It must have been hard to fathom that the strong MIG team found it difficult to get going on their own ground against the quality bowling of PJ Hindu Gymkhana bowlers.
With just two batsmen managing to score in two figures and a highest individual score of 17, MIG were bundled out for 55 runs in 31.1 overs. The wrecker in chief who came up with a sensational opening spell was PJ Hindu Gymkhana’s fast bowler Mohit Awasthi. Mohit was the pick of the bowlers coming up with 5/16 in 14 overs. It was a hostile spell of fast bowling where he dismissed 4 of the top 5 batsman including twin blows of skipper Gaurav Jathar (0) and V Dhulap (0) without letting them open their accounts.
PJ Hindu Gymkhana in reply declared their innings on 88/6 in 33.4 overs winning the match on 1st innings lead.
It was quite a dominating win for PJ HINDU GYMKHANA while MIG who is known to be a strong side will definitely try to make a strong comeback post their whitewash in the opening match of the season.
New Hind Sporting Club after being made to bat first at Dadkar Maidan were cleaned up for just 86 runs in 40.1 overs. Just two batsmen managed to score in double figures with Sachin Yadav top scoring with 30 runs at the middle order. The bowler who created serious trouble was Sind SC’s fast bowler Nitish Salekar who ran through the middle and lower order of New Hind. It was a spell of pure fast bowling as he came up with envious bowling figures of 6/15 in 14.1 overs. Nitish kept on providing breakthroughs not allowing any batsman to settle easily,
Sind Sports Club in reply scored 91/4 dec in 16.1 overs with Jaideep Pardeshi scoring 47 runs at no.5. Sind Sports Club won the match on 1st innings lead and it was surely Nitish grabbing all the attention with his brilliant spell.
In international cricket, over the years players like Kaif, Yuvi, Dhoni, Bevan, Ranatunga, Robin Singh, Ravindra Jadeja have played some match winning knocks despite the top order collapsing. Each of these players have left behind memories by pulling of a great performance at a time when their team was about to get all out for a low total! One such knock at the local level which we witnessed was by Manoj Yadav in the ongoing Kanga League
‘19
Worli Sports Club after being put to bat first on their homeground were 5/35 and 6/57 at one stage before Manoj who came at no.8 turned the game single handedly with his brilliant innings of 104* in 101 balls. It was a knock full of substance and fearless approach as he played at a strike rate of 100+ on a tough wicket hitting as many as 10 big sixes and 3 boundaries. Manoj was nicely supported by Rehanahmed Shaikh at no.9 who played the 2nd fiddle scoring 30* off 62 balls as Worli declared their innings at 188/6 in 43.3 overs.
Islam Gymkhana in reply were 87/2 in 23 overs before the match ended in a draw with no results obtained. Opener Mohammad Ishaque Shaikh scored an impressive 57 at the top of the order.
It was an exciting match where Manoj rescued his team from a low total which could have made them lose the match.
It was in 2006 when his coaches spotted the talent in a 10yr old kid and insisted his father to send him to VN Sule School did his journey start in Cricket. Cut down to 2019, he has represented Senior Mumbai Team in Zonal T20’s, Mushtaq Ali Trophy and is also playing in T20 Mumbai League.
Speaking with Cricketgraph, “Parikshit said-My dad used to be very fond of cricket. He took me to the summer coaching at Nirmal Cricket Academy in Mulund West. While practicing there, the coaches Raju Shirke and Ravi Thakker spotted me and told my dad that i can play better cricket for which i need to take admission in V N Sule Guruji School at dadar and that’s how my journey started from 6th standard”
The spark was quite evident in him when he scored a scintilating 367 for IES VN Sule vs St. Mary’s in the 2009 Giles Shield, a marathon knock which he and his school may cherish forever.
Born in Kalyan and brought up in Mulund, Parikshit who was born on 24th February 1995 did not had the easiest of journeys. Parikshit was in probables almost every year since he was 13 but could not make it any of the young age group level teams of Mumbai. However, Parikshit without blaming anyone himself admitted “i was not an up to the mark cricketer then”, the kind of confessions not many cricketers like to do or accept!
