Ganesh Century, Paradkar 5-for Power Blazers to Big Win
The East Bay Blazers stormed to a commanding 57-run victory over the San Diego Surf Riders in the West Division of the 2025 Minor League Cricket, played at Strikers Cricket Ground on August 29. A sensational century from Saideep Ganesh and a five-wicket haul by Abhishek Paradkar were the cornerstones of a dominant Blazers performance.
Winning the toss, East Bay chose to bat but were rocked early by quick wickets. Sujith Gowda, Hizbullah Durrani, and Sanjay Krishnamurthi departed cheaply, leaving the Blazers struggling at 26 for 3. However, from that point, the game turned dramatically. Saideep Ganesh launched a breathtaking counterattack, smashing 111 runs off just 53 deliveries. His innings was a mix of power and finesse, featuring ten fours and an astonishing ten sixes. Ganesh’s ability to maintain pressure on the bowlers swung the momentum firmly in East Bay’s favor.
He found excellent support in Abhishek Paradkar, who played a fluent knock of 47 from 31 balls, striking three boundaries and two sixes. Together, the duo added 103 runs for the fifth wicket in just 57 balls, lifting East Bay to a formidable total of 199 for 5 in their 20 overs.
For San Diego, the bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught, with only Sabrish Prasad, Sukhwant Sekhon, Supransh Kumar, and Abhinay Vanipally managing a wicket apiece. Despite some disciplined spells in patches, the Blazers’ firepower proved too much to handle.
Chasing 200 for victory, San Diego started positively through opener Abhinay Vanipally, but he was bowled for 10 by Krishnamurthi. The innings then hinged on a dazzling knock from Shehan Fernando, who blasted 79 off 45 balls with five fours and five sixes. Fernando’s brilliance kept the Surf Riders in contention, especially during his 78-run stand with Skanda Rohit Sharma (28).
However, once Fernando fell to Paradkar, San Diego’s chase collapsed spectacularly. From 100 for 2, they slumped to 142 all out in 19 overs. Paradkar was simply unplayable, finishing with extraordinary figures of 5 for 15 in his four overs, ripping through the middle and lower order. Krishnamurthi also chipped in with 3 for 20, providing crucial breakthroughs.
Ultimately, the Surf Riders fell 57 runs short as East Bay completed a comprehensive win. For his match-winning all-round display, Abhishek Paradkar was named Player of the Match.
