JEDDAH: JCA President-XI snatched a thrilling 2 runs victory against the Saudi Premier League champion team My Care Hala in the in Mumtaz Cup 2016 festival cricket match at the weekend.

Highlighting the match was the sterling batting performance by the run-getting machine of MCH who scored 154 runs in 90 balls which earned him the Man of the match award. Others who showed form with the bat were Babar Hussain of MCH champions 84, while the JCA President-XI batsmen who contributed valuable runs were Abdul Wahed 64, Moazzam Shoukat 63, Amer Wahla 63 & Ather Abdul Quddus 53 runs.

This event organized to welcome New Year 2016 and before start of new Premier Division ACE Travel Premier League as a warm up festival match between Saudi Premier League champions My Care Hala Premier and the rest of JCA teams called the President-XI . Dubbed Mumtaz Cup the event was supported by the CEO of Mumtaz Group of Companies Mohammed Rafeeq and organized by the Jeddah Cricket Association.

Shahbaz Rasheed’s heroic knock of 154 t in vain as SPL champion MCH lost to JCA President-XI:

JCA President-XI won the toss and elected to bat first and piled up a huge total of 337 for 6 wickets in 36 overs against My Care Hala Premier. JCA President-XI openers Moazzam Shoukat 63 & Adnan 27 started well, later Abdul Wahed 64, Ather Abdul Quddus 53 not out and Amer Wahla 63 had the scoreboard moving well for the President-XI. Others who contributed runs are Mr. Extras 38, Rashid 18 not out and Sami Khan 10 runs, Usman took 2-37, Babar Hussain 1-28, Abu Huraira 1-51 and Imran had 1-68 for MCH.

In reply , MCH Premier lost the top three batsmen cheaply as the run getting machine Qamar Awan 15, Kashif Shafiq 9 & Nadeem went for zero but Shahbaz Rasheed 154 off 90 balls with the help of 15 boundaries and 4 sixes anchored himself at the crease along with his captain Babar Hussain, who made patient knock of 84 runs of 64 balls. Both Shahbaz & Babar Hussain put 242 runs for the fourth wicket partnership that they almost carried to the winning target. But after the fall of their wickets the remaining batsmen could not reach the double figures except Mr. Extras 32 and MCH could only reached 335-9 wickets in 36 overs and lost the match by just 2 runs. Left arm fast bowler Iftekhar took 2-53, Abdul Wahed 2-57, left arm spin bowler Mohammad had 2-67 while Sami Khan had 1-52 for t JCA President-XI.

After the match, JCA CEO Muhammad Iqbal distributed the prizes to the winners and the best performers and appreciated the umpires Zahid Khan, Javed, match referee Syed Ashfaque Hussain, team manager Syed Arif Hashmi and the coordinator of this match Haroon Abdullah Bin Mahfooz.