Bhutan Cricket - The Official Website

Playing an incredibly high standard of cricket, Qatar won the 2007 ACC U-15 Challenge Cup. They beat Bhutan by eight wickets in the Final at the RBSC Polo Ground.

“We knew we had the team to win, strong in batting and bowling”, said Qatar’s manager Gul Mohammed Khan. “The boys are dedicated to cricket as much as their studies and they are getting the reward for much hard work,” he added.

Qatar really played well, never giving Bhutan a sniff of victory. And what looked as if it might be a close match prior to the start simply went all Qatar’s way once they got going. They played percentage power cricket, every action focussed on hurting the opposition. “Our plan was always to attack, first with the ball and then make sure that we didn’t make it easy for the Bhutan bowlers when we batted,” said Qatar’s awesomely talented wicket-keeper batsman captain Taha Mohamed.

Bhutan didn’t really do anything wrong, they were just outplayed by a team which was in control of the game from the moment the first two Bhutan batsmen fell in three balls in the eighth over. Kencho Norbu was the second batsman out and his dismissal was a big blow. In his innings in the semi-final he showed himself to be the rock upon which a score of substance could be built.

Much rested on Bhutan ’s captain Jigme Singye but when he fell, caught and bowled to one that bounced on him, from Ali Ishtiaq, the game was firmly tilted Qatar’s way. “It was the turning point,” said Taha, “Ali floated one up and Jigme Singye was deceived. Once we had him we knew the game was ours.”

And so it proved. From 48 for 3 in the 11th over, Bhutan lost wickets at regular intervals. Qatar’s ground fielding and catching was excellent and even though they dropped three chances, the misses didn’t prove costly.

“Our target on batting first was 140-150,” said Bhutan’s manager Ashish Chhetri. “If Qatar batted first our target was 200-plus,” said Qatar ’s manager. “Bowling first, we wanted to keep Bhutan to below 100.” The difference in attitude may explain why Qatar just ran through anything Bhutan put in their way. Thinking bigger, maybe even thinking better, they had Bhutan beat even before play started.

Thinley Tenzin played very well for his 36 and as long as he was at the crease, Bhutan were in with a chance of reaching 140. Tenzin fell just after lofting Faizan Ahmed to long-on with one of the day’s best strokes and with him gone, any hope of Bhutan reaching their target disappeared. His was the one significant score in Bhutan’s innings.

They finished on 121, all out in the 36th over. Qatar’s spinners really turning the screws on the batsmen.

A crowd of about 100 had gathered to watch, the majority of them Bhutanese supporters and they cheered their team on all day. Bhutan had to get early wickets if they were going to put Qatar under any pressure but Qatar ’s openers were immaculate in their strokeplay. They pushed ones and twos, despatched anything loose and put on 63 for the opening wicket without any trouble before Bhutan’s little off-spinner Susil Sharma got one to bounce and surprise Faizan Ahmed who was pouched by Jigme at first slip. Faisal Rauf fell to a well-worked run-out by Bhutan just two balls and Qatar were 65 for 2 in the 20th over.

It was the closest they came to victory. Bhutan fielded like tigers, throwing themselves at the ball but three chances were missed. Jigme Singye dropped Ali Ishtiaq off his own bowling with the score on 79 but really, Qatar were never troubled by Bhutan. As they stroked their way to the target inside 30 overs.

Ali Ishtiaq made a breezy 31 while his captain, Taha, held firm. Taha without a helmet throughout his innings, looks a fine cricketer. Good with the gloves, judicious in his strokeplay and positive in outlook, he should be a mainstay of Qatar’s cricket for some years to come. Packed with all-rounders, “more than half of this team will be in the Under-17 squad,” says Taha confidently. He’s sure to be one of them.

Qatar won the Challenge Cup with an elite performance.

