The New Hind Matunga ground witnessed an exciting as well as a close competition between SVIS Borivali and Rizvi in the Harris Shield Tournament. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Rizvi team had a target of scoring a competitive total to put the opposition under pressure.
They succeeded fairly in their endeavors as Rizvi managed to score 312 runs in 89.1 overs. Almost all the top order batsman of Rizvi chipped in with runs. There were three half centuries from Rizvi batsman right from Ayaz Khan(68), Yash Salunkhe (68) , Alsaad Sheikh (64) to faiznauman rabani with a unbeaten 43. Yash Jathar was the pick of the bowlers for SVIS picking up 7 wickets for just 69 runs. He was so consistent and disciplined with the ball, it left the opposition stunned. Had it not been Yash for SVIS with the ball, Rizvi team could have easily crossed 400 run mark.
SVIS batsman(285 all out in 65.2 overs) played well in reply to Rizvi’s 312 but fell short of 27 runs before the end of two days play & lost the game by 27 runs & an innings. Suved Parkar left behind his mark & authority as a batsman smashing 115 ball 147 to enthrall the spectators. It was a mesmerizing knock from parkar which had put Rizwi team under pressure. At one point of time it appeared as if Suved would finish the game in style for SVIS. Had Parkar remained at the crease for a few more overs, the outcome of the match could have been completely different. Right arm medium pacer Akash Yadav bowled really well for his 4/65 with the able support of Farhan sheikh (3/73).
The only difference between Rizvi and SVIS team was that Rizvi team had put collective efforts while from SVIS it was only Yash with the ball & Suved with the bat for SVIS. These two players single handedly took the burden of their team & have surely left behind a mark for themselves.
Datamatics are on cloud nine playing consistent & wonderful cricket in the Kalpana Memorial Corporate T20 tournament. Right from their 1st league match, they have performed exceedingly well to reach the semi final of the tournament. They have remained unbeaten so far and considering their form, they surely look favorites to lift the trophy too.
Their first league match was against the powerful Mumbai University team where Mumbai University team was restricted to 135/7 in 20 overs. Datamatics bowlers fought hard for that win where captain Rohidas Koyande had taken 4 wickets while Malang Aras scored a patient match winning 54(54 balls) which earned him the man of the match award. Highlight of this match was an unbroken opening stand between Malang Aras and Vinayak Mulye (34 not out) for 90 runs.
Their 2nd league match was against IDFC bank where Datamatics bowlers again did a brilliant job of restricting the opposition to 131 with the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. Vinayak Joil, Sagar Nehete & Prem Rajbhar took 2 wickets each in that match while Rohidas scored an attacking as well as an entertaining knock of 95*(50 balls) which also had 5 sixes which eventually led his team to a clean victory by 9 wickets and 5.4 overs to spare. Rohidas was obviously adjudged man of the match for his superb 95*
With two wins, Datamatics were already looking good & they carried the positive momentum into the 3rd and the crucial match where a victory would lead them to the semis of the tournament. The third match was against Learning Mate where again their bowling was exceptional. As we can observe the bowling of Datamatics kept on improving match by match as this time Learning Mate team was restricted to just 122/7 in 20 overs. Dhruvin Dharamsey, Kuldeep Vishwakarma & Hemant Khanolkar took 2 wickets each & were also quite economical. While chasing this time it was Nikhil Patil and Malang Aras who put up a classy 122 runs opening stand with Nikhil Patil scoring a match winning 74* off just 53 balls and Malang Aras scoring 34 to help their side qualify for the semis after winning the 3rd match by 9 wickets & 3.3 overs to spare. Nikhil Patil for his fantastic knock was the man of the match.
Datamatics journey has been envious in this tournament with consistent performances from their bowlers & their batsmen. Their top order batting has fired with opening stands of 90, 70 and 122. Considering the zone in which Datamatics is, they are not too far from winning the tournament.
