Bukhatir XI win Gold Cup after routing One Stop Tourism in the final
dubai — Very rarely has it happened that a player has scored a hundred, won the Man of the Match award, but his team ended on the losing side. That rare occasion occurred in the final of the DCC Gold Cup when Mohammad Ikram’s unbeaten 102 went in vain as One Stop Tourism were outdone by Bukhatir XI at the ICCA ground over the weekend.
Bukhatir XI won the toss and put One Stop into bat. Bukhatir XI could not have asked for a better start when they got UAE skipper Rohan Mustafa run-out for a duck.
One Stop could barely find their feet when Mohammad Naveed, fresh from his international duty for UAE in the World Cup qualifiers where he impressed with the ball, struck two telling blows by removing Waqas Raja (5) and Waseem Bari (4) to reduce One Stop to 18 for 3.
Saif Janjua did some repair job with a composed 30 but with One Stop struggling on 84 for 4, Bukhatir XI had their tails up.
But only for that moment as once Ikram and Mohammad Usman came to the crease all hell broke loose. Their 113-run unbroken partnership took their team to a position of strength (197 for 4 from 25 overs) which at one stage looked impossible.
The duo complemented each other with fours and sixes by the bucketful.
Ikram raced to his century (102) from 71 balls. His innings was peppered with five sixes and seven boundaries, while Usman too was equally merciless on the Bukhatir XI bowlers whilst pounding them for four massive sixes and a four during his 26-ball 46.
Bukhatir XI were not overawed by the target and went about it in workman-like fashion.
First their openers Zawar Fareed and Khalid Shah gave them the ideal start. Their 63-run partnership laid the foundation for the chase.
Fareed struck a six and six fours for his 34 from 19 balls and Khalid had three fours in his knock of 33.
After the two departed, Chirag Suri kept the momentum going with 28 from 25 balls.
But it was left to Rizwan CP and Adnan Mufti to complete the final rites with an unbroken 76run partnership. Rizwan reached 54 from 39 balls with a six and seven fours, while Adnan struck a six and six fours for his 42 from 25 balls as they took Bukhatir XI home in 22.2 overs. Brief scores (final): Bukhatir XI beat One Stop Tourism by seven wickets One Stop 197 for 4 in 25 overs (Mohammad Ikram 102 n.o., Mohammad Usman 46 n.o., Saif Janjua 30; Mohammad Naveed 2-45) Bukhatir XI 200 for 3 in 22.2 overs (Rizwan CP 54 n.o., Adnan Mufti 42 n.o., Zawar Fareed 34, Khalid Shah 33, Chirag Suri 28). Man of the final: Mohammad Ikram. Other winners Best batsman: Gulam Shabbir of One Stop Tourism (4 matches, 195 runs). Best bowler: Rizwan CP of Bukhatir XI (4 matches, 8 wickets). Player of the Tournament: Salman Randhawa of Car Fare Chargers (4 matches, 93 runs and 6 wickets).