Mideast Metals, Gems Education enter final
dubai — Mideast Metals trounced Dubai Mammoths and Gems Education proved they were superior to Old School Boys with a three-wicket win in the semifinals of the DCC Ramadan League which is being sponsored by JK White Cement (Fujairah), Arabian Automobile Association (AAA) and Petrotek.
Mideast Metals won the toss and invited Dubai Mammoths to bat on a lively Sevens strip. Mohammed Farooq was quick to make Vinay Tolani (2) one of his four victims. But thereafter it was a struggle for Mideast as Sheridan Hadfield and Prashanth Braggs stitched a 53 run partnership.
Hadfield’s stay at the crease was brief but in those 12 balls that he faced he struck two sixes and three boundaries for his 26 before Farooq sent his stumps cart-wheeling.
Jawed Siddique joined Prashanth but before they could settle down Farooq had Prashanth too joining Hadfield in the dressing room after the one-down batsman scored 32 from 28 balls which came off three sixes and a four.
Farooq made CTK Mashood his fourth victim to have Dubai Mammoths reeling on 65 for 4. But Jawed Siddique’s 59 from 40 balls which consisted of three sixes and four fours and contributions from lower order batsmen Lucky Abbas (21) and Sujit Salian (28) ensured Mammoths reached 197.
In the end even that was not sufficient as Man-of-the-Match Ali Anwar, who had taken two wickets, blazed his way to an unbeaten 85. His knock was studded with seven maximums and three boundaries and came off 50 balls. Farooq was not to be left behind. After his splendid show with the ball he came good with the bat scoring 33 from 20 balls with four fours.
Irfan Ashraf applied the finishing touches with an unbeaten 17 from 11 balls (1x6, 2x4) to hand Mideast victory by four wickets.
In the other semifinal Gems Education bowlers kept Old School Boys quiet by restricting them to 152 for 8. Only Adnan Arif (59) and Burhan Azeem (29) managed decent scores for Old School.
In reply Man-of-the-Match Shuja Haider struck 75 (47 balls, 4x6, 8x4) and Ali Tipu Sultan 28 (21 balls, 1x6, 4x4) to help Gems post a three-wicket win and make the final.