Parikshit sat out for 4 consecutive years for several clubs where he did not got a single game to play. At the age of 19, he got a call from New Hind Club where he said “ I warmed the benches there too” before finally getting a chance to play for Bank of India. Parikshit believes it was his stint with the Bank of India Team which improved him a lot as a cricketer. It was after his good performance with Bank of India, he got two games to play for New Hind & that’s how he became a regular fixture of New Hind’s team.
Soon the tides turned, he finally started getting opportunities, so did the performances came along. He started performing consistently at the local level across various MCA Tournaments. Parikshit from being a dropped player mostly warming the benches represented Mumbai U23 in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he won Col CK Nayadu Trophy playing for Mumbai side while he also emerged to be the highest wicket taker in A Division playing for Tata Sports.
As we saw, the journey was’nt that glamorous but the fact that he did not quit, he did not gave up, kept patience, did the hardwork and performed whenever he got an opportunity helped him progress in the sport which he and his father loved.
Parikshit shared: “I am very thankful to the committee of New Hind Club-Ramesh Vajge, Shailesh Manjrekar, Yogesh dicholkar. They picked me when i was a very ordinary cricketer. I also want to thank Bhavin Thakkar who supported me a lot and still supports me, he is my go to man. Then playing with Surya Kumar Yadav in T20 Mumbai and a few T20 matches for Senior Mumbai team helped me learn a lot from a senior player like him”
“I also thank Vinayak Samant(Coach) and the selection committee under whom i made my U23 debut. I thank my Captain Mr. Eknath kerkar who supported me throughout the Ck Nayudu and made sure i do well. I will always be thankful for that”
“And above all my guru Gopal Koli sir who is next to God for me. I started playing School Cricket under him and without his support I would have been nothing. Last but not the least, I also thank my father for my entire cricketing journey, he has always supported me selflessly. His dream is to see me play at higher levels of cricket and he is the reason I started playing cricket”
When we asked him about his goals-Parikshit said “i want to make it into the Ranji Trophy Team this year” We at Cricketgraph wish the budding all-rounder all the luck for a great career ahead.
It’s always commendable when a cricketer takes a 7 wkt haul in a cricket match, obviously it’s a difficult feat and you can’t take fifers every now and then but when a full-time policemen enters the ground and cleans up the batting line up of the opposition, it’s definitely one impressive thing!
Mohan CC after being put to bat first at Sassanian, Azad Maidan were bundled out for 64 runs all out in 36.3 overs. The wicket was difficult to score and medium pacer Rohit Bhere took full advantage of it. In a hostile spell of 16 overs, Rohit conceded mere 15 runs while went on to take 7 wkts of Mohan CC’s team.
Mangrol Sports Club in reply also found it difficult to bat on this wicket with 7wkts down for 43 runs but luckily the game ended after them batting for 36 overs with no results obtained.
Rohit who played his 1st Kanga match and just the 2nd professional match this year shared with Cricketgraph “The wicket was initially wet so had to grind hard but as the sunlight came out, it got easier to bowl fast and dominate. I started my police duty from 7th October 2017 and now on the basis of merit, I am selected as a Police Player for Mumbai Police Gymkhana”
Played at Islam Gymkhana, Marine Lines, DY Patil after being put to bat first declared their innings at a decent total of 174/4 in 34.1 overs. Even though, none of their batsman could score big but they had everyone chipping in with cameos while all-rounder Arun Yadav remaining unbeaten on 33* off 21 balls at no.8. Left arm spinner Shamit Shetty who is the skipper of Young Comrade team was the pick of the bowlers with 4/41 in 11 overs.
