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By K.R. Nayar Sharjah.  The unstoppable Aftab Javed hit his fourth century in five matches to stop Consolidated Shipping Services (CSS) Group in the first semi-final of the 49th Bukhatir League, sponsored by Seven Districts, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, and carried Seven Districts Cricket Academy into the final. His unbeaten 109 off 93 balls, studded with 12 boundaries and four sixes, ensured a four-wicket win for Seven Districts over CSS with two overs to spare. Click cricketlovers.com for indepth coverage of the 49th Bukhatir League  Link to cricketlovers.com YouTube coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nwRNUk8LLI This historic feat by the 23-year-old batter, who has created a storm in UAE domestic cricket — having hit 120 against UAE Lexington Shotguns, an unbeaten 131 against Z Games Strikers, an unbeaten 106 against Gems Education Cricket Club, and now this 109 against CSS — has him hoping to notch up his fifth century in the final. Aftab Javed rec...

By K.R. Nayar Sharjah. Sagar Kalyan’s second consecutive unbeaten century helped GHK Properties snap table-topper Consolidated Shipping Services (CSS)'s winning streak and clinch the top position in Group A of the 49th Bukhatir League, sponsored by Seven Districts, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Click cricketlover.com for extensive coverage of the 49th Bukhatir League  Kalyan, who had hit an unbeaten 100 in GHK Properties’ six-wicket win over Macwise Titans in the previous match, extended his run spree with an unbeaten 146 off 115 balls, studded with 15 boundaries and four sixes. He, along with the experienced Yasir Khaleem — who scored a timely 61 off 64 balls with seven boundaries — chased down CSS Group’s total of 315 for 6 in 50 overs. Sagar Kalyan receives the Player of the Match award from match referee Tehseen Javed  So belligerent was Kalyan’s knock, and so dominating was the 99-run partnership with Yasir for the fourth wicket, that GHK reached the t...

By K.R. Nayar The 49th Bukhatir League witnessed a captain’s spell instead of the usual captain’s knock at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. Macwise Titans’ captain Sanchit Sharma produced a deadly spell of four wickets for 39 runs, backed by Angad Nehru (4 for 30), to bowl out defending champions Colatta Chocolates for a paltry 145 in 25 overs and win by five wickets. Click cricketlovers.com for indepth coverage of the 49th Bukhatir League  Colatta Chocolates would have been bowled out for an even smaller total but for one-drop experienced batter Vishnu Sukumaran, who hit 51 off 35 balls with six boundaries and three sixes. Link to cricketlovers.com You Tube coverage:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4scUNWY087c Tale of a captain’s spell Speaking about his Player of the Match award-winning performance, medium-pacer Sanchit Sharma — who has played in eleven One Day Internationals and five T20 Internationals for the UAE — said: “It is a nice feeling to produce such...

By K.R. Nayar Sharjah. Nasir Faraz steered Lexington Shotguns to a three-wicket win over UAE Development XI from the brink of defeat through a fighting unbeaten 112 in the 49th Bukhatir League, sponsored by Seven Districts, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Chasing Development XI’s challenging total of 245 in 50 overs, Lexington had slipped to 39 for 5 in 8.3 overs before Faraz, with a knock of 118 balls that included 11 boundaries and two sixes, and No.9 batter Mujahid Amin’s run-a-ball 48 with six boundaries, ensured a stunning victory. Wicketkeeper Ateeq Ur Rehman also chipped in with 29 runs in this exciting display of a fightback victory. Click cricketlovers.com for the extensive coverage of the 49th Bukhatir League  Development XI, made up of budding youngsters, did everything right until Faraz began to dominate and virtually snatched the match out of their grip. For Development XI, skipper Madhav Manoj Nair top-scored with 50 off 73 balls, including three bound...

By K.R. Nayar Sharjah. Run machine Aftab Javed hit his third century in four matches to ensure that Seven Districts Cricket Academy’s winning march in the 49th Bukhatir League continues unabated and secures a slot in the semifinals. Seven Districts, who are also the sponsors of this league, chased Gems Education Cricket Club’s impressive score of 339 for 9 in 50 overs to win by seven wickets in 47.4 overs. Click cricketlovers.com for indepth coverage of the 49th Bukhatir  League  The architects of this spectacular chase were Javed, who hit an unbeaten 106 off 67 balls with 14 boundaries and three sixes, and Muhammad Irfan, who scored 95 off 91 balls with three boundaries and six sixes. Irfan sparkled with the ball too, picking a crucial wicket. Javed and Irfan put on a 141-run partnership for the third wicket. This batting show is an announcement from Seven Districts that their batters can chase down any target. Aftab Javed receives the Player of the Match award from mat...

By K.R. Nayar Sharjah. Sagar Kalyan, well known for his tall scores in UAE’s domestic cricket, announced his return to form with an unbeaten 100 to steer GHK Properties to a six-wicket win over Macwise Titans in the 49th Bukhatir League, sponsored by Seven Districts, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Kalyan, who loves to go for his shots, hit his century off 74 balls, with 11 boundaries and four sixes. This helped GHK reach the target in just 23.5 overs. Click cricketlovers.com for extensive coverage of the 49th Bukhatir League  Macwise, electing to bat, could muster only 161 due to a deadly four-wicket spell from Rohan Mustafa. If not for No. 9 batter Saneen Latheef, who top-scored with 32 runs, Macwise would have been bowled out for less than 150. Link to cricketlovers.com youtube coverage:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4exv_hOCXs Sagar Kalyan receives the Player of the Match award from match refeee Tehseen Javed  Tale of Kalyan's unbeaten 100  K...

By K.R. Nayar   Dilip Doshi, who passed away on Monday, June 23, was not just one of India’s finest spinners but a cricketer with amazing qualities. I was fortunate to have interviewed him on a number of occasions over the years. Each of those conversations invariably turned into a discussion on what makes a good cricketer, rather than just an outstanding spinner.   My selfie with Dilip Doshi at Cricket Club of India (CCI) in September last year My last interaction with him was in September last year, at the Cricket Club of India, Mumbai during the launch of ‘Sunny G’, a book by Dubai-based businessman Shyam Bhatia. We were meeting after many years. Since I knew that he would always be well-dressed, I remarked that I had also dressed well that day — unlike earlier times, when I would usually be in a T-shirt. With a smile, he said, “I am happy to see that you are improving,” and broke into a hearty laugh. I took a selfie with him, little knowing that would be my last one ...