The first SPSA Summer League U12 final produced exactly the kind of match a final should. On Thursday evening, 22 October, Victoria Strikers U12 and SPSA Ashes went toe to toe at MCC 2 Ajman. Right up to the last over, nobody could say which way it would go. In the end, Victoria chased down 163 with five balls to spare to win by 5 wickets and become the league’s first U12 champions.
Match summary
- SPSA Ashes: 162/6 (25 overs)
- Victoria Strikers U12: 164/5 (24.1 overs)
- Result: Victoria Strikers U12 won by 5 wickets
- Player of the Match: Viaan Panwar (Victoria Strikers), 4/28 from 5 overs
- Venue: MCC 2 Ajman
Ahan sets up a fighting total
Victoria won the toss and chose to bowl. Viaan Panwar made an early impact, removing both SPSA Ashes openers inside four overs to leave them at 29/2.
Ahan Moghe then played exactly the innings his coaches had asked of him. He batted with patience and control, making 39 off 40 balls and holding the innings together. Wicketkeeper Dhruv Laddha supported him with 23, and Anirudh Nikhil’s 17 carried the innings into the closing overs. SPSA Ashes finished on 162/6, a target they could fight with.
Viaan Panwar was the pick of the Victoria bowlers, with 4/28 from his five overs.
A chase that went to the wire
Alyan Tariq, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, gave Victoria a flying start, hitting 37 off just 23 balls as the openers raced to 80 without loss in 10 overs. Then SPSA Ashes struck twice in two balls. Savya Dakhera bowled the first opener, and Anirudh Nikhil had Alyan caught by Saaransh next ball.
That sparked a real contest. Saaransh Kapoor led the fightback with a superb spell of 1/21 from five overs, including 19 dot balls, and kept SPSA Ashes in the game until the final over. Savya added a second wicket, and Dhruv Laddha took a catch and a stumping behind the stumps. When Neev Panandikar struck in the 24th over, Victoria were 150/5 and still needed 13.
A few dropped chances in the field proved costly for the Ashes, and Kanishka Kanwar Rana made the most of them. She batted through the chase for an unbeaten 39 off 40 balls. With Victoria needing 5 off the final over, she hit the very first ball for six to seal the title.
SPSA Ashes bowling highlights:
- Saaransh Sumit Kapoor: 1/21 (5 overs), economy 4.20, 19 dot balls
- Savya Dakhera: 2/29 (4.1 overs)
- Anirudh Nikhil: 1/17 (3 overs)
- Neev Panandikar: 1/20 (3 overs)
A final worthy of the name
After the match, parents from both sides agreed it had been a thrilling, closely fought game and a fitting final for the league’s first season. Congratulations to Victoria Strikers U12 on the title, and well played to SPSA Ashes for taking the champions all the way.
Tournament awards
The season’s individual awards were presented after the final.
MVP and Best Batter: Alyan Tariq (Victoria Strikers U12)
Alyan won both awards after a remarkable season with the bat. He scored 397 runs in six innings at an average of 99.25 and a strike rate of nearly 190. That included two centuries: 102 off 67 balls against Peak Sports Academy, and an unbeaten 100 off 45 against Danube Cricket Academy U12. He hit 43 fours and 26 sixes across the tournament, and his 37 off 23 in the final gave Victoria the platform for their chase.
Best Bowler: Neev Panandikar (SPSA Ashes)
Neev took 8 wickets in five innings at an average of 9.13 and an economy of 5.41, with 38 dot balls and two maidens. His best spells were 3/14 against SPSA Chargers and 3 wickets for 0 runs against SPSA Marvels. He also took a key wicket in the final to keep SPSA Ashes in the hunt.
Best Fielder: Ahan Moghe (SPSA Ashes)
Ahan was involved in 9 dismissals across seven matches, with 3 catches and 6 run-outs. Those run-outs show how sharp he was in the field all season. Along with his 39 in the final, that made for an outstanding tournament for him.
Congratulations to all the award winners, and to every player who took part in the first season of the SPSA Summer League U12.
What’s next
The SPSA Summer League U14 final is still to come, and we’ll report on it here once it’s played.
The SPSA Summer League is one of the tournaments SPSA hosts, along with others like Arabian Cup, giving young players regular competitive cricket at our home ground. See all the tournaments SPSA plays in and hosts on our Tournaments page.