Kimati Sports, one of the leading manufactures 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 will be bestowed on the best bowler of the week, based on the performance in the corporate cricket leagues. The best bowler will be awarded with attractive prizes which include a certificate of appreciation and a Kimati leather cricket ball.
Ashwith Shetty of Societe Generale bagged the Kimati Corporate Bowler of the Week (18th – 24th February) Award for his bowling brilliance that was exhibited against B4U Television at Young Zoroastrian ground on 18th February when the two sides faced off in Dreamz T20 Cricket Tournament. The left arm spinner picked up a stunning five wicket haul giving away just 11 runs in his 3.1 overs. Shetty bowled good lines and lengths making it difficult for the batsmen to score freely off him. The wrecker-in-chief played a pivotal role in his team’s win and was rightly adjudged as the Man of the Match.
The panel of judges had a tough decision to make as the other two contenders; Dharmesh Anuwadi of VMS and Veenu of Star India were fighting hard for the Kimati Bowler of the Week award. Anuwadi picked up 4-11 in three overs against Indiacast while Veenu scalped 4-15 in four overs against Kotak on 19th February at Vengsarkar Academy ground.
Kimati Corporate Bowler Award will come back next week with a new winner, till then Cricketgraph and Kimati wishes you all the very best.
Thane City Police & Route Mobile faced each other for a crucial final match of the Thane Vaibhav Tournament (B Div) at the Dadoji Kondev Stadium, Thane. Winning the toss, Route Mobile who have a good batting line up elected to bat first and put the opposition under pressure from the word go.
Batting first, left handed opener Vishal Chitrakar played one of the finest innings of the tournament stitching a great century at the top of the order. Vishal scored a blazing 143 coming off just 95 balls at a strike rate of almost 150 which included 16 boundaries and 3 big sixes. Vishal was very comfortable and kept on hitting the balls at will. He hardly looked troubled against any bowlers & kept the scorecard ticking for Route Mobile. The rest of the batsman chipped in with 20’s and 30’s with Ajinkya Beloshe & Vishal Dhagaonkar scoring 44 & 30 respectively. Route Mobile managed to reach a more than healthy total of 355/7 in 33 overs with Prashant Suryavanshi & Hemant sonawane picking up 2 wickets each.
Chasing 356 in 35 overs is like chasing 200+ target in T20’s, it was never going to be easy & such was the case with Thane Police too as they succumbed to some wonderful bowling by the Route Bowlers. Left-arm spinner Hitesh Parmar yielded magic with the ball and scalped stunning figures of 7/19 in 7 overs. Hitesh was the primary destroyer for Thane City Police & he completely made the batsman clueless with his puzzling spin. Thane City Police was all out for 96 runs and Route Mobile won the finals by 259 runs.
Some players are made to perform at the big stage during crunch situations & Hitesh Parmar and Vishal Chitrakar just proved their worth by firing from all the cylinders in the finals. They both were adjudged ‘man of the match’ & cricketgraph wishes their good form continues for a long long time.
It was the all important encounter between KSG Strikers & KSG Thunders at the Payyade Cricket Ground, Kandivali. Both the teams are equally strong and an exciting competition was bound to happen. Winning the toss, KSG Strikers elected to field first to make the most of the pitch conditions and restrict them to a low score.
KSG Thunders were off to a decent start with a quick 12 & 35 by Deven Bhuta & Soumil Vora. However, it was their no.3 batsman Paresh Valia who played a fine innings of 52. Right handed batsman Paresh Valia scored an aggressive half century coming off just 33 balls & upped the run rate for his side. What’s more Paresh was quite entertaining too as he smashed as many as 5 sixes in his 33 ball 52 to enthrall his team mates and the spectators. Devang Parekh also chipped in nicely and scored a quick 23 ball 37 (5 fours) to take their team total 210/5 in 20 overs which is anyday a big score in the 20 overs format. From the bowling side, Nimesh Valia was the pick of the bowlers taking 2/44 in 4 overs followed by a wicket each for Pujit & Deepak.
