Pampore, Jun 12: A fiery opening spell by pacer Ahmad Saad propelled GVEI Pampore to victory over MEI Pampore in the Under-17 Birla Silver Rolling Cup.
Organised by Birla Open Minds. Saad’s early breakthroughs and a composed finish by Ehsaan helped GVEI edge past their rivals in a high-octane contest that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.
After winning the toss, GVEI elected to bowl first, and Saad made an immediate impact. The right-arm quick ripped through MEI’s top order with three early wickets, combining pace, control and swing to leave the batting side reeling.
Saad’s opening spell set the tone for GVEI, creating pressure that fellow bowler Rayan capitalised on in the death overs with a four-wicket haul.
Despite a resilient 53-run innings from MEI’s Afnan Rashid, the team managed only 125 in 15 overs.
In reply, GVEI’s chase got off to a shaky start, losing openers Arsh Maqbool and Furkan early. But middle-order batters Ayaan Shalla and Ibrahim stabilised the innings before Ehsaan sealed the win with a boundary when seven runs were needed off the final two balls. Ehsaan was named Game Changer for his clutch finish, while Saad’s fiery spell earned him praise as one of the tournament’s standout performers.
