Ravichandran – Form player for Tigers

Sabaorish Ravichandran has displayed some ominous form of late, scoring runs almost at will, but his display this weekend was perhaps the best of the lot as the Tigers gave Sano CC a big shock.

The Tigers maestro scored 115, from just 82 deliveries, in a match where the next highest score, by either team, was just 19. He crashed eight sixes as he led Tigers to 203 all out from 37.3 overs.

In response Sano managed just 76 all out in a feeble 16.1 overs; Joe George, Ragesh Nair and Ashik Chowdury each grabbing three wickets, with Ravichandran collecting one just to round off his day.

As the Tigers celebrated a 127-run mauling to put them right in the frame for fourth spot, doubts must be cast over how Sano might perform in the Semi Finals.

Alpha Quashers of Yokohama are the nearest rivals for that last place in the semis, and a nervy win against basement dwellers Paddy Foley’s keeps their hopes alive.

AQCC – Team building at a local festival

AQCC had Krishna Yelesam to thank as his painstaking 31* from 89 deliveries anchored them to a three wicket win chasing just 120. He had Nikhil Chhajed to thank for a run-a-ball 24* at the end after all other partners succumbed in the chase, Muhammad Adeel picking up 4/21.

That Paddy’s even set that target was thanks to runaway leading run scorer in the JCL Prashant Kale, who finally registered a second half century of the season since Round One, having three times been out in the 40s.

The Chiba Sharks have certainly missed Kale’s batting this season, and their hopes for a semi seem over as they were smashed by nine wickets by MAX CC.

Three of the Sharks top four were dismissed for ducks, and the youth which gave them such energy last year is shown up as inexperience this time around as they clearly miss batters such as Bedingfield, Lollback and Kale. MAX dismissed them for 79, an improvement on their last outing, but never enough.

MAX – Easy win over Sharks

Kameeru Sankalpa was the pick of the bowlers with 4/17, Makoto Taniyama (3/21 plus a run out) also chipping in. In reply Chula Rodrigo hit a feisty 53* from just 34 balls as MAX romped home by nine wickets to all but secure themselves a place in the semis yet again, while the Sharks are left thinking hard about batting talent.

In the final match of the round it was another routine win for Wyverns making it four in a row, and for once they were indebted to some less heralded players. Career best half centuries from Tatsuki Takahashi (59 off 62) and Rinsei Sawada (69 off 46) propelled the league leaders to 218 all out against struggling Wombats.

In the second innings it was Masaru Shionoiri who grabbed a career best 5/29 from 8 overs, including a beauty to have Alex Patmore caught in the slips, and dismiss Wombats for 176 to give Wyverns the win by 42 runs to confirm their place in the last four.

The latest round of fixtures in the Japan Cricket League is perhaps most significant for a match that did not take place. Sano CC, league leaders and the only JCL team with a home ground, were unable to field a team for their only away fixture of the season against the Tokyo Wombats.

On current form, what would have been a banker for Sano has turned into a two point deduction for them, with Wombats taking all five points on offer. This result reignites the Wombats hope for a Semi-Final spot, while Sano face an anxious wait to find out if they will face further sanctions.

Tomoki Ota: Back in the runs

All of that meant that Wyverns had another chance to go top of the table if they defeated Paddy Foleys, who would return to the bottom if they lost. It was a chance that Wyverns gleefully accepted, thanks to a return to form for Tomoki Ota.

Ota anchored the innings with a mature 71, which almost doubled his run tally for the season, and was well supported down the order by another Japan stalwart Tatsuro Chino (18) who made a much anticipated return to Division One.

A score of 176 all out was no more than par, and with Prashant Kale in form it was obvious Paddy’s hopes depended on him. After Oshantha Nanayakkara (4/24) got amongst the top order, Kale stood alone and his 46 was the only real resistance as Bebe Miyaji (3/30) mopped up the tail with Wyverns taking all ten wickets for 139 to win by 37 runs.

Elsewhere MAX CC made sure that their place in the Top Four remained secure by sneaking passed their closest challengers, Tigers CC. Batting first and posting 192/8, thanks to a combative 54 from Sabaorish Ravichandran and 4/39 from Sujith Dharmasina.

Tigers would have been aware that a similar score was chased down with eight wickets in hand when these two teams met earlier this season, but in a sign of their marked improvement in recent weeks, MAX were pushed hard and only scraped over the line by two wickets this time.  

While Hanif Khan was blasting his way to 73 from 52 deliveries, including six maximums, Tigers would have feared the worst, but his dismissal brought about a collapse of five wickets for 27 runs and it was left to Talha Tanveer (19*) to edge MAX to victory.

Alpha Quashers have found life pretty tough in the JCL, with their batting often letting them down. Against Chiba Sharks however, they made sure they had a very small target to chase as Karthik Vellingiri (4/9) and Devendra Dhaka (3/4) bowled Sharks out for just 69 in 32 painstaking overs. Just two Sharks batsmen managed double figures in a low point of the season for them.

Quashers romped home with seven wickets and almost 24 overs to spare, Dhaka contributing again with 28*, to give AQCC a bonus point win which keeps alive their hopes of making the Semi-Finals.

*One Short would like to apologise for the last three reports all using Wyverns Team photos as the lead image. This is not through any bias, but because they are the only club who post useable pictures on their social networking sites where we can access them. 

Round Seven was severely curtailed to rain with the contests between Sharks and Tigers as well MAX and Wombats both being washed out and denying the sides down the table the opportunity to push themselves closer to the play off places.

There were no such struggles for the two leaders however, as Sano CC were able to complete wins in their Round Six and Seven matches since our last report which gives a commanding 14-point lead over fifth-placed Sharks and all but guarantees them a Semi-Final berth.

In their Round Six match vs Alpha Quashers the leaders looked in trouble as they fell to 105 all out in just 28.4 overs. Six different Quasher bowlers were in the wickets, Mohan Govindasamy (2/9) removing both openers to set the tone of the innings.

Yet Sano know how to win games this season and Uddika Pradeep (3/7) and Salman Khan (3/9) opened bowling and crushed Quashers hopes. All ten wickets fell for just 52 runs as Sano secured a 53-run win and earned themselves a bonus point in the process. 

Sano’s win in Round Seven was equally emphatic as Paddy Foley’s were brushed aside by six wickets. A battling 44 from Prashant Kale helped Paddy’s to 152 all out in the final over and put himself on top of the run-scoring charts for the season so far. Yet with confidence high in the Sano team another victory was comfortably achieved thanks to 48* from Pradeep, and another bonus point comfortably earned as the score was chased inside 20 overs.  

In the only other match of the round Wyverns continued their excellent form, Raheel Kano registering his best score of the season with a well manufactured 65 to help Wyverns post a total of 197 all out, boosted by a muscular 30 from 23 deliveries by Koji Iwasaki from number nine.

Batting continues to be a struggle for the Quashers however, and an excellent 57 from Narendar Madhavan went in vain as wickets constantly tumbled all around him. Takahiro Aoki was the Wyverns star with the ball, grabbing career best figures of 4/24 as AQCC went down for just 97 to give Wyverns the win by exactly 100 runs as well as a handy bonus point as they try to keep pace with Sano at the top.

A full complement of fixtures is scheduled for this weekend so here’s hoping the weather stays dry.

A quick glance at Division Two shows three teams currently joint top, with Paddy Foleys ahead on net run rate but having also played an extra game, while defending champions Tigers snap at their heels.

Also in the mix is the Sano 2nd XI who have taken the most wins with four from five and the other washed out while Chiba Sharks and Alpha Quashers are fighting it out for the other semi final spot, as they are in Division One.