Hit for Six

The cricketers who batted for the survivors of the floods in Pakistan have now raised £9197.44 and still hope to reach their target of £10,000. Said Raza Sadiq, Chairperson of the Active Life Club which helped organise the Super Sixes event: ‘This was a collective efforts to help the most needy and to show that Glasgow cricketing community and local individuals and businesses are united to support such a noble cause.’

The cricketers have teamed up with the UCare Foundation which is building 600 houses in five affected areas. The funds raised from the Super Sixes will go towards building two primary schools. One will be in Charsada where an Edinburgh Village of 100 houses is being created by Ucare. The second school will be in Muzaffarragarh where Ucare is building 200 houses to be named the Glasgow Village.

Added Raza: ‘This is a great effort. We are part of the bigger picture. By showing solidarity and having 100 sponsors we are helping to create schools which will provide education for coming generations.’

He invites anyone with further ideas for support or who wishes to donate to contact him at Active Life which empowers young people through sports. tel: 07791896634 website: www.activelifeclub.org

From an earlier report by Elyas Hussain

The Super Sixes fund raiser was held at Clydesdale Cricket Club and was organised by Active Life Club, Hamilton Cricket Club and Clydesdale Cricket Club.

Around 700 people attended to watch the 16 West of Scotland teams of six players, aged from 12 to 60 battle it out among them.

The winning team was Clydesdale which beat Drumpellier 88 runs to 57.

The Active Life Club’s own team was knocked out in the semi-finals.

Trophies and medals to all participants were presented by MSP Nicola Sturgeon who is Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing assisted by Mohammed Razaq, Glasgow City Councillor for Maryhill/Kelvin.

Individual awards were: Best Bowler, Mohammed Ali Clydesdale CC. Best Batsmen, Mohammed Kamran, Queenspark CC. Player of the Tournament, Omar Hussain Clydesdale CC.

The funds raised by the day will go towards two primary schools which will be called Active Life Club Primary Schools and built in two of the areas where Ucare Foundation are building houses.

Harminderjit Singh, captain of Clydesdale CC said: ‘It feels really brilliant to have reached the finals and to win. We are really delighted. The money raised for the victims of the floods in Pakistan has made it worthwhile.’

Nicola Sturgeon told the LOCAL NEWS: ‘I am honoured to be here on this very important day to support the cricketers in raising money for the people affected by the floods in Pakistan. They have done a wonderful job and raised a fantastic amount. Hopefully, this will help ease the pain and suffering of the victims.’

Raza Sadiq, founder and Chairman of Active Life Club said: ‘We are really delighted with the day and the amount raised and we were really humbled by the response.’

He extended his thanks to everyone who took part, everyone who sponsored and supported and everyone who donated.

Howzat for Charity!

Cricketers from 16 teams across Scotland have gone in to bat for the flood victims in Pakistan. They will compete in a Super Sixs tournament at the Clydesdale Cricket Club ground in Beaton Road, Glasgow, G41, on Sunday, September 12.

The event has been organised by Active Life Club, a youth group from the Southside of the city along with Hamilton Cricket Club and Clydesdale Cricket Club.

The six-a-side format will be knockout style; with each team limited to five overs per game.

It will be non-stop six-a-side cricket all the way from 10am till 7pm. But that’s not all – there will be a host of attractions on the spectators’ side of the boundary, including food and drink stalls, henna painting, balloon making, bouncy castle and slides, a raffle and auction, kwik cricket for youngsters, information stalls, DJ music and a singing talent competition.

There will also be an opportunity to buy Pakistani cricket team merchandise. There will be signed footballs from Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs, a signed T shirt from Celtic footballer Aiden McGeady, and one from the Scottish Cricket team as well as a cricket bat signed by Pakistani players; all on auction to raise funds.

The aim is to provide an entertaining fun day for families, cricket fans and, of course, the players, among whom will be a team representing the Scotland national side.

Most importantly, the tournament is being held for a hugely worthwhile cause and the organisers hope this will be reflected in a bumper turnout. Stalls can be booked for £100 which will provide great opportunity for organisations to reach out to diverse communities. All proceeds will go to the flood victims. More information from Raza at Active Life Club, email:  activelifeclub@hotmail.com

Bowled Over by Pupils’ Farewell

by Lynsay Keough, photo by Stuart Maxwell

The pupils of Hutchesons’ Grammar Primary School in Kingarth Street, paid a fond farewell to their Depute Rector, Lorna McKie, as she retires at the end of term. The assembly hall was full, as were the eyes of many of the staff, as each year, from Primary 1 to 7,  paid tribute to their much-loved headmistress.
Mrs McKie came to the school over 33 years ago and the pupils shared their favourite memories of her, from the spectacles with musical notes that she wears when singing, to her appearance as Cruella De Ville for a school show. Her favourite song, Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” was also remembered. Primary 6 reflected her well known love of cricket in a sketch based on the sport.
At the end of the assembly she was presented with an array of gifts, which included a book of stories and photographs of her time with the school. She also received a caricature of herself drawn and presented by Malky McCormick.

Edgy victory as Highlanders’ tail-enders hang in at Titwood

The best of Scottish cricket came to the South Side on Bank Holiday Monday when Titwood played host to the Regional Series clash between Western Warriors and Caledonian Highlanders.
The Saltires’ selectors were among the crowd with an eye to the opening Pro40 clash with Leicestershire on May 16.
The decision by Caledonian Highlanders to put the Warriors into bat in tricky conditions paid dividends with no Warriors batsman getting on top of the Highlander’s bowling attack.
Skipper Qasim Sheikh of Clydesdale top-scored with 26, and Greenock’s Willie Rowan made an unbeaten 25 that took the Warriors to a modest 174.
In reply, the Highlanders opened with two of Scotland’s senior players. Former Saltire captain Ryan Watson and current captain Gavin Hamilton set about the Warriors attack from the outset.
The experienced pair put on 91 for the opening wicket with Watson reaching a 52 that included seven boundaries.
It looked cut-and-dried for the Highlanders until Clydesdale’s Moneeb Iqbal removed both openers. This sparked a major collapse and the Highlanders lost the next six wickets for 29 runs.
It looked like the Warriors would snatch a dramatic win but the Highlanders’ tail-enders kept their nerve and edged home to victory with one ball and two wickets to spare.