It was very crucial for Royals from NIL Yog to defeat KSG strikers who has already qualified for the semis. The Payyade ground (kandivali) had a wet outfield & KSG elected to field first to make the most of the pitch conditions and restrict them to the lowest total possible.
Royals played fairly decent cricket as they posted a healthy score of 279/12 in 40 overs. Amar Bhuta (81) and Ripal Mehta (50) were the pick of the batsman for Royals. KSG bowlers also did a collectively good performance as 5 bowlers from their side took 2 wickets each to restrict the opposition. Chasing 280 is not the easiest of targets but opener Rajesh Mehta (71) and no.3 batsman Kunal Mehta (38) stitched a good partnership at the top of the order. The positive momentum was continued by their wicketkeeper batsman Dhaval Goradia who smashed a match winning knock of 85* coming off just 54 balls. Dhaval counter attacked the bowlers at will and smashed 10 fours and 2 big sixes to complete the chase in style for his side. Dhaval actually played the finisher’s role to perfection for KSG strikers.
KSG Strikers gave chance to all those players who did not get a chance earlier as they have qualified for the semi finals & most of them performed nicely. KSG Strikers won the match with the loss of just 4 wkts and 4 overs to spare and Dhaval Goradia was adjudged ‘man of the match’ for his great performance. We wish Dhaval and the whole team continue their good form in the semi finals.
It was a great day at Oval Stadium (churchgate) for Rehman Siddique and his boys. It was Abbott’s first knockout match vs Bombay Mercantile Bank. Winning the toss, Senior player Rehman siddique had only one plan in mind & that was to bat full quota of 45 overs and make a good score on a wet track to increase the opposition’s difficulties.
Batting first, Abbott grasped the opportunity as they posted a great total of 286/5 in 45 overs. Opener Rehman siddique seems to be playing the role of Misbah-Ul-haq for his team with perfection. At 47, right handed Siddique toiled hard for his well fought 102 ball 91. However, the player who caught everyone’s notice for Abbott was their talented wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Mithbavkar (right-handed) who scored an aggressive 102 ball 114*. Ishan came in and did not waste a single minute at the crease as he kept on running between the wickets & also consistently smashed boundaries at will keeping the scorecard ticking.
Chasing 287, Bombay Mercantile were all out for just 138. Amol Dixit was Abbott’s pick of the bowlers as he picked up 4/24 in his 9 overs. Abbott won the match comfortably by 148 runs & Ishan Mithbavkar was adjudged “man of the match” for his match winning knock.
Winning their very first knockout match in the Times Shield, Abbott will certainly be a team to look out for in the tournament.
Pace bowling is not something which everyone can come and just bowl. You got to be special to master this art. While India has never been short of talented spinners both at the national as well as domestic level but we have always lacked genuine pace bowlers since decades. India has never got their own version of tearaway fast bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar, Shane Bond or Brett lee. Having genuine fast bowlers in the side has become rare especially for India. Though many people consider only spin to be an art but pace bowling is equally strenuous and requires a lot of hard work. More than the hard work, it’s the fitness and discipline which plays a huge role in a fast bowler’s career.
Hence, spotting a fast bowling talent in India is very crucial and so we came up with this exceptionally talented fast bowler called Virat Mishra.
He is just 20 years old but already clocking 130 kmph. Viren Jethwa who is blessed with a genius kid himself (14 year old cricketer Ayush Jethwa) was all praises for Virat Mishra. In fact it was Viren Jethwa who helped us spot this talented cricketer.
Viren first spotted Virat’s talent when they toured together for the first time in their home tournament and Virat was still raw but excellent with the ball. He bowled consistently fast and also came up with fifties with the bat.
Later on Virat realized himself that he can be a genuine speedster and started focusing more on his bowling. Virat was also the fastest bowler when he played the under 19 tournaments.
It is his stint at Dahisar sports club for the last three years which drastically helped him to improve his bowling.
