Cricket to be played over 14 days during Ramadan

DUBAI // The Danube Ramadan Cup Twenty20 tournament will usher in the new cricket season with 12 teams battling for a prize purse of Dh30,000.

The 14-day competition starts on August 5 with all the matches being played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Two games will be played every night.

"This tournament will give an opportunity to show off the cricketing skills available locally," said Abdul Rehman Falaknaz, the chairman of Dubai Cricket Council and a partner of Dubai Sports City, who are organising the tournament. "Our outstanding cricketing facilities at the stadium provide a great location for the best teams to be able to play throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan."

The 12 teams have been divided into three groups, with the top two from each group qualifying for the knockout stages.

The best two teams from among the remaining six will complete the line-up for the quarter-finals.

The semi-finals will be played on August 19 and the final is scheduled to take place on August 21.

Emirates Cricket Board Blues, New Medical Centre (NMC), Eurocent Alubond and Interface Transworld have been placed in Group A, while Phoenix Medicines, Yogi Group, Ibsons CC and Farooq Cricket Club comprise Group B. Abu Dhabi Gymkhana, Fly Emirates, Seven Seas Strikers and Danube Lions are in Group C.

The tournament could mark the start of a busy season at the Dubai stadium with a series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka possibly being played there starting in October followed by England against Pakistan in January.

arizvi@thenational.ae