It was a UK tour to remember for Maxtalent Global Sports (MGS) team, who registered five wins in seven matches – an achievement that delighted the head coach.
The 14-member under-13 boys team began their eight-day tour in Surrey on a losing note against Esher CC with a 79-run defeat.
But MGS picked themselves up with Glenn Furtado (29) and captain Gandhar Joshi (24) leading the UAE-based team to a six-wicket win over Star Cricket Academy (SCA).
They followed it up with wins over Stoke D’Abernon, Parkside School as well as two wins over Old Whitgiftians. With five victories from six matches, MGS made some changes to their team and lost their final game against SCA.
Sudhakar Shetty, head coach of MGS, hailed the effort of his players, for what was their second trip to the UK. He said: “This year the boys acclimatised to the conditions very well. We lost the first match because we had just landed in the early hours of the morning.
“But from the next match onwards, I was taken by surprise. It was the way the guys conducted themselves on the field and executed their plans that was awesome.”
He hopes the boys will progress and mature from the experience. Shetty said: “A tour is a character building process, for players to become independent and confident. What is more important is playing the game in the right spirit, and they did that.”