Rain deters cricket team’s match against Johor

KUCHING: The mission of the Sarawak Games (SUKMA) women’s cricket team to defeat Johor in the opening match of Group A’s T10 competition could not be realised and ended in a draw without play due to heavy rain.

The heavy rain that started in the morning yesterday and continued until the afternoon forced the match to be postponed, with only a coin toss held to determine the order of play.

Although the game was initially expected to resume at 3.30 pm, the wet conditions at the Cricket and Rugby Field, Petra Jaya, here resulted in the match being declared a draw, with each team awarded one point.

Women’s T10 team manager, Nik Zirhaninin Uzir, stated that they remain positive about the outcome and will focus on the next match against Pahang on Wednesday.

“Undeniably, the rainy weather that caused the match not to commence had some impact on the players as they were very eager to face Johor on home ground.

“It was like a mission of revenge after losing to that team in the final of the 2023 T10 Inter-State Cricket Championship, organised by the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) Under 19,” she said.

She further explained that their main focus is to secure a gold medal in the event, which is being introduced for the first time in SUKMA.

“This competition is still new to all teams as it is being contested for the first time. This means every squad has the chance to become champions.

“So, as the host team, we are focusing on that mission, while making history on our home soil,” she added.

In the women’s T10 competition, Sarawak is drawn with Johor, Pahang, and Selangor in Group A, while Penang, the Federal Territory, Perak, and Sabah are in Group B.

For the record, the Sarawak women’s cricket team was the runner-up in the 2023 MCA Under 19 T10 Inter-State Cricket Championship, losing by 10 wickets to Johor, the champions.