Plenty is at stake as the semi-finals of the Sport360 National School League (NSL) get under way at the ICC Academy in Dubai this weekend.
After four months of thrilling group and knock-out matches, eight teams across the two age groups – U13 and U15 – are now just two wins away from clinching the trophy on February 14.
In the pick of the semi-finals, Falcons take on Sharjah in a U15 DPS derby on Saturday morning. Both sides registered impressive quarter-final victories following some individual brilliance from Falcons’ Aryan Lakra, who had a three-wicket haul, and a late-order blitz from Sharjah’s Jalp Shah.
While the stakes are high, both coaches say it will be just another match for the teams and the ‘derby’ tag will have no impact.
Falcons coach Prosanta Chanda said: “It’s a big game as it’s the semi-final. Whoever we got in the semi-finals, it was going to be a difficult game and this will be no different.”
His opposite number Vikram Dutt of DPS Sharjah has overseen training for two hours each evening so far this week and hopes the hard work pays off.
He said: “It’s been a fun but hard week of training so far. The boys can’t wait to play but I will tell my players to treat the game as any other. It’s just another match and one we want to win.”
In the other U15 semi-final on Saturday, DIA Wolves take on Abu Dhabi Indian School.
In the U13 category, DPS Falcons face PAK Hawks Sharjah in Friday’s first semi-final.
Hawks coach Fahim Alvi said: “For us, it will be the first time we will be playing there (ICC Academy). So obviously DPS Falcons know the conditions better. But we will make things difficult for them.
