A special friendly match celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations was played yesterday at Ekuveni Cricket Ground, Malé.
The ‘Diamond Jubilee Cup’ delivered an exciting and closely contested match between HCI XI and MoFA XI, with the result going down to the final over. MoFA XI won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a competitive total of 130/9 in their 20 overs. The standout performer with the bat was Mr. Arif Riza, Deputy Minister of MoFA, who top-scored with a brisk 44 runs off just 27 balls, providing the backbone of his team’s innings.
Scorecard https://cricclubs.com/CBM/viewScorecard.do?matchId=3202&clubId=18786
Match Pictures https://www.flickr.com/photos/133902858@N04/albums/72177720331626956
Chasing 131 for victory, HCI XI kept their nerve in a tense run chase, eventually reaching the target with just three balls to spare and five wickets in hand. The match went right down to the wire, with the winning runs coming in the final over, much to the delight of the HCI XI players and supporters.
Following the match, a formal awards ceremony took place, attended by several distinguished dignitaries. The Chief Guest was the Minister of Sports, Fitness & Recreation, Mr. Abdulla Rafiu. Also present were Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ibrahim Zuhuree, High Commissioner of India to the Maldives H.E. Mr. Balasubramanian, and President of the Cricket Board of Maldives Mr. Mohamed Faisal.
The ceremony began with brief remarks from the Chief Guest and the High Commissioner of India. Individual awards were then presented in recognition of outstanding performances:
- Batsman of the Match: Mr. Arif Riza (Deputy Minister of MoFA) of MoFA XI, presented by Deputy High Commissioner of India Mr. Kumar Guarav
- Bowler of the Match: Dinesh Kumar of HCI XI, presented by President of the Cricket Board of Maldives Mr. Mohamed Faisal
- Fielder of the Match: Hridoy of HCI XI, presented by Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the Maldives
- Player of the Match: Saneesh Maruthoor of HCI XI, presented by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ibrahim Zuhuree
The Runners-Up trophy was presented to Team MoFA XI by High Commissioner of India H.E. Mr. Balasubramanian, while the Champions trophy was handed to Team HCI XI by Chief Guest, Minister of Sports, Fitness & Recreation Mr. Abdulla Rafiu, bringing a memorable and spirited Diamond Jubilee Cup to a close.
