Dubai: Two cricket academies from UAE are showing teams in the United Kingdom what they are made of by winning matches and even emerging champions in one tournament.
Maxtalent Cricket Academies Under-13 and under-16 teams on their nine-day tour to the UK lifted the Old Whits Challenge Cup defeating many reputed club teams.
Young Talents Cricket Academy’s (YTCA) Under-13 and Under-17 teams are also on a winning run in a T20 tournament organised by Durham Cricket County.
The stars of Maxtalent’s triumph were their 12-year-old captain Chris Sequeira, who led from the front, and all-rounder Jardel Pereira, who scored over 100 runs and took six wickets.
YTCA Under-17 team beat South Shields Cricket Academy at South Shields by seven wickets.
South Shields were restricted to 121 for six in 20 overs and YTCA won in 18.5 overs through Mohammad Faraazuddin’s unbeaten 66.
The YTCA Under-13 team also defeated South Shields’ Under-13 team by 72 runs. Farraazudin top scored with 30 and Cherian George chipped in with 26 runs.
Maxtalent’s Under-16 captain Shifran Mulla was outstanding and Amrit Pal sparkled with his off spin too.
Speaking to Gulf News, Sudhakar Shetty, the chief coach of the Maxtalent academy, said: “The Under-16 team was challenged differently due to the dark hovering clouds during their tour with two matches even being washed off but we did well in the Old Whits Challenge Cup. We want to make our next tour even bigger.”
Brief scores of Maxtalet and YTCA:
Maxtalent bt Parkside by 19 runs. Maxtalent 127 for 9 in 25 overs (Jardel Pereira 45) Parkside 108 for 5 in 25 overs (S. Patrick 42)
Maxtalent bt Beckenham by 41 runs. Maxtalent 113 for 8 in 20 overs (Jardel Pereira 22) Beckenham 72 in 18.2 overs (S. Peter 25, Sri Vignesh 3 for 20)
Maxtalent bt Stoke Parkside by 33 runs. Maxtalent 126 for 4 in 20 overs (Shifran Mulla, Amrit Pal Singh 34) Stoke Parkside 93 for 6 in 20 overs) (M. Khan 20)
YTCA U17 bt South Shields U17 by seven wickets. South Shields 121 for 6 in 20 overs (Mathew Camble 58, Oliver Belvins-Clarke 25, Sanchit Sharma 2 for 16) YTCA 122 for 3 in 18.5 overs, Mohammed Faraazuddin 66n.o, Mahith Fonseka 21, Sanchit Sharma 21)
YTCA U13 bt South Shields Under 13 by 72 runs (Mohammad Faraaz 30, Cherian George 26, South Shields U13 36 in 14.2 overs (S. Roohullah 3 for 8, Reza Abbas 2 for 9).
