ANANTNAG, SEPTEMBER 03: The Inter-District Provincial-Level Cricket Tournament, being organised by the District Youth Services & Sports, Anantnag, witnessed a highly competitive day of cricket, with teams displaying impressive batting, bowling and fielding skills across different venues in the district.
The day’s action featured a number of exciting matches, with Anantnag, Kupwara, Shopian, Srinagar, Baramulla and Ganderbal registering victories in their respective matches. Several individual performances also stood out, adding further excitement to the tournament.
At Chowgund Ground, hosts Anantnag registered two convincing victories. In the first match, Anantnag defeated Pulwama by 13 runs. Batting first after Pulwama won the toss and opted to field, Anantnag posted 95 for 2, with Saima Jan scoring 31 off 24 balls and Muqadas Jan contributing 29 off 26 balls. In reply, Pulwama managed 82 for 6, with Arooba Jan scoring 24 and Jasiya Jan contributing 16 runs. For Anantnag, Yasoob Rashid and Maleeha Zahid claimed two wickets each. Yasoob Rashid was adjudged Player of the Match.
Anantnag continued their impressive run in the second match at Chowgund, defeating Ganderbal by 10 wickets. Ganderbal were restricted to just 36 runs, after which Anantnag chased down the target in only 2.4 overs, reaching 39 without loss. Muntaha Jan top-scored with 19 off 10 balls, while Yasoob Rashid once again delivered an effective bowling performance and was named Player of the Match.
At Nadegaon, Kupwara and Shopian were involved in a series of competitive matches.
In the another match, Kupwara defeated Srinagar by nine wickets, restricting Srinagar to just 40 runs. Kupwara successfully chased the target, scoring 49 runs, with Aiman Bashir making 18 off 13 balls and Musyan Lateef scoring 13 off seven balls. Arhmaan Shaheen was adjudged Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance.
Shopian later registered a 28-run victory over Srinagar. Shopian posted 107 runs, before restricting Srinagar to 79 for 2. Faika Bilal led the Shopian batting effort with a valuable 32 off 24 balls and was declared Player of the Match.
In another match, Kupwara defeated Shopian by 43 runs. Kupwara scored 93 for 4, with Mannat remaining unbeaten on 26. Shopian could manage only 50 for 8 in reply. Aamina was adjudged Player of the Match for his contribution with the ball for Kupwara.
At Zamalgam, Srinagar produced a comprehensive performance against Bandipora, registering a 65-run victory. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Srinagar posted an imposing 137 runs, powered by a spectacular 81-run innings from Vitasta off just 26 balls. Manzar contributed 29 off 18 balls. In reply, Bandipora were restricted to 72 runs. Vitasta explosive batting performance earned her the Player of the Match award.
In another high-scoring encounter at the same venue, Kupwara recorded a commanding victory over Bandipora. Batting first after Bandipora elected to field, Kupwara posted 163 runs. Ayman Bashir smashed 61 runs off only 20 balls, while Marmmat and Maryam contributed 31 and 25 runs, respectively. Bandipora failed to mount a successful chase, and the match sheet recorded a 132-run victory for Kupwara. Aaiman Bashir was adjudged Player of the Match for his outstanding batting display.
At another venue, Baramulla defeated Budgam by 37 runs. Batting first after winning the toss, Baramulla scored 116 runs, with Adfar Jan producing a brilliant 61 off 28 balls. Budgam, in reply, were restricted to 79 runs despite contributions from Shaziya, who scored 18, and Sarwat, who added 13 runs. Adfar Jan was adjudged Player of the Match for his match-winning performance.
In another closely fought encounter played at Doru, Ganderbal registered a thrilling three-run victory over Budgam. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Ganderbal posted 116 runs. Their innings was anchored by Sadaf, who produced an impressive 47 off 21 balls. Afra contributed 20 off 19 deliveries, while Mehreb added six off four balls. Budgam fought hard in reply but finished on 113 runs, falling just three runs short of the target. Muntazir top-scored with 31 off 22 balls, while Maryam and Bishna contributed 10 and 9 runs, respectively.
The match went down to the final stages, with Ganderbal holding their nerve to secure a narrow victory. Sadaf of Ganderbal was adjudged Player of the Match for her outstanding batting performance.
The tournament is providing emerging players with a structured and competitive platform to showcase their abilities, gain valuable match exposure and develop their sporting skills.
The performances of players such as Yasoob Rashid, Vitasta, Aaiman Bashir, Adfar Jan, Faika Bilal and Sadaf further underlined the depth of talent emerging through the tournament.
The Directorate of Youth Services & Sports continues to promote grassroots and competitive sports by providing young athletes with opportunities to participate at higher levels and nurture their potential through organised sporting events.
