MSSA Girls U-16 Cricket: Tanisha, Aachal shine for Shardashram

Shardashram skipper Tanisha Gaikawad. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Thanks to quickfire half centuries by skipper Tanisha Gaikawad (78 not out off 45 balls) and Aachal Valanju (59 off 28 balls), Shardashram Vidyamandir (Dadar) beat St Francis Xavier School (Kanjurmarg) by 118 runs to storm into the semi-finals of the Mumbai Schools Sports Association-organised Late Manoramabai Apte U-16 girls' tournament at Islam Gymkhana yesterday.

It was a busy day for Aachal in particular. She arrived for this fixture after attending a Mumbai U-19 selection match in the morning at the Vengsarkar Cricket Academy in Mahul. That match was against Al-Barkaat MMI's (Kurla) U-14 boys' team. "I managed to score just 12 runs in the morning. Then, I had to rush here - it took me 45 minutes - and I reached after the match began," Aachal, 15, told mid-day yesterday.

The attacking right-handed batswoman, who returned to the city on Monday after representing the Mumbai U-23 team in a T20 tournament in Delhi and Jaipur, joined teammate Tanisha in the middle after the dismissal of Jetsun Chee (10).

She began attacking the opposition bowling straightaway, and stitched an aggressive 112-run second-wicket stand with Tanisha before being run out in the last over. Aachal smashed eight fours while Tanisha hit 11 as their team posted 164-2 in 15 overs. In reply, the St Francis Xavier girls managed just 46-8 off their 15 overs. The Shardashram girls will face RR Educational Trust School (Mulund) for a place in the final today. The Mulund side beat Swami Vivekanand International (Borivli) by 98 runs in the other semi-final yesterday.

Sanika Chalke (91) and Palak Dharmashi (51 not out) helped the Mulund outfit post a massive 174-2 in 15 overs. Then, right-arm pacer Palak (4-37) was the wrecker-in-chief as the Borivli side were restricted to just 76-4 in their 15 overs.

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