Imtiaz sizzles as GMCA triumph
dubai — On most occasions lower order batsmen rarely get a chance to prove themselves with the willow. But on Saturday No. 9 batsman Talha Imtiaz stole the thunder with a heroic 76 from just 34 balls to help GMCA become champions of the DCC Saturday Silly Sloggers Cricket Tournament.
Struggling on 104 for 7 after winning the toss and opting to bat, GMCA found an unlikely hero in Talha, who struck five sixes and seven fours during his brief stay at the wicket which helped GMCA post 204 all out in 25 overs.
Their bowlers then bundled out DXB Mammoths for 154 to win the final by 50 runs at the Oval 2 ground in Dubai.
Mammoths were given a good start when Ambey Parwatkar made the best of the bowling conditions by packing off openers Tanveer Raza (1) and Qasim Mustafa (3).
GMCA needed someone steady the rocking boat and one-down Harish Pai shouldered the responsibility and in the company of Abdur Rehman (23) and Lovepreet (17) took GMCA to the 100-run mark.
Harish did well to keep the scoreboard ticking, but after striking four sixes and an equal number of fours for his 58, GMCA were still not out of the woods.
It took Talha Imtiaz to resurrect them with a late flourish which left the Mammoths players searching for answers.
With not many batsmen left at the other end, Talha performed a one-man demolition job. Off the 34 balls that he faced he smacked five big sixes and seven fours and that propelled GMCA to 204.