TCC Pulled up another breathtaking game with brilliant performances by entire team lead by opener Upendra Yadav by playing first & last ball of the inning of 20 overs. He consumed only 49 balls to score 74 runs @ handsome strike rate of 151%, Ganesh Patil once again expressed himself as valuable player of TCC with contribution of outstanding innings of 45 runs in just 26 balls at brisk strike rate of 173%
19th contest of FPL tournament & 4th games for TCC commenced with wining toss by ACT elected to Bat first considering good looking Batting Track of Yashwant Nagar. Decision of batting first paid them well and they posted 83 runs without losing wicket at brisk strike rate over 125% but the complexion of game changed by spinners when Palu Gadvi bowled both the openers off his consecutive overs followed by Upendra Yadav who produced brilliant delivery & took most important wicket of Jasheen followed by run out of Tariq by Dipalok. Since game was reduced to 18 overs, so ACT finished their quota of 18 overs and set tough target of 154 runs for TCC to chase.
TCC successfully chased down total 155 runs in 16 overs & won by 8 wickers despite of losing early wicket of opener run out by alert move of the wicket keeper. We can’t rule out brilliant bowling spells by pacers to restrict opponent to chase able total despite of Dream Start 82/0 of ACT. Palu emerged as best bowling figures of the game with 2 wickets but Dipalok bowled brilliant spells of 4 overs gave away only 22 runs including most critical last over of the inning cost only 5 runs.
TCC has also showed their excellent fielding skills on the day where Upendra and Anna saved 10 important runs for the team by unbelievable action in the field. Palu, Pramod, Nilesh, and Prateek & Daange also displayed excellent ground fielding with accurate throws and Ganesh Patil contributed as wicket keeper.
In nutshell it was one of most competitive contest between TCC & ACT which was concluded with great exhibition of cricketing skills and very constructive spirit of the FPL Tournament by both the teams. (Well Played )
Wish FPL to witness much more exciting & Entertaining games in times to come for viewers and participants.
All the very best to both teams for all forthcoming contests.
Happy Cricket & Let the entertainment continue !!
ICICI Securities had some clear things in mind before entering the crease. They wanted to bat first and post a big target as the pitch was good to bat on & they had a strong bowling line up to defend. Things went in their favor as they won the toss & got a chance to bat first. The top order batsman right from Yatin(opener) to Mandar(no.4) batted well chipping in with crucial cameos.
Both the openers played counter attacking cricket & put the opposition team under pressure. Captain Javeed Siddiqui scored a 16 ball 34 which included 2 back to back sixes out of which his straight six towards the long on was his personal favorite. Every batsman came in and gave a start but it was Amar who played a great knock for ICICI Securities. Amar who is considered a flexible batsman like Ajinkya rahane can bat at any position where his team needs & this time he shone bright at no.3 . Amar’s 33 ball 53 was the backbone of ICICI Securities team total of 183 runs in 20 overs. The right handed Amar smashed 11 boundaries en-route his stroke filled 53. Vyom bowled well picking up a wicket for his 22 runs in 4 overs. Nishit also took 2 wickets for 31 in his 4 overs.
Chasing 184 against a strong bowling line up, Boston team faltered managing to score just 105/8. ICICI Securities won the match by 78 runs & Amar was adjudged man of the match for his superb knock of 53 (33 balls). It was because of Amar as well as their collective team efforts, ICICI Securities won their 1st match of the tournament & they will move ahead in the further matches with a lot of confidence.
Dindoshi team had already decided to put the opposition under pressure after bowling first. Winning the toss, their plan was to restrict the opposition under 120-130 & bowl maximum dot balls. Dindoshi bowlers partially succeeded keeping UBMC on toes. UBMC managed 141/9 in 20 overs.
Dindoshi bowlers worked hard containing the batsman & also taking wickets. Fast bowler Ajay Mahale was splendid in his bowling spell of 3/32(4) picking up all the important wickets. Sainath gaurav was also effective giving away just 13 runs in 4 overs & also taking a wicket. Chasing 142, Dindoshi won the match in style by 7 wickets and 2.1 overs to spare. The openers gave an aggressive start to lift the team’s spirit. At no.3 came in-form Vinayak Maske who completed the formality of chasing. It was a game finisher knock from the right handed Maske who scored 54 off just 37 balls. The knock was a pure treat to the eyes as he smashed boundaries (8) with ease & also a six towards the fine leg. His personal favorite was the classy straight drive which he smashed against the pace bowler.
