Dubai. Natasha Michael, the winner of Asian Cricket Council’s best batswoman in the Asia Cup Under-19 tournament in 2010 and who had captained the UAE senior women’s team when she was only 13 years old in 2007 Asian Cricket Council’s women’s tournament, is back in UAE’s domestic cricket with a bang.
After being away in Bengaluru for higher studies, Natasha displayed her form by scoring a half century in the second Dubai Cricket Council’s Women’s Cricket League being played at The Sevens cricket ground in Dubai.
Natasha, representing Sharjah Cricket Academy, cracked 55 runs off 68 balls with eight boundaries in her team’s score of 108 for 4 in 25 overs. Her knock went in vain as G Force Cricket Academy’s Nisha Ali, by cracking an unbeaten 54 with eight boundaries and Priyanjali Jain chipping in with an unbeaten 23 runs, ensured their team secured an eight-wicket victory in 16 overs.
G Force Cricket Academy which started grooming women cricketers only recently proved that they are a formidable team by defeating Max Talent academy by eight wickets. Max Talent were bowled out for a paltry 36 all out in 12.3 overs and G Force raced to victory in 6.2 overs. Nisha Ali remained unbeaten with 20 runs in this match too.
Natasha, who took to cricket when women’s cricket wasn’t popular in UAE, is hoping to be among runs and wickets like she used to do while representing UAE before she left the country for higher studies. As a ten-year-old girl, Natasha used to play in boys’ tournament and produce creditable show which prompted UAE to make her the captain when the first women’s senior team was formed.
Speaking to Gulf News, Natasha said: “I am training now regularly and right now I am practising with the UAE women’s team at the ICC Cricket Academy for an oncoming international women’s cricket tournament to be held in the UAE soon.”
Natasha has been named vice captain of the UAE team for the international tournament. Before leaving the UAE in 2010, Natasha became the first recipient of the Shyam Bhatia award for the best batswoman cricketer for her many match winning knocks for UAE in Asian tournaments.
Brief scores:
G Force bt Sharjah Cricket Academy by eight wickets. Sharjah Cricket Academy 108 for 4 in 25 overs (Natasha Cheriath 55, Roopa Nagaraj 15; Namita D’Souza 1 for 12, Chaya Mughal 1 for 9, Nisha Ali 1 for 19, Chaturika Anand 1 for 23, Humer Khan 1 for 5) G Force 110 for 2 in 16 overs (Nisha Ali 54 n.o., Priyanjali Jain 23 n.o., Chaya Mughal 10, Roopa Nagaraj 1 for 12, Subha Srinivasan 1 for 16). Player of the match: Nisha Ali.
G Force bt Max Talent by 8 wickets. Max Talent 36 in 12.3 overs (Humera Khan 2 for 7, Shamila Chaturika 2 for 1, Namita D’Souza 1 for 4, Neha Sharma 1 for 4, Siddhi Pagarani 1 for 6) G Force 40 for 2 in 6.2 overs (Nisha Ali 20 n.o., N. Suchitra 2 for 22). Player of the match: Shamila Chaturika.
