AK11 have created history by becoming the Huntingdonshire Indoor League Champions for the first time. The city-based team who finished runners up last season to Bretton reversed the tables this year by winning the league and 10 times winners Bretton having to settle for second.
The day started with AK11, Bretton and Werrington all having the same points, but AK were in top position as they had beaten Bretton and Werrington earlier in the season. A win for AK would see them champions or a defeat for the chasing two would see them lift the silverware. A tense and at times nervy final day saw Werrington beat CAMRA by 17 runs in the first match to leapfrog Ak to 15 points meaning that AK’s fate was now very much in their hands. Werrington beat CAMRA by posting 172-2 from 10 overs, with Mudassar Shafiq top scoring with a brutal 52. Werrington captain Muhammad Toseeq was again in the runs unbeaten with 41, with Zain Ul-Abedeen with 30 and Kurshid Ahmed with 25 also impressing.
In reply CAMRA were never really in the hunt and needed 61 from the last over. However, a spate of leg side wides and no-balls along with some good boundary hitting from Sam Tyler, who ended unbeaten on 53, saw CAMRA score 43 from the last over and end up 17 runs short. CAMRA’s Alex Eden offered most support to Tyler with 37, while cool, calm Werrington Captain Toseeq took a wicket and was involved in executing 3 run outs.
This meant that AK’s fate was down to them and after some indifferent bowling and good Sheikh batting saw Sheikh cruising at 82-1 after 5 overs. However, a dramatic collapse of 5 wickets for just 22 runs saw Sheikh bowled out for 104 off only 8.2 overs. Hassan Amir was chief destroyer for AK with 3-10 and he was backed up with 2-25 from Muhammad Shabir. Usman Hanif was again in the runs for Sheikh top scoring with 39.
Chasing 105 for their first ever title, nerves got to AK as they collapsed to 31-3. A solid partnership between Abrar Ahmed and captain Mohammad Zahid Nadeem got them back on track but when the captain was out for 26 and the last batsman was cheaply dismissed it left Ak11 87-5 still leading 18 to win. A missed run out opportunity then occurred with the wicket keeper dismantling the stumps with the ball not in his hand but a boundary from the cool head of Wicket Keeper batsman Abrar Ahmed saw Ak home. Ahmed finished unbeaten on 47 displaying excellent batting shots and a cool head under pressure, while Sheikh were left to rue being bowled out with 10 deliveries of their innings remaining.
The AK11 win denied Bretton a 3rd consecutive title, but they did clinch the runners up trophies after an easy 5 wicket win against Pak Azad. Andy Bennett with 2-11 was the pick of the bowlers and Bennett was in the runs again with 4 Bretton players scoring heavily with Mark Drake top scoring with 29.
Hampton beat Ufford Park in the only match that had nothing riding on it. Captain Andy Larkin (24) top scored for Ufford but Hamptons captain Jawad Ali also impressed with 2-12, taking an excellent catch and finishing unbeaten with 26. Hamptons Umair Khan also impressed with bat and ball, taking a wicket, a run out and top scoring with 28.
AK11 will now represent Hunts in the ECB National Indoor Competition in February 2024. Bretton are representing Hunts this year after last years indoor success and after a win in the county final have a Regional Finals match later in March.
At the start of the presentation players, officials and spectators held a minute silence for Rob Kitchen and John Bigham. Rob played indoor and outdoor cricket for Hampton from 2009-2016 before playing outdoors for Nassington in the last few years. Rob passed away this time last year at the age of 44.
John served on the Hunts, Rutland, Hunts Umpires and Border Counties Youth Leagues for the last 21 years where he served as Treasurer, Results Secretary, Registration Officer and Safeguarding Officer. He was heavily involved with Orton Park from 1991-2016 holding numerous committee positions including Chairman, Treasurer and Youth Development Officer. He umpired outdoor cricket in numerous leagues from 1995-2021. He first watched an indoor match in 1995 when he came to watch his son play and hardly missed an indoor match since. He umpired and scored in the Hunts Indoor League for 12 years from 2009-2021. John stepped down from all roles at the start of August before passing away at the end of October aged 76.
After the presentation of trophies thanks were also given to Umpires Peter Taylor, Ghafoor Rehman, John Hyman and scorer David Loosley who have officiated this Winter and to Peterborough Limited Bushfield Sports Centre who have run the league with Cricket East.
