THUNDER BAY — A city team beat out five other Northern Ontario teams in a regional cricket tournament this weekend.
The Thunder Bay Kombans A captured the championship title on Sunday, June 29th, defeating the Sault Ste. Marie Cricket Club in a thrilling final at Chapples Park.
The team, led by captain Abhiram Giri, included players Sagar Raj, Ezaz Ahmed, Ashok Ramachandran, Belgin Baby, Abhijith Raman, Figin Filet, Athul Mathew, Karan Singh, Abhishek Kumari, Vishnu Mohan, and Akhil.
The tournament, known as the “Provincial Cup,” was organized by the Thunder Bay Cricket Club and featured teams from across Northern Ontario. Though not an official provincial event, the three-day competition brought together some of the region’s best cricket talent for an exciting showcase of the sport.
The decisive match, which began at 3:00 p.m., wrapped up a competitive three-day tournament featuring cricket teams from across Ontario.
"We had a great win in the first game but then suffered a heavy loss in the second," said Kombans captain Abhiram Giri. "That setback gave us the motivation to bounce back stronger for the third game. We knew we had to win that game with a high margin to qualify for the final."
And bounce back they did, the Kombans defeated the Timmins Tigers in a must-win third match, securing their place in the finals. Riding on momentum and grit, they went on to defeat Sault Ste. Marie in the championship match, capping off the tournament.
"It's magical. After three games, we had only a 20% chance of winning the tournament, and we turned that into 100%. That was the most highlighted thing for us," Giri reflected.
Throughout the tournament, Thunder Bay Kombans A delivered standout performances. Ashok Ramachandran emerged as a tournament star, earning both Best Batsman and Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours, with 259 runs and 160.87 strike rate. Vishnu Mohan was named Best Bowler for his performances across all matches, with 11 wickets and an economy of 8.46.
“We had phenomenal performances across the board, strong top-order and middle-order batting, amazing tail-enders, and brilliant bowlers, especially in the last two games,” added Giri.
Now in its third season, the Provincial Cricket Cup, was held from Friday, June 27th to Sunday, June 29th, and featured six competitive teams from across the province:
- Thunder Bay Kombans A (Tournament Champions)
- Thunder Bay Kombans B
- Timmins Tiger Cricket Club
- Thunder Bay Lions
- Sault Ste. Marie Cricket Club
- Punjab Kings
