Cricketing lesson from Gems Education for UAE Development XI in Bukhatir League victory

By K.R. Nayar   

Sharjah. Gems Education Cricket Club’s win in the 49th Bukhatir League, sponsored by Seven Districts, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, was a lesson for the UAE Development XI on how to win a match. UAE Development XI, made up of budding cricketers, after being asked to bat first, could muster only 179 in 42 overs. Gems Education raced to victory in 30 overs to record a five-wicket win.

Muhammad Ali receives the Player of the Match award from match referee Tehseen Javed 

Pacer Muhammad Ali, producing excellent outswing deliveries, bagged three wickets for 25 runs and prevented Development XI from posting a challenging total. He was well backed by Maruf Bhabe (2 for 22) and Karan Saini Kohli (2 for 30). In fact, Development XI would have been bowled out for a smaller total but for left-handed Zainullah Khan’s brilliant knock of 75, which included four boundaries and two sixes, and No.9 batter Karan Dhiman’s unbeaten 31.

Gems Education’s top order struggled against the fine bowling from young and promising pacer Yug Sharma and slipped to 44 for 3, but Ahmad Ali, scoring 40 off 44 balls with one boundary and three sixes, along with Muhammad Salman—who cracked an unbeaten 55 off 33 balls with six boundaries and a six—scuttled Development XI’s hopes of a victory. Wicketkeeper-batter Sajid Iqbal also hit an unbeaten 29 to ensure victory with twenty overs to spare.

Muhammad Ali with the Player of the Match award. Click cricketlovers.com for extensive coverage of the 49th Bukhatir League 

It was an unusual start to the match, as Gems Education opening bowler Maruf Bhabe bowled three successive wides off the first three deliveries of the second over. Zainullah began his fine knock by scoring a boundary off Bhabe’s first delivery of the fourth over. With opener Ayaan Misbah, he put on 26 runs before Muhammad Ali had Misbah caught behind by wicketkeeper Sajid Iqbal for 12. Four runs later, Noorullah Ayoubi was clean bowled by Karan Saini Kohli for 1. Soon, Sawai Choudhry trapped Prithvi Madhu leg-before for a duck.

Three down for 31 runs by the 10th over, Rayan Khan provided support to Zainullah and took the score to 68. Faris Faisal had Khan caught by Ahmad Khalid for 15. Zainullah hit a six off Faris Faisal in the 20th over. Kohli struck again to trap skipper Madhav Manoj Nair leg-before for 11. Half the side were back in the pavilion for 95 runs.

Points table. Enlarge above to read.  

Zainullah reached his half-century in 73 balls, despite wickets falling at the other end. He hit a six and a boundary off Sawai Choudhry’s 30th over, but in the next over, Muhammad Ali had him caught behind by Sajid Iqbal for 75. In the same over, Ali picked his third wicket by clean bowling Saleh Amin for 5. Uddish Suri pushed the score to 160, scoring 15 runs, but fell caught behind off Rizwan Malik.

Karan Dhiman kept pushing the score and even hit Choudhry for a six. Maruf Bhabe struck twice in the 42nd over to remove Yug Sharma for 3 and Aliasgar Shums for a duck. Interestingly, both batters were caught by substitute Shan Salgadu. UAE Development XI’s innings thus folded up for 176. Five batters were out for single-digit scores.

Chasing the moderate target, Gems Education began on an aggressive note. Opener Usman Raja hit Karan Dhiman for a boundary and a six in the second over. Raja also hit Yug Sharma for a boundary, but the young pacer struck back to get him caught by Noorullah Ayoubi for 15. In the fourth over, Dhiman also had opener Rizwan Malik caught by Ayoubi for 8.

Sharma struck again to trap skipper Muhammad Anwar for 6, and Gems Education were struggling at 44 for 3 in seven overs. Deepak and Ahmad Khalid took the score to 65, but Uddish Suri clean bowled Deepak for 19. Instead of going for the kill, Development XI let the game slip out of their hands.

Khalid and Muhammad Salman quickly settled down and gradually accelerated the run flow. Khalid hit Suri for two sixes and a boundary in the 19th over, taking 17 runs off it. The pair took the score past 100. At 103, Nirvan Shetty got Khalid caught by Ayaan Misbah for 40. Salman, who had played second fiddle, soon took charge. He got good support from Sajid Iqbal.

Salman took on Yug Sharma in the 30th over and hit him for two boundaries and a six off the first three deliveries. He reached his half-century in 41 balls. Iqbal hit the last ball of that over for a six to win the match. The pair picked 21 runs off that over and put on an unconquered 76-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Brief scores:

Gems Education Cricket Club bt UAE Development XI by five wkts. UAE Development XI 176 in 42 overs. (Zainullah Khan 75, Karan Dhiman 31n.o, Muhammad Ali 3 for 25, Maruf Bhabe 2 for 22, Karan Saini Kohli 2 for 30) Gems Education Cricket Club 179 for 5 in 30 overs (Ahmad Khalid 40, Muhammad Salman 55n.o, Sajid Iqbal 29n.o, Yug Sharma 2 for 60)
Player of the Match: Muhammad Ali