barkat had a disappointing day one with the bat. Apart from Dashrath Chavan (28) and Nabijaan Ansari (23), none of the other batsmen looked in shape. Rizvi Springfield came in to bat at the close of first day and finished off with 29-1 in six overs.
On day two, Rizvi went on to score 225 in 69.3 overs, leading by 108 runs. Ajit Yadav (97) was spectacular with the bat and was unfortunate to miss out on a well-deserved century. Abhinav Singh (29) and Abhinav Khushwaha (24) also chipped in with the willow for Rizvi. First with the bat and then with the ball, Dashrath Chavan shined as he picked up 3-23 in his 11 overs. Gaurav Mhatre also picked up a couple of wickets giving away 35 runs in 12 overs. In their second innings, Al Barkat made 25-1 in 17 overs.
On day three, trailing by 108 runs, Al Barkat posted 260-6 in 107 overs. Dashrath Chavan again proved his mettle when he scored 67 off 168 balls, smacking nine boundaries. Ansari Nabijaan fell shy of just one run to complete his half century. Aakash Tripathi (22), Gaurav Mhatre (35*) and Raj Rocky (31*) made some useful contributions with the bat. Manihar Amanullah and Ajit Yadav grabbed two wickets and one wicket respectively. Al Barkat was ahead with 152 runs.
On the final day, Al Barkat declared their innings for 286-9, setting up a target of 179 runs to win for Rizvi. Rocky Raj finished off with 42 runs and Gaurav Mhatre with 38 runs. Rizvi achieved the target in 67.3 and won the match by three wickets. Abhinav Singh (35), southpaw Ajit Yadav (29), Shreyansh Mandlik (24) and Shaikh Al Saad (29*) helped Rizvi to beat the target. Mansoori M.Saud picked up 3-55 and Aakash Tripathi 2-37 in the second innings.
Rizvi dominated the game right from the start and deserved to win the Elite Group Giles Shield title.
Prime Group Cricket Club locked horns against Modern Cricket Club on 13th March at Central Maidan, Thane in the quarter final of the Late ShamraoThosar Memorial Shield which was organized by Sporting Club Committee of Thane under the aegis of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Prime Group posted a daunting 181 in 38.2 overs. PremchandRajbar top scored with an unbeaten knock of 42 runs off 44 balls. Coming in at no.3, Rahul Desai played a wonderful innings of 32 runs off 56 deliveries, smacking two boundaries and a six. Desai anchored his team’s batting ship nicely and played a pivotal role in his team’s batting success. Rahul read the conditions well and played some fantastic cricketing shots on the rank turner wicket of Central Maidan. AhmerKarte was the pick of the bowlers picking up 3-24 in his nine over spell.
In response, Modern Cricket Club fought well but were done and dusted for 150 in 40.2 overs, falling short of 31 runs. Middle order bat Akash Savla (35 runs off 72 balls) played a patient hand, but his efforts went in vain as his team could not achieve the set target. Ashish Mishra (4-23 in 6 overs) and Rahul Desai (3-10 in 4.2 overs) bowled well in tandem to bundle out Modern Cricket Club. Left arm spinner Desai was instrumental in breaking crucial partnerships helping his team to defend the total. Not just with the bat but also with the ball, Rahul wanted to contribute in every aspect for his team’s success. The left arm spinner managed to convince the skipper to give him a small spell and he made gold out of it picking up three wickets.
Rahul Desai (32 runs off 56 balls and 3-10 in 4.2 overs) who was clearly the star performer of the day was declared as the Man of the Match for his scintillating all-round performance.
Article Courtesy by – Jayesh Kulkarni
