The largest upset from the 2023 season came from the winless Rising Stars defeating the top-of-the-table Tokyo Rangers.

In this David and Goliath matchup, the Rising Stars were not backing down, taking regular wickets from the very start. Opening bowler Arman Bhuiyan the pick of the bowlers taking an impressive four for 20. Only Mohammad Rana managed to score over 20 for the Rangers, scoring 46 as the Rising Stars bowled the Rangers out for 148 in the 33rd over.

Despite the low total, the Rangers left it all out on the field led by Habib Ahmed, taking four for 36. Rangers’ bowlers put their team in a huge position to win having the Rising Stars 119 for nine in an unlikely victory. But an incredible game-saving partnership from Md Shiful Islam (37*) and Hasnat Hossain Hridoy (14*) saved their team with a 35-run last-wicket stand. This one-wicket victory gave the Rising Stars their first win of the season and a big confidence boost for the rest of the season.  

Men In Blue’s economical bowling was the catalyst in their victory over the Wyverns in Round Seven.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, the Men in Blue succumbed to some great bowling early from Yusuke Wakuta (four for 25). The middle-lower order saved their innings with Sopan Shirdhonkar, high-scoring with 62 runs to lift their total to 198 for eight after 40.

Wyverns’ frontline batters; Wataru Miyacuchi and Shogo Kimura put on a 78-run opening stand at the 20-over halfway mark. The pair’s slow run-rate however came to bite them on the back side leaving a lot for the other batters to make up for. Although they were not taking wickets, the Men In Blue’s bowlers restricted the Wyverns’ batters. Wakuta just like in the first innings played a major role scoring 41* along with Oshantha Nanayakkara (38) but it was too little too late as the Men in Blue won by 21 runs.

Max versed the Chiba Sharks handing them their third loss in a row in a low-scoring affair.

It is always hard to score a big total when six of your players fall for ducks which is what happened for the Chiba Sharks in the first innings. Max’s opening bowling pair of Dinesh Sandaruwan and Bhanuka Ranathunga have been tearing through the competition thus far taking four wickets between. Max bowled the Sharks out in the 23rd over for a score of 67.

Max with a big bonus point chance wasted no finishing the game in a hurry. Chasing the total down in the 15th over, Max succumbed to a few hiccups along the way. Nonetheless, this completes Max’s third win in a row, winning with a big four-wicket bonus point win.

After a disappointing loss in the previous round, Sano came back with a win over the Tokyo Falcons.

In a reduced 30-over game, Sano batted first and started well through Kazumasa Hiratsuka (28) and Reo Sakurano-Thomas (73) putting on an 88-run second-wicket partnership. This set the platform for the rest of the team to contribute to a total of 181 for 9.

Needing just over a run and over, The Falcons chase started with promise, however, Shotarou Hiratsuka entered the attack in the 11th over and made an impact immediately. Hiratsuka got out the Falcons’ top four batters to give him figures of four for 15. From there, the rest of Sano’s bowlers followed, bowling out the side for 127 in the 25th over and winning by 54 runs.

Tokyo Wombats’ Archit Choudhury took six wickets in a phenomenal bowling performance to overcome the Paddy Foleys.

The Paddy Foleys did an excellent job in the first innings dismissing the Wombats’ top seven for single figures. At 65 for seven, the total was looking bleak but a nice eight-wicket partnership between Aiden Sarawan (16) and Kavin Jinasena (35) pushed their total to a defendable 121 before the Paddy Foleys bowled them out in the 33rd over.

Although defendable, Wombats’ bowlers have struggled this year but this was not the case in this game as Choudhary took charge taking six for 28 off just five overs. Tokyo Wombats’ incredible bowling performance led to bowling out the Paddy Foleys for a JCL season-low 43 including seven ducks, receiving a big bonus point 78-run win.

The Tigers have found their stride again, beating the Alpha Quashers as they have back-to-back bonus point wins.

On a dark rainy day, the Tigers made the most out of the difficult conditions bowling out the Alpha Quashers for 86 in 33 overs. Rohit Kesari scored half of the team’s total with 41 but the rest of the team fell to the Tigers’ destructive bowling pair of Sabaorish Ravichandran (four for 16) and Jijo George (three for 6). 

Tigers’ Anil Kumar (42*) and Ravichandran (22*) safely guided their team home after losing the openers cheaply. 12.1 overs is all it took to chase the Alpha Quashers’ total winning by eight wickets and taking home a bonus point