BAPS Charities strengthened its relationship with youths during a national indoor cricket tournament held simultaneously at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, The Swaminarayan School, and Harrow Leisure Centre on Sunday 15 March 2015.
More than 250 participants from various towns and cities across the UK contributed to some high quality cricket as all 36 teams provided entertainment and healthy competitiveness while fostering tremendous community spirit.
The top two teams in each of the eight groups qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament where eight teams progressed safely with no major shocks. The strength and experience of the seeded teams proved too strong for the challengers with Finchley B’s one-run victory over Wellingborough catching the eye.
One of the pre-tournament favourites Finchley A were surprisingly eliminated by the unfancied Harrow D team in the quarter-finals. Another entertaining game at this stage was played between Harrow A and East London A, where the latter narrowly won by three runs.
Harrow & Brent C and South London completed the semi-final line-up with convincing wins in their respective matches.
Two competitive semi-finals followed. A valiant effort by South London was not enough to overcome Harrow & Brent C. East London A progressed past Harrow D in the other semi-final.
The final brought together East London A and Harrow & Brent C. A disciplined bowling display from East London A restricted their opponents to a total of 63. East London A began well in the run chase and solid batting partnerships helped to achieve the target with relative ease.
East London A were duly crowned champions and lifted the trophy for the first time – an accolade they deserved for consistent high-quality displays throughout the tournament.
The hugely successful event encouraged youths leading busy lifestyles to engage in exercise and helped develop good community relations.
Prizes for exceptional individual performances were also awarded, as follows:
Best Batsman – Chetan Patel (East London A)
Best Bowler – Sachin Patel (Harrow & Brent C)
