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One of the oldest cricket clubs in the GCC is well on its way to new heights, after Awali Bapco took down the Tornado Riders last weekend.
The Awali Cricket Club, represented by Awali Bapco, Awali Gents and Awali Camels in the Khalid bin Hamad T20 league Division B tournament this year, was originally founded in 1935 and has since called the cricket grounds in Awali its home.
It was at these grounds, courtesy of and maintained by Bapco, that the Awali Bapco team put up an impressive 234 runs in 20 overs while sacrificing six wickets, after winning the toss and electing to bat.
“Considering the strong and reliable batting lineup as well as knowing the conditions of the Awali Cricket Ground, we won the toss and elected to bat,” team captain Jiger Brahmbhatt told GulfWeekly.
“Xavier Jose and Jagan Palani opened the batting for Bapco giving good start as expected. Jose got out caught at the long-off. But he set the stage for Ravi Valand who then took on the task giving hard time to the Tornado bowling line-up, well supported by Palani.”
Valand collected a total of 109 runs in 50 balls before being caught out, and Palani added another 53, as the team set the target of 234 runs for the Riders to chase.
In turn, the Tornado Riders put up a brave fight, with 204 runs for nine wickets in 20 overs.
But Awali Bapco bowlers proved to be worthy adversaries. Dhananjay Aery was the top bowler, taking three of the Riders’ wickets, while Sourav Sharma took an additional two. Neeraj Mukhia, Sikander and Brahmbhatt each took a wicket, to stymie the Riders’ charge.
The Bapco team is on a hot streak, having won both their matches so far, beating the Young Stars Cricket Club in their first match.
Having won the Division C cup in 2018, they are hoping for a consistent season, which could see them bumped up to Division A if they keep up their form.
This year’s cricket is being organised under the patronage of Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority president and Bahrain Olympic Committee president.
Up for grabs in the T20 tournament are a total of $1,700 of cash prizes for Division A - distributed between the top team and the runners-up as well as the top batsman, allrounder and bowler – $1,500 in Division B, $1,300 in Division C and $1,100 in Division D.
The Bahrain Cricket Federation, now helmed by Hatim Dadabhai, has plans to better co-ordinate the action, ramp up recruitment for the national cricket team and introduce new leagues.
“Our plan includes a renewed focus on youth and women’s cricket, while also making sure the national team goes the extra mile during the Asian Games qualifiers,” Dadabhai added.
“Under the patronage of Shaikh Khalid, we have set up several committees that handle each of our goals for the coming year, and it’s generally volunteers who devote their time to highlight the sport in Bahrain.
“As a result, we are getting more feedback from the community as to how we can improve the sport. We want cricket to be a sport of choice, alongside football, basketball and volleyball, especially in government schools.
“Cricket has been seen locally as a very Indian or Pakistani game, but it’s actually an international one – it’s the second-most popular game in the world behind football. And, we would love to see more Bahrainis participate in our leagues.”
