CRICKET – ABRAJ Daredevils, Abraj Violets, and Abraj SuperGiants secured victories yesterday in week 10 of the Abraj Premier League (APL5), which resumed following a winter break.
The Daredevils won against the Abraj Gladiators in the opening encounter.
The Gladiators won the toss and chose to field first. The Daredevils began their innings cautiously but gained momentum after the sixth over, reaching 79/2 by the 10th. Despite losing wickets in the middle overs, the Daredevils maintained a steady run rate and finished at 153/8 in 20 overs.
Stany Fernandes top-scored with 32 off 19 balls, while Umesh Kulkarni contributed 29 off 23. Ankit Bhutda (22 off 23) and Harsh Soni (12 off 12) also made useful contributions.
Vignesh was the leading bowler for the Gladiators, taking two wickets, supported by Vibhav, Amit Maity, Vijay Kumar, and Akhil Jain, who each claimed one.
Chasing 154, the Gladiators were quickly on the back foot. They lost seven wickets by the eighth over and struggled at just 43 runs.
Despite Prem Devassy’s valiant 35 off 21 balls, the Gladiators were bowled out for 92, losing by 61 runs. Hatim Azad shone with the ball for the Daredevils, taking three wickets. Bhutda and Samba Shiva Reddy supported with two wickets each.
Bhutda was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the match.
Meanwhile, the Violets took their win against the Abraj Strikers.
The Violets won the toss and chose to field first. Their bowlers were disciplined, maintaining consistent pressure on their opponents. By the 10th over, the Strikers were struggling at 47/3. Despite regular wickets falling, a few dropped catches allowed the Strikers to finish their innings at 130/8.
Sandeep Shah was the top scorer for the Strikers, making 33 off 20 balls, while Mayank Rathod remained unbeaten on 30 off 23, and Arun CR contributed 20 off 22 balls. The Violets’ bowlers, including Mukesh Kumar, Hari Krishna, Hozefa Petiwala, Mishal Soni, Sapan Jain, and Safiyaaldin Sadiq, each took a wicket.
Chasing 131, the Violets were always in control. They reached 57/2 by the 10th over, keeping wickets intact. Although the required run rate increased towards the end, captain Petiwala played a match-winning knock of 37 off 15 balls, blasting five sixes. Krishna (20 off 16 balls) and Lauv Lahoti (13 off 10) also contributed.
For the Strikers, Rudra Desai, Rakesh Kumar, Arun CR, and Robin Jain each took one wicket.
Petiwala was named the match’s MVP for his all-round performance.
The SuperGiants then took the third match of the day against the Abraj Rocking Royals, who won the toss and chose to field first.
The Royals’ bowlers kept the SuperGiants under control early, as the victors started cautiously, reaching 51/2 by the 10th over. However, Tarun Parihar played a brilliant knock, finishing unbeaten on 61 off 28 balls, supported by Sanito Dsilva (18 off 15) and Deepak Bhakuni (11 off 10), taking the SuperGiants to a competitive 148/7 after 20 overs.
The Royals’ bowlers, including Anil Verma, Sagar Dholaria, Ashwani Pratap, Vinit Maroo, and Dilleeswar Cheri, each took one wicket.
Chasing 149, the Royals suffered a disastrous start, losing five wickets for just 20 runs by the fourth over. Despite a valiant effort from Sagar Dholaria (33 off 31), the Royals couldn’t recover and were bowled out for 105, losing by 42 runs.
Contributions from Anil Verma (21 off 20), Bhavin Deliwala (12 off 13), and Ratnesh Singh (12 off 18) were insufficient.
The SuperGiants’ bowlers, led by Tarun Parihar (two wickets), dominated the game. Anuj Somani and Shrawan Soni, also claimed two wickets each, while Vivek Mandowara and Sanito Dsilva added one wicket each, ensuring the Royals couldn’t build any momentum.
Parihar was named the MVP.
The tournament is being sponsored by Mega Contracting, BFC, Desi Zaika, Weather Cool, and AAL Association.
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