Shantilal Cup 2011, London, UK

Shantilal Cup – the National Bal Mandal 8-a-side indoor cricket tournament – was held on Saturday 3 December 2011 at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London. After the traditional opening ceremony with Thakorji and the deep pragatya, Yogvivek Swami offered words of encouragement for all the players.

The tournament was categorised into two age groups: 10- to 12-year-olds competing in the Shantilal Trophy, comprising of seven teams; and 13- to 14-year-olds playing in the Shantilal Cup, which included eight teams. The format of the tournament ensured that the best teams would progress to the latter stages of the competition while also ensuring all teams were able to play at least a few games.

With the top teams going through to the quarter-finals, there were some excellent matches on offer. All quarter-final matches produced the expected results with the four high-performing teams securing a place in the semi-finals. One of the favourites, South London, topped their group and amassed a match-winning total of 73 runs in the semi-final, aiming to win the Shantilal Trophy for a second time since its inception. In the Shantilal Cup semi-finals, Finchley narrowly beat East London A while Brent & Harrow A edged out West London to the other spot in the final.

The final of the Shantilal Trophy final was a repeat of 2009 with South London facing Sunday School, who defeated the reigning champions Brent & Harrow B in the semi- finals. A strong batting performance from South London, reaching 51 runs, made it difficult for Sunday School to win. Despite a brave comeback, Sunday School were unable to reach the target, crowning South London as the new Shantilal Trophy Champions and matching Brent & Harrow with two titles.

The Shantilal Cup final provided a start that any crowd would enjoy! Brent & Harrow A lost a wicket in their first ball. After a rollercoaster innings, Brent & Harrow A finished on a challenging 33 runs. Finchley entered the scene and had an immediate collapse, managing only 11 runs. Brent & Harrow A, who played well in the final, erupted as the last ball was bowled by Vikram Devda, the tournament’s best bowler, resulting in a well-deserved wicket sparking scenes of joyous celebrations. This win allowed Brent & Harrow A to claim a record of three titles out of four in the Shantilal Cup and a total of five titles out of eight across both competitions!

Over 2,000 runs were scored throughout the tournament thrilling all who had gathered for the event. In the concluding ceremony, the winning teams each received a trophy. Prizes were also awarded to the best individual performers who each received a trophy and special commemorative cap. The feedback from the balaks was very positive with many commending the great atmosphere generated by the spectators and the entertaining finals.

Ultimately, it was a highly competitive environment but the tournament was played in a manner of great amicable spirits among all, proving once again that children from across the country are able to successfully come together through sport.

A summary of the awards is as follows: