Abu Dhabi: Pankaj Samant, a Grade 11 student of Abu Dhabi Indian School, has become the first schoolboy to score a century in an Abu Dhabi Cricket Council-organised divisional open cricket tournament.
Samant, who turns 17 on December 30, slammed 128 to lead the Zayed Cricket Academy (ZCA) to a 36-run win over United CC in the ongoing UAE Exchange Trophy B Division tournament.
Samant and Bilal Passela of Cambridge High School also starred in a 165-run partnership, which was higher than their rival team's reply, who were 164 for nine chasing ZCA's 200.
Samant slammed 16 fours and three sixes in his 71-ball innings of 128, while the more patient Passela remained unbeaten on 37 as ZCA reached 200 for three in 20 overs.
Mohammad Tawfiq picked up all three ZCA wickets and then scored a solid 77 with three sixes and six fours, but his all-round display couldn't help United's cause. For ZCA, a team comprising mostly schoolboys, Jamal Suleman and Maninder Singh scalped three wickets each.
Strong partnership
"It feels great to score a century. I am happy with my batting and we had a strong opening wicket partnership along with Bilal," said Samant.
Samant had last year led the ADIS under-16 school team to victory in the inter-school championship and he has also played for the school's under-19 team.
Apart from the schoolboy's heroics, Hafiz Irfan stole the limelight elsewhere in the UAE Exchange Trophy with a century and a five-wicket haul.
Irfan took five wickets to help Abu Dhabi Airport Technology restrict Supreme CC to 128 and he then blasted a brilliant unbeaten century. Irfan belted seven sixes and 12 fours in his unbeaten 102 to help ADAT win by nine wickets.
Chatura Despriya once again starred for Colombo Lions with a three-wicket haul, followed by a quickfire 69 — 60 of those runs coming in the form of 12 fours and two sixes — to help his side beat Daiyan by nine wickets.
In the other matches, ADGAS, CCC and Darwish Bin Ahmad also won their respective matches.
scores
Zayed Cricket Academy (ZCA): 200 for 3 in 20 overs (Pankaj Samant 128, Bilal Passela 37 n.o, Mohammad Tawfiq 3-13) beat United CC: 164 for 9 in 20 overs (Mohammad Tawfiq 77, Mohammad Assad 26, Maninder Singh 3-24, Jamal Sulaiman 3-17). Man of match: Pankaj Samant;
Supreme CC: 128 all out (Hafiz Irfan 5-22) lost to Abu Dhabi Airport Technology (Adat): 133 for one (Hafiz Irfan 102 n.o.); Man of match: Hafiz Irfan;
Adma: 195 for 8 (Wasim Rashid 61, Rafiq Butt 53 n.o, Shahram Butt 41, Sohail Chatta 3-27, Mohammad Qasim 2-38) lost to Adgas: 196 for 4 (Abdullah Jan 90, Imran Ali 38, Nadeem Rahim 28 n.o, Shahram Butt 2-41).
Man of match: Abdullah Jan;
NPCC: 115 for 8 (Abdul Rauf 29, Ayoub Khan 26 n.o, Iqbal Khan 23, Hitesh Venkat 2-24) lost to CCC: 126 for 4 (Imtiyaz Afradi 33 n.o , Riyaz Khan 25).
Man of match: Imtiyaz Afradi;
Daiyan CC: 135 all out (Waqas Sarwar 36, Tayyab Rana 30 n.o, Chatura Despriya 3-24) lost to Colombo Lions: 136 for one (Chatura Despriya 69 n.o, Dilan George 56). Man of match: Chatura Despriya;
Darwish Bin Ahmad: 179 for 5 (Tousif Shah 35, Samiullah 44 n.o, Mazrouf Islam 27, Adil Hussain 27, Rahman Mohammad 2-22, Bilal Nagaria 2-37) beat Daman: 149 (Manwar Ali 27, Khurram Ahmad 39, Ehsan Ullah 4-16, Tousif Shah 2-23). Man of match: Ehsan Ullah.
