Dubai: Hosts Mavericks Cricket Club stopped National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) by 45 runs to lift the Mavericks Friendly League Trophy. The tournament, which is held in collaboration with the Dubai Cricket Council, produced keen contests at the Sevens ground.
Chasing a run rate of seven runs an over wasn’t easy for NBF after Mavericks had posted 175 for 5 in 25 overs. In fact, NBF had won the toss and elected to field hoping to use the early morning dew to wreck Mavericks’ innings. Muhammad Junaid upset NBF plans through a fine knock of 77 runs with eleven boundaries while Khurram Shahzad remained unbeaten on 41.
NBF could not maintain the run rate, losing wickets at regularly intervals. Sudhir Vavilla and Waqar Tariq took two wickets each to restrict NBF to 130 for 9 in the 25 overs. Junaid won the man of the final award. Shahzad was the architect of Mavericks’ consistent show in this tournament as he scored a total of 326 runs at an average of 81.5 with three fifties and one century and was rightly adjudged the best batsman. Farukkh Qadri of NBF bagged the best bowler award with nine wickets.
In the Ramada Gulf Cup T20 Cricket tournament, which took off at the newly inaugurated Young Talent Cricket Academy (YTCA) Durham Cricket Academy in Ajman, all-rounder Jay Joshi produced a match winning performance to power Amity University to a 63 runs victory over Skyline University.
Joshi has been in brilliant form in recent intercollegiate tournaments too. Batting first, Amity piled up 206 runs for five wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Joshi top scored with 59 off 31 balls with five boundaries and two sixes. Sumit Dahiya chipped in with 39 runs from 25 balls with four boundaries and a six. Amjad Afridi chipped in with 24 runs, while Kunal hit an unbeaten 39 off just 19 balls. Skyline, in reply, could muster only 143 for 9. Joshi sparkled with the ball too and picked two wickets for 19 runs. In the under 11 matches of the same tournament, YTCA defeated Stallion CA Qatar by 51 runs in the under-11 category.
In Umm Al Quwain, the inaugural Mushtaq Premier League night tournament saw many breezy knocks being played by hard-hitting batsmen. Ahsanullah cracked a 50-ball century to guide Malik Contracting LLC to a comfortable 78-run victory over Premium Aces. His knock of 103 had five sixes and six boundaries. He was supported by Bakhtiyar Khan who smashed a 40-ball 60 in which he scored 10 fours and a six.
Another breezy knock came from Salman Babar, who hit a 35-ball 60 runs as Singh Diesel scored a 16-run victory over Thrissur Tigers. Al Futtaim Motors Toyota scored a convincing 101-run victory over Memon CC also through a whirlwind knock from Shamsher Khan who hit a 46-ball 81 runs, consisting of six boundaries and as many sixes. Man of the match Krishna Chandran chipped in with a 26-ball 57 as Fanatics CC sealed a superb eight-wicket victory over Eids CC.
