Saudi Arabia | ERCA T20 season 2018-19: Highlights from week 1

Syed Danish Irfan
October 22, 2018

In Saudi Arabia, where expats are working day and night, cricket can be the sports that bring them together every week, where people from several countries and races play this beautiful game. And this past week, history was witnessed when first ever delivery was bowled by Zahid Akhtar of Abbotabad Tigers C C during the 1st ever T20 tournament organized under the superb banner of Eastern Region Cricket Association (ERCA). It is a banner for every cricket lover in the region, where cricket is played in the best of its spirit amongst all the players.

Mr Abdul Latif, CEO of ERCA along with Sayed Majaz Qadri (President ERCA) and Mr Imran Rasheed (VP ERCA), have put up a great effort in providing land for the grounds and making it fertile for the cricket.

A whole team of people under the  supervision of Mr. Tajamal Hayat the General Secretary and Ashraf Shiekh the supporting figure of ERCA has worked effortlessly, to make the grounds as smooth as possible so that the teams would be able to put up an extra ordinary show of cricket.

And exactly the same happened during the first game of ERCA, Al Tuwairqi T20 Cup, which was played between Eastern Arabia C.C and Abbotabad Tigers C.C, where Eastern Arabia C.C batting first scored a mamoth total of 252/10 in their alloted 20 overs. Abdul Rahman played a brilliant knock of 75 on just 35 deliveries which was assisted with some brilliant batting from Mohammad Aris and Afwan Mohammad, both of them scoring 41(22) and 39(15) respectively. In reply Abbotabad Tigers C.C could only manage a total of 144/9, in which Amjad Khan was the star performer who managed to score 38(32) runs.  Abdul Rahman was the man of the match for his aggressive 75(35) and also for grabbing 3 wickets for just 14 runs.

In another game played between SAB Warriors C.C and Britam Arabia Mavericks C.C, played at the Qaddafi Ground, SAB Warriors were able to score 178/6 in 20 overs. Salahuddin Salman played a brilliant opening knock of 70 runs on just 50 deliveries along with the help of Tayyab Khalil who scored 47(24). Mutaiyyub Saleem and Nawab Omer Ali managed to grab 2 wickets for Mavericks C.C. In reply Britam Arabia Mavericks C.C were bowled out on 98 runs only in which Nayab Irfan was the highest scorer, who managed to score 22(27). Man of the match was awarded to Mr. Salahuddin Salman for his brilliant batting.

Another game was played between Al Tuwairqi C.C & Blue Star C.C on ERCA Ground named after the famous Indian Stadium, the Eden Gardens. Batting first, Al Tuwairqi C.C managed to score 153/6 in 20 overs. Aftab Magre was the star performer with the bat, scoring 34 runs on just 29 deliveries. Muhammad Iqbal took 3 wickets for Blue Star C.C.

In reply Blue Stars C.C chased the total in 18 overs with two wickets in hand. Muhammad Ashraf from Blue Stars scored 50 runs on just 32 deliveries by hitting 4 Fours and 2 huge sixes. MuhammadAshraf was awarded the man of the match for his brilliant fifty that helped his team in winning the match.

Another match played at Galle Ground in the afternoon session, witnessed the first ever 5 wicket haul, when Kiran Gorizillah of Kites C.C bagged five batsmen of Pasha XI C.C and managed to contain them for just 137/8 in 20 overs. In reply Kites C.C was able to achieve 114/8 before bad light struck and the match had to be abandoned with awarding 1 point to both the teams. Man of the match was awarded to Kiran Gorizilla for his outstanding 5 wickets haul.

 

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News Network
December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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