WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015 SPORTS Mahmoud Bastaki presenting the Ahli United Bank CUP winner trophy to Boubyan skipper Faraaz Azizuddin. Watching the presentation is Asad Baig, Director General, Kuwait Cricket & Abdul Mohsen M. Al-Rushaid, Senior AUB trophy Runner Up National Bank of Kuwait flanked with Asad Baig, Mahmoud Bastaki, Abdul Mohsen Al Manager, Public Relations Dept. of National Bank of Kuwait. Rushaid, Leslie Rice, Andre Loots & Murali Kutticode Boubyan Bank lift coveted AUB Cup KFH wins Plate final KUWAIT: Boubyan Bank, billed up as one of just 13 runs on board applied brakes on the (18 runs) and Raja ( 12 runs) put up a brave the topnotch teams in the banking circuit and scoring rate but the flamboyant Amir Javed fight tackling the spinners and later Rahman( on a day when everything went on their way blasted a hurricane 33 with 2 fours & 2 sixes 15 runs) clouted 2 sixes to accelerate the scor- bagged their second trophy of the season and in an attempt to slog one, holed out to ing but wickets fell from one end and NBK when they chalked out a 39 runs victory over the deep long on region. could muster 95 runs in their allotted 20 National Bank of Kuwait to lift the coveted At 58 for 4, Hisham Mirza and Faraaz overs. AUB CUP 2015. grounded out the highest partnership of the Rifkaz and Allwyn took two wickets each to KFH won the Plate final by prevailing over match as the duo not only laid a match win- share the bowling honors while Hisham, Amir a spirited challenge posted by Commercial ning foundation but also pulled the match and Mazhar got a wicket each. Hisham Mirza Bank of Kuwait in a day & night match played out of NBK’s grasp and back into a competi- for his all-round cricketing skills was declared at the Sulaibiya ground. tive contest when it looked like NBK were in Player of the Match. Kuwait Cricket, under the auspices of high spirits with their tail up. Both the bats- Earlier, KFH firing all their guns bagged the Kuwait Olympic Committee is a full member men, after some nervous moments slowly Plate finals of the AUB trophy by defeating of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and an took control of the situation and build up a 54 CBK. Known for playing entertaining and qual- Associate member of International Cricket runs partnership for the 6th wicket. ity cricket KFH using the wicket first scored Council (ICC). Under the patronage of Sheikh Faraaz, using his feet lifted the spinners 156 runs. Riding on a skillful knock of 56 runs Dhari Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, who is our twice over log off and his 29 runs was a key by Captain Faraaz and an entertaining innings inspirational President, Kuwait is an upcoming factor in Boubyan reaching 100 in the 16th of 36 runs by Nizar Ahmad, KFH laid a solid cricketing Nation in the international cricket- over. Hisham playing a cool and steady game foundation as the batsmen untroubled by the ing arena. Under the guidance and encour- thumped a four and a six to remain unbeaten hostile spell of Habib and Nitin went on to agement of Haider Farman, Honarary with 35 runs as Boubyan scored 134 runs in score at a brisk pace. A late onslaught of 36 Secretary of Kuwait Cricket, Kuwait has hosted their allotted 20 overs. runs by Irfan added more impetus to the KFH 13 International cricket tournaments under Imran bowled steadily well to bag 3 wick- total. the umbrella of ICC (International Cricket ets for 27 runs while Mohammed, Raja and CBK in their chase to bag their third Plate Council) & ACC (Asian Cricket Council). Kiran shared a wicket each but it was final lost their star opener Nitin quite early and Boubyan Bank, last year’s title holders of Rahaman’s spell of 1 for 13 in 4 overs which their batsmen found the hostile KFH bowlers AUB trophy played like a well-oiled machine, was really outstanding. too tough to handle. Zaheer Abbas banged a lived up to their reputation and not letting Chasing 135 on a spinning track was quick fire 35 runs but the run rate had gone so AUB trophy winners Boubyan team flanked with Asad Baig, Mahmoud Bastaki, Abdul down the hopes of their top Management indeed tough but NBK took up the challenge high that it was beyond the reach of the tail Mohsen Al Rushaid, Leslie Rice, Andre Loots & Murali Kutticode personnel Mr. Leslie Rice & Andre Loots who as Captain Khuram Rana leading from the enders. Was the pick of the bowlers grabbing were glued to their seat irrespective of the front whacked a run a ball 29 runs to give NBK 3 wickets but KFH captain was selected as Winners trophy to Faraaz Azizuddin