Al Hamra clinch Ibn Ajayan T20 title

Al Hamra Cricket Club emerged as the champions of the Ibn Ajayan T20 Cricket Tournament. In the final, Al Hamra defeated The Gladiators by four wickets in a thrilling match played at the Asian Town International Cricket Stadium.
Organised by the Ibn Ajayan Projects, one of the leading facility management companies in Qatar, and QPLAYS, the event was managed by Qbiz Events. The popular Ibn Ajayan tournament is held every year. Ibn Ajayan Projects have been promoting and popularising cricket in Qatar, organising many tournaments over the last few years, with the game widely followed by the expats.
The Gladiators won the toss and decided to bat first, hoping to put the scoreboard pressure on their opponents. However, they lost their first wicket with just one run on the board, when Ajmal was bowled by Kiramath, who took two wickets and conceded just nine runs in his four overs. But Israr, who made a run-a-ball 17, and Waqas (13) staged a recovery before Kiramath struck again to dismiss Israr. Al Hamra introduced Musawar into the attack and he struck at regular intervals as The Gladiators failed to get any momentum. Musawar, who was adjudged as Man of the Final, took four wickers for 11 runs in his four overs.
It was thanks to an unbeaten 31-ball 34 from Yasir that The Gladiators managed to post a respectable score of 97 for 8 in the allotted 20 overs.
In reply, Al Hamra lost their first wicket cheaply. But opener Khaleel laid a solid foundation for his team, scoring 26 runs off just 16 balls.
Later, Anushka (27 off 27) and Kiramath (18 off 9) scored at a brisk pace to lead Al Hamra to the Ibn Ajayan T20 title in just 15 overs. For the vanquished, Shafik picked up 3 wickets for 18, while Yasir claimed 2 for 12.
The winning team received the Ibn Ajayan Trophy along with a cash prize of QR15,000, while the runner-up took home QR10,000 along with a trophy.
A total of 16 teams took part in the tournament and was held over a period of three months, with matches being held on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays. The teams were divided into four groups, with two teams from each pool qualifying for the quarter-finals.
 Brief Scores
The Gladiators 97/8 in 20 overs (Yasir 34, Israr 17, Waqas 13 not out; Musawar 4 for 11, Kiramath 2 for 9, Naseeb 1 for 23, Samad 1 for 22) lost to Al Hamra Cricket Club 98/6 in 15 overs (Khaleel 26, Anushka 27 not out, Samad 13, Kiramath 18 not out; Shafik 3 for 18, Yasir 2 for 12) by 4 wickets.
Man of the match in the final: Musawar (Al Hamra)
Man of the Series: Waqas (The Gladiators)
Best bowler in the tournament: Kiramat Ullah Khan (Al Hamra)
Best batsman: Talha Shah (Kansai Paints)