Practice Match #2 — Challengers Beat Chahtham CC by 13 Runs at Thamesville

Second practice match of 2026 is in the books — and it's another win for the Challengers. We travelled to Thamesville Cricket Ground on Sunday to face Chahtham Cricket Club in a 20-over fixture and came home with a 13-run victory, defending a first-innings 177/6.

Match Summary

Toss: Challengers won the toss and elected to bat.

Challengers posted 177/6 in 20 overs, with Rajath Shetty setting the tempo at the top, Qaiser Mahmood anchoring through the middle, and a string of useful cameos through the lower order. Chahtham came out fast in reply but couldn't sustain it — Challengers' bowling unit kept chipping wickets in the powerplay and the middle overs to close out the chase at 164/6 in 20. Final margin: 13 runs.

Top Performers

How the Match Played Out

First innings. Rajath Shetty came out swinging at the top and put on the foundation Challengers needed — five fours and a six in a 24-ball 45 that gave the innings shape. Mohammed Saad (10 off 12) walked off to a Sujel delivery before Qaiser Mahmood took over the role of anchor, finishing unbeaten on 29 from 33. Siva chipped in with a quick 26 (16), and a tail of Shoeb Ahmad (13*), Farooq Choudhary (7*), Gokul Prakash (7), and Judin Thomas (6*) made sure the scoreboard kept ticking. 27 extras — 20 wides, 7 no-balls — pushed the total to 177/6.

Second innings. Anwar opened with intent for Chahtham — 44 off 34 with a couple of sixes — until Ankush Arora ran through the middle order with 3/23 in 3 overs, removing Anwar, Aleem, and Harshil to swing the match decisively. Sujel set the tone in the powerplay with a tight 1/8 from 2 overs (eight dots), Siva grabbed Amar courtesy a sharp Shoeb Ahmad catch, and Gokul Prakash dismissed the dangerous Amroz with Mohammed Saad taking the catch. Abhishek V's late blitz (27* off 13) brought Chahtham close, but the chase fell 13 short at 164/6.

Watch the Full Match

The full recording is up on the Challengers YouTube channel. Players, families, and anyone planning to face either side later in the season — feel free to dive in.

Members — Reflect While It's Fresh

Registered Challengers CC members can sign in to C3H and add a personal reflection card for this match. Whether you faced Aleem's line, fielded one of Ankush's overs, or sat in the dugout — write it down before the next practice and the system will surface patterns and recommend Batting / Bowling Principles to focus on next session.

👉 Watch the match on C3H Match Replays and click Reflect on this match to open your reflection journal.

Looking Ahead

Two practice wins, two match recordings, and a settled-looking squad heading into league play. LCL T30 opens May 10 vs London Predators at Northridge Cricket Ground; LPL T30 the same day vs Maple Tigers at Silverwoods. Weekly Wednesday training resumes May 13, 7:00 PM at Silverwoods.

Thank You

Thank you to Chahtham Cricket Club for the fixture and to everyone who made the trip to Thamesville — players, drivers, and families. Two practice matches in, and the standard for the season is set.

Challengers Cricket Club — London, Ontario's inclusive community cricket club. Registered Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporation #1746974-8. Follow us on @challengers.cc and subscribe on YouTube for match livestreams and highlights all season.