Deccan Gladiators-MGM beat Ajman Heroes in Ajman T20 Cup opener

Danish Qureshi came up with a Man of the Match performance as the Deccan Gladiators-MGM scored a comprehensive five-wicket win over Ajman Heroes in the opening match of the AVR Pay News Ajman T20 Cup, powered by SkyExchange.Net, at the Malek Cricket Stadium in Ajman on Sunday.

Put into bat, Dawood Ejaz top scored with 54 as Ajman Heroes managed to post 141 in 18.4 overs. Qureshi picked up three wickets for 28, while Ahmad Shafiq took three for 34. Saifullah Noor returned with two for 24. In reply, Waqas Ali scored an unbeaten 37, while Ansar Khan made 34 as the Deccan Gladiators-MGM reached home in 17.1 overs.

“It was the first match and I wanted to perform well and I hope I can continue this form. The wicket was a sporting one but my captain guided me and I bowled according to his plan,” said Qureshi.

Adeel Malik, captain of Deccan Gladiators-MGM, said: “We are very happy that we got off to a winning start. All my boys played according to a plan. Although we got off to a good start, we lost some quick wickets. But Waqas Ali amd Laxman Manjrekar batted sensibly and took us to victory.”

Adnan Ul Mulk, the skipper of Ajman Heroes felt they were 20 to 30 runs short. “We were 20 to 30 runs short. We could have batted a bit more sensibly. It was a nice atmosphere and an enjoyable contest. We will come back learning from this defeat.”

Earlier, the tournament got off to an electrifying start with a colourful opening ceremony.

“This event will add to UAE’s excellent journey in cricket where they have qualified not once but thrice to play in the ICC World Cups. All performances from this tournament will be captured and passed on to franchise leagues around the world. It was through the Abu Dhabi T10 League that West Indies star Nicholas Pooran displayed his potential and went on to become one of the most sought after cricketers in the world,” Shaji Ul Mulk, secretary general of the Ajman Cricket Council, said.

Shaji Ul Mulk also noted: “Ajman Cricket Council is today a force to reckon with in domestic cricket. We have six grounds, two more are in the making, and there are 15 cement wickets too. We have staged nearly 5000 games, which is a significant number." After unveiling the trophy, Shaji Ul Mulk declared the tournament open with a message "let the best team win."

This tournament is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Humaid Al Nuaimi of Ajman.

The ceremony was attended by former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, Parvez Khan, Ajman Cricket Council’s Director of Cricket, Muhammad Saifullah, Director Cricket Operations, Ajman Cricket Council, and Fayaz Ali, Director of Marketing, Ajman Cricket Council.

Brief scores:

Deccan Gladiators-MGM beat Ajman Heroes by 5 wickets.

Ajman Heroes: 141 in 18.4 overs (Dawood Ejaz 54, Ahmad Shafiq 3 for 34, Danish Qureshi 3 for 28, Saifullah Noor 2 for 24) Deccan Gladiators-MGM 145-5 in 17.1 overs (Ansar Khan 34, Rahul Chopra 20, Waqas Ali 37 n.o).

Man of the Match: Danish Qureshi.