Jumeirah College Heat under-15 player Arsh Bhasin only moved to Dubai from London six weeks ago, but announced himself in style during their opening win over TMS Amateurs.
On Friday, his four-over spell, which included two wickets at a cost of 16 runs, was the catalyst for his side’s victory.
“When Arsh came on, TMS were three wickets down, and two balls later, they were five wickets down,” Jumeirah College coach Kyle Dawson said.
“His all round game was outstanding,” said Dawson.
Bhasin said his arrival in Dubai was hard at first, but he’s really enjoying it now.
“It was nerve-wracking at the beginning to be honest, but I’m just enjoying my cricket and I’m delighted to see the team going so well at the moment,” he said.
He cites Ravindra Jadeja of Chennai Super Kings as his favourite player and tries to mirror his style on the field.
“Jadeja is amazing. It’s his variety of bowling – flight, speed and he also has good fielding. He’s a special player to watch,” said Bhasin.
Chasing a score of 86, JC Heat won by eight wickets in a magnificent display filled with aggression and enthusiasm. Rohan Mariadason and Gatin Wadhwa were also very impressive for Jumeirah College, while for the losing Millenium School team, Bhavesh Mamtani and Aksshat Iyer stood out.
Friday’s other under-15 match, between DESC Diamonds and JSS Blitz, proved to be a tight contest after 15 overs, but DESC duly closed out the contest with man-of-the-match Aman Parwani in supreme form, scoring 25 off 28 balls.
Diamonds stand-in coach Ian Brown said: “What a way to start the weekend. A one-run win.
“The light was fading also but the boys were really up for the game. It was fantastic. The atmosphere was unreal. I’m so happy we can start this league with a win.”
Parwani added: “I enjoyed the batting but I feel our bowling needs to improve. It’s a great start and a great win so I’m happy for the team. The difference in this game for us were the good players we had to bring in at the end.”
