Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat: Assarain inched closer to another coveted crown with an emphatic eight-wicket victory against Passage to India (PTI) in a Muscat Pharmacy-sponsored Premier Division game at Ministry of Sports Affairs Ground I in Al Amerat on Friday.
Assarain now established a clear lead at the top of the team standings with 27 points from eigth games followed by Muscat CT in the second spot and Enhance third.
The low-scoring contest was not without drama now associated with all Premier Division games this season. Throw in a hat-trick, a few spectacular catches, shades of strokeplay spectators come to watch and here it was, a typical Assarain-style victory that happens quicker than planned on their day.
Opting to bowl first, Assarain put PTI in deep trouble, reducing it to 47 for five by the 13th over. Recovery was almost ruled out when opener Arbaz Qureshi was run out after scoring a fighting 58 off 85 balls in the 26th over. With Assarain tails up, PTI’s resistance didn’t last long as they folded up for a meagre 126 in the 38th over. Jaymin Taylor was the other notable scorer with 21 off 42 balls.
Sindo Michael led the bowling honours, claiming three wickets off three successive balls to register a hat-trick. Zeeshan Maqsood and Shahan Akram were brilliant with the ball, bagging two wickets each.
Facing a small total, Assarain overhauled the target quickly, scoring 129 for two in the 24th over. Opener Sami Ur Rehman scored a solid 55 off 63 balls while Arun Poulose and Shahan Akram contributed 32 and 30 respectively. Gustav Berger, who had held some brilliant catches, remained unbeaten on 11 off five.
Brief scores: PTI 126 all out in 37.3 overs (Arbaz Qureshi 58, Jaymin Taylor 21; Sindo Michael 3/26, Zeeshan Maqsood 2/8, Shahan Akram 2/17) lost to Assarain 129 for 2 in 23.1 overs (Sami-ur Rehman 55, Arun Poulose 32, Shahan Akram 30).
Omkar lifts Eagles
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A dazzling all-round show by Omkar Pramod Ozardek led MDC Enhance Eagles to an exciting four-wicket win over IT Works in a Khimji Ramdas-sponsored 50-over A Division match at MOS Ground II.
Asked to bat first, IT Works suffered early setbacks and could never really recover from being five down at 105 and were bundled out for a paltry 135 in the 40th over. Waseem Akhtar (27 off 44) and Shahid Naseem (24 off 57) were the main scorers. Omkar Pramod and Flourry George claimed three wickets each while Pradeep Kumar bagged two.
Enhance had their own share of nerves after they was reduced to 57 for four and then to 72 for five. However old fox Ikhtiar Kazmi changed the game’s tempo with a flurry of sixes as Enhance surpassed the total in the 31st over, scoring 136 for six.
Pramod slammed an unbeaten 34 off 43 while Parth Trivedi scored a slow 36 off 67. Ihtesham Muhammed and Farhan Afzal took two wickets each.
Brief scores: IT Works 135 all out in 39.2 overs (Waseem Akhtar 27, Shahid Naseem 24; Flourry George 3/3, Omkar Pramod 3/43, Pradeep Kumar 2/27) lost to MDC Enhance 136 for 6 in 30.5 overs (Ikhtiar Kazmi 37, Parth Trivedi 36, Omkar Pramod 34).
Raished star for FAP UTSC
FAP UTSC rode on Raished Parambath’s superb four-wicket spell to hand Platinum Services Diamond (PSD) a nine-wicket thrashing in the Al Ansari Group-sponsored B Division match at Muscat Municipality Ground I.
Batting first, FAP UTSC posted an imposing total of 216 for eight in 30 overs. Sheriff Muhammed topscored with 55 off 49 while Ali Mohammed slammed an unbeaten 49 off 36 balls. Jaleel Mahamood batted well too for his fluent 38 off 33.
PSD captain Ahammad Karim bowled well to claim four wickets while Chadith Lakmal took two.
Facing a big target, PSD suffered a total collapse, slumping to 23 for five and later 70 for nine before despite an unbeaten 60 off 69 by Parashamit Barua. They were finally dismissed for a meagre 125 in the 29th over due largely to brilliant bowling by Raished, who bagged four wickets for 33. Jaleel Mahamood claimed two wickets.
Brief scores: FAP UTSC 216 for 8 in 30 overs (Sheriff Muhammed 55, Ali Mohammed 49 n.o., Jaleel Mohammed 38; Ahammad Karim 4/45, Chadith Lakmal 2/31) bt PSD 125 all out in 28.3 over (Parashamit Barua 60 n.o.; Raished Parambath 4/33, Jaleel Mahamood 2/17).
