Sharjah: Two coaches showed the way to budding cricketers and guided their team to victory in the One Stop Tourism 43rd Bukhatir Premier League at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Azhar Gul and Gopal Jasapara, the coaches of the G Force Cricket Academy inspired youngsters who are mostly under 17 years old to lift their game and record a three-wicket victory over My Perfumes’ team made up of experienced players.
Speaking to Gulf News, G Force Academy’s chief coach, Jasapara, who has been playing in the Bukhatir League from its 18th edition for different teams in the past, said: “Most of my boys were not even born when the 25th edition of this tournament was held. We felt that we should give exposure to them through this prestigious A division 50 over tournament and I am delighted with the way the boys played. A young bowler in Ram Narayan took four wickets and some of the boys batted well along with Gul who cracked an unbeaten 85.”
My Perfumes had posted a target of 248 to win. G Force had a shaky start but Imran Nazir and Hrithik Bhatia put on a 56 runs partnership for the second wicket.
Nazir faced 29 balls to hit 39 while Bhatia hit a 25-ball 32 supported by three sixes. When wickets began to fall, Gul walked in and showed how to lift a team out of trouble. Young Clive Oswald Alfonso chipped in with 40 runs. Gul stayed on to see the team past the target with 85 from 97 balls peppered with six boundaries and a six and helped G Force Academy reach the target in 41.3 overs.
Earlier, My Perfumes opener Farukh Kazmi cracked a superb 55-ball 88 runs studded with 11 hits to the fence and four over it. He shared a superb 87-run stand with Naeemuddin Aslam (52) for the second wicket.
Narayan’s four wickets spell was backed by Imran Nazir with two wickets and Jaspara bowling a few tight overs and taking a wicket.
Brief scores: G Force Cricket Academy bt My Perfumes by 3 wickets. My Perfumes: 247 in 46.5 overs (Farukh Kazmi 88, Naeemuddin Aslam 52, Sohail Bilal 25, Nigel Rodrigues 27; R Narayan 4 for 50, Imran Nazir 2 for 29). G Force Cricket Academy: 248 for 7 in 41.3 overs (Imran Nazir 39, Hrithik Bhatia 32, Azhar Gul 85n.o)