Source : asiancricket.org (Image Copyright of Asian Cricket Council)

Final: Bhutan v Qatar at RBSC Polo, Bangkok
QATAR WON BY EIGHT WICKETS
Bhutan won the toss and chose to bat
Bhutan: 121 off 35.2 overs (C. Tenzin 36; F. Ahmed 4-24, A. Ishtiaq 3-26)
Qatar: 123 for 2 after 29.2 overs (T. Mohamed 39*, A. Ishtiaq 31*)
Man of the Match: Ali Ishtiaq (Qatar)

“It was always our goal to reach the final of the tournament,” said Bhutan’s coach Damber Singh Gurung after his team beat Maldives by seven wickets in the semi-final at the Bangkok Polo Club.

“Our ultimate goal is to win the ACC Challenge. That’s what we came here to do,” he added.

Bolstered by the arrival of their regular wicket-keeper and two others the day before, all front-line batsmen, Bhutan went into the semi-final in a confident mood. Maldives would have had to have been at their absolute best if they were going to seriously compete with Bhutan.

The Maldive openers Shameen and Rishwan, as they have throughout the tournament, started well, keeping the ball down and pushing singles into the gaps. Bhutan’s opening bowler Dorji, was Dorji, and wide after wide flowed from his hands. He’s bowled close to 30 this tournament so far. He finds plenty of outswing whenever he pitches outside off but when he compensates by pitching on leg, he finds none. “He’s a strike-bowler so we just need him to get a wicket or two at the start, before our spinners come on.” He didn’t this time but Maldives’s first wicket was gifted to Bhutan by some appalling running by Rishwan. He drove through cover and set off for two, to be run out by a foot. And his first run was also called short by the bowler’s end umpire.

Dilip Subba – dubbed ‘The Dancing Bowler’ by those who saw him in Chiang Mai because of his bouncy run-up – bowled with great control to pin down the Maldives top-order. Bhutan fielded very well too, they go through extensive drills in their warm-ups and practises and the results are clear to see. Only three fours were struck by Maldives throughout their innings. They were all out for 57, Susil Sharma taking 4-11 with his darting off-spin.

Polo Bangkok is a slow wicket and Bhutan’s batsmen didn’t find it any easier to play their shots either. Sanjeev Gurun was caught by mid-on off a leading edge and Susil Sharma fell to an excellent caught and bowed by Ahmed Mauroof, low down to his right. Left-armer Mauroof charged in hard and deserved his two wickets. His partner from the other end Hassan Zareer impressed with his slow in-dippers too, just rolling in and getting the ball to drift in late and dip sharply. If he could get a bit more zip perhaps from a stronger body-action, he could really be a force for the Maldives in the years to come.

Bhutan were 9 for 2 at this stage. “We need just one more wicket,” said Maldives’s coach Imad. That wicket being Jigme Singye’s. Jigme wasn’t finding it easy on this wicket either, he mistimed a couple of drives which could have gone to hand. At the other end though, Kencho Norbu held firm and played very soundly, striking the ball sweetly square of the wicket. Maldives tried different bowlers, kept attacking fields but they couldn’t get Jigme or Norbu. Jigme fell trying to hit a six to win, Rishwan taking a good catch off a skier but by then Bhutan were definitely on their way to the final.

They meet a strong Qatar side there in what people are expecting will be a cracker of a final.
ScoreCard

Semi-Final 1: Bhutan v Maldives at RBSC Polo, Bangkok
Maldives won the toss and chose to bat
Maldives: 57 off 23.3 overs (S. Sharma 4-11)
Bhutan: 58 for 3 off 8 overs
Man of the Match: Susil Sharma (Bhutan)

Source : Asiancricket.org (Pictures Copyright of Asian Cricket Council)

Bhutan beat a feisty Myanmar side by 148 runs to finish unbeaten in Group B of the ACC U-15 Challenge Cup. Bhutan will now play Maldives in the semi-final in Bangkok.

Myanmar have been improving with every match they play. Yan Naing struck with the second ball of the day to have Sushil Sharma caught at mid-wicket. And Bhutan’s opening bowlers kept the rest of the batsmen honest.