Sunday 5th February 2023 – Huntingdonshire Indoor League Results:
1st Match Werrington beat CAMRA by 17 runs.
Werrington 172-2 from 10 overs.
Mudassar Shafiq 52 – Retired (4x6 and 5x4), Muhammad Toseeq 41 not out (4x6 and 1x4), Zain Ul-Abedeen 30 not out (2x6 and 2x4), Kurshid Ahmed 25 – Retired (1x6 and 1x4)
CAMRA 155-4 from 10 overs.
Sam Tyler 53 not out (3x6 and 2x4), Alex Eden 37 not out (2x6 and 2x4)
2nd Match – Hampton beat Ufford Park by 3 wickets.
Ufford Park 96 all out from 9.4 overs.
Andy Larkin 24 (2x4). Jawad Ali 2-12.
Hampton 97-3 from 7.4 overs.
Umair Khan 28 not out (3x6 and 1x4), Jawad Ali 26 – Retired (3x4), Muhammed Waqas 20 (1x4)
3rd Match – AK11 beat Sheikh by 1 wicket.
Sheikh 104 all out from 8.2 overs.
Usman Hanif 39 (2x6 and 2x4), Adnan Latif 27 (3x6) Hassan Amir 3-10, Muhammad Shabir 2-25
AK11 108-5 from 10 overs.
Abrar Ahmed 47 not out (1x6 and 4x4), Mohammad Zahid Nadeem 26 (1x6 and 3x4)
4th Match – Bretton beat Pak Azad by 5 wickets.
Pak Azad 107-5 from 10 overs.
Kasim Ashgar 29 (2x6 and 2x4), Ahsan Iqbal 25 not out (2x4), Hamza Qureshi 19 (1x6), Andy Bennett 2-11.
Bretton 108-1 from 6.4 overs.
Mark Drake 29 – Retired (2x6 and 2x4), Dave Bennett 25 – Retired (1x6 and 2x4), Tarek Hansraj 23 (2x4), Andy Bennett 22 not out (1x6)
HUNTINGDONSHIRE INDOOR LEAGUE 2022/2023 FINAL LEAGUE TABLE:
1st – Ak11 P7, W5, L2, 15 points, 35 opposition wickets taken - Champions
2nd – Bretton P7, W5, L2, 15 points, 29 opposition wickets taken – Runners Up
3rd - Werrington P7, W5, L2, 15 points, 35 opposition wickets taken
4th - Hampton P7, W4, L3, 12 points, 34 opposition wickets taken
5th - Ufford Park P7, W3, L4, 9 points, 24 opposition wickets taken
6th - Sheikh P7, W2, L5, 6 points, 35 opposition wickets taken
7th - CAMRA P7, W2, L5, 6 points, 29 opposition wickets taken
8th - Pak Azad P7, W2, L5, 6 points, 26 opposition wickets taken
NOTE:
3 points for a win.
AK11 top after beating Bretton and Werrington earlier on in the season.
Bretton ahead of Werrington due to head to head win earlier in the season.
Sheikh have beaten Pak Azad, Pak Azad have beaten CAMRA and CAMRA have beaten Sheikh so they are impossible to separate, which is why Sheikh are 6th ahead of CAMRA and Pak Azad on the amount of opposition wickets taken throughout the season.
HUNTINGDONSHIRE INDOOR LEAGUE ROLL OF HONOUR 2022/2023
HUNTINGDONSHIRE INDOOR LEAGUE WINNERS: AK11
HUNTINGDONSHIRE INDOOR LEAGUE RUNNERS UP: BRETTON
HUNTINGDONSHIRE INDOOR LEAGUE MERIT TABLE – PLAYERS WHO HAVE SCORED 50 OR MORE IN A MATCH:
76 not out - Usman Hanif – Sheikh
63 not out – Muhammad Raheel – Ufford Park
59 not out - Nick Bradbury – CAMRA
56 not out – Andy Larkin – Ufford Park
55 not out – Muhammad Bilal – Werrington
55 not out – Abdul Waris – Pak Azad
54 not out – Umair Khan – Hampton
53 not out - Sam Tyler – CAMRA
52 not out – Muddassar Shafiq - Werrington
