Dubai: Luxury Zone, Rising Stars, AUZ Challengers and Arabian Dominators began their campaigns in the AUZ T20 Cricket Tournament on a winning note, securing two points each after defeating Fab XI, Nawayath Cricketers Dubai (NCD), Ajman Brothers and Dr Haneef Warriors, respectively, in the opening four matches played on Sunday at Sharjah Stadium.
In the opening match, Luxury Zone posted a formidable 163 for seven in their allotted 20 overs against Fab XI. In reply, Fab XI were bowled out for 100 with four balls to spare, handing Luxury Zone a convincing 63-run victory. Nauman was the star performer for the winners, scoring 62 off 39 balls and playing a key role in his team's success.
Rising Stars defeated Nawayath Cricketers Dubai (NCD) by 51 runs in the second match. Batting first, Rising Stars were bowled out for 161 in 20 overs, with Sahil Sauda contributing a brisk 51 off 31 balls. NCD, in reply, were bowled out for 110 in the first ball of the 17th over. Sauda made an equally impressive impact with the ball, claiming four wickets to emerge as the standout performer of the match and help secure a comprehensive victory for his team.
In the third match, AUZ Challengers scored 163 for eight in their 20 overs against Ajman Brothers, with Ismail Khan leading the batting effort with an impressive 75 runs. Ajman Brothers could manage only 93 runs in their allotted 20 overs, giving AUZ Challengers a commanding 70-run victory. The win also sent a strong message to the other teams that the defending champions remain serious contenders for the title. Ismail Khan backed up his batting performance by taking two wickets.
The fourth match saw a closely fought contest, with Arabian Dominators defeating Dr Haneef Warriors by 13 runs. Batting first, Arabian Dominators scored 147 for seven in 20 overs. Chasing the target, Dr Haneef Warriors came close to pulling off the chase but finished at 134 for eight in their allotted overs, falling short by 13 runs.
An interesting feature of Sunday's opening round was that all four teams batting first went on to win their matches. None of the chasing sides managed to reach the targets set by their opponents.
The competition is expected to intensify next Sunday, as the teams that suffered defeats will be keen to get their campaigns back on track, while the winners will look to maintain their winning momentum.
The next round of matches, scheduled for November 15, will be played as follows:
- Match 5 – 9 am: Arabian Dominators vs Rising Stars
- Match 6 – 1 pm: Ajman Brothers vs Fab XI
- Match 7 – 5 pm: Nawayath Cricketers Dubai vs Dr Haneef Warriors
Match 8 – 9 pm: Luxury Zone vs AUZ Challengers