Cricket Arena CIC

BBICL levelled up in 2019: a bigger home at Astrea Academy, better viewing for fans, and sharper coverage. Teams looked the part too, with coloured shirts and names/numbers printed in-house. On court, Hit & Run handled Finals Day and edged 6 Shotterz to reclaim the crown — in the first BBICL season delivered with Sport England support.

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BBICL '19 Snapshot:

Venue:

Astrea Academy, Sheffield

Dates:

27 Sep – 22 Nov 2019

Structure & Format:

Round-robin → Super 4s → Final · 12-over windball

Teams:

Cornered Tigers (new) · Batsman & Robin · Pakhtoons (new) · Hit & Run · Darnall Dynamites · 6 Shotterz

Results:

Winners – Hit & Run (2nd title) · Runners-up – 6 Shotterz.

Highlights:

Custom playing kits — step up in presentation

Coloured kits with player names and numbers changed the feel of the league — teams looked like clubs, footage looked cleaner, and the crowd could follow the action.

Pakhtoons set records high… and low

Debutants Pakhtoons delivered box-office swings: 141/4 (highest team score), 25/7 (lowest), 55 by Yousaf Rehman, and 5/10 from Imran Khan. Must-watch indoor cricket.

BBICL returned rebuilt in 2019. The shift to Astrea Academy brought space, sightlines and atmosphere, while media upgrades made games easier to follow at home. In-house kit printing gave teams a clean, professional look.

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Across league play and the Super 4s, Hit & Run and 6 Shotterz pulled away. In the final, Hit & Run posted 82/5 (12 overs) despite Basharat Ali’s 3/9 and tidy keeping from Afroz. The chase faltered as Hamzah Younis (3/9) and Zobair Khaliq (3/8) ripped through the top order. Saeed Rehman countered with 28 (15) and four sixes, but 6 Shotterz fell 12 short. Trophy to Hit & Run.

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Stand-out Players:

Award

Player

Team

Numbers

Highest Run Scorer:

Mazar Sharif

Hit & Run

129 runs (2× retirements)

Most Wickets

Hamzah Younis & Zobair Khaliq

Hit & Run

15 each

MVP:

Hamzah Younis

Hit & Run

98 runs, 15 wkts (Eco 4.27), 2 MoM

Most WK Dismissals:

Saqib Hussain

Batsman & Robin

17 (12 catches, 4 stumpings)

Full BBICL 2019 stats →

Voices from the Presentation...

“It feels fantastic, we started the tournament really well and in the second stages we won 4 out of 4. It shows what a fantastic squad we’ve got as we recruited really well this year. 2 finals in 3 years is a big achievement so credit to our captains, scouts, management and all the players.”

Mazar Sharif

—Hit & Run

“I’m feeling ecstatic. The key to success was that we all stuck together. There wasn’t a lot of animosity between the players; everyone chipped in and gelled as a team. We plan to stick together and prolong the campaign for the next few seasons.”

Adil Ibrahim

—Hit & Run

“There was never any doubt in many people's head that you’ll be lifting the trophy. Molvi Sixers, another reputable team, went into liquidation, that hasn’t been the same case with Hit & Run. You certainly deserve the win and well done to your team.”

Muazzam Khatana

—Commentator & Presenter

Impact & What's next?

Riding this season’s success, BBICL continues to build—following its growth plan and aligning with Sport England’s priorities. The move to Astrea Academy was a clear step up; the tournament levelled up with it. Plans were already brewing—both in management and across squads—for the Sheffield Cup 2020.