Sai, Akshansh help IRA Global register 342-run win

IRA Global School all-rounders Sai Kalan (left) and Akshansh Singh at Shivaji Park yesterday; Don Bosco Matunga’s Swanand Palav (left) and Vedang Kokate. Pics/Gordon D’Costa

All-rounders Sai Kalan and Akshansh Singh, both 15, exhibited their talent with bat and ball in great measure. Their combined effort helped IRA Global School (Dombivli) record a resounding 342-run win over Aditya Birla World Academy (Tardeo) in a first-round match of the Harris Shield inter-school cricket tournament at
Shivaji Park on Tuesday.

The tall, gangling Sai batted aggressively during his 85-ball innings of 194 runs, while Akshansh contributed a quick 22-ball 44 runs as IRA Global School posted a healthy total of 459-8 from their stipulated 45 overs. Despite the onslaught, the Aditya Birla bowlers, Anirudh Jatia (3-72) and Kiyan Vora (3-144) put up a brace fight and claimed three wickets each.

Later, medium pacer Akshansh (4-2-13-5) with his hostile pace broke the backbone of the Aditya Birla innings, dismissing five of the six top-order batsmen. Akshansh's teammate Shaurya Rane played a good supporting role with two wickets to bowl out the opposition for a paltry 112 in 28.5 overs. All-rounder Kiyan, who opened the innings, was the only batter to defy the rival attack and scored 71 runs from 65 balls.

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In another match, leg-spinner Vedang Kokate, 14, notched up the first hat-trick (7-0-18-5) of the tournament. He spun Don Bosco High School (Matunga) to a massive 315-run victory over Ryan International (Khargar) at the Young Maharashtra ground. Batting first, Don Bosco piled up a huge total of 372-4 from 45 overs. Swanand Palav top-scored with 88, while his teammates Dev Nafade (65), Rughved Lad (62) and Yash Jagtap (53) lifted the Don Bosco innings. In response, Ryan International batters struggled to negotiate the rival spinners and were bowled out for 57.

Akshansh and Swanand won the Man of the Match award in their respective matches and received a gift voucher of Rs 2000 each.