Bhoota and Ahmed on song as Thrissur lift Cricket Knights title

Denzil Pinto 09:14 02/08/2015
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  • Take a bow: Thrissur Tigers took home the winners’ cheque of Dh20,000.

    Mohammed Bhoota and Waheed Ahmed starred with the bat and ball as Thrissur Tigers were crowned inaugural League of Cricket Knights champions courtesy of a 48-run win over Moaza Saif Group.

    Bhoota scored 58 to help Thrissur Tigers post 169-5 in their allotted 20 overs before Ahmed came up with the goods with the ball, claiming three wickets as Moaza Saif Group were all out for 121, despite a fifty from Gulraiz Sadaf.

    Electing to bat first at the Ajman Oval, the Tigers got off to a good start with Bhoota and Ranjith Mani putting on 30 for the opening stand. Shanib Mohammad removed Mani for 12 for his first wicket and took two more as the Tigers were 46-3.

    UAE international Krishnachandra Karate steadied the innings with Bhoota but their 46-run stand was broken when the latter was sent back to the pavilion.

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    With a competitive target of 170, Moaza Saif Group openers Sadaf and Hafiz Kaleem were in blistering form with the bat as the pair put on 57 for the first wicket. But the Tigers roared back into contention as Mani broke the stand, rattling the stumps of Kaleem (18).

    That wicket sparked a batting collapse as Moaza lost their next three wickets for just three runs. After dismissing Shahzad Malik (2), Ahmed got rid of dangerman Sadaf (50) as Moaza were reeling at 80-4.

    Sadaf’s 54-minute stint at the crease included six fours and two sixes but the rest of his team-mates failed to build on his innings, struggling against the Tigers bowlers to eventually fall 48 runs short.

    The match capped a strong end to the tournament for Thrissur as they went home with a winning cheque of Dh20,000, while the runners-up claimed the Dh10,000 prize money.

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