Men’s Tier 1 Division
A late fightback was not enough to prevent DBMSC Steel was overcoming the Jamia by one run keeping their unbeaten record going after day four of Men’s Tier 1.
30 runs in the second pair from Vikrant Shetty and Ruwan Chandra appeared to set the Steel on the path to a comfortable in their chase of 63, but the Jamia fought back, seven wickets falling in the next seven overs as both Lee Evans (2/0) and Royeth Hussain (3/0) took two wickets each. Suddenly, the Steel were left with 10 to score off the final over. Wasim Zahoor and Farhan Khan got them over the line, just, with Zahoor getting the two runs needed off Michael Gallear off the final ball to seal the tight win.
In other matches, the Barbarians blitzed the Rebels by 103 runs after restricting them to just 41 in their turn at bat. The Barbarians all round game is showing through with three of their players sitting in the top five for overall contributions – Stacy Hyndman, Navin Patel, and captain Daniel Van Hees.
While the Avengers got past the Lions in an all-UAE battle, whilst the Red Knights have been the surprise package – their victory over the Foxes has seen them vault into second place with just one loss.
With just one round to go, five teams remain in contention for the semi-finals, but it will be a question of the positioning of each team. The Steel (32 points) will take on the Knights (27 points) in a top of the table clash. The Barbarians, third with 26 points, are a good chance to go up the ladder with a win over the Lions, who are in a must-win scenario, currently fifth on 21 points. Jamia also have an opportunity to make ground on the top sides when they take on the Foxes. The Avengers and Rebels will face off, with the former in contention for the Plate play off.
Men’s Tier 2 Division
The Canberra Gators and Elite Warriors remain atop the standings of Men’s Tier 2 after both scored wins against the Wolves yesterday. The Warriors have the edge with two additional bonus points, but both teams are locked in for the semi-finals. Where they finish will depend on the results of the final two second phase matches today, when they are scheduled to meet again.
Austasia, sitting in third place after a big win over Lords yesterday, may have a chance to capitalise on that result when they take on the Strikers later today. The Wolves are in fourth and round out the semi-finalists, whilst for the Strikers and Lords, yet to get a win on the board, it will be a case for refining their game for the Plate title on Saturday.
Men’s Tier 3 Division
The Spartans and Tigers have emerged as clear favourites in Men’s Tier 3, topping the standings comfortably from the other teams. The Tigers, five from five so far, remain as one of only three unbeaten sides in the tournament alongside the Steel and UAE’s Vipers (Women’s Division). The Spartans dispatched the Falcons and then overcame the Warriors in a low-scoring tussle. Meanwhile, the Tigers piled up 154 against Tamworth.
Three teams are vying for the other semi-final spots, which will come down to the Warriors (19.5 points), LRD Colombo (19) and Falcons (17). There is still much to play for with several sides having two games remaining today.
Women’s Division
The Vipers’ run differential of 207 has underlined their dominance so far this week, as the UAE side is currently unbeaten after four rounds. The Lords Women have also put up a fight, with their three wins from five matches leading them to second place.
The Phoenix has an outside chance of taking the second final spot with two games today against the Vipers and Lords, whilst Lords themselves have one game left against the Vipers. The bottom two sides will play off for the Plate.
