Considering the inaugural edition lived up to its expectations, then this season’s ADIB NSL certainly raised the bar, resulting in exceptional individual and team performances.
Centuries, five-wicket hauls and the first ever Super Over won by GEMS Our Own Indian School (GOOIS) were just some of the highlights as the four-month competition came to a close on January 29.
Giving the stars of tomorrow the chance to play on turf wickets it was no surprise that 44 teams from across the country were part of the only unified schools competition in the UAE and backed by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).
Forward march: Bright Riders celebrate their quarter-final entry in Abu Dhabi.
Split into groups according to their geographical location – Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, competition was fierce with the top two qualifying for the knock-outs.
But after 134 games, it was defending champions Modern Heros and maiden winners Our Own Zenith who were celebrating on the podium, coming top in the Under-13 and Under-15 categories respectively.
They were indeed worthy champions especially having gone through the entire campaign with a perfect win record, while U-13 and U-15 runners-up DPS Sharjah and Abu Dhabi Indian School were undefeated in the group stages.
Their achievements were more remarkable, given the wide array of talented youths who did not disappoint with the bat and ball.
In the U-13 category, Ronak Panoly put himself into the record books by becoming the first NSL centurion when he smashed 102 runs in Modern Heros’ 125-run victory over JSS Blitz. He left spectators in awe with nine boundaries and seven maximums off 43 deliveries.
That effort, along with a half-century against DPS Sharjah in the final, saw him finish as top run-scorer with 251 runs from six innings.
GOOIS’ Mohammad Mujtaba and Deira Daredevils’ Jash Jiyanani finished as joint top-wicket takers with 15 scalps with the latter one of four players claiming five-wicket hauls.
Jiyanani was joined by Bright Riders’ Soorya Sathish, DPS Sharjah’s Aditya Manglani and DPS Falcons’ Aditya Shetty, who between them took 43 scalps.
Zenith’s Shoun Roger was crowned the Most Valuable Player and the 13-year-old all-rounder was overwhelmed with the prized award.
He said: “I practice with my dad a lot and I dedicate this award to him and everyone who have helped me become the player that I am now.”
If the ECB were encouraged by the displays in the U-13 competition, then the future certainly looked bright based on the U-15 tournament.
Jonathan Figy didn’t take long to get off the mark – registering his first century (111, 16 fours and one six) in his side’s opening 152-run victory against Al Bateen SS.
He started making tons a habit, achieving the feat a further two times, while managing at least a half-century in each of the six games he played in.
He topped the runs tally with 594. He wasn’t the only one to reach triple figures with PAK Hawks Sharjah’s Muhammad Azaz Sajid achieving the feat with an unbeaten 107 in their 180-run triumph over NIMS Rising Stars.
In the bowling department, Zenith’s Vishal Raj took the only five-wicket haul while Heros’ Varun Ravi topped the standings with 14 scalps.
While winning and losing is part of sport, players and coaches spoke glowingly of NSL.
“I want to thank Sport360 for organising this tournament,” said Figy, who was named U-15s MVP. “It’s a great way to showcase our abilities.”
And U-15 winning coach, Fostus Xavier, added: “We never had a chance like this when I was young. It’s a good way for children to handle pressure in match situations.”
