Students secure fourth successive title

East London Advertiser: Action from the latest matches in the Chance to Shine competition at UEL (pic UEL)Action from the latest matches in the Chance to Shine competition at UEL (pic UEL) (Image: Archant)

Newham College secured a fourth consecutive Chance to Shine title with a win over previously unbeaten NewVic in the penultimate week of the Essex Cricket Board’s FE Chance to Shine indoor cricket tournament at the UEL SportsDock.

Newham won the toss and put their opponents in to bat and struck immediately as Sagar Joshi was removed for a golden duck by Muhammad Rahim.

Manev Patel was no more fortunate, also departing first ball as he was caught by Nas Ahmed.

Abdullah Khan and Arsalan Khan put in better performances with the bat as they each scored 13 runs, although Abdullah scored his from 16 deliveries and Arsalan raced to his score in just four.

East London Advertiser: Action from the latest matches in the Chance to Shine competition at UEL (pic UEL)Action from the latest matches in the Chance to Shine competition at UEL (pic UEL) (Image: Archant)

The ducks continued to pile up for NewVic, however, as Kalim Kahn was bowled by Atesaam Syed after facing six deliveries and failing to score.

NewVic looked in very bad shape with just one wicket left in hand and only 34 runs on the board after 5.1 overs, but last man Sharjeel Mirjat rescued the innings and gave NewVic a respectable total.

Mirjat scored 24 runs from 28 balls and took the innings to the penultimate ball before he was run out by Rahim.

Newham needed just 67 runs to win the title and Rahim followed up his excellent bowling figures with 25 not out to establish the chase.

The rest of the Newham order did not fare as well as Ahmed was bowled by Mirjat for nine, Syed was trapped LBW by Kalim Khan for just three and Arsalan Kahn ran out Shafi Uddin for duck.

But Newham weren’t about ready to surrender their title as Irfan Ghuthus (7) and Khaqan Adbullah (4) put on an unbeaten stand at the end to see them over the line with three balls to spare for a three-wicket win and yet another title.

Meanwhile, George Monoux College pulled off a stunning last-over victory against Leyton Sixth Form.

Opener Arbaz Ali was bowled for a first-ball duck by Usman Majid but opening partner Hamza Shakeel fared slightly better, scoring 10 runs with one boundary, before being caught out by Fareed Hussain, again off the bowling of Majid.

However, George Monoux were able to somewhat halt their poor start thanks to Qasim Ali, who began a terrific onslaught against the Leyton attack, as wickets continued to fall around him.

Hanif Khan was bowled for six runs by Bilal Imran, Faizan Mahmood departed for just three and Najeeb Mir was bowled by Hussain for six, but Ali scored an incredible 46 from just 22 deliveries, smashing four boundaries and a six.

He eventually fell, caught by Imran off the bowling of Tabarak Hussain, to leave Leyton needing 95 runs to win.

Fareed Hussain and Umer Farooq opened the batting for Leyton and got off to a terrific start.

Hussain scored 27 runs and retired, while Farooq added 10 runs and was then caught out with Leyton ahead in the chase at 55-1 after 4.4 overs.

Mir briefly put George Monoux back in the game, bowling Tabarak for duck, but Imran came in next and slashed 20 runs from 10 balls with a four and a maximum.

Majid departed for a slow three runs and Leyton entered the final over needing just four runs with three wickets in hand.

But what followed was a stunning collapse as Farreed Hussain, who had returned to the crease and was now on 31 runs, was caught out by Ali off the bowling of Shakeel.

The following delivery saw Imran fall and then Arsh Sheikh was given out for obstruction to complete the collapse, with three wickets falling in three balls to secure a two-run victory for George Monoux.