Young Comrade CC in reply were all out for 89 runs with opener Anish Choudhary scoring half of the team runs with a 47 ball 45. It was an exhibition of high class spin bowling on display as 47yr old leg break bowler Pravin Tambe who is a seasoned campaigner ran through the Young Comrade’s batting line up taking 5wkts for mere 10 runs in his spell of 9 overs. Tambe cleaned up the middle order with some deceiving leg breaks as DY Patil won the match on 1st innings lead with domination. Karsh Kothari with 3/10 in 5 overs was also impressive providing good support to Pravin Tambe.
Shivaji Park Gymkhana putting Payyade SC to bat on their homeground at Shivaji Park (Dadar) did suffer some early blows with openers Akhil Herwadkar (1) and Praful Waghela (9) falling out early. However, it was Sarfaraz Khan at no.4 continuing his consistent run with the bat scoring a yet another dominating ton on a bowler friendly wicket. Sarfaraz scored a majestic 101* in mere 89 balls (7 fours, 4 sixes) at a time when his other mates were struggling from the other end. It was on the back of his sparkling unbeaten 101* did Payyade SC reached a respectable total of 168/5 dec in 42 overs.
Shivaji Park Gymkhana in reply found it difficult to get going on their own wicket getting all out for 101 runs in 34.4 overs. Fast Bowler Minad Manjrekar (4/27) ensured he troubled the top order while experienced spinner Vishal Dabholkar (4/35) cleaned up the lower order handing over a 1st innings win to their team.
Sarfaraz who was the highest run getter last year in Kanga continues top form. Just fresh from twin hundreds in both the innings vs Vidarbha, this his 3rd back to back ton in last one month which speaks a lot about his form and the shape he is in.
Sainath Sports Club after being put to bat first at the Oval Maidan declared their innings on 82/3 in 22 overs. Even though their top order struggled to make an impact, it was Yash Chavan (39* off 42) & Karan More (17*) putting on an unbeaten 42 run stand for the 4th wicket.
In reply, Maskati CC were on the verge of an embarrassing whitewash as they lost quick wickets in a span of 14 overs. Maskati CC were 14/7 with all-rounder Yash who top scored with the bat coming up with amazing bowling figures of 4wkts/3runs in 7 overs with his left arm spin. Spinner Bharat Patil with 9/3 in 5 overs was also impressive while the match ended no results being obtained.
Young Maharashtra CC after being put to bat first at Shivaji Park on their home turf declared their innings at 108/6 in 36.1 overs. After losing their opener Harmesh in the 2nd over, Upendra and Harshal Jadhav spent some time at the crease to create a positive momentum.
Harshal who came at no.3 top scored with 51 runs facing 113 balls. It was a hardfought knock where he smashed only 3 boundaries while did good running between the wickets. The rest of the batsman below him found it difficult to get going as Young Maharashtra CC declared their innings before getting all out.
PDTSA in reply were 38/3 in 19 overs at the end of the game’s play where the match could not obtain any results.
On uneven wet wickets and grounds with more grass, it’s a known fact that it’s very difficult to score runs. Kanga League has been a tournament which has been dominated by the bowlers since decades. Scoring fifties and hundreds are always considered impressive in this league and Siddarth Sharma just impressed one and all with his aggressive brand of batting in his debut match of the season.
Matunga Gymkhana after being put to bat first at Dadkar Maidan declared their innings on 81/7 in 17.5 overs. Thanks to their experienced all-rounder Ninad Borkar playing a crucial knock of 44 runs in 42 balls saving the grace for his team. Off-spinner Arya Pol with 3/33 was the pick of the bowlers for Amar CC.
Amar CC despite a sluggish opening start batted really well scoring 115/2 in 17 overs at the end of the game’s play. Amar CC took a 1st innings lead thanks to a swashbuckling knock by Siddarth Sharma who took on the bowlers with his brute hitting. Siddarth scored 63* in mere 37 balls which had just 1 boundary but a stunning 7 sixes to his name. Siddarth alongwith Rohan Gahhar (22* off 13) were enjoying the last few overs hitting freely to every bowler coming their way.