Hat-trick hero seals opening day win for reigning Hunts Indoor League champions
Captain Mohammad Zahid Nadeem claimed a hat-trick as AK 11 started the defence of their Hunts Indoor Cricket title with a 31-run win over Hampton at Bushfield.
Hampton were 100-3 chasing 131 with almost five overs to go when Nadeem made his dramatic intervention. All three dismissals involved outstanding catches, two from Sufyan Mazhar and one from wicket-keeper Sudheer Jafeer. It was the fifth hat-trick of Nadeem’s career, but his first in an indoor game for an AK 11 team that will represent Hunts in the 2026 National Indoor rounds.
Ufford Park were the biggest winners on opening day, crushing Pak Azad by a massive 126-run margin. Batsmen have to retire when reaching 25 in this form of cricket, but can return when all other teammates have had a knock. Javed had to retire twice before finishing unbeaten on 54 in Ufford’s 10-over total of 178-3.
He received useful support from other members of his team with Muhammad Raheel making 34, and Sandeep Dahiya and Jonathan Bigham both hitting 27. Pak Azad then collapsed to 52 all out with Usman Sadiq in the thick of the action with a run out before taking two wickets in two balls to end the match and he will therefore be on a hat-trick the next time he plays.
For the first time in their history Burghley Park have joined the league, but they started with a three-wicket defeat to neighbours Wansford after the non-arrival of one selected player. Depleted Burghley were promptly dismissed for 65 as Wansford executed four run outs. In reply Wansford lost three wickets with two run outs, plus a smart stumping from Matt Davies off the bowling of David Popple, but the cool head of Kester Sainsbury who retired on 26, saw them home.
Ten-times champions Bretton started the season with a 47-run defeat to Werrington. Last year’s match between the two clubs was a knockout affair as Werrington recorded one of the lowest scores in the competition’s history making just 19.
However, a much better batting performance saw them post 162-4 with Mudassar Shafiq (39 not out), Naveed Ahmed (38 not out) and Saad Ashraf (33) doing the bulk of the run scoring. Ethan Bennett was the pick of the Bretton bowling with 2-27. In reply some good tight bowling and fielding from a number of players restricted Bretton to 115-4 despite an unbeaten 42 from Ethan Bennett and an undefeated 25 from his dad Andy Bennett.
Results
AK11 131-5 (Abrar Ahmed 48, Sufyan Mazhar 33no beat Hampton 100 (Saqab Ali 28, Aurangzaib Tahir 27, Mohammed Zahid Nadeem 3-6).
Wansford 68-3 (Kester Sainsbury 26ret) beat Burghley Park 65 by 3 wkts.
Ufford Park 178-3 (Waheed Javed 54no, Muhammad Raheel 34, Jonathan Bigham 27no, Sandeep Dahiya 27) beat Pak Azad 52 (Usman Sadiq 2-0) by 126 runs.
Werrington 162-4 (Mudassar Shafiq 39no, Naveed Ahmed 38no, Saad Ashraf 33, Ethan Bennett 2-27) beat Bretton 115-4 (Ethan Bennett 42no, Andy Bennett 25no) by 47 runs.