AfricaPress-Tanzania: DAR Black Panthers Cricket Club has had an impressive start in 2021 Dar es Salaam Cricket (DC) Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial League (MNML)’s Division B 30 Overs, notching a comprehensive five-wicket victory over GP Pak Stars on Sunday.
In the first of the league’s fixtures, the clash’s eventual winners, led by new skipper Viraj Shukal, put solid showing against GP Pak Stars, led by Muzamil Hussain, at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) oval.
Having won the toss, GP Pak Stars chose to bat first. However their opening batsmen, Sheraz Khan and Saqib Ul Hassan, could not pull off a partnership as Khan was out after posting six runs.
The opener was caught in the first over of the innings, when the score was just runs on the board.
Their wickets thereafter fell at regular intervals as they struggled to keep Dar Black Panthers’ bowlers in check.
With the exception of Ayaz Mustafa, slotted in at number three and notched 26 runs, and Sultan Qureshi, who scored 28 runs, none of the remaining members of the batting unit could go past the duo’s scores.
Sarfaraz Mohamed and opener Hassan notched 18 runs and 14 runs, which included three fours, respectively.
Zahid Naveed was as well one of GP Pak Stars members of the batting unit with double digit figure given he recorded 10 runs.
The GP Pak Stars were then all-out for just 121 runs in 24.3 overs.
Anas Mansuri and Gurvinder Singh took three wickets apiece for Dar Black Panthers.
Skipper Shukal posted two wickets, fellow bowler Mahesh Soneji and Imrankhan Pathan took one wicket apiece.
Shukal was the most economical, having conceded only 12 runs for his two wickets, and his economy rate was at 4.00.
Dar Black Panthers began their chase of 122 runs for victory in the allotted 30 overs, but they too could not get off to a flying start.
Pathan and Shahab Ahmad opened their innings exactly the same way as their GP Pak Stars’ counterparts.
Dar Black Panthers too lost their first wicket of Ahmad in the second over and the second wicket of Sandeep Kumar in the third over.
Opener Pathan and Chirayush Barot, slotted in at number four, then laid the foundation for an easy victory, and did crucial partnership of 56 runs.
Barot then lost his wicket to a brilliant delivery executed by GP Pak Stars’ Khan at his individual score of 21 runs, which included three boundaries, and the team score at 62 runs.
Anas Mansuri continued the chase along with Pathan, who made a good 42 runs at run-a-ball, which included six boundaries, before getting out at the team score of 72 runs.
By then, however, Dar Black Panthers were cruising towards victory at an easy pace.
Gurvinder Singh joined Mansuri and both took their team’s score towards the 100-run mark.
Singh got out at his individual score of 20 runs from 15 balls, which included three boundaries.
Mansuri and Ashish Chopda took the score past the target and Dar Black Panthers ended up with 122 runs on the scoreboard, losing only five wickets in 22.2 overs.
Dar Black Panthers, in this case, have got off to a flying start in the competition.
Gurvinder Singh was awarded man of the match prize for his brilliant all-round performance for the tie’s eventual winners.
The cricketer got 30,000/- in cash prize from the prize sponsors, General Petroleum Ltd.
The 2021 30-over DC MNML 30-over, held under the auspices of Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA), is one of regional tournaments aiming at raising cricket standard at the local level.
The GP Pak Stars members of the bowling unit, Wahid Hussain and Tambwe Rashid, recorded two wickets apiece, which could not help them weaken Dar Black Panthers’ resolve.
Hussain had a six-over spell, leaking 35 runs, whereas Rashid had a five-wicket spell, which included a maiden over, leaking 15 runs.
