First turf wicket opens for practice

The first ever turf wicket in the Maldives was opened today. The practice turf wicket is the culmination of years of hard work, trail and error and dedication by CCBM top officials and staff. Thanks are especially due to Mr. Channa Wickramasuria who had been instrumental in preparing the wicket. The wicket was constructed with the assistance of ACC. New Zealand Turf Institute provided the technical assistance and consultation.

The wicket was opened today in a ceremony held in the outdoor nets. FAM Chairman Mohamed Kaleem was Chief Guest. Veteran cricketer and Sports Ministry official Sathaavari Alifulu bowled the first ball on the wicket to Mohamed Kaleem.

After the ceremony, National Team players had their first practice session on a natural grass wicket in the country. The wicket will be a valuable infrastructure addition, and will play a key role in the preparation of teams for overseas tournaments.

CCBM thanks all those involved in making this project a success.

Opening of Turf Wicket, 23 August, 4.00 pm

Majeediyya and Dharumavantha - Joint Champs of Anchor Trophy

The Anchor Cricket Trophy which began on 8 August 2007, ended with a thrilling final match between Majeediyya and Dharumavantha on Saturday. The final match of the inter-school tournament ended in a draw with both teams tying at 146 runs.

Dharumavantha sent in Majeediyya to bat after winning the toss. Majeediyya made 146 for 5 in 20 overs. Mifthah made 47 and Hassan Ibrahim made 32 runs. Tournament's to player Dharumavantha School's Mihusan Hamid took 2 for 30 runs. In reply Dharumavantha made 146 for 7 wickets in 20 overs. Jilwaz Rasheed made 48 runs and Ahmed Evan made 24 runs. Salman Zaki took 3 wkts for 22 and Hassan Ibrahim 2 for 15. Hassan Ibrahim was adjudged second best player of the tournament, follwoed by Jilwaz Rasheed who came third.

17 teams competed in 3 categories in this tournament sponsored by Anchor Milk.

Anchor Cricket Trophy

The Anchor Cricket Trophy will begin on 8 August 2007 at the Cricket Ground. The tournament is being sponsored by Anchor, one of the top milk products in the country. The tournament is played between school teams that form part of the CCBM youth development programme. Teams will be competing in three different categories. The YDP Beginners will feature 6 teams, YDP Juniors will feature 8 teams and the YDP Seniors will feature 3 teams. The Junior and Senior tournament will be hardball cricket while the beginners will play softball cricket. YDP beginners and juniors will represent CCBM teams in the tournament with each team named after an Anchor product. Majeediyya School, Dharumavantha School and Muhyiddin School will compete in the senior category. The final matches of each category will be played on 18 August 2007.

CCBM wishes to thank Anchor for sponsoring the tournament and supporting Maldives Cricket, especially junior/youth development. CCBM also thanks all the teams and players taking part in the tournament and wish them all the best.