The Dukhan operations team won the fifth Chairman’s Cup Cricket Tournament conducted by Qatar Petroleum at DUKHAN. The prize distribution ceremony was held after the finals on Saturday between Dukhan Operations and QP Gas Operations teams. The Acting Director Operations Mr. Eid Mubarak Al-Muhannadi was chief guest and gave away the trophy to the winning team. The Runners-up trophy was given away by the guest of Honor Mr. Nasser J. Al Kuwari, Acting Operations Manager, Dukhan.

Other VIP guests included Mr. Syed Mansoor Rizvi Welfare Secretary Pakistan Embassy, Mr. Haroon President Pakistan Cricket Academy , Mr. Khalid Al Sahlawi, the Community Services Manager Dukhan, Mr. Abdullah Al Jaber Acting President Sports Committee and Aun Ali Lakhani Tournament Cordinator

In spite of the hot weather conditions the spectators thoroughly enjoyed the match, including some of the families women and children who had come Mesaieed and Doha.

The prize for best fielder of the tournament was won by Mr. Majid Khan of OXY Petroleum, the best batsman by Rizwan Pawne of Dukhan Operations, the best bowler by Naushad Keloth of QP DT, the best all-rounder by Shuaib Shaikh of Nakilat.

Scores Finals:
Dukhan Operations vs QP Gas Operations
Dukhan Operations – 125 for 8 in 20 Overs.
QP Gas Operations – 84 all out in 17 Overs
Dukhan Operations Won THE Match & Tournament.
Man of Finals – Rizwan Pawne – Dukhan operations

Scores Semi-Finals:
QP Gas Operations vs RLC
RLC – 91 for 8 in 15 Overs
QP Gas Operations – 92 for 6 In 12.4 overs
QP Gas Operations WON the match.
Man-of-Match – Ashok Patkar, QP Gas Operations

Dukhan Operations vs Amwaj
AMWAJ – 100 for 9 In 15 Overs
Dukhan Operations – 101 for 6 in 14.5 Overs.
Dukhan Operations WON the match.
Man-of-Match – Rizwan Pawne, Dukhan Operations

Thus, it curtains once again for another tournament, well organised and well conducted. Teams from all over Qatar love to come and play on this grassy ground and enjoy the hospitality of the local management. Kudos to the Dukhan Community Services Dept. and Dukhan Sports Committee and Congratulations to the Dukhan operations Team.

Finals & Semi-Finals – Complete Match Report...
The Final match began with Dukhan Operations winning the toss and electing to bat. They lost the first wicket in the first over but after that batted sedately scoring at over five runs an over. At the loss of their skipper Arif’s wicket, to a run-out, in walked the big man, Rizwan, the mainstay of their batting in the tournament. Rizwan and Robin took the score to 67, when again due to a misunderstanding Rizwan was back in the pavilion after a steady 18. A delectable reverse sweep by Rizwan over wide third man which sailed for a six could well be classified as the shot of the tournament. Robin soon followed after having scored 22. Parab, kept one end up as wickets fell at the other end. Parab was out with the score at 96, having made 20 with two sixes. A big score looked unlikely, but Aftab Alam and Christin played with a lot of common sense, stealing singles, and with two big hits from Aftab, the board showed 125 for 8 after 20 overs. A defendable total, considering the tournament had not seen many scores in excess of 90 in 15 over matches. The Gas Operations started well in the run chase till they lost both their openers of consecutive balls in the third over to good catches. Sumesh and Musharraf kept the scoreboard moving, till they too departed in quick succession. Ashok Patkar too couldn’t show his big hitting prowess and he too holed out in the 11th over with the total reading 45. After that it was downhill for Gas operations. Jotish, the man-of-match in the semifinals, too perished in trying to up the going rate. Irfan did a lone battle, but the big hitting got the better of him when on 22, he was caught behind off Robin. With the fight gone out. two more wickets tumbled at 82 and the innings closed at 84 with three overs to spare. Robin was the pick of the bowlers, conceding 4 runs in 1.3 overs with two wickets. Zaman, Rizwan and Parab also took two wickets each. It was a clinical victory for a better balanced team. Dukhan Operations haven’t dropped many catches during the tournament. Their fielding has been top notch, throw in flat and fast, and teams have been unable to steal runs. This is what has contributed to their bagging the cup, apart from Rizwan Pawne, who has almost single-handedly carried the batting burden on his literally broad shoulders, doing justice to the best batsman prize. Incidentally he also won the man-of-match awards for both the finals and the semi-finals.

Semifinals...
The day earlier, both the semi finals were keenly contested affairs. In the first semi-finals, RLC won the toss and elected to bat. They lost wickets regularly as they tried to overcome the QP Gas Operations bowling. Only Intikhab stood like a wall, as wickets fell at the other end. There was one partnership with Zakaria for 27. Intikhab fell in the 13th over and the RLC total could only hit the 91 mark, for 8 wickets, in their allotted 15 overs.

Responding to a fighting total QP Gas Operation tottered against RLC, as has been their wont this year. They were docked two overs by the Tournament Committee, for arriving late. Thus they had only 13 overs to overcome their opponents’ score. They lost three wickets in the first over with only one run on the board. Then ensured a partnership of 53 runs between Musharaf and Ashok Patkar, till Musharraf left in the 9th over for 24. Patkar followed him back to the pavilion in the next over having made 18. They were well behind the asking rate. It was only in the 13th over, that Jotish Pillai carted Rahees for three fours to take Gas operations over the winning line with two balls to spare. Ashok Patkar won the man of the match for his all-round effort of 18 runs and two wickets. Sainuddin of RLC took three wickets. RLC have only themselves to blame for dropping more than their fair quota of catches which cost them the match.

The second semifinals between Dukhan Operations and AMWAJ Catering was the real final of the tournament. The match went to the wire. Amwaj won the toss and elected to bat. They scored steadily at around five runs an over, runs coming mainly off singles and twos. They lost wickets regularly and pushed the score to exactly the 100 mark. Felix scored 23, Anwar Khan 21 and Govinda 15. Rizwan and Parab took 2 wickets each while Deepak Zagade took 3. Dukhan Operations in reply, lost Robin early in the first over and Mustafa followed in the third. Then ensured a partnership of 71 runs between Rizwan and Arif which put the Amwaj boys on their back foot. This wouldn’t have been but for Rizwan being dropped very early in his innings, a let off, ten yards inside the midwicket fence. Rizwan penalized the error, sending AMWAJ on a leather (rubber?) hunt, by carting five sixes in his innings of 42. Arif went for 24 at the score of 86, and Rizwan followed at the score of 90, but by then the gap was only 11 runs required. There was a flurry of wickets and a small hope ensued for AMWAJ as their spirits lifted. The local team was batting in fading light with six runs required off the last over. But Parab (9) ensured there would be no more hiccups when he beautifully and exquisitely square drove the first ball of the last over and it raced to the point boundary to tie the score. The one run required for victory was academic but Parab too fell and the victory came in the fifth ball. For The AMWAJ boys, their flawless and clinical performances in the tournament had given them the confidence that they could take the cup. In the end it was experience which won over youth, proving the old adage that the game is played more in the mind than on the field. The AMWAJ boys are sure to come back with renewed vigour next year to lay their hands on the cup. - S.S.Narayanan.