Zeeshan, Nadeem and Vinukumar lift Assarain to win over Enhance
Zeeshan scored 102 and Nadeem made 45 as Assarain set a respectable total of 232 all out in 46.2 overs. In reply, Enhance were bowled out for 209 with Vinukumar taking four wickets
MUSCAT: Solid match-winning performances by Assarain stars Zeeshan Maqsood and Muhammed Nadeem and a gameturning spell by Vinukumar Gopalakrishnan were the highlights of the defending champions’ another close win over Enhance in a Premier Division match at Ministry of Sports Affairs Ground I in Al Amerat on Friday.
Skipper Zeeshan Maqsood led from the front, scoring a splendid 102 as Assarain fought well to reach a respectable total of 232 all out in 46.2 overs.
Enhance bowled with discipline and aggression, striking at regular intervals as seven of Assarain batsmen failed to reach double figures. Zeeshan’s century was followed by a fighting 45 off 66 by Nadeem, who went on to take three vital wickets to derail Enhance’s chase. Ahmed Fayyaz Butt led the bowling honours for Enhance, taking four wickets for 36. He was very well supported by Sanuth Mohamed Ebrahim, who bagged three late wickets in his six-over spell.
Opener Khawar Ali led the chase for Enhance with a run-a-ball 88 punctuated with nine fours and three sixes. Enhance were happily placed at 158 for three before Nadeem removed Khawar in the 31st over. Mehran Khan’s quickfire 43 looked like taking his team home before captain Zeeshan threw the ball to Vinukumar, who took four wickets in no time to take the life out of Enhance’s chase as they were bundled out for 209 in the 46th over, giving Assarain a welldeserved 23-run victory.
Brief scores: Assarain 232 all out in 46.2 overs (Zeeshan Maqsood 102, Muhammed Nadeem 45, Ramkumar Pan- darathil 35; Ahmed Fayyaz Butt 4/36, Sanuth Mohamed Ebrahim 3/19) bt Enhance 209 all out in 45.3 overs (Khawar Ali 88, Mehran Khan 43, Wasim Ali 25; Vinukumar Gopalakrishnan 4/7, Muhammed Nadeem 3/47).
Salman Stores win
Salman Stores registered a 23-run victory over IT Works in a 50-over A Division match at Ministry of Sports Affairs Ground II on Friday.
Batting first, IT Works failed to put a fighting total on the board and were dismissed for just 142 in 42.2 overs. Jibran Yousuf (32) and Hassan M (29) were the only notable scorers. Muzammil Ilyas, Tauseef Ahmed and Asim Kamal all bowled well to claim three wickets each.
Salman Stores were fully tested by IT Works’ bowlers as they slipped to 79 for four in the 19th over. However, a swashbuckling 23 not out off 10 balls by Muhammed Azeem saw the team home in the 33rd over. Captain Asgar Shaikh top-scored with 32 off 39. Fawad Ali and Amir Hussain took two wickets each.
Brief scores: IT Works 142 all out in 42.2 overs (Jibran Yousuf 32, Hassan M 29; Asim Kamal 3/20, Tauseef Amed 3/28, Muzammil Ilyas 3/34) lost to Salman Stores 144 for 7 in 32.1 overs (Asgar Shaikh 32, Muhammed Azeem 23 n.o., Amandeep Singh 22; Amir Hussain 2/41, Fawad Ali 2/47).
Zahid bowls Sarco to victory
A superb six-wicket spell by Zahid Hafiz helped Sarco to a 144-run victory against Zawawi Powertech Engineering in a B Division game at Muscat Municipality Ground I.
Sarco were reduced to 88 for six in the 16th over after Zawawi won the toss and decided to bowl first. However, two stroke-filled knocks by number 8 and 9 batsmen — Pradeep Salian (49 off 30) and Ajay Menon (55 off 37) — powered Sarco to an imposing total of 213 for in 30 overs. Sathisha Achary batted well too for his 39 off 26.
Satnam Singh bagged three wickets for Zawawi while Asif Al Balushi and Aroan Dadyus took two wickets each.
Bowling with the new ball, Zahid ran through the Zawawi side with excellent figures of six wickets for 14 runs in six overs, two of which were maiden, bowling them out for 69 in the 16th over. Rakesh Patel took two wickets for 18.
Brief scores: Sarco 213 for 8 in 30 overs (Ajay Menon 55 n.o., Pradeep Salian 49, Sathisha Achary 39; Satnam Singh 3/19, Asif Al Balushi 2/31, Aroandadyus 2/38) bt Zawawi Powertech Engineering 69 all out in 15.3 overs (Zahid Hafiz 6/14, Rakesh Patel 2/18).
Shuaib ton lifts White Lotus
A scintillating century by young Omani star Shuaib Ismail Al Balushi and a great all-round show by Muhammed Nadeem Ashaq steered White Lotus International to an exciting 20-run win over FAP UTSC in another B Division match at Muscat Municipality Ground II.
Brief scores: White Lotus International 225 for 7 in 30 overs (Shuaib Ismail Al Balushi 107, Muhammed Nadeem Ashaq 84; Shameer Kariadan 3/35, Shaidh K 2/44) bt 205 all out in 28.2 overs (Faleel Thailakandy 48, Jaleel Mahmood 40, Shaidh K 23). Full story @ timesofoman.com/xxxxxx