Khizar Hayat helps Malaysia win ICC WCL Division Four

Malaysia secured a comfortable 57-run win over hosts Singapore to win the 2014 edition of the ICC World Cricket League Division Four on Saturday (June 28). Denmark got the better of Italy by 35 runs to finish third, while Oman’s 36-run win over Jersey ensured fifth place.

Singapore’s bowlers did a reasonable job of restricting Malaysia to 235 for 7 after Saad Januja, the captain, elected to field at the Kallang Ground. Amjad Mahboob, the right-arm medium pacer, castled Nasir Shafiq for 8 to put Malaysia on the back foot early. Anwar Arudin was the next to fall, caught off Christopher Janik’s leg-spin, for a 41-ball 43. Malaysia needed a big score from someone in the middle order, but while Ahmed Faiz (33), Suhan Alagaratnam (22), Shaifq Sharif (19) and Suharril Fetri (23) all got off to starts, neither stay on to capitalise and make a big score. Khizar Hayat, who came in at No.5, then made the difference, smashing three boundaries and four sixes en route to 48-ball 63, to take Malaysia to a defendable total.

Janik picked up two wickets for Singapore, returning 2 for 46 from his quota, while Mulewa Dharmichand was economical, taking 1 for 24 in eight overs.

Chaminda Ruwan, Singapore’s in-form opener, who had scored an unbeaten century against Jersey on Friday, carried his good form into the game, top-scoring with 54. He had added 44 for the third wicket in 11 overs with Reza Gaznavi (27) before he was caught off Suharril Fetri. Singapore was 91 for 3 at that juncture, and all it needed was one big partnership thereafter. However, none of the batsmen could stick around long enough, and Singapore was all out for 178 in 46.1 overs.

Fetri bowled a superb spell of off-spin to finish with 3 for 31 off his quota. Pavandeep Singh and Hassan Ghulam took two each, while Khizar Hayat and Mohammad Sikhri took a wicket apiece.

At the Padang, Denmark put up a good total of 275 for 9 after electing to bat first. Bashir Shah then bowled an impressive spell, picking up 3 for 33 in ten overs, to restrict Italy to 240 for 9.

Zameer Khan (54) and Hamid Shah (52), the Denmark openers, gave the team a strong start, putting on 92 for the opening wicket in 20 overs. Zishan Shah, who came in at No.4, steadied the innings during the middle overs with a 70-ball 49. Michael Pedersen (43 off 39 balls), the captain and wicketkeeper, and Amjad Khan (34 off 18 balls), produced a few fireworks towards the end to ensure a healthy total.

Dinidu Marage’s leg-spin fetched him 4 for 33 in ten overs, while Vince Pennazza took three wickets, although he was expensive, leaking 44 runs in his six overs.

Denmark had Italy on the mat during the chase, and with the scorecard reading 61 for 4 after 12.2 overs, the chase looked like an uphill climb. But all that changed, thanks to a 97-run stand between Alessandro Bonora (56) and Michael Raso (52). Once Raso departed in the 33rd over though, Italy’s innings faltered again. Gayashan Munasinghe came up with a valiant effort towards the end, remaining unbeaten on 42 off 43 balls, but couldn’t take his team across the line.

Bashir found good support from Aftab Ahmed, who opened the bowling and took 2 for 26 in six overs, and Anders Bulow, Aftab’s new-ball partner, who finished with 2 for 42 off nine overs.

Over at the Indian Association Ground, Cornelis Bodenstein and Charles Perchard , who took six wickets between them, helped Jersey, who elected to field first, bowl Oman out for 246 in 49 overs. However, Jersey’s batsmen could not capitalise on the good work of the bowlers, and the team was bowled out for 210 in 45.3 overs and, finishing sixth in the competition.

Jatinder Singh, Oman’s No.3, starred with the bat, with a 110-ball 90. He walked in with his team on 23 for 1 after 3.4 overs and let the entire innings build around him. By the time he departed in the 46th over, he had certainly done his job and taken his team to a decent position. But for Jatinder, only two other batsmen – Sultan Ahmed (29), Oman’s captain and wicketkeeper, and Amir Ali (26) made noteworthy contributions.

Watkins finished with 3 for 43 off his ten overs, while Perchard’s eight overs fetched him 3 for 34.

Jersey’s reply got off to a strong start. Peter Gough, the captain, and Edward Farley, who top-scored for his team with 55, put on 87 for the opening wicket in 107 balls. Gough was dismissed by Zeeshan Maqsood for a 54-ball half-century, after which Ben Stevens (37) joined Farley and continued the good work, adding 43 more for the second wicket. With the score on 147 for 2 at one stage, and just the 31st over in progress, Jersey looked on track. But, Oman’s bowlers upset all calculations, as Jersey suffered a collapse to lose eight wickets for 63 runs.

Munis Ansari took 3 for 44 in eight overs, while Maqsood finished with 2 for 36 in 9.3 overs. But, it was Ajay Lalcheta’s 3 for 30 in nine overs that stood out.