SPSA opened the 2026/27 ECB Academy League with three wins from five matches in Week 1. Between 2 and 4 October, our U15 Rangers, U15 Mavericks and U12 Warriors all won comfortably, while the U18 Guardians and U15 Raiders were tested by strong opposition.
Three more SPSA teams start their seasons this coming weekend, including the SPSA Avengers, last season’s Division A U12 champions. If you missed it, read our look-back at that title-winning season.
U15 Rangers win by 10 wickets (Division B)
MS YTCA MCE U15 47 all out (17 overs) · SPSA Rangers U15 48/0 (8.5 overs)
4 October, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
Arjun Nagathan produced the spell of the weekend. He took 5 wickets for 7 runs from 6 overs, with 3 maidens and 31 dot balls, and was named Player of the Match. Sai Subhash Saripalli backed him up with 3 for 5 from 4 overs.
MCE recovered to 35/2 after an early double strike, but then lost 7 wickets for 8 runs. Naksh Sanghavi held three catches and took a wicket, and Dhruv Laddha made two stumpings.
Dhruv (26 not out) and Ryan Easow (14 not out) then knocked off the target in under nine overs without losing a wicket.
“That was clinical, absolute dominance. Bowling a team out for 47 and chasing it down without losing a wicket shows how this group is growing. Arjun Nagathan’s five-wicket haul was hugely impressive. He barely bowled a loose ball. But what impressed me most was our fielding unit. The approach the boys showed in the field was phenomenal. This is exactly the growth we wanted to see, and now we’re seeing it.”
Coach Nihal
U12 Warriors win by 8 wickets (Division A)
Royal Spartans Team Red U12 77 all out (24.3 overs) · SPSA Warriors U12 78/2 (12.4 overs)
4 October, Wicket Nation Cricket Ground, Al Batayeh · Full scorecard
The Warriors began their Division A campaign with a disciplined bowling and fielding display. Player of the Match Humayl Sehran bowled 4 overs for just 5 runs, including a maiden and 19 dot balls, and took 2 wickets. Syed Mohammed Aliyan also took 2 for 9.
The Spartans were 14/4 inside six overs. Ten different Warriors bowled, and three run-outs showed how sharp the fielding was. Vivaan Gupta was involved in three dismissals (a stumping, a catch and a run-out), and Yashmit Roy took two catches and a wicket.
In reply, Rajveer Singh Anand (27 off 29) and Vivaan (19) put on 43 for the first wicket. Yashmit (12 not out) and Syed Arzan Wahab (5 not out) finished the chase with more than 12 overs to spare.
“It was challenging to bowl in the morning because of the dew, but the boys adapted to the conditions really well. Bowling them out for 77, including three brilliant run-outs, showed how good our fielding was throughout the innings. Our openers then gave us a solid start, and we chased the target down quickly. What made me happiest and most confident was how the boys played as a team. They supported each other and showed excellent attitude and discipline. It was a brilliant team performance and a great start to our ECB season.”
Coach Vivek
U15 Mavericks win by 4 wickets (Division B)
YSCA Super Strikers U15 82 all out (28.3 overs) · SPSA Mavericks U15 83/6 (22.2 overs)
2 October, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
The Mavericks got SPSA’s season under way on Friday evening with a real team bowling effort. Six of the seven bowlers took wickets. Player of the Match Humaid Imran Suriya led the way with 3 for 15, and Saiangsh Biswa Sarma (2 for 12) and Ayansh Sharma (2 for 13) chipped in.
The pressure came from tight bowling at the other end. Shayan Sehran conceded just 9 runs in 5 overs, with 26 dot balls out of 30, and Vidyuth Chakravarthy gave away only 7 in his 4 overs. Avyay Shah made two stumpings.
Samar Mahajan (22 off 25) gave the chase a quick start. When two wickets fell at 54, Swayam Gouda (14) and Ishaan Sethumadhvan (11) steadied things, and Ashar Khan (9 not out) saw the team home with almost eight overs to spare.
“It was the opening match of our U15 campaign, and the start was phenomenal. The boys showed great energy and commitment throughout, especially in the field, and the effort and intensity were excellent. Everyone stepped up and played their role. The pitch was very tricky to bat on, but our openers and middle order handled it well. I can see the maturity and the character coming through in this team.”
Coach Nihal
U18 Guardians lose by 39 runs (Division B)
MS YTCA Metro Ajman U18 235/5 (30 overs) · SPSA Guardians U18 196/5 (30 overs)
4 October, JMR Cricket Grounds, Bataya · Full scorecard
The Guardians chose to bowl and had Metro Ajman at 62/3 in the eighth over. Ishaan Sayal took 2 for 31, and Joel Hollings held four catches and took a wicket. But a 141-run fourth-wicket stand between Player of the Match Aarav Mimani (79 off 65) and Adit Agrawal (50 not out) set a big target.
The Guardians went after it. Aiden Coombes hit 34 off just 15 balls, Shastha Shinu made 32 and Armaan Sabharwal 24. Govind Jinesh Nair (44 not out) and Joel Hollings (31 not out) then added an unbeaten 77, and the team batted out the full 30 overs.
Scoring 196 in reply is a positive base for the Guardians to build on.
“There were some very good individual performances from Govind, Aiden, Shastha and Joel, and we showed real ability with the bat. But we didn’t turn our starts into the big partnerships or innings that win matches, and we gave away too many extras. There are many positives from our first U18 match, but the message is clear: better discipline, better strike rotation, fewer extras, and converting starts into big scores. We were 39 runs short today. Let’s learn from this and make sure we improve in the next one.”
Coach Nandhu
U15 Raiders lose by 9 wickets (Division C)
SPSA Raiders U15 50 all out (17.3 overs) · ECB Women’s U19 53/1 (6.2 overs)
3 October, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
The Raiders had a tough opening fixture against the ECB Women’s U19 side, an older team. After losing two early wickets, Dali Garrett batted patiently for 13, and Rayan Qureshi hit two fours in a quick 11 off 11 balls. Player of the Match Janani Thirukkumaran took 2 for 2 and then made 34 not out as the ECB side chased the target quickly.
Aariz Ali took the Raiders’ wicket, with a catch from Avyukt Girish. Games against stronger, older opposition are exactly the kind of experience that helps a young squad improve over a season.
“Credit to the ECB Women’s U19 team for the way they played. They were strong and confident, and everything they did was up to the mark. At the same time, I’m proud of the effort the Raiders boys put in.”
Coach Nihal
Coming up this weekend
Six SPSA teams are in action this weekend. Three of them play their first matches: our girls in the ECB Girls U15 Academy League, the Ajman U12s, and the Avengers, who are defending their Division A title.
| Date and time | Team | Opponent | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 9 Oct, 5:00 PM | SPSA Falcons (Girls U15) | Hidayat Cricket Academy | Girls U15 Academy League | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sat 10 Oct, 7:15 AM | SPSA Rangers U15 | Royal Spartans Team Red U15 | U15 Division B | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sat 10 Oct, 8:00 AM | SPSA Warriors U12 | Rays Cricket Academy U12 | U12 Division A | Vision Cricket Grounds |
| Sat 10 Oct, 4:30 PM | SPSA Avengers U12 | YSCA Super Strikers U12 | U12 Division A | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sun 11 Oct, 7:15 AM | SPSA Guardians U18 | Desert Cubs Eastern Eagles U18 | U18 Division B | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sun 11 Oct, 1:00 PM | SPSA Ajman U12 | SA Sports Club U12 | U12 Division B | DPS Sharjah |
Come along and support the teams. We’ll have the full Week 2 report here next week.