Dali Garrett took 4 for 40 for the U15 Raiders in Week 6 of the ECB Academy League, and wicketkeeper Vansh Sapru had a hand in four dismissals, three of them stumpings. Dunes Rising Stars still won by 87 runs on the DLS method, after the Raiders’ reply was cut to 20 overs.
It was a tough weekend overall. Six SPSA teams played between 6 and 8 November and none of them won, with the Avengers and Falcons both meeting unbeaten sides. There were bright spots, though. Vihaan Mahesh hit three sixes in 43 for the Avengers, Vidyuth Chakravarthy took 3 for 20 for the Mavericks, and Nuwaan Kewalia took two catches and ran out two batters for the Warriors. The U12 Ajman match against Zenith Falcons was postponed, and the U18 Guardians didn’t have a fixture.
Catch up on last week in the Week 5 roundup, and follow every SPSA team on our ECB Academy League page.
U15 Raiders lose by 87 runs on DLS (Division C)
Dunes Rising Stars U15 182/6 (30 overs) · SPSA Raiders U15 73/8 (20 overs, revised target 161)
7 November, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
Dunes Rising Stars chose to bat and put on 59 for the first wicket before Dali Garrett broke through. Dali went on to take four of the first five wickets, finishing with 4 for 40 from six overs, and wicketkeeper Vansh Sapru held a catch and made three stumpings. Vyom Dua added 2 for 16 from four overs, and Dunes were 122/6 in the 23rd over. But Almir Sheikh (31 not out off 23 balls) and Sri Hari Rajkumar (26 not out) added 60 unbroken for the seventh wicket to take them to 182/6.
The Raiders’ reply was cut to 20 overs, with a revised target of 161 under the DLS method. Player of the Match Anirudh Ravishankar took 4 for 9 from four overs, including a maiden and 19 dot balls, and the Raiders slipped to 39/6 in the 11th over. Captain Vansh top-scored with 15 off 27 balls, Rayan Qureshi made 10 off 12, and the Raiders finished on 73/8. They are sixth in Group A of U15 Division C, two points behind Dunes Rising Stars.
“We put up a fighting effort but unfortunately went down by the DLS method. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, the team showed some resistance with contributions from the batting lineup. Dali Garrett led the bowling attack with an impressive four-wicket haul, while Vyom Dua provided excellent support with two wickets. There are valuable lessons to take from this match. Keep working hard, improve in the upcoming games and come back stronger!”
Coach Subin
U15 Mavericks lose by 32 runs (Division B)
Desert Cubs Western Warriors U15 141 all out (30 overs) · SPSA Mavericks U15 109 all out (30 overs)
7 November, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
Vidyuth Chakravarthy took 3 for 20 from five overs, with 22 dot balls, and Humaid Imran Suriya took 3 for 32 as the Mavericks bowled Desert Cubs Western Warriors out in the final over. Ayansh Sharma bowled six overs for 22 runs, including a maiden, and held two catches, while captain Shayan Sehran gave away 21 from his five. Desert Cubs were 91/7 in the 22nd over before Rishith Ranka (29) and Krishay Seth (20) added 41 for the eighth wicket. Extras gave them 37 of their 141.
In reply, the Mavericks were 34/4 in the 11th over. Ashar Khan top-scored with 20 off 26 balls and Shayan made 15, but Player of the Match Krish Vemuri (2 for 14 from five overs, plus two catches) and Rishith (1 for 13 from five) kept the scoring tight. The Mavericks were all out for 109 off the last ball of the innings. They are fifth in Group A of U15 Division B with three wins from four.
“Despite the result, our boys showed fighting spirit and some encouraging individual performances. Ashar Khan showed positive intent with the bat, and there were positives in our bowling effort, particularly the performances of Vidyuth and Humaid. However, the extras we conceded, our fielding and our inability to build substantial batting partnerships made the difference. These are important learning areas for the team, and the focus now is on better game awareness, disciplined execution and stronger partnerships. Keep believing, Mavericks!”
Coach Nihal
U12 Warriors lose by 5 wickets (Division A)
SPSA Warriors U12 106/5 (25 overs) · Desert Cubs Western Warriors U12 107/5 (22.1 overs)
7 November, Deira International School, Festival City · Full scorecard
The Warriors chose to bat and lost Rajveer Singh Anand in the first over, but captain Vivaan Gupta (23 off 43 balls) and Nuwaan Kewalia (15 off 45) added 58 for the second wicket before Vivaan retired. Syed Arzan Wahab then hit a four and a six in 15 off 18 balls, and extras helped take the total to 106/5.
Gandharv Ghavnalkar struck twice early, with Nuwaan taking both catches, and Desert Cubs were 3/2 in the third over. Player of the Match Varun Manoj (21), who had earlier taken 1 for 10, and Shewon Dilux (21 off 52 balls) then added 57 for the third wicket. Nuwaan ran out both Varun and Zedan Razak, and Humayl Sehran bowled Shewon, but Desert Cubs got home with 17 balls to spare. Gandharv finished with 2 for 11 from three overs, including a maiden, and ten Warriors bowled.
