Al Hail wins inaugural All Omani Cricket Cup 2010
21st may 2010

Even as the last floodlight of the Rusayl stadium was switched off, there were still a few players lingering about to absorb the atmosphere they were about to leave. The All Omani Cricket Cup 2010 was a tournament that had struck a united cord between cricket lovers of all ages, nationalities and groups. There were smiles, dancing and singing all around as the tournament finally came to a mesmerizing showdown. Players wanted it to continue, but all good things always come to an end.
For the past month, the organizers had been running around to various corporate houses with their idea of a cricket tournament that would have only Omani born players participating for the first time, and it paid off brilliantly. Institutions such as Al Hashar Group of Companies, Oman Air, Oman Arab Bank, BankMuscat and Mustafa Sultan Exchange enthusiastically voiced their support at the idea of sponsoring Omanis to the game of cricket. And the Omanis were not far behind. Teams, players and individuals called in and registered in hordes and almost everyone wanted to play. It didn’t matter that Cricket was alien to them, they just wanted to play. They wanted to learn. Teams from various places of Oman such as Fanja, Bid Bid, Rusayl, Al Hail, Mawaleh, Al Ansab, Seeb, Sohar and even Salalah chipped in for the tournament. The battle was half won. The real war was to be played on the pitches of Rusayl Stadium, on Friday the 21st of May.
Eight teams battled it out to be the champions of the tournament, and in the end it was a team from Al Hail that carried away the honors and glory of being the champs of the first ever All Omani Cricket Cup 2010. Led by their coach, Moula Baksh, Al Hail ‘A’ beat the likes of Al Hail ‘B’, Rusayl and Fanja to lift the trophy, and afterwards an excited Moula Baksh said, “It has been an honour to play in this tournament with my compatriots and brothers. We will hope and pray that there will be many more such tournaments in the future, and hopefully Omanis will pick up this beautiful game and spread it around”. There were many positives to come out of this tournament. A sizeable crowd had turned up for the tournament that had started at 4pm and ended with a prize distribution at 10pm, and they cheered and danced away for the teams. Teams played their matches, relaxed to the atmosphere, had drinks and enjoyed their complimentary food served by the organizing committee. Matches were played with a huge zeal and enthusiasm by the players and many talented players played to their potential and possibly more. And they were rightly so awarded.
Mr. Rajesh Sharma (Business Development Manager, Al Hashar Company) and Mr. Jha (Marketing Manager, TATA Motors) gave away the prizes as honorable chief guests of the night. There were huge cheers and applauds as the prizes were handed out to individual winners of the tournament and the happiness could not be hidden from the players’ faces. Mr. Rajesh Sharma gave a speech to the players and said “What we have seen here, we hope it continues for many years to come, and we Al Hashar Group of Companies will be at the forefront to support Omanis and the tournament at any given time. We are proud to have sponsored this tournament and congratulate the players and organizers for a fantastic tournament.” Mr. Jha added, “This is not only a victory for one particular team. This is a victory for all the teams who have come to play and enjoy. All are true winners”.
The night was summed up when one visibly emotional organizer exclaimed, “Today Omanis have won the hearts of many, including the game of cricket”.
Results
1st Match
Fanja Vs Travel City
Toss won by Travel City and decided to bat
Travel City- 30/2 ( Mansoor- 7, Talal-4) in 6 overs
Fanja - 33/ 4 in 5.5 Overs (Ahmed- 9, Abdulla-7)
Man of The Match - Ahmed Mubarak

2nd Match
Al Ansab Vs Russayl
Toss won by Russayl and decided to field
Al Ansab - 11 Runs from 6 overs and all out
Russayl - 12 /2 in 3.4 Overs
Man of the Match - Hilal Hameed

3rd Match
Al Seeb vs Al Mawaleh
Toss won by Mawaleh and decided to field.
Al Seeb- 33 /3 (Khalid Mohammed-9, Waleed Salam-6) in 6 overs
Al Mawaleh- 34 /1 ( Mohammed Esri - 13, Hilal Al Barwani - 6) in 5.4 Overs
Man of the Match- Mohammed Esri

