Run machine Aftab Javed cracks third century in four matches as Seven Districts march unbeaten into semifinals

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.

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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 match referee Tehseen Javed 

Javed had hit back-to-back centuries, scoring 120 runs against UAE Lexington and an unbeaten 131 against Z Games Strikers. He may have scored a hat-trick of centuries but for being run out for 12 against UAE Development XI. This 23-year-old batter from Noorshah, a small town in the Sahiwal District of Pakistan, has now become the talk of the UAE’s domestic cricket circuit.

It was indeed a brilliant batting show from Gems Education after winning the toss. Muhammad Anwar top-scored with a breezy 83 off 55 balls with 10 boundaries and four sixes. Deepak missed his half-century by one run through a 54-ball knock with eight boundaries and one six. Ahmad Khalid hit 44 off 31 balls with two boundaries and four sixes. Muhammad Salman also chipped in with 40 off 35 balls with three boundaries and two sixes, and even the No.10 batter scored an unbeaten 27 off 20 balls with two boundaries and a six. Still, the total was not enough to snap Seven Districts’ winning run. It was Seven Districts’ opening partnership of 84 runs in 13.3 overs between Zainullah (70) and Ahmed Tariq (38) that set the stage for the winning chase.

Muhammad Irfan cracks 95 and bags a crucial wicket 

Gems Education’s innings start wasn’t impressive. Lahiru Sandaruwan removed both the openers. He first clean-bowled opener Rizwan Malik for 12 with the score on 23 and then had his partner Usman Raja caught by Tharindu Perera for 16 with the score on 45. By then, one-drop Muhammad Anwar had started to hit freely, even picking a boundary and a six off successive balls from Irfan. Anwar scored two successive boundaries off the first two deliveries from Ammar Patel and also hit the fourth ball for another boundary.

Deepak, who joined Anwar, played the second fiddle role as Anwar raced to his half-century in 42 balls. Soon, Deepak also hit Ibraheen Masood for a six. Gems Education went past the 150-run mark in 22 overs. Anwar and Deepak put on 116 runs for the third wicket when Irfan provided the breakthrough. He had Deepak caught behind by wicketkeeper Farman Ali for 49.

Points table: CSS is confirmed for the semifinal from Group A. From Group B Seven Districts and Z Games Strikers reach semis

In the 24th over, Anwar hit the first ball from Irfan Yousafzai for a boundary and also hit the fourth delivery for a six. He then hit the fifth ball for a boundary but fell to the last ball of that over, caught by Aftab Javed for 83. Next batter Ahmad Khalid took charge and hit Yousafzai for two sixes in the 26th over. The score went past the 200-run mark in the 28th over. Khalid hit another six off Tharindu Perera and two consecutive boundaries off Ibraheem Masood.

When Khalid looked set for his half-century, Aftab Javed struck and had him caught by Yousafzai for 44. Soon, Wahab Hassan clean-bowled Sajid Iqbal for 13. Next batter Muhammad Salman took up the challenge of maintaining the run flow. Though Gems lost Sawai Choudhary, caught by Aftab Javed off Ibraheem Masood for 4, Salman steered the total past the 250 mark. In the 40th over, Karan Saini Kohli hit Masood for two successive boundaries while Salman hit a six to take 16 runs off that over. Yousafzai struck again in the 44th over to end Salman’s knock, caught behind by Farman Ali for 40.

Shan Salgadu hit Lahiru for a boundary and six in the 45th over to take the total past the 300 mark. Yousafzai picked his third wicket by clean-bowling Kohli for 17. Salman remained unbeaten on 27 and Gems Education posted an impressive 339 for 9 in 50 overs.

Seven Districts’ chase began on a positive note. Opener Ahmed Tariq hit the first boundary of the innings. He also hit Muhammad Ali for a six in the third over. Zainullah started hitting from the fifth over, scoring two successive boundaries off Muhammad Ali. This was followed by him hitting Sawai Choudhary’s third ball of the sixth over for a boundary, and also the fifth and sixth deliveries for boundaries. The pair put on 84 runs when Kohli trapped Tariq leg-before for a run-a-ball 39, which included four boundaries and a six.

Irfan joined Zainullah, and runs began to flow quickly. Zainullah reached his half-century in 57 balls. Irfan smashed two consecutive sixes off Ahmad Khalid in the 20th over. Seven Districts went past the 150 mark in 25 overs. In the 26th over, Rizwan Malik got Zainullah out, caught by Ahmad Khalid for 70. His 78-ball knock included seven boundaries and a six. Zainullah and Irfan posted a 72-run partnership for the second wicket.

Gems Education skipper Sajid Iqbal with Seven Districts captain Farman Ali during the toss 

Aftab Javed began his knock by taking two boundaries off Faris Faisal in the first over that he faced. In the next over, he hit Muhammad Ali for two more boundaries. Irfan reached his half-century in 47 balls. When Javed hit Ali for a boundary and six, Seven Districts’ score went past the 200 mark in just 30 overs. So brisk was Aftab’s knock that he reached his half-century in 30 balls. It was Javed who took Seven Districts past the 250 mark with two successive boundaries off Faris Faisal.

Irfan was at his aggressive best in the 38th over from Shan Salgadu. He hit the first ball for a boundary and the second for a six. He also hit the fourth for another boundary. Rizwan Malik thwarted Irfan’s hopes of a century by having him caught by Muhammad Ali for 95. This also ended the 141-run partnership for the third wicket, which made sure that reaching the target was just a formality.

Javed reached his century in 66 balls and celebrated it with a six off Muhammad Ali. Syed Haider Shah ushered in the victory with two consecutive sixes off Rizwan Malik to remain unbeaten on 20. Javed returned to the pavilion clapped all the way for his third century.

Brief scores:
Seven Districts Cricket Club bt Gems Education Cricket Club by 7 wkts. Gems Education Cricket Club 339 for 9 in 50 overs (Muhammad Anwar 83, Deepak 49, Ahmad Khalid 44, Muhammad Salman 40, Shan Salgadu 27n.o, Lahiru Sandaruwan 2 for 43, Irfan Yousafzai 3 for 64) Seven Districts Cricket Academy 342 for 3 in 47.4 overs (Zainullah 70,  Ahmed Tariq 38, Muhammad Irfan 95,  Aftab Javed 106n.o, Syed Haider Shah 20n.o, Rizwan Malik 2 for 34)
Player of the Match: Aftab Javed