CRICKET – THE Abraj Rocking Royals secured a comfortable victory over the Abraj Strikers in their week 11 match of the Abraj Premier League 5 (APL 5), sponsored by Mega Contracting, BFC, Desi Zaika, Weather Cool, and AAL Association.
The Rocking Royals won the toss and opted to bat first. They started their innings confidently, scoring 29 runs without losing a wicket by the end of the fifth over. Although the Royals lost wickets at regular intervals, they maintained a steady scoring rate and posted a total of 142/9 in their 20 overs.
Ratnesh Singh led the charge with the bat, scoring a composed 29 (29). Other contributions came from Ashwani Pratap (18 off 11), Mahesh Tambare (18 off 14), and Kumar Kshitiz (13 off 12), while Anil Verma (14 off 14), Sagar Dholaria (12 off 14), and Bhavin Deliwala (10 off 12) added valuable runs.
The Strikers’ bowlers – Vinod Rathi, Rakesh Kumar, Arun CR, and Varun Sood – each claimed a wicket.
Chasing a target of 143, the Strikers began with 27/1 in the first powerplay. However, a series of quick wickets left them reeling at 62/5 by the 10th over. The Rocking Royals’ bowlers kept up the pressure, and the Strikers were bowled out for just 97 runs in the 16th over, handing the Royals a 45-run victory.
Kumar (28 off 24), Arun CR (22 off 19), and Robin Jain (22 off 22) fought hard for the Strikers, but lacked support from the lower order.
Sagar Dholaria shone with the ball, taking two wickets, while Anoop Kumar, Dilleeswar Cheri, and Kamlesh Patel claimed one wicket each.
Singh’s all-round performance with the bat, ball, and in the field earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the match honour.
Meanwhile, the Abraj Gladiators edged out the Abraj Violets in another week 11 encounter. The Violets won the toss and opted to field in a 15-over contest.
The Gladiators came out with determination, reaching 38/0 by the end of the fifth over. They continued to rotate the strike well, finishing their innings at 97/5. Amit Maity was the top scorer with 28 off 20 balls, supported by Kalpesh Kumar (16 off 11), Akhil Jain (12 off 15), Vignesh (11 off seven), and Seraj (10 off 11).
For the Violets, Rahul Dantkale and Mishal Soni each claimed two wickets, while Ashwani Bhatia and Hari Krishna took one wicket each.
Chasing a target of 94, the Violets struggled with the bat, losing wickets at regular intervals. By the end of the 10th over, they were reeling at 67/7. Despite some resistance from Ashwani Bhatia (27 off 31), Collin Dominic Dsilva (13 off seven), Lauv Lahoti (12 off 11), and Hari Krishna (10 off seven), the Violets fell short, finishing at 93/9, losing by just four runs.
The Gladiators, playing with only nine fielders, showed immense resolve to defend their modest total. Akhil Jain was the standout performer with the ball, taking three wickets, while Seraj and Vignesh supported with two wickets each.
For his outstanding all-round performance, Jain was named the match MVP.
The Abraj SuperGiants were also victorious in week 11, beating the Abraj Daredevils in their match.
The SuperGiants won the toss and chose to bat first. They began their innings with confidence, reaching 56/0 by the ninth over. The SuperGiants kept up their momentum, finishing their 20 overs at 143/3 – a strong total on the ground.
Tarun Parihar was the star once again with the bat, scoring an impressive 47 (20). He was well-supported by Shrawan Soni (15 off 16), Sanito Dsilva (13 off 12), and Deepak Bhakuni (12 off 10).
For the Daredevils, Vinay Gupta took the only wicket, with the other dismissals coming from run-outs.
Chasing 144, the Daredevils never found their rhythm. They were left struggling at 57/6 by the end of the 10th over. Despite a valiant effort from Umesh Suresh Kulkarni (40 off 28), Samba Shiva Reddy (29 off 33), Dinesh Kumar (17 off 19), and Vinu (12 off 12), the Daredevils could not recover and finished their innings at 127/9, losing by 16 runs.
The SuperGiants’ bowlers were exceptional throughout. Vali Shaik, Vivek Mandowara, and Chetan Dongra each claimed two wickets, while Anuj Somani and Rohit Srivastava took one wicket apiece.
For his outstanding all-round performance, Shaik was named the MVP.
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