Sharjah: Bukhatir League which is UAE’s oldest tournament staging its 42nd edition is known to produce thrilling matches. The best players from UAE and even abroad play in it and so it was no surprise that one of the early round matches itself produced an exciting contest.
In the clash of the two star-studded teams, Danube Lions recorded an exciting one-wicket win over Ibsons Group at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Everybody felt Ibsons Group’s total of 249 in 49.1 would be a winning total, but the Danube batsmen, obviously thought otherwise. They chased brilliantly and managed to win with one ball to spare.
Danube’s UAE star player Shaiman Anwar showed the way with 54 off 72 balls. Samiullah Younis completed the task with a unbeaten 92 off 91 deliveries studded with 11 boundaries and two sixes. The match also saw a superb bowling effort from Ibsons’ pacer Umaid Asif who took 6 for 41. He bagged two wickets in his very first over itself.
Ibsons posted such an impressive score due to their veteran batsman Baber Malek leading the way through a fine 47 from 61 deliveries with six boundaries and Faisal Ather scoring 81 off 78-balls with six boundaries and four sixes.
In another match, Multiplex International defeated Fly Emirates by 78 runs. The architect of Multiplex’s impressive score of 258 in 48.4 overs was Sapandeep Singh who hit 98 runs.
Singh then went on to sparkle with the ball too taking three for 20 with Asif Abbas taking 3 for 26 to restrict Fly Emirates to 180 in 39.1 overs. Veteran batsman Arshad Ali top-scored with 32 runs.
Brief scores:
Danube Lions bt Ibsons Group by 1 wicket. Ibsons Group: 249 all out in 49.1 over (Baber Malik 47, Waheed Ahmad 10, Omair Shaukat 16, Faisal Ather 81, Sajjad Ali 28, Fayyaz Ahmad 26, Umaid Asif 12 not out; Ali Afzal 4 for 46, Farhan Ahmad 3 for 39). Danube Lions: 252 for nine in 49.5 overs (Shaiman Anwar 54, Gulraiz Sadaf 17, Amir Hayat 32, Samiullah Younis 92 not out; Umaid Asif 6 for 41). Man of the match: Samiullah Younis.
Multiplex International bt Fly Emirates by 78 runs. Multiplex International: 258 all out in 48.4 overs (Sapandeep Singh 98, Haroon Ahmad 15, Imran Ali 16, Saad Naseem 38, Yasir Ali 53; Ahmad Nizam 5 for 80, Arshad Ali 3 for 45). Fly Emirates: 180 all out in 39.1 overs (Senthil Kumar 11, Saqar Pawar 24, Arshad Ali 32, Krishna Karate 24, Nigel Fernandes 11, Ahmad Nizam 29, Shareef Mohammad 22, Junaid Siddiqui 12; Asif Abbas 3 for 26, Sapandeep Singh 3 for 20).
Man of the match: Sapandeep Singh.
