Playing in front of their home fans, Winchester’s Under-13s and Under-17s showed no signs of buckling under pressure in the annual competition, backed by Sharjah Cricket Council and the Emirates Cricket Board.
Against Our Own Girls School, Sharjah, 11-year-old D’Souza was not fazed facing older opponents in the
Under-17 final.
She and captain Alia Packeerally got the Sharjah outfit off to a strong start with an opening stand of 138.
Packeerally hit 45 from 20 balls but it was D’Souza who stole the show as she smashed a century (113). Her knock saw Winchester score a mammoth 224-4 in their 15 overs.
Chasing, UAE international Heena Harish, who had scored an unbeaten 177 against Gulf Indian High School in the semi-final and whose shoulders her team’s hopes lay largely on, was unable to score big.
Harish was out for 15 from just five deliveries and her teammates struggled to score runs as they were restricted to 111-4, enough to see a 111-run win for Winchester.
The U13 winners.
More success continued for Winchester in the Under-13 final with an eight-wicket win over GEMS Modern Academy.
Chasing 98, D’Souza again starred with the bat, smashing 33 from 15 deliveries as Winchester reached their target in the 10th over.