Dubai: The Indian High School launched their campaign in the inaugural ICC Academy School Invitational Tournament 2013 with an emphatic 140-run win over Our Own High School.

The opening round of the indoor cricket tournament unfolded at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City. Eight school teams are participating in the event. In other matches, GEMS Wellington School, Delhi Private School and Dubai International Academy also got off to winning starts.

Indian High School displayed their prowess in indoor cricket — scoring 96 runs before restricting Our Own High School to a total of minus 44.

The rules of the tournament are different and Indian High School adapted easily to the change.

The matches are being held in line with the standard ICC Academy indoor cricket regulations, with each match involving 12 overs per side. Each team starts matches with eight players, although up to 12 can be part of a nominated squad for the tournament. Players bat together in pairs for three overs each and five runs are deducted from a team’s score every time it loses a wicket.

The margin of defeat for Our Own High School was especially galling because they lost 22 wickets during the course of their innings. The quality of the Indian High School bowling was high, with Keith bagging seven wickets for minus 23 runs and Anirudh taking four wickets for minus 11 runs.

GEMS Wellington School posted the highest total in the opening-round matches. They put on 107 runs against Jumeirah English Speaking School. Aneesh topscored with 21, while Mohammad Shahdad hit 20, as did Shehram, and Sam Dorrel made 16, in a consistent batting display. Batting first, Jumeirah English Speaking School made 37 runs.

In the other matches, Dubai International Academy beat the Cambridge International School – Garhoud by 20 runs and Delhi Private School won by an identical margin against Dubai College.

The competition will see the preliminary matches played out and the finalists decided before December 16, with matches taking place every week on Sunday and Monday afternoons from 4.30pm to 7.30pm. The final will be held on December 17.