The U12 Ajman team won their first match of the season in Week 5 of the ECB Academy League, beating Dunes Rising Stars by 9 runs on 31 October. Player of the Match Zorawar Singh Ahluwalia gave away just 5 runs in his four overs. Earlier that day at MCC 2 Ajman, the Avengers beat Dunes Warrior by 94 runs, their biggest win of the season.
Five SPSA teams played on 31 October and 1 November, and two of them won. Falcons captain Aarika Singh carried her bat for an unbeaten 50, the Falcons’ first fifty, and was named Player of the Match in a 35-run defeat to Zayed Cricket Academy. The Guardians and the Raiders lost to two of the strongest sides in their groups. The U15 Rangers’ and Mavericks’ matches were postponed, and the U12 Warriors didn’t have a fixture.
Numbers of the week
- 94: runs, the Avengers’ biggest winning margin of the season
- 74: dot balls bowled by the Avengers against Dunes Warrior
- 20: dot balls in Zorawar Singh Ahluwalia’s four overs, which cost just 5 runs
- 7: SPSA fifties in the league this season, after Aarika Singh’s unbeaten 50
Missed last week? Read the Week 4 roundup, and keep up with every SPSA team on our ECB Academy League page.
U12 Ajman win by 9 runs (Division B)
SPSA Ajman U12 143/5 (25 overs) · Dunes Rising Stars U12 134/8 (25 overs)
31 October, MCC 1 Ajman · Full scorecard
Put in to bat, Ajman lost captain Daksh Rajiv early, but Arjun Rishi Samavedam batted into the last over for 33 off 63 balls. Zorawar Singh Ahluwalia hit four fours in a brisk 22 off 22, and Krithik Arora finished unbeaten on 34 off 43 balls after adding 77 for the fourth wicket with Arjun Rishi. Extras helped lift the total to 143/5.
Dunes Rising Stars were 76/2 when Arjun Rishi ran out their top scorer, Niranjan Rajeev, for 27. Two more wickets fell at 93, and the chase never got going again. Player of the Match Zorawar bowled four overs for just 5 runs, with 20 dot balls, and took a caught-and-bowled and a wicket stumped by Arjun Rishi. Daksh gave away only 8 runs from his three overs, Ayaan Arora ran out Dhruv Joshi, and Reyansh Pandey and Karthik Krishna Mamidi took a wicket each. The win brings Ajman their first points in Group C of U12 Division B.
“What a fantastic team effort! Arjun Rishi Samavedam built a solid foundation, Zorawar Singh Ahluwalia made an important contribution, and Krithik Arora was top scorer with a valuable unbeaten knock. With the ball, Zorawar bowled an outstanding spell for the best figures of the match, backed up by Karthik Krishna Mamidi and Reyansh Pandey. Arjun Rishi’s great run out was a brilliant piece of fielding that made a big difference, and Ayaan Arora was our best fielder, with excellent effort and commitment on the field.”
Coach Vivek
U12 Avengers win by 94 runs (Division A)
SPSA Avengers U12 157/4 (25 overs) · Dunes Warrior U12 63 all out (19.1 overs)
31 October, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
The Avengers chose to bat, and Vihaan Mahesh got them going with 22 off 28 balls, including two sixes, in an opening stand of 50. Savya Dakhera made 36 off 48 balls before retiring, adding 56 for the second wicket with Ahan Moghe (29). Captain Anirudh Nikhil then finished unbeaten on 25 off 24 balls, and extras helped take the total to 157/4.
Dunes Warrior never recovered from 16/4 inside four overs, with two run-outs in the first three. Wicketkeeper Luke Mathew Collins was involved in both, and added a catch and a stumping. Yuven Mehta took 2 for 8 and Viraaj Singh 1 for 7 from three overs, and six of the seven bowlers took a wicket. Player of the Match Anirudh bowled just one over and took 2 for 1, and Dunes Warrior were all out for 63 in the 20th over. The Avengers are third in Group B of U12 Division A with three wins from four.
“It was a dominant team win. Savya anchored the innings, Anirudh finished strongly, and our attack was disciplined, with Viraaj especially miserly. Anirudh’s standout spell capped a fine all-round display.”
Coach Nandhu
Girls U15 Falcons lose by 35 runs
Zayed Cricket Academy 152/2 (20 overs) · SPSA Falcons 117/6 (20 overs)
31 October, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
Captain Aarika Singh carried her bat for 50 not out off 74 balls, with six fours, and was named Player of the Match. It was the Falcons’ first fifty of the season, beating her own 46 not out against Desert Cubs, and SPSA’s seventh in the league. The Falcons’ 117/6 was also their highest total so far.