4th Match
Al Hail “A” vs. Al Hail “B”
Toss won by Al Hail “B” team and decided to field
Al Hail “A” Team- 62/4 in 6 overs ( Said Altaf- 28 not out)
Al Hail “B” Team- 38/4 ( in Six overs)
Man of the Match - Said Altaf

1st Semifinal - Fanja Vs Al Mawaleh
Toss won by Fanja and Decided to Field
Al Mawaleh- 43/4 in Six overs ( Mohammed Esri - 16)
Fanja - 45/2 in 5.3 Overs (Hani Khalfan - 15 not out, Ahmed - 8)
Man of the Match – Ahmed

2nd Semi final
Russayl vs. Al Hail A
Russayl won the Toss and elected to Field
Al Hail A - 69 all out in 5.3 Overs ( Sharif- 26, Altaf- 8)
Russayl - 7 Runs in 3.3 overs
Man of The Match - Sharif Al Hail A

Final Match Al Hail A vs. Fanja CC
Toss Won by Al hail A and decided to bat first
Al Hail A - 57 Runs all out - 5.5 overs (Sharif-15, Altaf-10)
Fanja Cricket Club - 35/4 in 6 overs (Talal-7, Khalil-7)
Man of the Match – Said Altaf


Individual Honours
· Best Wicket Keeper (Suleiman Mubarak, Fanja Cricket Club)
· Best Bowler (Khalfan Mubarak, Rusayl)
· Best Batsman (Mohamed Esri, Mawaleh)
· Best Fielder (Khamis, Fanja)
· Best Young Player (Khalil Hameed, Rusayl)
· Man of the Final (Sharif Al Balushi, Al Hail ‘A’)
· Man of the tournament (Said Altaf, Al Hail ‘A’)

ALL SET FOR FIRST ALL OMANI CRICKET 2010

With the tournament just around the corner, the organizers of the All Omani Cricket 2010 held a Team Captains meeting, at the McDonalds restaurant in Qurum, to brief the sides on the rules, regulations and major attractions of the tournaments. They then held draws for the matches to be played.

There have been eight teams finally confirmed for the tournament, and the organizers have been in a jubilant mood to have captured Omani players who are going to play their cricket for the very first time. The main aim was to spread the game of cricket among Omanis and increase their participation in various other tournaments. The teams consist of players from Bid Bid, Fanja, Al Hail, Seeb, Mawaleh, Ruwi and Al Ansab. During the draw, the organizers informed that ever since the announcement of the tournament, there had been many calls from enthusiastic Omani teams and players wanting to participate and try out the game, but due to time and team limits, only eight teams could be confirmed.

It must not be forgotten that all the participating teams are playing cricket for the first time, hence the game is very new and alien to them. Abbas Albalushi, an organizer and senior player in the OCC leagues, had held various coaching camps for these players and taught them the basic rules and regulations of the game. He has seen enough talent and fervor in the players to know that they will not give up the game after the tournament. “The players looked so excited and taken in by the awe of game. They asked so many questions about Cricket and wanted to know how they could improve themselves. They can’t wait to play in the tournament”, he said.

The organizers wished to thank their sponsors, Tata Motors, Oman Air, BankMuscat, Oman Arab Bank and Mustafa Sultan Exchange, and they were quick to point out that without their support, this tournament would not have been possible. They unanimously voiced that the Sponsors had jumped at the idea of supporting Omanis in cricket and gave their full support towards the tournament.

Inquisitive passerby’s present during the meet wished all the team captains the best of luck for the tournament. The organizers now hope that there will be a good crowd on the day to cheer and spur their compatriots and friends to glory. There will be live commentary, a DJ to entertain the crowd and the overall atmosphere would suit a family themed audience.

Matches:

Game 1: Fanja CC vs Travel City (4.15pm)
Game 2: Seeb CC vs Al Mawaleh (5.00pm)
Game 3: Al Ansab vs Rusayl CT (6.00pm)
Game 4: Al Hail ‘A’ vs Al Hail ‘B’ (6.45pm)

Prize Distribution after Final.