Junior cricket talent was well served over the past three weeks and more is in store when the Inter-Emirate Under 19 national tournament gets under way from April 11 to 16.
The Inter-Emirate tournament will also be a trial for the UAE age-group team, but the country’s best young cricketers have already given a glimpse of their talents at the recently concluded national U16 tournament followed by the Arch Trophy for U19 and the Arch Cup U15.
See also:
• UAE in focus: Promising all-rounder Yodhin Punja granted cricket scholarship with English school
• UAE youngster Yodhin Punja, 16, shines against Pakistan batters
• UAE star of the week: Abu Dhabi schoolboy hopes to emulate cricket hero Sachin Tendulkar
The annual Arch event, conducted by Sportarabia Worldwide, is a pre-season competition for visiting English schools and academies.
This year it drew 16 teams in both age groups and was played across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, and Al Dhaid, Sharjah.
The tournament also gave local players an opportunity to put themselves in the shop window as potential candidates for cricket scholarships from the English schools.
Yodhin Punja, who became the youngest player at 16 to represent the UAE in two formats, first class and one-day international, is one of the youngsters to have received a cricket scholarship from Claremont High School and will leave for England in June.
The young all-rounder featured in the four-day Intercontinental Cup and an ODI in the World Cricket League both against Hong Kong earlier this year.
“The Arch Trophy is an excellent tournament because we as young players get the opportunity to play against foreign teams at an early age,” said Yodhin, who topped the bowling charts with 11 wickets in four games, including five for 30 from eight overs against Radley College.
“I was playing in the third Arch competition this year and it helped me in the cricket scholarship. I wish my colleagues too will benefit. But above all, it is the experience.”
Jonathan Figy may be another potential beneficiary as he became the most talked-about local player among the visiting English schools.
The left-handed opener from Zayed Cricket Academy played in both the Arch Trophy U19 and was captain in the Arch Cup U15, impressing with his batting, scoring two centuries in the two age-group competitions.
Jonathan, who turns 15 on August 25, is an immense cricket talent. He has been playing at U19 level since last year and has been a prolific scorer for both Zayed Academy and Abu Dhabi Indian School.
Zayed Cricket Academy won both the Arch Trophy and the Arch Cup.
The academy’s seniors edged out Eastbourne College by seven runs and the juniors were resounding winners by 119 runs over Our Own Zenith-Sharjah, the winners of the UAE National School League.
The other two local sides in the competition were ICC Warriors and Dubai International Academy.
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