The pitch was good to bat on & man of the match Vinayak made full use of it at the Aarey Bhaskar Ground in Goregaon. The captain as well as his team mates appreciated his 2nd fifty in 3rd match & all Vinayak wants is to continue playing good cricket and make his team win more matches.
From a total of 16 teams (9 from KAPOL & 7 from YCC) reaching the finals and winning it is a no mean feat. None of the teams from Youth cricket club qualified for the finals & it was between the two teams of Kapol samaj group namely Hurricanes from Acry organics and Sixers from subh valia trust.
Winning the toss first Hurricanes took a risky decision of fielding first. The risk did paid off as the opposition team were bundled out for just 126/9 in such a crucial match. The bowlers really did a fantastic job of restricting the opposition to such a low total. Nihar modi gave just 13 runs(4 overs) & took a big wicket of Gaurang Parekh who can single handedly change the game on his day & is also the leading run scorer in the tournament. Dhruv Doshi and Jeet Mehta were also wonderful with the ball.
Chasing 127 was like a cakewalk for Hurricane as they won the match by 7 wickets and 3.1 overs to spare. Manan Mehta scored a match winning 63* off just 57 balls. The right handed batsman smashed 8 boundaries and equally worked hard between the crease rotating the strike to craft his innings which ultimately led his team to a win. Skipper Parth Mathuria remained unbeaten on 26 off just 19 balls.
Despite being a under rated team where they hardly had any big names to reckon with & their frontline skipper who was not available in their first 2 matches, Hurricane team has surprised everybody with their consistent performance. They have remained unbeaten in 6 matches which is an enviable streak. It was purely based on teamwork and co-ordination between the players and their coach Anil Nayak must be proud of his boys.
Finishing the tournament in style Gaurang Parekh (280 runs @56.00 & Strike rate of 194) & Manan Mehta(274 runs @274 & strike rate of 136) were at no.2 and no.3 respectively in the list of leading scorers while Nihar Modi(10 wickets at a astonishing average of 7.60 & econ of 4.26) is topping the bowlers chart followed by Maulik Mehta(10wickets @12.50)
No doubt the Hurricane team will be ecstatic after winning the tournament & they will move with confidence in their next encounters (KSG 40 overs tournament is their next tournament)
THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION OF FOOTWORK IN BATTING IS THE INCLINATION AND WILLINGNESS OF MIND TO USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS ITSELF. FOOTWORK PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SHOT SELECTION AND IS ALSO CRUCIAL WHEN IT COMES TO EITHER PLAYING THE BALL OR LEAVING THE BALL ALONE.
WITH APPROPRIATE FOOTWORK SCORING RUNS BECOMES EASY. BY PRACTISING THE RIGHT FOOT MOVES, THE EFFICIENCY OF MIND AND BODY CO-ORDINATION IS INCREASED WHICH CATERS TO SOUND STROKE MAKING.
PRACTICE:
BATSMAN SHOULD REGULARLY TRAIN ON HIS FEET MOVEMENT TO
1] REACH THE BALL AS WELL AS GET IN LINE OF BALL
2] TO NEGATE THE SWING OR SPIN ON BALL
3] TO HAVE A GOOD BODY BALANCE AND BODY WEIGTH TRANSFER WHILE PLAYING THE STROKE.
A player who can contribute both with the bat as well as with the ball are always special. They can be big assets for any team they play for. Take example of Jacques Kallis, Shane Watson, R Ashwin( in tests), Symonds or Afridi. They are always a vital cog in the team & without their presence, the team almost looks incomplete & even weak to some extent.
SSA Strikers are gifted with one such all-rounder called Sudesh hiremath who fired in all the departments against Collage designs. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, SSA team were in deep trouble after losing both their openers. In fact such was their situation they were struggling at one point of time with 40/4. It was after the 4th wicket right handed sudesh came in & played a fantastic knock of 55. Coming at a time when his team needed a come back, he rightly delivered with the bat & got able support from the lower order too. Sudesh scored a fighting 39 ball 55 which included 7 fours & equal amount of running. He stitched an innings from nowhere with the support of the lower order & from no where SSA happily finished their innings with 212/9 in 20 overs. At one point they were not looking even good enough for 150 but it was because of Sudesh things changed big time. They even exceeded their own expectations of scoring at least 150-160.