The wicket was a little slower than the one on which Bhutan beat China two days earlier and run-scoring was not easy. Myanmar, if they had taken their catches and fielded better would have really put Bhutan under pressure.

Even Jigme Singye was troubled by the excellent left-arm seam of Aung Min Ko. Beaten twice two balls in a row has not been something Jigme Singye has had to deal with in this tournament. It was a great battle between the two.

Being bowled through bat and pad by one that pitched on middle and hit leg, was something new to Jigme too. It was a great ball by Aung Min at the start of his second spell but by then Jigme had made 81 and Bhutan, having taken 20 overs to make 100 had reached 153 just six overs later. The scoring rate had picked up thanks to Jigme and Tapas Biarly and the remaining batsmen kept it up. 200 came up midway through the 32nd over. Bhutan finished on 236 having been bowled out with three balls to go of the 40th over.

Bhutan’s new-ball bowlers started very badly. Myanmar’s first 25 runs were all extras as the ball was sprayed either side of the wicket, Dorji finding prodigious, but uncontrolled swing. The first bowling change brought a wicket, Sherab Jamtsho having Min Wai caught and bowled and once the spinners Sonab Thubten, Sushil Sharma and Jigme Singye came on Bhutan took control. Thubten (4-28) got prodigious turn and bounce out of the rough with his slow left arm. (Read More - Source : asiancricket.org - Pictures Copyright of Asian Cricket Council)

Scorecard

Bhutan v Myanmar at Prem Oval, Chiang Mai
BHUTAN WON BY 148 RUNS
Bhutan won the toss and chose to bat
Bhutan : 236 off 39.3 overs (J. Singye 81, T. Baraily 33, T. Tobgay 38; Y. Naing 3-57; M. Ismail 3-29)
Myanmar : 88 off 23.4 overs (S. Thubten 4-28, J. Singye 3-7)
Man of the Match: Jigme Singye (Bhutan)

China chose to bat on winning the toss, Bhutan’s pace-bowlers Dorji and Dilip swung the ball considerably but the batsmen held firm. Yang Haiming China’s left-hander played a cover-drive which lingers in the memory still, and with his captain Du Jinlong put on 48 for the second wicket off 50 deliveries

Little Susil Sharma broke the stand, catching Du Jinlong off his own-bowling. Sharma’s mixed bag of off-spinners, the occasional leg-break coupled with yorkers speared in at pace, China’s batsmen found very hard to play. Bhutan’s fielders didn’t support their team as well as they liked with some fumbles in the outfield and two dropped catches but the bowlers kept getting wickets. China were all out for 113 in the 30th over, having collapsed from 56 for 1.

Bhutan therefore, batted before lunch and were given a torrid time by China’s opening bowlers. Dechen Wangchuk was bowled of his pads by Du Jinlong and Susil Sharma was caught at mid-on to have Bhutan in some trouble at 14 for 2. But Jigme Singye was in and he wasn’t going to get out. He raced to 21 off 20 deliveries at lunch with four 4s and continued serenely after the break. China bowed well. Li and Du hurried the batsmen and even induced a couple of false shots from Jigme. Had a chance at square-leg been taken when Jigme was on 40, the game could have become very interesting.

Jigme reached his 50 off 39 deliveries, playing shots all around the ground. The Myanmar team came for a practice at the Prem nets adjacent to the ground and before they started, sat to watch the end of this match. “Give us a 6, captain” they called out to Jigme. He gave them a 4 through backward square.

Susil Sharma won the Man of the Match award for his five wickets but it was Jigme Singye who China had most trouble with. “It’s up there with my top 10 innings,” said Jigme afterwards. A scholar at the Prem School since last year, he said “It’s nice to play so well on your home ground.”