During his initial years Virat did not had much support from his family but it was his uncle Vinay Kumar Mishra who stood by him through his thick and thin. It was his uncle who helped Virat follow his passion towards the game. Virat who recently bagged 5/23 for KES against Thakur was phenomenal. But that wasn’t the only performance this season which took everyone’s notice as he had bagged another 6 wickets while playing for Reliance against Mumbai police Gymkhana in the Times Shield.
In fact it is because of his talent with the ball, Coach Karan Joshi (who also plays for London Railways) has taken him under his wings to groom and nurture him ahead for professional cricket.
Viren Jethwa who has seen him playing cricket since he was 12 years old agrees to the fact that his progress in cricket has been consistent. As Virat himself shared with Cricketgraph-‘I really work hard on my fitness, apart from practicing everyday in the nets, i also do regular exercises and diets to maintain my fitness levels’
Virat has set his eyes to touch the 145 kmph mark with the ball & is working hard everyday to achieve that milestone. Donning the national cap for India is on his ultimate wishlist & it will be his passion & hard work towards the game which will help him move ahead in his career.
Virat Mishra has taken 5wicket hauls 13 times in the last half of the decade with 8 wickets in an innings being his best figures so far. What sets him apart is his discipline along with consistent line and length. Virat is also mastering the art of in-swinging the deliveries just like James Anderson (England).
Virat’s journey has been fruitful so far and if he continues the same amount of passion and hard work towards the game, there is no reason why he won’t get a chance to play for the National team. (which is his dream too)
Mishra gives the biggest credit to his uncle followed by his parents who have now started to support him fully. As Virat says ”my mom no matter what feeds me every time according to my likes, timing schedules and diet needs and takes care of me all the time”
He was also full praises for his other two coaches Vivek Kadam sir & Pravin sir for what he is and where he has reached so far in this sport. Considering his hard work and talent, Virat does seem to have a bright future ahead.
We wish Virat all the luck and best wishes to keep progressing in cricket and come up with excellent performances in the future.
Tata Powers and Sony Pictures were in a crucial quarter final face off at Karnataka Cricket Ground, Cross Maidan in Mumbai. Both the teams had fought hard to reach this stage and the winner of this match would certainly advance into the semis.
Winning the toss, Sony Pictures elected to field first as they had a plan of restricting them to a low score. This was the same strategy which Tata Powers had but they were made to bat first as they lost the toss. Tata Powers cruised their way and scored a very competitive total of 290/7 in 45 overs. Senior player Nishit Shetty who has also been a Ranji Player scored an unbeaten 117* off just 110 balls which had set the tone of Tata Power’s innings. Nishit smashed 11 fours and a straight six in his composed yet fast knock of 117 not out. Nishit hardly spared any bowler and targeted every bowler with ease. Right handed opener and Tata’s skipper Rohan Bane also scored an aggressive 40 ball 62 which had set the tempo for the rest of the batsman to follow. Rohan smashed 6 sixes out of which his six over deep midwicket against a beamer was his personal favorite.
Chasing 291, Sony Pictures were all out for 154 in 31.4 overs. Hardly did any batsman batted long apart from their opener Vipin who scored a brisk 33. Right arm off spinner Uday Kolambe was the pick of the bowler taking 4/33 in 7 overs followed by 2 wickets by Ravi Thakker. Nishit Shetty also chipped in with 2//5 in just 1.4 overs.
Tata power won the match by 136 runs & Nishit Shetty was adjudged “man of the match” for his all round show. With this win, Tata powers will also advance themselves into the semis with a lot of confidence.
It was the all important quarter final match between Yashodham and Vibgyor High school at the Khar Gymkhana in Mumbai. Both the teams fought their way with quality performances to reach the knockout stage of the tournament. It has 32 under 16 teams participating from different parts of Mumbai.
Winning the toss, Yashodham school elected to bat first as it was a good batting track. Right handed Farish Shaikh played a masterclass innings of 124 and so did Vinayak Kunwar who smashed an aggressive 120. Vinayak Kunwar(left-handed) was equally classy with the bat and displayed controlled aggression at the crease. It was the marathon innings by both these boys which led their team total to a healthy 313/5 in 45 overs.