Usually a defensive batsman, sudesh displayed a lot of energy between the wickets & kept the scorecard ticking. Collage team were required to score at more than 11 runs per over against a good bowling unit of SSA. Eventually the whole batting line up crumbled & were all out for just 60 runs. Sudesh also contributed with the ball picking up 4 wickets with his effective medium pace. What’s more, the icing on the cake was a hat-trick which he took which completely dismantled the opposition. Hiremath’s all round show helped his side earn a victory. Their 3rd win in their 4th match of the tournament also pushed them into the super eight.
Considering the form Sudesh is in, we can expect more brilliant cameos from him down the order to lift his team in the final four & eventually towards the title. Also it was good to see Sudesh dedicating his innings to his 2 year old daughter & we certainly wish many more fine innings to come from his bat in the coming matches.
It was a high intensity semi-final match of the Dreamz Corporate T20 Tournament between Automotive CC and FSS. Winning the toss, Automotive decided to bat first & play aggressive cricket to post a big target. Their plan was spot on as they batted wonderfully well & exceeded their own plans (of scoring above 150) by scoring 178 in 20 overs.
Right handed opener Rohan Pawar who is known to mould according to the situations played a cracker of a knock damaging almost all the bowlers of FSS. It was a brutal display of glamorous batting by Rohan Pawar who brought his century in just 55 balls & scored 107 (59 balls). Rohan was initially calm till the first half & opened his arms in the second half showing what he is capable of with the bat. Not only was his knock aggressive but he also played the anchor’s role to perfection as he stayed till the 3rd last ball of the innings (19.4overs). Rohan smashed 13 fours and 3 sixes in his stroke laden 59 ball 107.
Rohan targeted each and every bowler & scored runs easily in all the parts of the ground while he was particularly comfortable against the medium pacers. His on-drive in the very first over against the fast bowler was his personal favorite. The opposition also batted well with their openers putting up a good show but it was not enough against the good bowling of Automotive bowlers. Sachin sheth bowled really well where he picked up two big wickets & gave only 17 runs in 4 overs. FSS were restricted to 153/5 & Automotive won the match by 25 runs.
Rohan’s flamboyant knock earned him man of the match award. The ecstatic Rohan dedicated his superb hundred to his parents & especially mom who is unwell. In fact Rohan stated that his every knock and every match he plays is in the dedication towards his mother. Pawar who wakes up at 5:30 every morning & comes from thane to M.I.G for practice is finally getting the fruits of his hard work.
Into the 3rd league match of the Elite division in the Harris Shield Tournament it was a matter of pride for VN Sule to perform while crucial for Anjuman Islam to win the match. Winning the toss first, VN Sule boys decided to bat first with a mindset of posting a heavy trail over the opposition. The skipper & the coach advised the boys to play their natural game and score freely as anyway they are not going to qualify for the further rounds. Instead trying to win the match or at least drawing it was on their wishlist as it would affect the points table of Anjuman Islam team.
The boys paid heed to the advice & especially this talented right handed opener Kaushal Valsangkar. Kaushal displayed oodles of talent & patience at the crease in his clean & flawless knock of 128 coming of 251 balls. Kaushal showed a solid technique & appeared very confident helping his team to reach a good total of 400. Vaibhav, Rugved and Ayush Zimre also played really well for their respective half centuries. VN Sule succeeded in creating partnerships & that was one of the reasons they reached such a good score.
Kaushal smashed 15 boundaries in his excellent knock of 128 & none of them out of 15 we could say were not classy or graceful to the eyes. No denying the fact that the Bombay gymkhana witnessed promising talents exhibiting their capabilities with the bat & especially Kaushal. Anjuman Islam ended the match in a draw at 150/5 where in Shantanu kadam & Ayush bowled really well to contain the batsman & also pick a few wickets.
The match ended in a draw in a situation where VN Sule had nothing to lose but the draw surely affected the Anjuman Islam team to some extent. Kaushal who played brilliantly has surely left behind a mark of his own in this tournament.