He’ll have to play well in Bangkok also if Bhutan are to win the tournament. Their opponents in the semi-final will be the Maldives (Source : Asiancricket.org - Image Courtsey of Asian Cricket Council)

Scorcard

Bhutan v China at Prem Oval, Chiang Mai
BHUTAN WON BY EIGHT WICKETS
China won the toss and chose to bat
China: 113 off 29.4 overs (S. Sharma 5-14)
Bhutan: 115 for 2 after 14.1 overs (J. Singye 71*)
Man of the Match: Susil Sharma (Bhutan)

Bhutan’s bowlers took them to a seven-wicket victory over Myanmar, a victory which their batsmen did much to take off the shine from.

Put in to bat Myanmar struggled initially against the tall Dorji Wangchuck who bowled his right-arm seam with considerable pace from the Nong Hoi end at Chiang Mai Gymkhana. There was life in the wicket all day, with a little more pace in it compared to the opening day of the tournament.

It was a battle between extras and the batsmen to see who would contribute the most runs. Extras won, with 26, as Myanmar were all out for 50 in the 30 th over.

Bhutan’s captain Jigme Singye came in and was a class apart. With ye again 5 Wickets hauls in International Tournament, One on-drive struck all along the ground went through to the 8 th hole- fairway behind the ground. Offered a scholarship by Chiang Mai’s Prem Tinsulanonda school on the basis of his performances in last year’s ACC U-15 Challenge Cup, Jigme Singye is a major talent. (Read More - Source : Asiancricket.org - Image Courtsey of Asiancricket.org)

Scorecard

Bhutan v Myanmar at Chiang Mai Gymkhana
BHUTAN WON BY SEVEN WICKETS
Bhutan won the toss and elected to field
Myanmar : 50 off 29.2 overs (J. Singye 5-9)
Bhutan : 51 for 3 after 7.3 overs

Bhutan established themselves as tournament favourites with a 200 run victory over China in the opening Group B match of the U-15 Challenge Cup.

Put into bat in the idyllic setting of the Gymkhana Ground at Chiang Mai, Bhutan were in the ascendancy from the start. Little Sushil Sharma and his opening partner Dechen Wangchuk set the foundations for an imposing total with their opening stand of 80 in 16 overs. China’s bowling was regulation line-and-length but Bhutan’s batsmen manufactured shots and looked for singles at every opportunity in an attempt to disrupt the bowlers’ rhythm.

 China were inconsistent in the field, three run-outs and whole-hearted chases to the boundary showed they were keen, but five dropped catches and a general flatness to their demeanour showed they were too keen to hand the initiative to Bhutan.

After Sharma’s departure Jigme Singye and the middle order pressed on, Singye making a classy 39 and Sherab Jamtsho smacking 26 off just 12 deliveries at the end of the innings to take Bhutan to 243 off their 40 overs.

Read More (Source: Asiancricket.org)

Bhutan v China at Chiang Mai Gymkhana
BHUTAN WON BY 200 RUNS
China won the toss and elected to field
Bhutan: 243 for 9 (S. Sharma 48, J. Singye 39; D. Jongli 3-48, Y. Haiming 3-53)
China: 43 off 15.3 overs (D. Subra 4-11)
Man of the Match: Dilip Suba (Bhutan)

Scorecard

Photo Courtesy of Asian Cricket Council

Bhutanese Under -15 National Cricket Team is Playing against the China Today in Opening Match of the Asian Cricket Under-15 Challenge Cup in Thailand. Bhutan Won the Toss and Elected to Bat First and are on 55/0 in 10 Overs (Source: News from Thailand). The Tournament is Organised by Asian Cricket Council and Hosted by Cricket Association of Thailand. 6 Teams from Asian region are Participating which includes Bhutan, Maldives, China, Qatar, Brunei and Myanmar.

Preliminary round-robin matches are being be played simultaneously in Bangkok and Chiang Mai from 8th to 13th December. At the completion of the preliminary round, teams will be ranked by the round robin results, and then play will resume in Bangkok with semifinals played on 15th December and the finals plus other playoffs on the 16th December.

‘Updated ‘- Bhutan Made 243 in 40 Overs With 8 Wickets Down and China Need 244 Runs from 40 Overs to Win the Match.

For All Match details and Summary : Log on to www.accu15challenge2007.com