Dubai: UAE Under-16 players Ronak Panoly and Ali Sharafu displayed their huge potential through one of the biggest partnerships in first leg of the Emirates Cricket Board Under-17 inter-academy league. They registered an opening partnership of 236 runs to help Cricket School of Excellence (CSE) Cricket Academy post an whopping score of 283 in 30 overs against Ajman Cricket Academy to finish the tournament on a high.
Panoly cracked 133 runs with nine sixes while skipper Sharafu hit 88 runs. In May this year, Panoly had created history in UAE’s inter-school domestic cricket tournament by cracking 256 runs off just 72 balls for Gems Modern Academy against Millennium School, Dubai at the Skyline College ground. In April, Panoly and Vriitya Aravind had cracked centuries for Dubai Cricket Council (DCC) Under-16 team and were involved in a 200-run partnership in the UAE Under-16 Inter Emirates cricket tournament against Sharjah Cricket Council Under-16 team. In 2015, Panoly at the age of 12, had hit a century in just 43 balls in Maxtalent Global boys under-13 tournament.
Incidentally, Ireland all-rounder Kevin O’Brien whose name figures in Irish cricket history for his match winning century against England in 2011 World Cup in Bengaluru, had given invaluable tips to Panoly, Sharafu and Aravind when CSE had toured Ireland during September.
Speaking to Gulf News, Panoly said: “We had trained extremely hard for the last few months and were given game based scenarios at training and constantly reminded about our role in the team. I have been working a fair bit to develop new scoring shots and my technical game to minimise my mistakes of getting out. Sharafu is a great partner to have on the other and it is the support from our coaching staff that helped us create huge partnerships.”
CSE coach Obaid Hameed said: : “Panoly and Sharafu are exceptional young cricketers who have just recently been picked to represent UAE Under-16 in the Asia Cup and would be delighted to see them do well. We try and give them maximum exposure and we plan to give them exposure in New Zealand during our winter tour. Our academy has toured England, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Ireland and these tours are helping the boys.”
