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Multiple-title defending champions, Alpha Fire, were unable to douse the pyrotechnics of the BMMI Awali Taverners in the annual Rotary Club of Adliya Charity Cricket Tournament held at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club.
Featuring the self-proclaimed oldest team in the tournament the Awali veterans proved that there are times when there is no substitute for experience with a series of vintage performances as they conquered all before them.
Their miserly bowlers conceded the fewest runs in the competition ensuring that their batsmen frequently had an easily achievable target to chase, winning each game with at least one over to spare.
In the final, Aussie pace-man Dean Pola contained the expected onslaught as Alpha Fire were then pegged back by the beguiling flight of Doug Burns who took the game’s only wicket.
Carl Wooding’s swing further contained the cautious Sri Lankans although it was a miserly final over from captain David Hilton that really helped restrict them to 59 from their six overs.
Chasing a below-par total, opening bat Charles Forward, who got stronger throughout the day, set about the opposition firing 19 off the opening over.
In a relentless assault Forward retired in the fourth over having reached 30 not out leaving it to fellow opener, David Axtell, who carried his bat, and ‘master blaster’ Brad Worrall, to ease the Taverners to their victory target.
In the semi-finals, Awali faced a hand-picked selection of some of Bahrain’s finest cricketers representing Dadabhai.
The Taverners restricted the free-scoring superstars to 64 with Worrall and Hilton again proving hard to hit. In reply, despite losing Forward early, some inventive scoops from Axtell and swashbuckling hitting from Pola saw Awali home with seven balls to spare.
The Awali Cricket Club was also represented in the other final as they set Alpha Fire a total of 63 to chase, achieved with only two balls to spare in a nerve-jangling finale.
Winning English captain Hilton, who took the reins this year from Pola praised the organisation and umpiring of the Rotary Club along with the entertaining commentary provided by Bob Philips throughout the day.