Chasing 211, it was a good start given by their opener Rakesh Mehta who scored a solid 28 ball 42. However, he lacked support as 3 quick wickets were down from the other side until Rippal Mehta arrived. Rippal Mehta scored a 33 ball 61(7 fours, 2 sixes) which was almost a match winning knock. Rippal almost steered his side to a great victory before they eventually fell short of just 5 runs. Kunal Mehta down the order also chipped in with a 20 ball 35 & it was one of the toughest & closest matches of the tournament. Paresh Valia was the star bowler too as he came up with bowling figures of 4/38 in 4 overs. Paresh completely owned the day with his all-round performance & was rightly adjudged ‘man of the match’ for helping KSG Thunders win the match by 5 runs.
Cricketgraph wishes Paresh & his whole team all the luck for more great wins in the future.
It was the semi-final match at Dadoji Kondev Stadium in Thane between two strong sides namely Lilavati Hospital and Navi Mumbai Police. Lilavati hospital won the toss & elected to bat first and keep the opposition under tight pressure by making a big score.
It wasn’t the best of the starts for Team Lilavati as both their openers lost their wickets early with Dharmesh & Manohar getting out for 1 & 12 respectively. Their no.3 batsman Sudhir also did not made much of a difference to the score getting out on 14. However, it was their no.4 batsman Rupesh Kondalkar who became the saving grace and rescued his team out of trouble by scoring a solid 74 ball 66. Right-handed batsman Rupesh smashed 8 boundaries & did equally good running between the wickets to keep the scorecard ticking. Yogesh Jambhale also chipped in with 26 & Lilavati Hospital managed to score 200/all out in 34.5 overs with Vinod Bhoir being the leading wicket taker with bowling figures of 4/39 in 7 overs.
Chasing 201, Navi Mumbai Police were all out for 123 and lost the match by 7 runs. Rupesh Kondalkar who already was the star with the bat did his job with the ball too as he took 3/12 in 4.4 overs with his left arm spin. Vishal Shinde also bowled well taking 3/28 in 6 overs.
Lilavati hospital won the semi-finals in a comfortable manner & all-rounder Rupesh Kondalkar was adjudged ‘man of the match’ for his brilliant performance. Cricketgraph wishes Rupesh & the whole team all the luck for brilliant finals.
It was the all important quarter final encounter between DTDC & SBI at the Western Railways Ground, Cross maidan in Mumbai. DTDC won the toss & elected to bat first since it was a good batting track to make a big score on the board.
Batting first, DTDC were off to a blazing start thanks to their right handed opener Manager Gupta. Gupta who has a unique name was as unique with the bat too as he scored some amazing shots & kept on attacking the bowlers. Opener Manager Gupta went on to score a superb 131 coming off just 102 balls which included 9 glorious fours and 5 big sixes to entertain the spectators & his team mates. He also created a good partnership with Virendra who scored a good 30. But that was not all for the DTDC innings as another surprise was left in the name of Bharat shedekar. Bharat coming at no.5 scored an aggressive century scoring 111* off just 80 balls (14 fours and 1 six). Right-handers Bharat and Manager went on to stitch a big partnership too which helped their team post a big total of 325 runs in 45 overs. Both the batsman were outright dominating and hitting the ball with authority. It looked like they were on a mission and the mission was to steer their team to a quarter final victory!
Chasing 326, the opposition team State bank of India were all out for just 166 runs & succumbed to the pressure of chasing and some good bowling. Right-arm off spinner Akash Bharadwaj bowled wonderfully well with bowling figures of 4/32 followed by 3 wkts for leg spinner Sumit Sharma.
DTDC won the Quarter Finals by a big margin and in the most stylish way. Opener Manager Gupta, Bharat Shedekar and bowler Akash Bharadwaj were adjudged ‘man of the match’ for their brilliant individual performances. Looking at the form they are in, they certainly look poised to give tough competition in the further rounds of the tournament.
Every kid or an aspiring cricketer has a dream of reaching the highest milestones in cricket. They start from the roots just to see themselves performing at the highest level. In terms of Indian Cricket, getting a chance to play & being selected for the Ranji team is considered a big achievement and is considered only next to playing for India at the Domestic/International level. In fact that is the stepping stone & breeding ground for many players to get noticed for the national cap too. Thousands of aspiring Indian cricketers wish to see themselves at least reach Ranji before they end their career and hundreds have gone on to represent India after being selected for the Indian Ranji team.
