Dubai: Former England star batsman Kevin Pietersen was at hand to watch National Trading and Developing Establishment (NTDE) lift the inaugural Al Nabooda Insurance Brokers (ANIB) Trophy after defeating Star Line by four wickets with one ball to spare.
In the final played at the Fairground Oval in Dubai Men’s College, NTDE won the toss and decided to field. In their allotted 20 overs, Stars Line made 167 for nine, in which Sangeeth Joseph top-scored with 48 runs off 26 balls that included one boundary and five sixes. Hatif Ali chipped in with 38 runs off 21 balls that included three fours and three sixes.
NTDE’s Mohammad Fazil picked three wickets for 17 runs from his four overs while Mohammad Sihan too picked three runs for 32 runs from four overs.
Chasing the target, Jouhar Hussain made 64 runs off 40 balls, studded with four boundaries and three sixes.
Mohammad Asghar hit a breezy 32 off 19 balls, with one four and three sixes to win with one ball to spare.
Stars Line Ubaidah’s picked three runs for 30 runs while Sangeeth Joseph took two wickets for 33 runs in three overs.
Before the final, Pietersen played in a 10-over exhibition match between the Kevin Pietersen XI and the ANIB XI, and cracked a breezy 68 with seven sixes and three fours to entertain the finalists.
The former England batsman, who looked fighting fit, urged players to do cardio workouts regularly to become good cricketers.
“I don’t do much weightlifting because when I did, I looked a bit bulky,” Pietersen said. “I work out for nearly an hour on my exercise bike.”
Ubaidah of Stars Line won the best batsman award while the Best Bowler award went to Mohammad Sihan of NTDE.
Junaid Seddiqi of Total Solutions named Best Fielder while veteran player Akbar Rana of ENBD took the Man of the Series award. Yasir Kaleem of Red Flower Tourism won the Best Wicketkeeper award.
