Ashley Lobo and Khalid C both scored centuries for opposing sides as SCC Academy and Desert Cubs Academy shared honours following a thrilling tie in an Al Dhaid Ramadan Cup match.
Batting first, SCC Academy managed to put up an imposing 214 for three on the board, thanks mainly to Khalid’s belligerent 52-ball 117 (10x4, 9x6) and a quick 81 (51 balls, 9x4, 6x6) from Asfanjer, with the two adding 202 runs for the opening wicket.
Lobo played more of a solo hand in the run-chase, smashing an unbeaten 121 from 70 balls (12x4, 1x6) as the Desert Cubs finished on 214 for four to share the honours. Tharaka Samaratunga (30, 18b, 4x4), Aruna Imandra (21, 12b, 4x4) and Lionel Soans (25) did make their mark as well in the thrilling finish.
Related: Waqas Raja takes fine form to Sharjah Ramadan Cup for Red Flower Tourism
At the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Shamroz Khan took a hattrick as well as a five-for to bowl Bukhatir XI to a 94-run win over Ramada Hotel in a Sharjah Ramadan Cup match.
Khan claimed four wickets in his third over, including a hattrick, to finish with five for 12 from three overs as Ramada, chasing 203 for a win, were bowled out for 108 in 16 overs, with only Shabnam Amjad (45, 28, 2x4, 3x6) offering any resistance.
Earlier, half-centuries from Khalid Shah and Shiraz Ahmed, and their 121-run partnership for the second wicket, helped Bukhatir XI post 202 for five on the board after they had elected to bat first.
Opener Shah scored 79 off 53 balls (4x4, 6x6), while Ahmed made a 34-ball 54 (4x4, 3x6) before his run-out. Mohammed Zubair later chipped in with an unbeaten 24 from just 11 deliveries.
In the second match of the night at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Wasim Ali Mirza and Waqas Raja took three wickets apiece, while Anfal PM took two to bowl Red Flower Tourism to an emphatic 118 runs win over Radio4.
Batting first, Red Flower Tourism were three down with only 14 on the board, but recovered to post 165 for eighth, thanks to Rinku Kumar’s battling 44 (39 balls, 4x4, 2x6) and his 48 run-partnership for the fourth wicket with Anfal (29, 22 ball, 1x4, 2x6), and strong contributions from Vipin Venu (30, 17b, 4x4, 1x6), Ubadah Barmawar (26, 13b, 4x4) and Tariq Mohammad (18, 10b, 2x4, 1x6) lower down.
Red Flower Tourism, however, had few problems defending that score, with Mirza (3-12), Raja (3-14) and Anfal (2-1) wrecking the Radio4 innings and bowling them out for a paltry 47 in 13 overs.
In other Sharjah Ramadan Cup matches over the weekend, Syed Maqsood blasted a 52-ball 143 as UBL demolished Khaleej Times by 167 runs, while Hassan Raza (38) guided Alubond Tigers to a four-wicket win over Fly Emirates.
In Umm Al Quwain, Malik Contracting LLC defeated Sharjah Eagles by 68 runs a Ramadan T20 Bash match, Hologram Players CC beat Txt Nutrae by nine wickets.
Fawad K Khan (86, 51b, 4x4, 3x6) and Bakhtiyar Khan (69, 38b, 7x4, 4x6) were the stars of Malik Contracting’s win, helping their team post an imposing 234 for three in 20 overs and the Sharjah Eagles finished with 166 for eight in reply.
In the other match, Shakeer Hydru (60, 27b, 10x4, 2x6), Vishnu K Sukumaran (37 not out, 17b, 5x4) and Hasan Saood (32 not out, 14b, 3x4, 2x6) helped Hologram Players CC reach their target in only 9.4 overs after bowling Txt Nutrae out for 121.
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