Vinayak Bhoir is one such cricketer whose hard work has finally paid off & has got selected for the Ranji team for Vijay Hazare Trophy. Vinayak Bhoir started playing cricket since he was 17 and since then it has been no looking back for him as far as hard work is being concerned. Finally after 10 years of dedication & hard work towards cricket, it has reaped fruits for the talented Vinayak Bhoir.
Just recently he was in the news for his all-round performance representing Karnataka Sporting Association against Worli SC in the Talim Shield Tournament where he had scored 37 & taken 3 wkts to help his team win & now comes another good news about his selection. A left-handed batsman & a left arm spin bowler, Vinayak has been an all-round asset for whichever teams he has played so far & has remained consistent over the years. Bhoir started his cricketing career with New Hind Sports Club & than later on Joined Sainath Sports club & his last 2 fruitful years have been with the powerful Karnataka Sporting Association. Vinayak has also played the Times Shied tournament representing the Western Railway Team. Vinayak had gone to Chennai for the selection & played 2 practice games from where the selection of the players would get decided & he eventually got selected on his merit.
Cricketgraph congratulates Vinayak Bhoir on his Ranji selection & wishes him to keep continuing his journey in cricket with golden colors.
Akumentis & Bhise Associates faced each other for the all important crucial semi-finals of the Thane Vaibhav Tournament at the Dadoji Kondev Stadium, Thane. Bhise Associates won the toss and elected to bat first in order to make a big target to defend.
Batting first, Bhise Associates were not off to a good start as they lost both their openers Tushar and Shantanu at 21 & 3 respectively. The rest of the batsman were also not able to convert their good starts. Quite evident from the fact that Irfan Shaikh was the highest scorer at just 29 runs followed by Alkesh kadam & Manoj Sonawane scoring 28 & 23 respectively. The bowlers did a good job & especially their right-handed medium pacer Avi Marke who came up with bowling figures of 4/34 in his 6 overs. Avi was consistent in his line and length and gave timely breakthroughs to his team. Pradnyesh Shinde also bowled well for his 2/22 in 5 overs. Eventually Bhise Associates were all out for 171 runs in 35 overs.
Chasing 172 is not a big thing for Akumentis or any team at the first place & they rightly chased the target in just 26 overs and won the match comfortably by 9 wkts. Right handed opener Raju Shamla continued his phenomenal run in the tournament notching up another half century & this time scoring an 85* off just 84 balls (8 fours, 1six). Shamla got good support from Pradnyesh Shinde who also remained unbeaten on 30*(44b).
Akumentis won the semi-finals and they qualify for the finals. Coach Chandrashekhar Karmlkar who works hard over his team must be proud to see his team perform so well in the tournament. Cricketgraph wishes Akumentis all the luck & go on to win the tournament.
Mulund Gymkhana & Vighnesh Sports Academy clashed for the all important quarter finals at the Santosh Sports Academy (Ground), Kalyan Thane. Vighnesh Sports Academy won the toss & elected to bat first & make the most of the pitch conditions to post a big total on the board. Since both the teams were equally strong, a tough competition was bound to happen.
Batting first, they were off to a tricky start with Aarya (opener) & Kabsh (no.3) out for 26 & 18 respectively. However, it was their opener Atharva desai who led from the front and scored a magnificent 98 for his team. He was just 2 runs short of what could have been a great century. Atharva smashed 98 off just 97 balls and smashed 17 boundaries in it. Atharva did not indulge in rash shots but smashed the loose balls for boundaries when they were needed & kept the scorecard ticking maintaining a strike rate of almost above 100. Apart from him, it was Shivam kumar who also played well for his 31 ball 73. Shivam completely outclassed the bowlers and dominated like a pro smashing 5 sixes & 9fours in his 31 ball stay at the crease. Swayam Waghmare was the pick of the bowlers for Mulund Gymkhana with bowling figures of 3/26 in his 4 overs followed by 2 wkts for Heramb Kothari who took 2 wkts.