Chasing 314, Vibgyor team was all out for just 101 runs. Thanks to some great bowling show by the Yashodham bowlers. Once again, Vinayak Kunwar stole the show with his effective left arm spin taking 5 wickets which completely dismantled the opposition. Pratham More(another left arm spinner) also chipped in with 3 wickets cleaning the Vibgyor High school’s batting line up.
It was a great match for Vinayak Kunwar as he scored a hundred, took a 5wicket haul & also led his to the semis with his captaincy. Yashodham school won the match by 213 runs and skipper Kunwar was adjudged man of the match. Vinayak and his whole team will certainly move ahead with a lot of confidence in their semi finals.
It was a wonderful match between two strong teams namely Jain Irrigation vs BPCL at the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana in Kandivali. BPCL who has a strong batting arsenal elected to bat first after winning the toss. Their aim was to make a big score and put the pressure on Jain Irrigation.
The decision of batting first went in their favor as openers gave a wonderful start of 150 runs to the innings which set the tone for BPCL. BPCL were looking all set for a big score as Akash and Eknath both scored wonderful centuries. However, it was Rahul tripathi who took the game to an another level when he arrived at the crease when it was 250/4. Right handed aggressive batsman Rahul shredded the bowlers into pieces with his swashbuckling 191 coming off just 154 balls. Tripathi’s 191 included 22 perfect boundaries and 9 glorious sixes out of which a straight six against the pacer was his personal favorite. Tripathi made a three day match look like a T20 & he fell short of just 9 runs where he gave away his wicket trying to attack the bowlers as his team was on the verge of declaring. It was because of his 191 his team reached a total of 650. In reply, BPCL were all out for 400 runs and they lost by 200 runs in the 1st innings itself. Rahul also contributed with the ball too, taking 2 wickets with his medium pace.
BPCL won the match comfortably and Rahul Tripathi was adjudged “man of the match”. Rahul who recently scored a quick half century apart from also hitting a record six sixes in an over some time ago is making the right noises to be heard & considered for IPL. Tripathi who has been playing Ranji for the past few years and is also playing consistently aggressive cricket surely shall get a call up soon from the right places. Big hitting abilities along with medium pace where he can chip in with wickets certainly are the perfect ingredients for IPL considerations & we wish he continues his good form for a long time.
The Final of the AT20 Championship Trophy saw the 2 best sides of the tournament face off against each other. SKK mavericks had been unbeaten thru the tournament while Sankalpan had only dropped one game in the Super 8 stage and that too due to the brilliance of Shahen Mistry from Dynamites. A difficult match to pick even though punters would probably favor SKK mavericks just a tad more than Sankalpan simply due to their overall strength and all round performance.
SKK Mavericks called correctly at the toss and had no hesitation in batting first on a wicket they felt would slow down as the match progressed and give their finger spinners a better chance in defending a total.
However as the match began, this decision started looking dicey as the Sankalpan pace squad exploited the early morning conditions to full effect – getting pace and seam to bog down the openers to a slow start – 32 at the end of 5 overs was possibly the slowest start SKK had got off to in this tournament.
Samrat the captain introduced himself as 1st change and straight away claimed the scalp of the Leading batsmen of the tournament – Sumit Nigade – out to an uppish stroke to a ball which held back. Sankalpan had claimed their most prized wicket for a measly 15. From their on the going was painfully slow as Pranay the captain and Karan Malushte set about building a foundation. At the end of 10 overs the score read 69/1 and Sankalpan had probably won Round 1 of this battle.
