A 'G' Division match between Sportsfield Cricket Club and United Cricket Club in the Dr HD Kanga Cricket League had to be called off yesterday at Oval Maidan after a group of tennis-ball players did not allow the match to continue after the innings break.
Sportsfield, whom wonderkid eight-year-old Musheer Khan plays for, could not take the field after they were bowled out for 110.
A seasoned Sportsfield CC player said: “When we came out to field around 3 pm, these tennis-ball players did not allow us to play. They put their stumps in between the bowlers’ run-up.
There was no scope to start the match. The umpires also pleaded with them to let us continue our game, but they did not listen and threatened to beat us up. We had no option, but to watch them play.”
He also said most of the teams playing at Oval Maidan yesterday faced issues due to tennis-ball matches happening simultaneously with Kanga League games. “But other teams were fortunate enough to complete their matches,” said the player.
Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary Nitin Dalal said he would write to the Police Commissioner of Mumbai to send a patrolling party during matches. “There is a lot of nuisance from tennis-ball players during our matches. They simply don’t understand.
We have written to the police in the past , but we will write to the Commissioner again and request the Azad Maidan police station to provide security during matches. We will decide in the managing committee meeting about how many points to award to the two teams affected by this incident,” said Dalal.
MCA’s maidan secretary Nadeem Memon said he has been raising the issue in the managing committee to work out a solution. “It is really unfortunate that the match could not be completed. I called the police, but there were too many people on the ground.
I spoke to the people who wanted to play. Their anger was based on the fact that they do not get adequate time to play as MCA’s matches go on till 5:30 pm. I will raise this issue again in the managing committee to find an amicable solution to this issue,” Memon said.u00a0
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