Zayed chose to bat and made 152/2, with Sanvi Gejwal unbeaten on 46 and Gaveshnaa Rajane scoring 40 off 33 balls in a second-wicket stand of 84. Aashika Prakash bowled four tidy overs for 14 runs, with 14 dot balls, and Kavya Hulle (1 for 20) and Mihika Hulle (1 for 22) took the wickets. In reply, Aarika and Kavya added 50 for the third wicket, but Maham Naveed (3 for 25) and Anvi Galagali (2 for 12) kept Zayed in control.
“Aashika Prakash stood out with a superb spell. Aarika Singh played a brilliant captain’s knock, carrying her bat for an unbeaten 50 while most of the batting around her struggled, and the chase ultimately fell short despite Aarika’s fighting effort.”
Coach Nandhu
U18 Guardians lose by 8 wickets (Division B)
SPSA Guardians U18 138/7 (30 overs) · AR National Sports Academy U18 139/2 (22.3 overs)
1 November, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
The Guardians chose to bat and were 52/3 when Aiden Coombes and Alman Wajahat came together. They added 63 for the fourth wicket, with Aiden making 33 off 68 balls. Alman went on to an unbeaten 49 off 39 balls, with four fours and a six, finishing one run short of a fifty. Player of the Match Khubaib Siddiqui took 3 for 15 from six overs, and wicketkeeper Smayan Metla made three stumpings.
Sriraghava Ramu struck early, with Joel Hollings taking the catch, but Hasan Khuram (51 not out) and Akash Mane (61) then put on 117 for the second wicket. Joel bowled six overs for 17 runs, with 25 dot balls, and Ishaan Sayal gave away only 12 in his four overs. Evaristus Cutinho trapped Akash lbw, but AR National, second in Group C of U18 Division B, won with 7.3 overs to spare.
“The boys showed fighting spirit and valuable contributions throughout the innings. A tough result, but an important learning experience for our young Guardians. We will come back stronger, focusing on partnerships, strike rotation and bowling execution.”
Coach Nihal
U15 Raiders lose by 7 wickets (Division C)
SPSA Raiders U15 35/8 (9.4 overs) · Defenders Cricket Academy U15 36/3 (5 overs)
31 October, Vision Cricket Grounds · Full scorecard
The Raiders chose to bat against the unbeaten group leaders and ran into Player of the Match Raza Abbas, who took 4 for 9 from four overs, including a maiden and 20 dot balls. The Raiders were 5/3 inside four overs, and Rayan Qureshi top-scored with 13 off 14 balls as the innings closed on 35 in the 10th over.
Rayan then took 2 for 12 and ran out Ali Shanawar, but Defenders reached their target in five overs. They stay top of Group A of U15 Division C with five wins from five.
“It was a challenging outing for our boys. We struggled with the bat and couldn’t build partnerships or put enough runs on the board. However, every match is an opportunity to learn. We will work on our batting technique, shot selection, and confidence against the new ball. The focus will be on learning from our mistakes, improving our basics and coming back stronger in the next game.”
Coach Subin
Coming up this weekend
Seven SPSA teams are in action between 6 and 8 November, with the Rangers and Mavericks back after last weekend’s postponements. New dates for those two matches are still to be confirmed. The Avengers meet Royal Spartans Team Blue, unbeaten and second in their group, and the Raiders meet Dunes Rising Stars, level with them on 4 points. The U18 Guardians’ next match is on 15 November.
| Date and time | Team | Opponent | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 6 Nov, 5:00 PM | SPSA Falcons (Girls U15) | Royal Spartans Sports Academy | Girls U15 League | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sat 7 Nov, 9:30 AM | SPSA Ajman U12 | Zenith Falcons U12 | U12 Division B | Karwan Cricket Ground, Ajman |
| Sat 7 Nov, 10:45 AM | SPSA Mavericks U15 | Desert Cubs Western Warriors U15 | U15 Division B | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sat 7 Nov, 1:30 PM | SPSA Warriors U12 | Desert Cubs Western Warriors U12 | U12 Division A | Deira International School, Festival City |
| Sat 7 Nov, 2:00 PM | SPSA Rangers U15 | Victoria Warriors U15 | U15 Division B | Rovers Ground, Al Batayeh |
| Sat 7 Nov, 2:45 PM | SPSA Raiders U15 | Dunes Rising Stars U15 | U15 Division C | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sun 8 Nov, 11:00 AM | SPSA Avengers U12 | Royal Spartans Team Blue U12 | U12 Division A | Wicket Nation Cricket Ground, Al Batayeh |
Fixtures can change at short notice, sometimes just before the weekend. Tap a team name for its latest schedule on the ECB’s CricClubs site, and check with your coach before setting off.
The Falcons, Mavericks and Raiders all play at home at MCC 2 Ajman, so come along and cheer them on. See you back here next week for the Week 6 roundup.