Mayank Choudhary plots GHK Properties' stunning six-run win over Colatta Chocolates

By K.R. Nayar

Sharjah. Mayank Choudhary, hailing from Haryana, the birthplace of the legendary Kapil Dev, plotted an exciting six-run win for GHK Properties over Colatta Chocolates in the 49th Bukhatir League at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. Choudhary produced a splendid all-round show, scoring 48 runs and bagging three wickets for just two runs during the tense moments of the game.

Mayank Choudhary receives the Player of the Match award from match referee Tehseen Javed 

Twenty-eight-year-old Choudhary’s performance rendered the in-form Chocolates batter Sohaib Khan’s 91 runs in vain. Sharjah Stadium, known for its thrilling matches, added one more to its list. Chocolates, needing just nine runs to win with three wickets in hand in 46.1 overs, slipped to a bitter defeat, with Choudhary taking all three wickets in a flash. It was a creditable show from GHK, who could post only 287 after electing to bat, yet managed to restrict the strong Chocolates batting line-up.

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

GHK’s innings began with skipper Humaj Gondal scoring a boundary off the fifth ball of the first over from Akshay Puthanveetil. Opener Rohan Mustafa also struck a boundary off the same bowler in the third over, and slowly both batters began to pick boundaries. They put on a 54-run partnership when Junaid Shamsu got Mustafa caught by Israr Ahmad for 24 in the eighth over.

One-drop Yasir fell to Junaid Siddique in the next over, caught by Akshay. In the 12th over, Gondal, who was stroking well to score 32 runs off 38 balls with six boundaries, got trapped leg-before by Sreenath K. Three down for 68 in 11.5 overs, GHK needed a strong partnership.

GHK Properties skipper Humaj Gondal with Colatta Chocolates' Sohaib Khan

Mayank Choudhary joined Sagar Kalyan, who was scoring freely. In the 20th over, Kalyan hit Akshay for three consecutive boundaries. Syam Remesh put an end to Kalyan’s knock by having him caught by Sohaib Khan for 37. His 30-ball knock included six boundaries. Choudhary and Kalyan had put on 53 runs for the fourth wicket. Harshit Kaushik joined Choudhary and swelled the total. Choudhary hit Mohammad Rizwan for a six and a boundary off successive balls in the 24th over.

Choudhary’s knock ended in the 29th over when Junaid Siddique had him caught behind by wicketkeeper Zain for 48. His 51-ball knock had five boundaries and a six. He had put on 45 runs for the fifth wicket with Kaushik. In the 36th over, Kaushik hit Sreenath for two sixes, but in the same over Mohit Kalyan fell, caught by Sohaib Khan for 19. The Kalyan-Kaushik partnership for the sixth wicket also produced 49 runs.

Kaushik reached his half-century in 53 balls, but Shamsu struck again to get Shahbaz Ali caught behind by Zain for 5. Kaushik was at his aggressive best in the 44th over, hitting Junaid Siddique for three consecutive boundaries. Rizwan Sabir ended Kaushik’s knock of 75 in the 45th over, caught by Akshay. His 72-ball knock had nine boundaries and a six. This ended GHK’s hopes of a total over 300.

Chasing the gettable target, Junaid Shamsu hit Shahbaz Ali for two successive boundaries in the second over. He also struck Ali for a six in the fourth over. The first to go was opener Shakkeer Hydru, caught by Mustafa off Ali for 7. This ended the 31-run opening partnership. Ali struck again to remove one-drop Israr Ahmad, caught behind by wicketkeeper Yasir for 5.

Hafeez ur Rehman took the valuable wicket of Shamsu when he was just two runs short of his half-century. Shamsu was caught by Kalyan, ending a 45-ball knock that had seven boundaries and a six. The experienced Nikhil Srinivasan went for his strokes alongside Shoaib Khan, who continued his fine form in this league. Nikhil hit Rehman for a six to catch up with Khan’s score of 33. At this stage, Umair Ali had Nikhil caught by Mohit Kalyan. His 29-ball knock had three boundaries and a six. He had put on 57 runs for the fourth wicket.

Harshit Kaushik.. top score for GHK with a valuable 79 runs 

Wasim Akram had Akshay caught behind by Yasir for a duck. Akram also got Zain, caught off Umair Ali for 10. Despite the fall of wickets, Sohaib reached his half-century in 69 balls. Sreenath, who joined Khan, began to hit freely and lit up hopes of victory. Akram struck a vital blow in the 43rd over by having Khan caught behind by Yasir for 91. His 102-ball knock had six boundaries and two sixes. He had put on 106 runs for the seventh wicket. Syam Remesh then hit Akram for two successive boundaries in the 45th over.

Sohaib Khan... another fine knock but goes in vain

Then came the 47th over from Choudhary that changed the fate of the match. He clean bowled Remesh for 15 with the first ball, then had Rizwan Sabir caught by Mustafa for 1 with the fourth ball, and also dismissed Siddique, caught by Mustafa with the fifth ball, to pull off an exciting win. Sreenath remained unbeaten on 53 off 47 balls with eight boundaries, while GHK players celebrated their stunning win.

Brief scores:
GHK Properties bt Colatta Chocolates by six runs. GHK Properties 287 in 46.5 overs (Rohan Mustafa 24, Humaj Gondal 32, Sagar Kalyan 37, Mayank Choudhary 48, Harshit Kaushik 79, Umair Ali 23, Junaid Siddique 2 for 44, Sreenath 2 for 32, Mohammed Rizwan Sabir 2 for 67) Colatta Chocolates 281 in 46.5 overs (Junaid Shamsu 48, Sohaib Khan 91, Nikhil Srinivasan 33, Sreenath 53n.o, Wasim Akram 2 for 54, Shahbaz Ali 2 for 62, Umair Ali 2 for 42, Mayank Choudhary 3 for 2)
Player of the Match: Mayank Choudhary