The 2 batsmen then decided to accelerate gently but in doing so the wickets also started falling with a wicket falling in overs 14,15,17 and 18 leaving the SKK Mavericks on a less than happy total of 130/5 and with just 12 balls to be bowled. At this stage a total of 150 was looking optimistic and there was a spring in the step of the Sankalpan bowlers. However no one had accounted for Vimal Hansraj who had walked in at No.5 and barely taken any strike. The last 12 balls fetched the following notings on the scorecard – 1,4,6,2,1,2, 2,4,6,4,6,6. The score at the end of 20 overs read 174/5 – Vimal Hansraj was unbeaten on 55*(20, 4×4, 5×6) and suddenly Sankalpan was staring down the barrel
Sankalpan started their response in earnest with all eyes on their best player Samrat. After a rapid start they lost Jinesh Mistry in the 6th over but then Ronith and Samrat got down to business keeping the score rolling steadily without any risks. At the 10th over the score mirrored the 1st innings – 69/1 but by the 15th over the score had moved on to 103 and suddenly 72 of 5 overs was not so difficult after all with just 1 wicket lost and 2 batsman in superb nick at the crease. A 6 and a 4 off the first 2 balls of over no.16 and the battle was well and truly joined. However Ronith against the run of play, was caught out immediately after, probably overplaying the shot and the SKK mavericks team which had till then being despairing, got their spring back. The fielding was once again attacking and the bowler bowling with renewed purpose – the match was still 55:45 in SKK ‘s favor but with Samrat at the crease, one could not rest easy. However, Sankalpan just could not get going again from there and wickets in every over (save the 19th) from thereon saw the wheels come off and the innings complete at 140/7 to give the SKK Mavericks the match and the championship. The difference was 34 runs but the match was far closer than the scorecard may suggest – the real difference in both innings came only in the last 5 overs. One could say that Sankalpan won the battle in both innings in the first 15 overs but the was was won by SKK Mavericks in the last 5 overs of both innings.
The prize ceremony saw all the sponsors gather together to hand out the awards to the deserving recipients – the 5th edition of the AT20 was possibly also it’s most memorable.
The man of the match was a difficult one to select and in the end it was awarded jointly to Vimal Hansraj (SKK) for his match changing innings of 55* and Samrat Nakhwa (Sankalpan) for his valiant 62 runs and 3 wickets.
SKK Mavericks won the batting and bowling honors
Sumit Nigade – Best Batsman – 456 runs
Swapnil Joshi – Best Bowler – 23 wickets
Sankalpan took home the fieling honors
Samrat – Best Fielder 7 catches and 2 run outs
Dynamites too home 2 deserving awards courtesy Shahen Mistry
Most Valuable Player – Shahen Mistry – 84.7 points
Maximum 6s – Shahen Mistry – 18
Sankalpan Runner up Team in AT20 Championship trophy 2016-17
It was a wonderful day in the office for PJ Hindu Gymkhana at PJ Hindu Gymkhana Cricket Ground. The pitch was good for batting and that was the reason Amar CC elected to bat first after winning the toss with an aim of making a big score.
However, PJ Gymkhana bowlers showed their merit and each one contributed well in their capacity. Left arm spinner Pratham wagh was the pick of the bowlers taking 3/25 while Nutan Goel also chipped in with 2 wickets. Right arm medium pacer Vedant Deshmukh also bowled well where he conceded only 7 runs in 4 overs though he could not take a wicket. Amar CC managed only 93/7 in 25 overs and it was smooth sailing for PJ Gymkhana batsman.
Right handed Harsh Tathare & Aryan Agle completed the chase in style. Aggressive Harsh scored a match winning 46* off 36 balls while his partner Aryan supported him with an unbeaten 37* of 42 balls. Opener Harsh started counter attacking the bowlers right from the start and hardly did any bowler was able to ruffle the feathers of both these batsman.
PJ Gymkhana comfortably won the match by 10 wickets and 12 overs to spare which is surely a big win going forward in the tournament. It was a wonderful team performance where the bowlers and the batsman both did their job for PJ Gymkhana & Harsh Tathare was adjudged “man of the match” for his blazing 46* off 36 balls. The whole team will certainly be in a lot of confidence in their next encounters.
It was an entertaining match between M.C.G.M security vs Godrej staff (“C Group”) at Central Maidan cricket ground in Thane. The wicket was a little wet and Godrej rightly elected to bowl first to make the most of the wicket favoring bowlers.
