JEDDAH, 29 September 2004 — Jeddah Cricket League (JCL) opens its new 2004-05 season this weekend, with the first of three Under-17 intercity matches scheduled in Yanbu. Arab News is sponsoring the first ever day/night match tomorrow. The match will be JCL’s U-17 intercity event between JCL and Yanbu Cricket League (YCL).
Two matches will be played tomorrow — a day-night match with a white ball and a black sightscreen between the colts of Jeddah and Yanbu, described as one of its kind in the Kingdom. YCL President Abdul Jabbar is credited with this development, which is due to his continued support to cricket providing the necessary ground requirements. The main intercity match between JCL and YCL will be played on Friday.
“The U-17 match between JCL and Yanbu will be the first ever day/night match in local cricket history,” Shahid Amin, president of JCL and chief executive officer of Central Cricket Control Board (CCCB) said at a general body meeting of JCL here on Monday night.
The JCL team playing against YCL colts in U-17 will have Azizullah Shariff as manager, Sayeed ul Hassan as coordinator and Hussain Anwar as captain, Shahid Amin said while announcing the three JCL teams selected to play intercity matches. Another JCL team, with manager Aijaz Ahmed Khan, coordinator Syed Majeedul Hassan and captain Anis Malik will tour the Eastern Province to play two matches against Eastern Province Cricket Association (EPCA) on Thursday (Sept. 30) and Friday (Oct. 1).
A third JCL team, with PIA’S Muzzaffar Hussain as manager, Ahsan Rafeh as coordinator and Humayoon Zaheer as captain, will play the main intercity match against YCL on Friday.
Outlining JCL’s plans for the new season, Shahid Amin said 24 participating teams would be divided into three different categories — Premier League, Division I and Division II. The Western Union Money Transfer, an international organization that sponsored the 2003 World Cup and the recent ICC Champions Trophy, will sponsor JCL in its intercity event in the Eastern Province and will also sponsor Division I and II events in the new season.
He referred to the pioneering role of CCCB patrons Zainal Alireza, director of the House of Alireza, and Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled A. Almaeena and thanked them for their continued support to cricket.
The CCCB is the only cricketing body in the Kingdom that has the support of all organizing bodies in major cities of the Kingdom, said Shahid Amin. JCL, founded on April 14, 1976, pioneered cricket in the Kingdom. The founders being Zainal Alireza, Ian Haig, the then Australian ambassador, and Shahid Amin.
He thanked the sponsors, media, JCL executive committee, volunteers and participating teams, organizations and individuals, and extended his good wishes to all selected players and officials and urged them to maintain discipline and sportsman spirit on and off the ground.
JCL will clash with EPCA in a 40 overs-a-side intercity match. The two cities have been playing intercity matches for over 25 years. This is the silver jubilee year for EPCA, which is the second oldest organization after JCL in the Kingdom promoting cricket.
JCL Team against EPCA (Dammam) for Intercity match: Manager Aijaz Ahmed Khan, Anis Malik (Captain), Jada Hussain (vice Captain), Shahid Moulana (wicketkeeper), Syed Muhammad Amer, Haroon Abdullah, Khawar Sohail Muhammad, Khalid Mehmoud Butt, Rashid Malik, Shakir Khan, Zahid Muhammad, Javid Iqbal, Arif Mehmoud, Muhammad Akram, Sheikh Abdul Jabbar, Farooq Akbar, Muhammad Saleem Sarwar, Jawwad Agha, Coordinator Majidul Hassan, Umpire: Touqeer Shah, Scorer: Mumtaz.
JCL Team against Yanbu for Intercity Match: Manager Muzzaffar Hussain, Humayoon Zaheer (Captain), Syed Ghuffran (Vice Captain), Syed Kaleem (wicketkeeper), Naeem Shah, Faisal, Abdul Aziz, Abdullah, Majid, Arif Rana, Nadeem Butt, Muhammad Atta, Khudoos, Rayeesuddin, Amanullah, Muhammad Arif, Coordinator Ahsan Rafeh, Umpire: Kumar Krishnan, Scorer: Capt. Hameed.
Arab News-sponsored JCL U-17 Team against Yanbu for Intercity Match: Manager Azizullah Shariff, Hussain Anwar (Captain), Omer Riaz (Vice Captain), Salman Maqsood (wicketkeeper), Affan Riaz, Waheed Khan, Sameer Iftikhar, Muhair Zubair, Afzan Riaz, Fouad Ali, Syed Amjad Ul Hassan, Zakariya Khan, Junaid Jawed, Emad Mirza, Zain Ul Hassan, Sultan Saeed, Irfan, Imran Ilyas, Hamza Saber, Hamed Naseer, Abdullah Faheem, Umar Muhammad Nooman, Coordinator Saeedul Hassan, Umpire: Muhammad Amjad, Scorer: Zubair.
