Our Souq Cricket Club and CSS Group off to an impressive start in the 34th Sharjah Ramadan Cup T20 tournament

By K.R. Nayar

Our Souq Cricket Club recorded a 41 runs win over Arqam Cricket Club riding on Saad Refai’s unbeaten knock of 90 runs off 55 balls with five boundaries and five sixes. His knock helped Our Souq Cricket Club post 220 for 2 in the opening match of the 34th Sharjah Ramadan Cup T20 tournament at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.  Our Souq Cricket Club then restricted Arqam Cricket Club to 179 for 7 and won the match. Sixteen top teams divided into four groups are contesting in this tournament.

 

In the second match, CSS Group outplayed Kabul Zalmi by 72 runs. CSS Group, after posting 155 for 7 through Jishnu Sunil Kumar’s knock of 52, bowled out Kabul Zalmi for 83 with Farzeen Ahmed and Vimalnadh bagging three wickets each.

 

Saad Refai’s unbeaten 90 in opening match

 

Arqam Cricket Club won the toss and elected to field. Our Souq Cricket Club openers Saad Refai and Faisur Rahman provided a brilliant start putting on 116 runs in 13.4 overs. This partnership ended when Faisur Rahman got caught behind by wicketkeeper Rehan Rashid Nurie off Lucky for 58. His knock off 42 balls had six boundaries and one six. The run flow continued with Muhammad Arif providing support to Saad Refai who scored freely.

 

At the score of 156, Muhammad Arif got run out for 14. He had added 40 runs for the second wicket with Refai. Ravindu Rathnayake helped build up the total through an unbeaten 45 and an unbeaten 64 runs partnership for the third wicket. Saad Refail remained unbeaten on 90 while Ravindu Rathnayake remained unconquered on 45 off 16 balls with three boundaries and four sixes to ensure a total of 220 for 2 in 20 overs.

Chasing the target, Arqam Cricket Club lost their opener Abdullah Ghazi at the score of 20 to Vimukth for 6. One-drop and captain Jaffer Naqvi with opener Muhammad Hilal added 48 runs for the second wicket before Naqvi got clean bowled to Pubudu Chaturanga for 15. At the score of 89, Muhammad Hilal got run out for 49. His knock off 29 balls had six boundaries and two sixes. Muhammad Tamim with Anwar Ayub took the score past the 100-run mark but at the score on 107, Tamim got clean bowled to Hirantha Baddage for 10. Baddage also clean bowled Anwar Ayub for 28.

 

The chase became tougher when next man Tahir Ali too got clean bowled to Baddage for a duck. Karan Menon and Rehan Rashid Nurie pushed the score to 167 when Menon got out to Fadi Jaffer for 29. Rehan Rashid Nurie remained unbeaten on 15 but Arqam Cricket Club could muster only 179 for 7 in 20 overs and lost the match by 41 runs.

 

Brief scores:
Our Souq Cricket Club bt Arqam Cricket Club by 41 runs. Our Souq Cricket Club 220 for 2 in 20 overs (Saad Refai 90n.o,  Faisur Rahman 58, Ravindu Rathnayake 45n.o) Arqam Cricket Club 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Muhammad Hilal 49, Anwar Ayub 28, Karan Menon 29, Hirantha Baddage 3 for 16) 
Player of the Match: Saad Refai

 

Farzeen Ahmed and Vimalnadh wreck Kabul Zalmi

 

In the second match, CSS Group won the toss and elected to bat against Kabul Zalmi. Opener Abhinand Maladath got caught behind by wicketkeeper Masood Gurbaz off Abdulhaq for 16 at the score of 27. Opener Zohaib and one-drop Fazal Oasis took the score to 58 before Zohaib got out to Abdul Latif Ayobi for 22. At the same score, Abhiram Hrithwik got out to Abdul Latif Ayobi for a duck.

 

Fazal Oasis, who kept the scoreboard moving, fell to Riaz Khaliq Kaku for 17 at the score of 76. Vishnuraj steered the score past the 100 run mark along with Jishnu Sunil Kumar. At 113, Vishnuraj got out to Niaz Khan for 28. Niaz Khan also removed Vimalnadh for 4. Jishnu Sunil Kumar ensured a total of 155 for 7 before getting out to Wasim Akram for 52. His knock off 27 balls had seven boundaries and a six.

 

Kabul Zalmi began their chase putting on 21 in the first two overs before opener Rafeeq Zaman got out to Farzeen Ahmed for 2. Three runs later, one-drop Zainullah got out to Farzeen Ahmed for 1. Two wickets fell at the score of 26 when Masood Gurbaz got out to Vimalnadh for 20 and Khan Yasir was caught and bowled by Farzeen Ahmed for a duck.

 

When Abdullah Khan got bowled by Vishnuraj for 14, half the side was out for 43. Then wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Niaz Khan got run out for 9 and Abdulhaq followed becoming another Vimalnadh victim. Vimalnadh went on to remove Saifullah Noor by trapping him leg before for a duck. Skipper Abdul Latif Ayobi too got clean bowled to Krishna for 12. The last man to fall was Riaz Khaliq Kaku, clean bowled by Krishna for 4 and Kabul Zalmi was finally bowled out for 83 in 17 overs. 

Brief scores:
CSS Group bt Kabul Zalmi by 72 runs. CSS Group 155 for 7 in 20 overs (Zohaib 22, Vishnuraj 28, Jishnu Sunil Kumar 52, Abdul Latif Ayobi 2 for 42, Niaz Khan 2 for 13) Kabul Zalmi 83 in 17 overs (Masood Gurbaz 20, Farzeen Ahmed 3 for 11, Vimalnadh 3 for 8, Krishna 2 for 14) 
Player of the Match: Farzeen Ahmed