Emdad Rahman
The National Cricket League (NCL) held its fifth awards at a glittering ceremony at the Oasis Banqueting suite in Thames Road, Barking. Guests in attendance included London Assembly member Unmesh Desai; Councillor Mukesh Patel; Arfan Arkam; Gulfraz Riaz; Shiraz Kothia; Mayor of Waltham Forest Peter Harrington; Deputy Mayor of Redbridge Councillor Zulfi Hussain; Councillor Ahsan Khan; and London Tigers CEO Mesba Ahmed. West Essex Cricket Club was hailed team of the year after clinching the NCL Premiership and Pro 40 Cup.
The evening was hosted by NCL League Secretary and co-founder Sajid Patel. He said: “We are now in our fifth year. We started with a mere handful and our family now numbers thousands, with numerous projects designed to make cricket accessible for absolutely everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re 6 or 65 years old, we will be delighted to work with you.” He added, “Yet this would not be in the least bit possible without the presence of you all. You are the ones who are the driving force behind the success of the NCL. Congratulations to everyone here tonight.”
Nahed Patel, NCL Chair and co-founder added: “It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a journey with so many highlights. This has been another fantastic season for the NCL. We are dedicated to providing an inclusive platform for everyone to come together and benefit from this great sport of ours. My thanks are reserved for the teams, my colleagues and not least our sponsors and partners.”
There was a moment of remembrance for local cricket legend and match official Lewis Prescod, who sadly passed away this year. A posthumous award was presented by the League, and this will be passed on to the family of Mr Prescod.
Team Winners
West Essex CC: Premiership & NCL Pro 40 cup
Chak De CC: Championship
Gagan CC: Division 1
Scintilla CC: Division 2
Sundarban CC: Division 3
London Zalmi CC: Rashid Aziz Cancer Research champions
Dark Horse CC: T-20 Storm Cup (Sunday)
NYCC: T-20 Storm Competition (Saturday)
National Cricket League (NCL) Management: Chair – Nahed Patel League Secretary – Sajid Patel Umpires Representative – Juned Patel Result Secretary – Ali Raja Registration Officer – Ashfaq Alam Head of Disputes – Aiyub Master Development Officer – Afzal Sutariya
•The National Cricket League aims to spread the benefits of cricket as a sport and to empower and encourage all generations and passionate aficionados to take up cricket – be it a pastime, part of a fitness programme, coaching, supporting or joining a league team. For more information, go to: www.nationalcricketleague.co.uk www.facebook.com/nationalcricketleague www.twitter.com/nclcricketleagu
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