"Good coaches teach respect for the opposition, love of competition, the value of trying your best, and how to win and lose graciously"
ZCCC U17 1st XI vs 2nd XI (21st April)
Avneet (c) and Parwez (wk) put on a fast 56 in the first 5 overs before wickets began to fall. But the runs still flowed, ensuring that 152 all out in the 24th over would probably be a tough target. Pick of the bowlers were Seyishan (2 wickets) and Nasir (3 wickets).
In reply, the 2nd XI lost two quick wickets to quicks Furqan and George. The 1st XI bowlers settled into their stride and runs were increasingly difficult to find. Wickets then tumbled to the spinners Yasin and the exceptional Munawar, who dismissed 4 batsmen (2.1-1-6-4). The 2nd XI succumbed in the 13th over with 75 on the board. The 1st XI won by 77 runs.
U19 2nd XI lose hard fought struggle (21st April)
Opening bowlers Haron and Faisal H got their team off to an excellent start with Nomads on 27-2 in the 5th over. However, the 3rd and 4th wicket partnerships put together 100 runs, and ZCCC were struggling. Another quick wicket by Faisal, though, led to a collapse, with 6 wickets falling for just 40 runs – 169-10. Haron with 4 wickets, Faisal 2, and Zubair 3 did most of the damage, ably assisted by the economical Amjid.
The ZCCC chase began promisingly, and despite losing wickets, at 73-4 after 13 overs, there was all to play for. However, the run rate steadily mounted, new batsmen came and went, with nobody able to find the boundary. The 2nd XI finished on 126-10 in the 27th over, notwithstanding having been gifted 52 extras.
U19 1st XI dominate Nomads CC (20th April)
Electing to bat first, ZC U19 1st XI promptly lost two wickets in as many overs. Shankar and Abid then built rapidly, cashing in on wayward balls, picking up copious extras and rotating well, they had put on 108 in the 13th over before Shankar (33) was caught. Abid (72) departed in the 16th over, leaving Wali (34) and Fayez (52*) to continue in the same vein. ZC were 195-5 in the 24th over and finished on 246-8.
Nomads struggled to prevent wickets from falling all too fast, and with the exception of Aqib (80), nobody stepped up to provide the necessary support. After 10 overs Nomads were 51-6. A last wicket stand of 55, with Aqib constantly managing to maintain strike, brought the total to 136.
Bahir’s two wickets in the first over had set the tone. Together with spinners Arkan (2 wickets) and Hezbullah (2), pacer Salman (2) aided by Sahil (1) and Parwez (1), all played their part, while catches were held, and the fielding tight. An excellent first outing for the team!
Zurich Crickets CC 2nd XI opens the season with a win vs Rorschach CC (19 April)
The 2nd XI kicked off their season with a strong performance to seal a 51-run victory in a low-scoring encounter! Recovering from early setbacks the team posted 131 in 35.3 overs, with a whopping 39 extras playing a key role in the total. The lower-order, with Furqan and Bashir, displaying maturity, resiliance and wonderful discipline, added almost 50 runs.
In reply, Rorschach, after losing their first wicket in the 8th over, collapsed under the pressure of the three spinners, and were bundled out for just 80 runs in 24.5 overs. Hezbullah returned superb figures of 7-2-9-3, Arkan's 7.5-0-29-3 was excellent, while MVP Dirushaan's impact with the ball was outstanding: 8-1-22-4. Congratulations on a great start!
Deutweg with a new surface in 2025 (February/March)
Zurich Crickets Academy has been very fortunate to be able to renew the surface of the Deutweg cricket pitch. This is thanks to the Asuera Stiftung who has generously financed this facelift.
On 22nd March, six weeks after work began, the first match took place on the new wicket and everyone enjoyed the huge improvement to this important facility for Zurich Crickets. This will enable young players to enjoy the sport they love in safe surroundings and on a good quality pitch for a number of years.
Champions! Zurich Crickets U19s fought hard to win their CSPL Final against Geneva CC by 20 runs! (5th October)
Zurich Crickets U17s and U19s in the CSPL Finals (29th September)
Both the U17s and U19s will contest the finals of the CSPL on 5th October. The U17s won their semi-final vs ZC Academy by 7 wickets, while the U19s beat Basel Dragons CC by 6 wickets, having bowled the opposition out for 71 runs. Farhad's 5 wickets for just 16 runs were outstanding, and he was ably supported by Firdaws' two wickets for 20 off six overs, Subair and his two for 11. The captain, Sahil finished the innings with his wicket in his first over. ZCCC chased down the total in just 10.2 overs.
The U17 final vs BDJCC will take place at Bachgraben, while the U19 final vs Geneva CC will be played at Embrach.
Congratulations to both teams!