of the Plate Runner up trophy to Habib of CBK. scorching heat to support & encourage their a rollicking start. Reading the wicket very well Player of the match for his solid 56 runs. Boubyan Bank while Leslie Rice presented the Mehaboob Khan Pathan, Director Women’s team. The title defense started when Boubyan the Boubyan skipper deployed the spinners Murali Kutticode, Director, Junior and Cup Runner up trophy to Khuram Rana of cricket presented the Player of the Match tro- batting first made a slight change in their bat- from both the end as Rifkas Ibrahim, Allwyn Corporate Cricket welcomed the guest and NBK. phy to Hisham Mirza. ting line up, holding back their prolific scorer and Hisham spun a web around the NBK bats- players during the concluding prize distribu- Abdul Mohsen Al-Rushaid did the honors The match was officiated by Riaz Ameer Javed and letting Saber & Alwyn face men and the slow turning track provided a lot tion ceremony. Mahmoud Bastaki, represent- of presenting the Plate Winners trophy to Choudhary & Zahid Usman while scoring was the hostile NBK attack. Two quick wickets for of assistance to the Boubyan bowlers. Kiran ing Ahli United Bank presented the Cup Faraaz of KFH while Andre Loots handed over ably performed by Nadeem. World Cup row spices up World Cup set for Bangladesh-India Test FATULLAH: Lingering memories of a World Cup controversy which cash bonanza erupted nearly three months ago will return to centre stage when Bangladesh host India for a one-off Test, which starts today, and but what about rugby? three one-day internationals. The Test match in Fatullah on the outskirts of Dhaka will be the LONDON: Today marks 100 days to the by Lancaster last month after being found first meeting between the two teams since their contentious World start of the 2015 World Cup in England, guilty of assaulting two female police offi- Cup quarter-final in Melbourne in March which India won by 109 with officials forecasting it will be, in eco- cers and a taxi driver after a late night out runs. nomic terms, the most successful in the in Leicester. “As role models and ambas- Bangladesh were left fuming at what they saw as unfair umpir- tournament’s 28-year, eight edition histo- sadors for the game, the highest stan- ing decisions, prompting government minister Mustafa Kamal to ry. The competition is set to yield a record dards of behavior are expected from resign as president of the International Cricket Council alleging £650 million ($999 million, 883 million every England player both on and off the Indian bias. euros) in revenue and World Rugby chief field,” Lancaster said when announcing The players publicly stated they have moved on from the World executive Brett Gosper believes the tour- Tuilagi’s exclusion. It was more of a purely Cup, but fans in cricket-mad Bangladesh can be expected to nament could do more for the British rugby issue that led Lancaster to drop remind the tourists of how their team were “robbed” of a semi-final economy than the 2012 Olympic Games Dylan Hartley from his plans after the spot. “Playing at home is our best chance to beat India and take in London. England hooker’s latest disciplinary indis- revenge for what happened at the World Cup,” said Dhaka student “The World Cup will generate £1bn of cretion-a four-week ban for headbutting Amir Hossain. direct economic impact, £2.5bn indirect. Saracens’ Jamie George in Northampton’s Keen to avoid a backlash from home supporters, authorities It is probably greater than the Olympics if Premiership final defeat. have ordered that an Islamic seminary near the stadium be closed you take out the capital expenditure of an That meant Hartley would miss for the duration of the Test and provocative banners will be prohib- Olympics (the London Games cost £8.9 England’s three World Cup warm-up ited in the stands.India’s Test captain Virat Kohli hoped the World billion to stage),” Gosper told the Financial games and the tournament opener Cup controversy would not affect relations between the two teams. Times. against Fiji at Twickenham on September “We had issues in the past but we have moved ahead,” Kohli said With the likes of London’s Twickenham, 18. in Kolkata on Sunday before the team departed for Dhaka. the 80,000 capacity all-seater venue for There are those who argue Tuilagi’s “We are going to play and try and win a Test match, that’s our the final, long known as a major rugby absence, something the team have primary focus. There won’t be any grudges or ill feelings about the ground and many of the other stadiums become used to while he has been side- opposition.