UAE domestic cricketers spark Friendship Cup win

Dubai: The UAE’s domestic cricketers stole the limelight as the Kerala Overseas Cricketers (KOC) team lifted the Friendship Cup with a 2-0 sweep over Kerala Young Veterans (KYV) team in the two-match series at the St Xavier’s College ground of the Kerala Cricket Association in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

Sajil Balan, who recently won the best batsman award in the Sharjah Cricket Council’s Al Dhaid Twenty20 tournament, carried his impressive form to topscore in both the matches with knocks of 65 and an unbeaten 41, respectively.

KOC posted 176 for six in 25 overs in the first match, riding on Balan’s knock, which came off 42 balls with five boundaries and three sixes. Batting first, KOC was given a good start by their skipper Usman Kutty (19) and his partner Rejee Mohan (17). One-down batsman Hanees Babu from Kuwait hit 23 runs, but KOC still slipped to 94 for four before Balan took charge and helped the team post a challenging total.

KYV started off well with N.P Sandeep scoring a breezy 32. In tandem with the former logistics manager of the Indian team, M.A. Sateesh (14), KOC put on 45 runs in just five overs before A. Manoj dismissed Sandeep while Usman Kutty trapped Sateesh leg before. Despite fighting efforts from Vinan G Nair (39), Chandrasekhar (33) and Sunil Oasis (22), KYV were restricted to 164 for seven. Balan then got into the act with the ball, taking three wickets for 24 runs.

In the second match, KOC’s top order collapsed with Krishna Prasad taking two wickets with just three runs on the board. A Manoj held on to hit 29 runs before Balan cracked an unbeaten 41 off 23 balls with two sixes and three boundaries. He was supported by Biju Thomas who hit 30 runs with three sixes that helped KOC post 151 for 6. KYV could have reached the target, but for Balaji Narayanan’s athletic performance in producing two runouts and getting rid of K.A. Sunil.

Speaking to Gulf News, Balan, the hero of KOC’s triumph, said: “It’s a wonderful feeling scoring for KOC as I felt that I am playing for Kerala state again. The title triumph has boosted the confidence of KOC team.”

The KOC team, who extended support to several social initiatives during the course of the series, which was marking its third edition, gave Rs200,000 (Dh10,800) to former Kerala player Chandra Sekhar’s mother who is battling cancer and Rs500,000 for Sarsas, a charitable society which has been supporting old age homes and critically ill needy patients.

An event held by the Kerala Cricket Association-backed KOC honoured Tinu Yohannan, the first player from Kerala to represent the Indian team, KCA curator Anoop Cholathkandy, besides players from Kerala who have put in notable performances — Rohan Kunjumal (Under-19), C.A. Amal (Under-16), Rohan Prem and Sandeep Warrier (IPL and Ranji Trophy) — in the presence of T.C. Mathew, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and president of KCA.