“A great team effort, with plenty of positives to take away. Vivaan Gupta showed patience and responsibility at the crease, Nuwaan Kewalia played a valuable supporting innings, and Syed Arzan Wahab made a positive attacking contribution. Gandharv’s bowling was outstanding, and Humayl made a valuable contribution with the ball. Special appreciation to Nuwaan for his fielding contribution and commitment to the team, and a special mention for Aliyan Hussain for his fielding support, encouragement and team spirit, even though he wasn’t included in today’s playing 12.”
Coach Vivek
U12 Avengers lose by 7 wickets (Division A)
SPSA Avengers U12 148/6 (25 overs) · Royal Spartans Team Blue U12 153/3 (15.5 overs)
8 November, Cricxon Nass Stadium, Al Batayeh · Full scorecard
Vihaan Mahesh hit three sixes and two fours in 43 off 51 balls, sharing a second-wicket stand of 74 with Riyan Pandhare (18). The Avengers, who chose to bat, slipped from 91/1 to 98/4, but captain Anirudh Nikhil made 28 off 25 balls, with three fours and a six, and added 45 for the fifth wicket with Luke Mathew Collins (11) to lift the total to 148/6.
Royal Spartans needed only 15.5 overs. Player of the Match Brian Binsily hit seven fours and five sixes in 66 off 37 balls before retiring, and Muhammad Aariz (28 not out) and Muhammad Ukasha Usman (23 not out) finished the job. Aditya Gupta and Anirudh combined to run out Agastya Kumar. Royal Spartans stay second in Group B of U12 Division A with five wins from five, and the Avengers are fourth with three from five.
U15 Rangers lose by 7 wickets (Division B)
SPSA Rangers U15 66/9 (30 overs) · Victoria Warriors U15 68/3 (6.2 overs)
7 November, Rovers Ground, Al Batayeh · Full scorecard
The Rangers chose to bat and found runs hard to come by against a Victoria attack that bowled 147 dot balls in 30 overs. Player of the Match Aarav Shetty took 2 for 5 from five overs, with two maidens, and Samar Shah gave away just 8 from six. Neev Panandikar top-scored with 14 off 35 balls, and Tahir Arkate held the lower order together with 13 not out off 43 as the Rangers batted through their 30 overs for 66/9.
Victoria knocked off the target in 6.2 overs, with Alyan Tariq hitting six fours in 28 not out off 17 balls. Essa Tausif, captain Naksh Sanghavi and Tahir took a wicket each, Tahir’s with a stumping by Dhruv Laddha, and Tahir was the pick of the bowlers with 1 for 13 from two overs. The Rangers are sixth in Group B of U15 Division B with three wins from five.
“We came up against a disciplined attack. Tahir Arkate held the lower order together, and his all-round effort was the main positive for us. We will want to rotate the strike more and bowl fewer extras next time.”
Coach Nandhu
Girls U15 Falcons lose by 9 wickets
SPSA Falcons 46/6 (13.2 overs) · Royal Spartans Sports Academy 47/1 (5 overs)
6 November, MCC 2 Ajman · Full scorecard
The Falcons chose to bat against Royal Spartans Sports Academy, who are unbeaten in Group B. Captain Aarika Singh hit a four in her 9, but the Falcons went from 20/0 to 24/5 as Player of the Match Anahita Abhay (2 for 0 from two overs, both maidens) and Sanaya Abhay (2 for 2) took control. Sehajpreet Kaur made 6, Charvi Rai batted 20 balls for 2 not out, and the innings closed on 46 in the 14th over, with extras making up 28 of the runs.
Royal Spartans needed only five overs. Wicketkeeper Charvi stumped Rumaisa Razak off Mihika Hulle in the first over, but Aisha Shah (11 not out) and extras saw them home.
Coming up this weekend
Five SPSA teams are in action between 13 and 15 November. The Falcons meet Next Gen Academy, the only other Group B side still looking for a first win, and the Rangers face Danube Cricket Academy, second in their group. The U12 Ajman, U15 Mavericks and U15 Raiders don’t have a fixture, and new dates for the three postponed matches are still to be confirmed.
| Date and time | Team | Opponent | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 13 Nov, 1:00 PM | SPSA Falcons (Girls U15) | Next Gen Academy | Girls U15 League | Falcon Cricket Club |
| Sat 14 Nov, 10:00 AM | SPSA Rangers U15 | Danube Cricket Academy U15 | U15 Division B | DCS Stellar Ground, Al Batayeh |
| Sat 14 Nov, 10:45 AM | SPSA Warriors U12 | CORE MSYTCA U12 | U12 Division A | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sat 14 Nov, 2:45 PM | SPSA Avengers U12 | Ace Cricket School Stars U12 | U12 Division A | MCC 2 Ajman |
| Sun 15 Nov, 10:00 AM | SPSA Guardians U18 | RSR Rockets U18 | U18 Division B | BCC Queensland, 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 Warriors and Avengers both play at home at MCC 2 Ajman on Saturday, so come along and cheer them on. See you back here next week for the Week 7 roundup.