Debutants Kuwait U-19 Women’s cricket team brought immense laurel to the country as their performance in the recently concluded Asian Cricket Council U- 19 Women’ Championship at Chiang Mai, Thailand was hailed highly by cricket pundits. Taking up cricket only a few weeks back, the highly motivated women’s team performed incredibly well to finish 9th in ranking and thus earning a ticket to participate in the qualifying rounds for the  2010 Asian Games, in which cricket will make its first appearance.
The tournament featuring 11 teams were divided in to two groups, and 7 countries that took part in the inaugural ACC Women Tournament in Malaysia last year have sent teams along with Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bhutan.
The enthusiastic Kuwait Women’s cricket team won two matches in their inaugural International participation and was hailed as the most enterprising team by ACC.    A formidable Chinese team was overpowered in the first match, where fortunes fluctuated at every stage of the game. The Chinese batting first were dismissed for 67 runs in 20.2 overs.  The China’s girls showed some ability with the bat, opener Lu Ying reaching 17, and their total of 67 was a creditable one. The well oiled Kuwait bowlers lead by Captain Priyada Murali bowled their hearts out to restrict the Chinese advance and spinners Elavarashi Rajasekar & Khansa Irfan supported well. Khansa bagged three wickets while Priyada, Elavarashi & Alina D’silva chipped with two wickets each.
Chasing 68 to win their debut match, Kuwait lost opener Shiobhan and it was Priyada’s Anyway, it was Khansa Irfan who stayed till the end and saw her side home with a patient unbeaten four from 46 balls.
Priyada Murali was declared “Player of the Match” for her all-round performance as she  turned to show her skill with the bat, coming in at number three and top-scoring with 11 off just nine balls and taking three catches, one stumping (kept wickets at a later stage) apart from bagging two wickets too.
Kuwait girls were really unfortunate to have lost their match against Singapore as they batted first & scored 114 runs with Kuwait’s “Dhoni” look like Shiobhan Gomez scoring the first half century of the tournament and capturing 3 wickets too. Singapore at one stage were 29 for 6 but held on to win in the last over of the game.  Shiobhan was rightly declared “Player of the match” for her brilliant all-round performance.
 Kuwait played their best game of the tournament against ultimate winners Nepal. No other teams in the tournament had given a tough time than Kuwait as Nepal chasing 38 runs to win the match was at one stage staggering with 6 batswomen back in the pavilion for 30 runs as hostile attack of Priyada Murali & Shiobhan Gomes ripped through the top order Nepalese batting line up but the experienced Nepalese team held the nerves to win the match. Priyada was again declared “Player of the Match” for her marvelous bowling performance.
Battling for the 9th & 10th position against Oman, Kuwait scored 94 runs and their hard hitting batswomen Shiobhan Gomes scored her second half century to post a winning total for Kuwait.
Shiobhan Gomes picked up “Player of the Match “award on two occasions and was the top scorer of the tournament and missed the “Best Batswomen” trophy by a whisker.
Kuwait Cricket would be really proud to have had a rising star in future as Priyada Murali who excelled in all fields of the game bagged the “Best bowler of the tournament” apart from having the honor of being awarded the “Player of the match” awards on two occasions. Khansa Irfan proved to be a great fighter as she exhibited her temperament in carrying her bat through on two occasions, a rare feat indeed in the tournament.
Anyway, it was the team spirit of the girls that had lead to their remarkable performance and full credit is to be given to Manager Murali Kutticoade, Coach Tariq Rasool, Sandra Almeida (Assistant Coach) & Nida Mirza (Physio) in grooming upthese young talents in a short span of 6 weeks time. these young talents in a short span of 6 weeks time.