After more than a month of thrilling matches, the line-ups for the knock-out stages of the SNTTAMakemytrip Challengers Cup at the ICC Academy at Dubai Sports City have been decided.
And it is all moving towards Friday night’s Grand Finals in each of the tournament’s three sections.
In the Gold section, made up of the best indoor cricket teams in the UAE, Danube, the winner of four indoor titles at the ICC Academy in 2013, has already secured top spot and an automatic passage through to the Grand Final.
It is lying in wait for the winner of the elimination final between Xpress Money UAE Exchange, which finished as the runner-up in that section, and DBMSC, which finished third.
The Silver and Bronze sections both involve quarter and semi-finals. In the Silver section, Pool A winners DNA Health will go up against Transmed, the runner-up in Pool D.
Oxford Marine, which topped Pool B, will face the runner-up in Pool C the Fitness Firsters, while Pool C winners AEN CC, will play Radio 4, which finished second in Pool B, and Bafco, the victors in Pool D, will go up against Pool A runner-up Dulsco.
The eight sides left in the Bronze section are all Pool winners and the draw for that set of quarterfinals pits Team Legendary with 3M, while the Carfare Group faces Sinnara Gold, Al Tayer Motors will meet Emax and Dubai Building will be challenged by Farnek Mannschaft.
The knock-out stages are the culmination of the biggest ever indoor tournament at the ICC Academy. At the outset, the SNTTA-Makemytrip Challengers Cup involved a total of 100 matches and 54 teams played over 40 days through to mid-May.
Mudassar Nazar, Head Coach at the ICC Academy, said: “All the sides that have made it this far will know they are now within touching distance of the prize.
“Every ball really does count from now on and there is absolutely no margin for error for any of the teams left standing.
“It all adds up to what will be a superb conclusion to this tournament and one I am really looking forward to”