MCGM were off to a shaky start and they kept on losing wickets at regular intervals. As a result they were not able to post a big score on the board. MCGM managed only 155 in 35 overs and it was some really good bowling from the Godrej Bowlers. Right arm leg spinner Dinesh Juvekar completely dismantled the opposition with his confusing leg spin. Dinesh Juvekar took 5/31 and it was a spell which played a huge part in restricting the opposition to a low score. What’s more Dinesh also took a hat-trick which was a big blow for the MCGM batsman. The other bowlers of Godrej also supported him nicely and Godrej took the full advantage of fielding first.
Chasing 155, even Godrej lost wickets at regular intervals and it was a tough fight displayed by the MCGM bowlers. Hemant Harad from MCGM showed a lot of determination taking 4/36 & being pick of the bowlers for MCGM. Eventually Godrej chased the target (156/6 in 27.2 overs) & won the match by 4 wickets and 7.4 overs to spare. It was Dinesh Juvekar’s day as he also scored an unbeaten 30* with the bat and finished of the chasing in style for his side.
Dinesh Juvekar was awarded “man of the match” for his all round brilliance and he will certainly be a player to look out for in the tournament.
When it comes to training and competing in sport, are you a ‘plodder’? Do you find yourself running on the spot while others seem to be able to repeatedly fly past you? If this is the case, you need to read this post!
The vast majority of current literature in the Strength and Conditioning industry is pointing towards the major benefits that anaerobic (short and fast) training has on sporting performance. When you think about it, almost every sport you can imagine requires the participants to conduct repeated high intensity efforts. One of Australia’s current Strength and Conditioning icons conducted a study on Under 18 Draft Camp participants in order to discover which physiological performance measures related to future success in sport. The results of this research suggested that the greatest indicator of sporting success was an individual’s ability to be able to repeatedly perform sprinting efforts! This literature defines a sprint as any effort that exceeds 20km/h for at least 2 seconds or more.
Based on this information, it is clear to see just how important speed is in today’s sporting environment. Gone are the days in which athletes are judged on how well they are able to run at a medium intensity over long distances.
So what is the best way for you to improve your speed???
Although there are a number of ways you can make yourself faster, SQUATS are going to be the most influential part of your training. When talking about squatting, the greater ‘relative squat strength’ (weight that you squat divided by your bodyweight) you can achieve with correct technique, the faster you are going to get.
There has been an abundance of studies looking into the link between squat strength and sprint performance in recent years and the vast majority seem to reach similar conclusions. The consensus is that the absolute amount of weight an individual can squat does not have links with speed, however, as mentioned before it is all about the percentage of your bodyweight that you are able to lift! For example if we have Person A who can squat 110kg and their bodyweight is 95kg, compared to Person B who can squat 100kg and their bodyweight is 75kg, based on research it is more than likely that Person B (relative squat strength= 100/75= 1.33) will have a faster sprint speed than Person A (relative squat strength= 110/95= 1.15). Some studies that produced these conclusions can be observed from Baker & Newton (2008) who investigated the links between physiological measures and playing rank in Rugby athletes, as well as Ingebrigtsen & Jeffreys (2012) who looked at strength vs. speed variables in relation to Handball athletes. A number of the studies that drew these conclusions also suggest that incorporating plyometric training into the training program will also aid in the quest for a greater speed. For those of you who are unaware, plyometric training is all about fast and explosive movements. Jumping, throwing and hopping are all movements classified as plyometric and aid in teaching your muscles to switch on as fast as possible.
Now you know that a both strength and plyometric training are beneficial to sprint speed, you will be wondering just how to combine the two in order to achieve the best results? Do you train for both strength and power at the same time? Do you split it up so that you complete strength and power programs separately? Loturco et. al (2014) conducted a study that looked at various training periodizations and their relation to sprint speed. The results showed that completing a block of strength training, immediately followed by a block of plyometric training proved to show the most significant increase in speed.
So get into a gym and get squatting! If you need some further advice or would like a specific program to improve your sprint speed, get in contact with the PEAQ team now!
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