JEDDAH, 23 November — IDB scored an exciting 5 runs win against SGB Baroom, while 5 centuries were recorded in the 3rd week of the Kanoo League (Premier Division) organized by JCL. Elsewhere, Saudia Milk and Young Athlete recorded their first win of the league after their match had ended in a tie in the previous week defeating their opponents Traco and Toshiba by 21 and 80 runs respectively.
IDB lost an early wicket but from then on it was the pair of Abdullah and Shoaib who held the upper hand. They were in complete control as they raced to their century partnership and then to the double century. Abdullah played the sheet anchor role very watchful and waiting for the loose ball to come his way for dispatching to the fence. He scored a superb 103 with 8 fours. On the other hand Shoaib was the more aggressive by hitting the ball with perfection and power. He raced to his century much faster than his partner and then opened up further to reach an individual score of 143 (the highest so far in the league) inclusive of 15 fours and 2 sixes. Abdullah and Shoaib put on 224 runs for the 2nd the highest so far in the league as IDB ended at 276 for 4. Tariq picked up 3 for 22. In reply, SGB Baroom replied positively as their batsmen went for the kill from the word go. Shoaib struck a fluent 50 with 8 fours. Thereafter Tariq played a magnificent innings when his team required it most as they had slumped to 166 for 4. In company of Waseeq (45), Tariq singlehandedly made a match of it scoring a delightful 122 runs studded with 13 fours. At one stage SGB Baroom were comfortably placed at 259 for 4 but Musaddaq, Misbah and Karim picked up 2 wickets each to restrict them to 271 for 9 and give IDB an exciting win by a slender margin of 5 runs.
Syed Amer of Saudia Milk started the day on a high note as he raced to a rapid-fire 67 off 44 balls inclusive of 8 fours and 2 sixes. It was a typical Amer knock as he clouted the bowlers to all corners of the field taking full advantage of the inner circle restriction. After his departure it was Anees all the way as he pegged one end up while wickets fell at the other. He garnered most of the strike and raced to his century off 83 balls with 7 fours and was dismissed soon after for 104. Giving him company was Iftikhar who notched up a quick 30 as Saudia Milk were all out for 251. For Traco, Amjad, Faisal and Rashid picked up 2 wickets each. In reply, Traco openers gave them a good start as they raced to 62 in 8 overs before Faisal was out but Khalid Butt continued his good form as he hit a superb 70 off 65 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes. After his departure they collapsed from 62 for 1 to 189 for 8 with only Ijaz scoring 22 as Iftikhar (3 for 41), Amer (2 for 35) and Imran (2 for 35) struck telling blows. But Azeem had other ideas as he tried to make a match of it with an unfinished partnership of 41 runs for the 9th wicket but fell short by 21 runs as Traco ended at 230 for 8 to give Saudia Milk a 21 runs win.
Young Athlete started on a bad note as they slumped to 64 for 3 and then 119 for 5 with only Humayun contributing 25. But Hussain and Tauqeer rose up to the challenge as they put up a superb 136 runs unfinished partnership for the 6th wicket. Hussain was in superb form as he played a sheet anchor role initially picking up singles and later launching his fusillade. He reached his century and remained unbeaten with 103 runs inclusive of 6 fours and 4 huge sixes. With him was the old war-horse Tauqeer Shah who scored an unbeaten 40 with 3 fours and a six. Asif took 2 for 35 as Young Athlete ended at 255 for 5 but then their bowlers made early inroads into the Toshiba batting reducing them to 30 for 4 and finally bundling them out for 175 runs. Again Hussain was in the limelight as he picked up 2 for 17 with Abid (3 for 34), Shoaib (2 for 28) and Usman (2 for 26) supporting him. Only Sabtain (42), Mushtaq (35) and Shabbir (22) offered a fight-back as Young Athlete romped home by 80 runs.
