DAMMAM, 5 April — The Jeddah Cricket League (JCL) and Madinah Cricket Association (MCA) visited the Eastern Province to play inter-city matches last weekend.
These matches are played annually on a reciprocal basis but this time an added feature was a 20-over-a-side match between the JCL Executive Committee and the Eastern Province Cricket Association (EPCA) Executive Committee. The report of the match appears on Page 14.
As a first-timer, I had the opportunity to be closely involved with the proceedings thanks to an invitation from JCL President Shahid Amin to join their executive committee team. It is a good chance for cricketers and officials from various regions to get together, exchange notes, develop new friendships and know one another better.
As part of the exercise, the EPCA organized a glittering function followed by a sumptuous dinner at the Dammam Hotel where the two teams had been put up.
Shahid Amin, the veteran cricket administrator, was given the honor to address the gathering first. He dwelt at length on inter-city matches and traced their brief history.
MCA President Zahid Ali expressed his gratitude to the EPCA for the invitation to play their first ever inter-city match against the EPCA. He was grateful to Al-Hamrani Fuchs Petroleum for sponsoring his team’s visit and requested Fuchs Regional Manager (Eastern) Zaki Ali Khan to hand over the appreciation shield to EPCA President Syed Aftab Ahmed on behalf of MCA.
Shahid Amin presented an appreciation shield to Aftab Ahmed on behalf of JCL. As chief of the host team, Aftab Ahmed welcomed the visitors. His speech, especially when he spoke in Urdu, drew repeated applause from the audience.
Gyptech Sales Manager Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a keen cricket follower and player, urged the rival teams to give off their best to win the match. Gyptech were the sponsors of the evening.
EPCA Secretary Syed Iqbal Talib conducted the proceedings in his inimitable style and, on public demand, concluded the function by reciting two couplets in Urdu which were highly appreciated.
EPCA executive committee member Mohsen Hashem, a senior manager in Globe Marine, earned the appreciation and gratitude of the teams and officials by being a continuous source of help from the time they landed till they departed.
Umpires who participated were: Naeem Khan and Musarrat Khalil (JCL) and Mohammed Sajid Faiz and Syed Irshad Hussain (MCA). Scorers: Mehboob (JCL) and Najam Qureshi (EPCA).
