Dubai: Ajman Cricket Council’s Mulk Holdings Twenty20 Cup tournament witnessed a shower of sixes at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Academy ground when Ibsons batsmen Habib Gazi and Shahzad Malek struck whirlwind centuries. They hit 14 sixes each and achieved the rare honour of scoring two centuries in a Twenty20 match.
Gazi scored 113 runs in just 31 balls with eight boundaries and 14 sixes while Malek’s 123 runs had 14 sixes and only five boundaries and came off 42 balls against Wings SRT, one of the strongest teams in UAE’s domestic cricket.
Thanks to their efforts, Ibsons posted a whopping 296 for five in the 20 overs and restricted Wings to 157 for nine and win by 139 runs.
Speaking to Gulf News, Kamal Hussain, the skipper of the Ibsons team, said: “It was an unbelievable partnership between Ghazi and Malek. The huge sixes they hit one after the other were a treat to watch. We were 21 for 3 in 5.1 overs when this pair walked in. They hit almost every ball out of the ground and we are all delighted to have watched such hard-hitting.”
This tournament has been producing some spectacular performances. In another match, Multiplex International’s Zeeshan Khan produced a splendid all-round performance to ensure his team a three-wicket win over Rufi Properties Farooq Cricket Club. Zeeshan bagged four wickets for 35 runs and then hit a quick 22 runs too.
The nail-biting finish in the GMW Royals team’s one-wicket win over Danube Lions was another special moment of the tournament.
Though Danube posted an impressive 178 for through UAE batsman Vikrant Shetty’s unbeaten 72, Royals reached the target with just one ball to spare. Mohammad Mubashir was the star performer for Royals — taking three wickets for 25 runs and hitting an invaluable 32 runs.
Seven Seas Strikers produced a spectacular run chase to register a seven-wicket win over One Stop Tourism.
Despite One Stop Tourism posting 212 for four in 20 overs, Seven Seas reached the target — thanks to Qadir Nawaz’s 69 and Salman Randawa’s unconquered 54 off just 19 balls with six sixes and three boundaries.