Sharjah: Globelink WestStar Cricket Club shattered the record for the highest total in the 43rd edition of the Bukhatir Premier League by piling up a mammoth 518 for four in 50 overs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and hand a huge 389-run defeat on General Petroleum. The victory margin, incidentally, is also the biggest in the tournament’s history.
Globelink overhauled the previous best total of 465 runs, scored by One Stop Tourism in the 2015 edition of this league.
The architects of this huge score were the trio of Renjith Mani (157), Jiju Janardhanan (112) and Anfal PM (128 n.o.).
Speaking to Gulf News, Globelink skipper Vineet Viswanathan said: “It is a proud moment for our team to be part of history by breaking the record for the highest score in UAE’s oldest and prestigious tournament. This was our first match and our next tie is against the strong Alubond team, made up of UAE players and so we want to carry this momentum into that match too. Not only our four top batsmen clicked but our bowlers Sharan Pinto, Amjad Javed and Anfal too bowled well to give us a record margin victory too.”
Though after winning the toss, Viswanathan got out for 11, Mani and Janardhanan batted aggressively. They smashed 172 runs through sixes and boundaries alone during their 211-run partnership for the second wicket. Janardhanan 112 came off 65-balls with 11 boundaries and five sixes.
Anfal joined Mani and put on 124 runs for the third wicket before Mani got out for 157 from 115 balls with 20 boundaries and three sixes.
Though Globelink WestStar were only 393 in 38.3 overs, Subin Sulaiman through an unbeaten 50 along with Anfal steered the total past the 500 run mark.
Anfal remained unbeaten on 128 from just 70 balls with eight boundaries and seven sixes while Sulaiman hit an unbeaten 50 from 22 deliveries with five fours and three sixes.
Chasing the total, General Petroleum were shot out for just 129 runs in 33 overs with Pinto and Anfal taking three wickets each.
Brief scores: Globelink WestStar bt General Petroleum by 389 runs. Globelink WestStar 518 for 4 in 50 overs (Renjith Mani 157, Jiju Janardhanan 112, Anfal PM 128n.o, Subin Sulaiman 50 not out; Arif Hadawal 2 for 105). General Petroleum 129 in 33 overs (Rafiullah Rahimi 24, Ghiyas Uddin 26, Arif Hadawal 26; Sharan Pinto 3 for 15, Anfal PM 3 for 8). Man of the match: Anfal PM.