Chasing 276, Mulund Gymkhana which is equally a strong proposition gave a tough fight and just fell short of 8 runs getting all out for 267 in 35 overs. Anuj Sawant & Hrishikesh Gore chipped In with half centuries but the rest of the batsman couldn’t fire. Arya Rane was the pick of the bowlers with bowling figures of 3/49 in 7 overs followed by 2 wkts each for Dhruv, Aryan & Kalash.
Vighnesh Sports Academy won the quarter-finals & opener Atharva Desai was adjudged ‘man of the match’ for his great performance. Cricketgraph wishes the team luck and all the players will certainly move ahead with a lot of confidence in the tournament.
Capgemini & Mahindra Finance faced each other in the 2nd round match at Sunder Ground plot no.5 at Cross Maidan, Mumbai. An exciting competition was the call of the day as both the teams are known to be tough competitors. Winning the toss, Capgemini elected to field first and put the opposition under pressure right away.
Their decision to field first did reap them fruits as both the openers of Mahindra were out for a duck. However, their no.3 batsman Sumeet Shinde was the only one who looked confident and dominating as he went on to score a stunning 146 off just 120 balls which included 20 fours and 4 sixes. The irony was Shinde did not have much support from the other end and the whole team was all out at 242/10 in 39.1 overs. Left arm medium pacer Yogesh Cheulkar was the pick of the bowlers with bowling figures of 4/35 in 8.1 overs. Skipper Yogesh led from the front and did his job with perfection. Jayshil Churi (2/33) & Harshal (1/13) chipped in with wickets too which gave him further support.
Chasing 243, Capgemini won the match in style by 2 wkts and finished the chase in just 36 overs. No denying the fact that Mahindra Finance bowlers did a really good job and succeeded in taking 8 wkts in a not so big total, but just like how Sumeet shined for Mahindra it was Bhavik Vartak who became the hero for Capgemini. Coming in at no.4, the aggressive right-handed batsman scored an unbeaten 104* off just 67 balls which included 13 glorious fours and a six to hand over a comfortable victory to his team.
Capgemini won the match by 2 wickets and Skipper Yogesh & Bhavik Vartak were adjudged ‘player of the match’. With a good in-form players in the side and a great victory, the team will certainly move ahead in the tournament with a lot of confidence.
Knock-outs are always exciting & so was the 2nd round knock-out match between P.J Hindu Gymkhana & Fort Vijay Cricket Club at Fort Vijay Cricket Ground Azad Maidan, Mumbai. Both the teams are strong & Fort Vijay elected to bat first after winning the toss and make a big 1st innings score.
Batting first, Fort Vijay were not off to the best starts as they were struggling at one point with 102-4 on the board. However, Skipper Karan Nandey was the saving grace and played the captain’s knock to perfection. The right-handed skipper went on to score a fighting century and also stitched a good partnership with Divyansh Saxena who also scored a fantastic 71. Karan scored 102 off just 112 balls and smashed 12 fours and a big six to bring his team out of the trouble. More than that, the skipper kept the scorecard ticking & also helped his team reach a respectable total of 330/10 in 67.1 overs. Divyansh who scored a fluent 71 also got some support by Gandhar Bhatawadekar who chipped in with an important half century.
In reply, the opposition team P.J Hindu Gymkhana succumbed to some great bowling by Fort Vijay bowlers and were all out for 220 runs. Farhan Kazi was the primary destroyer with the ball as he took 4/54 with his left arm spin. Kazi gave important breakthroughs and also got able support from Kunal Gawand with bowling figures of 3/73. Nishadh Gabhawala was the leading scorer with 66 followed by 38 & 31 by Kunal Pal & Parth Shah.
It was a great Knock-out win for Fort Vijay & skipper Karan Nandey was adjudged ‘man of the match’ for his brilliant performance. Farhan Kazi’s contribution was also appreciation worthy as he took 4 wkts in the match. Seems like Farhan is continuing his good form from Purshottam Shield as he had taken 15 wickets in that tournament & is doing a great job in the Comrade shield too.
Looking at the form the whole team and these 2 players are in, they will be a tough competition in the further rounds of the tournament.