MI Emirates rode on Tom Banton’s unbeaten 102 off just 55 balls to set up a mega nine-wicket win against Sharjah Warriorz here at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday in the ongoing DP World ILT20 Season 3.

Making his maiden campaign for MI Emirates special, Tom Banton became the fourth century-maker in the history of the competition and only the second in this season after Shai Hope’s blistering century a week ago. While Hope’s century went in vain, Banton’s was a special one as it not only helped his team jump to the second position in the points table but this was also only the first century scored in the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the history of ILT20.

Banton’s blitz was well-supported by Kusal Perera who scored an unbeaten 56 off 42 balls, making light of the run chase, as they romped home to 177 in 17.4 overs. Banton brought about his ton with great authority, sending Dilshan Madushanka’s short ball over the deep square leg for a huge six. His incredible knock was studded with 10 boundaries and six biggies while Perera packed off six boundaries and sent one over it in his commanding unbeaten knock.

Though Warriorz scalped dangerman Muhammad Waseem for 12 runs in only the second over through Dilshan Madushanka, their bowlers did not pose any threat to Banton-Perera’s rock-solid partnership of 157 runs. To add to their woes, a drop catch in the 12th over proved costly for the Warriorz when Karim Janat could not hold on to a sitter before Perera brought on his 50.

Put in to bat first, Sharjah Warriorz set up a total of 176/9 in 20 overs. MI Emirates left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi was the cynosure of MI Emirates bowling attack, tormenting the Warriorz batting order with four wickets for 24 runs while Alzarri Joseph bagged two for 39 with Romario Sheperd and Waqar Salamkheil chipping in with a wicket each.

Caught behind, opener Jason Roy was the first to fall for Farooqi in only his first over at a score of 7/1 but Johnson Charles and Avishka Fernando steered Warriorz innings stitching together a valuable 50-run partnership in 27 balls. Riding on his sensational 81 off 27 balls in Warriorz’ previous outing that set up a record-breaking chase against Dubai Capitals, Avishka set their home stadium ablaze with three boundaries and four sixes that had the Sunday audience in Sharjah up on their feet. He used the powerplay with explosive batting despite a slow wicket.

It was Romario Shepherd who eventually put an end to Fernando’s quick-fire innings of 39 runs in just 17 balls, with a slower delivery that was slogged to the cover but not timing it well enough, went straight to Muhammad Waseem who juggled a bit before safely holding on to a big wicket that put Sharjah Warriorz at 57/2.

Johnson, in the meantime, consolidated the Warriorz innings but lost Rohan Mustafa for six runs putting Warriorz at a precarious 71/3. A 32-run stand between Johnson and Luke Wells brought some semblance to the home team’s innings until Wells fell for Alzarri Joseph with 18 runs to his name. At the other end, Johnson was struggling with momentum and had to settle with singles and doubles but with Karim Janat steading the innings after coming in at No.6, Johnson upped his ante and reached the half-century mark in the 14^th over. He fell to Farooqi in the 15^th over after scoring 59 runs off 42 balls and surviving a drop catch by Nicolas Pooran early in the innings.

At 140/5, Warriorz huffed and puffed their way to 176/9 losing wickets regularly in the following over with no significant contribution coming from the tailenders after Janat departed for 18 runs. 

Player of the Match, Tom Banton said, “In my first eight or nine balls, I was on zero. It’s funny how cricket works sometimes. It was a really good wicket. I struggled for 25 balls. I have a better understanding of my game than a few years ago. Nicky, Polly, Robin and everyone has been really good.”

Sharjah Warriors Captain, Tim Southee said, “It wasn’t a bad score. We were reasonably happy with the score at the halfway stage. Avishka has been unbelievable in his first two games. Nice to see John at the other end but not taking wickets makes it hard. We weren’t able to take wickets and it does hurt to drop catches.”

The Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment (MBRHE) has achieved remarkable success, topping both the Customer Happiness and Employee Happiness indices for 2024 with a rating of 96.7%. This accolade reflects Dubai’s steadfast commitment to excellence in governance and public service.

https://twitter.com/HamdanMohammed/status/1880610083098210376

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the UAE, recently approved the results of the 2024 Customer, Employee, and Mystery Shopper Happiness Study. The study revealed that the average customer happiness score for all government entities in Dubai exceeds 90%, underscoring the city’s dedication to creating exceptional service experiences.

Top Rankings in Customer Happiness

1st Place: Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment (96.7%)

2nd Place: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) (97.01%)

3rd Place: Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) (96.99%)

Top Rankings in Employee Happiness

1st Place: Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment (96.7%)

2nd Place: Awqaf Dubai (96.2%)

3rd Place: General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) (95.3%)

Mystery Shopper Index

The 2024 Mystery Shopper survey, critical in evaluating the quality of government services, recorded an impressive average happiness score of 95.8%. This assessment covered service centres, call centres, websites, and mobile applications, providing a holistic view of customer experience across all touchpoints.

The study, published annually by the Dubai Government Excellence Programme (DGEP), also highlighted these key metrics:

Average Customer Happiness Index: 93.8%

Average Employee Happiness Index: 86.7%

Average Daily Mystery Shopper Index: 95.8%

Focus on Continuous Improvement

The indices were compiled using an advanced online platform designed to track and compare performance. Sheikh Hamdan has directed the DGEP team to develop a comprehensive mechanism to integrate customer and employee happiness studies with institutional assessments, further enhancing the quality of governance.

Congratulating the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment for maintaining its leadership in happiness indices for three consecutive years, Sheikh Hamdan praised the team’s unwavering commitment to excellence. “This achievement reflects their dedication to delivering high-quality services while fostering an environment where employees and customers feel valued,” he said.

Sheikh Hamdan also lauded DEWA and IACAD for their outstanding customer satisfaction and recognized Awqaf Dubai and the GDRFA-Dubai for their exceptional employee engagement. “These accomplishments exemplify the values of excellence and service that define the Government of Dubai,” he concluded.

Adani Sportsline-owned Gulf Giants announced its partnership with two cricket training centres — Swantons Cricket Academy and Smashing Point Sports Academy (SPSA)-Raise Your Game — in Dubai, UAE. This is the first time that Adani Sportsline has collaborated with cricket academies in the Middle East.  

Through this partnership, the Adani Sportsline aims to strengthen the Gulf Giants’ presence in the region by engaging with the players trained at the academies, their families, coaches, and other cricket enthusiasts. The collaboration will include exclusive branding and fan engagement activities, player visits, and will create opportunities for promising athletes to participate in Gulf Giants’ practice sessions as net players. 

Gulf Giants players, who are part of the ongoing ILT20 Season 3, visited the academies recently and interacted with the children. While English wicketkeeper-batter Ollie Robinson and the team’s batting coach Grant Flower visited SPSA, Namibian allrounder Gerhard Erasmus and coach Ottis Gibson spent time at the Swantons Cricket Academy.  

Soon, Adani Sportline will organise a tournament named “Little Giants” and several schools across the UAE will take part in it.  

“The partnership with the academies is a pivotal step towards unlocking the true potential of talent in the UAE. The ‘Little Giants’ tournament is another initiative that will help us create pathways for young cricketers. We wish to reinforce our mission of making cricket an inclusive and thriving sport across communities, while continuing to expand our global footprint,” Mr Sanjay Adesara, Chief Business Officer (CBO), Adani Sportsline, said. 

Speaking about the partnership, Zameer Sulaiman, Senior Manager, Swantons Cricket Academy, said, “We are delighted to partner with the Gulf Giants and be part of the Adani Sportsline family. Their expertise will be invaluable for our ambitions to give young players a platform to hone their skills, grow in their careers, and achieve their full potential.” 

Sony Cheruvathur, Director, SPSA, said, “We are proud to have joined hands with one of the most successful teams, Gulf Giants, in UAE’s top-tier league, ILT20. Their support further strengthens UAE’s cricketing ecosystem, and we will collaborate to develop cricket at the grassroots level.”