CRICKET – THE Abraj SuperGiants overpowered the Abraj Gladiators to claim a comfortable victory in the first match of week seven in the Abraj Premier League (APL5).
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, the Gladiators got off to a promising start, scoring 35/2 in the initial four powerplay overs. However, their innings quickly unravelled as wickets fell in clusters, and they collapsed to 66/7 by the 12th over.
The Gladiators’ innings ended at a disappointing 80 runs in 15.5 overs. Among their batters, Renjith Rajasekharan stood out with 18 runs off 16 balls, followed by Akhil Jain (12 off 19), Amit Maity (10 off seven), and Vijay Kumar (10 off 18).
The SuperGiants’ bowlers put on an exceptional display, led by Tarun Parihar, who claimed three vital wickets. Vivek Mandowara added two scalps to his name, while Anuj Somani, Vali Shaik, Sanito Dsilva, Chetan Dongra, and Deepak Bhakuni contributed with a wicket each, ensuring the Gladiators never found momentum.
Chasing a modest target of 81, the SuperGiants stumbled early, losing two wickets in the very first over.
However, the middle-order batters quickly steadied the innings. Dsilva (19 off 10), Bhakuni (14 off 10), Shrawan Soni (11 off 10), Anthony Panvalkar (10 off 10), and Parihar (10 off 10) showed composure as the team reached the target in just 11 overs with eight wickets to spare.
Prem Devassy was the only Gladiators bowler to make an impact, taking both wickets.
Parihar’s all-round brilliance earned him his second Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the tournament.
In the second match of the week, the Abraj Rocking Royals showcased a dominant all-round performance to secure a convincing victory over the Abraj Daredevils, further solidifying their position at the top of the table.
After winning the toss, the Daredevils opted to bat first but struggled from the start against a relentless Royals bowling attack.
The Daredevils were in deep trouble at 20/6 within 6.3 overs, with the Royals’ bowlers tearing through the top order.
Ankit Bhutda provided a glimmer of hope with a gritty 34 off 26 balls, supported by Stany Fernandes (18 off 18) and Dinesh Kumar (16 off 21). However, the Daredevils could only manage a total of 104, getting bowled out in 19.3 overs.
The Royals’ bowlers delivered a clinical performance, led by Ratnesh Singh, who claimed three wickets. Sagar Dholaria chipped in with two, while Anil Verma, Ashwani Pratap, Anoop Kumar, and Kamlesh Patel each took a wicket, ensuring no Daredevils batter settled at the crease.
Chasing 105, the Royals made light work of the target. Kumar blasted an unbeaten 25 off 11 balls, while Dholaria (15 off 10), Pratap (12 off three), and Dilleeswar Cheri (10 off seven) contributed with aggressive knocks.
The Royals achieved the target comfortably in 13.3 overs, securing their fourth win in five matches.
For the Daredevils, Vinay Gupta picked up two wickets, while Umesh Suresh Kulkarni and Bhutda managed one each.
Dholaria’s all-round excellence with both bat and ball earned him his third MVP award of the league, further highlighting his pivotal role in the Royals’ success.
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