The Infinity T20 Winter Challenge Grand Final will be held this Sunday 29th of September at Fairbairn Park, Ascot Vale. The two finalists Victorious Secret & Ahmadiyyah will both be vying to lift the inaugural Winter T20 Challenge Trophy.
‘Love for all. Hatred for none,’ said Zeeshan, captain of Ahmadiyyah ahead of the Grand Final. The players from Ahmadiyyah all have a Pakistani background, with an immense passion for the game of cricket. Zeeshan believed his team will look to enjoy the experience and was relaxed. ‘Everyone is feeling great. This is our first Infinity tournament and we are in the Final.’ He even had some tips for Victorious Secret and believed they should look to play their ‘natural game.’
Ahmadiyyah won all three of their group matches and two knock-out matches and come into the Grand Final with an unbeaten streak of 5 matches. Victorious Secret, meanwhile have also been dominant – with their only loss coming in their last group match.
‘From the very first game the boys have been having a lot of fun out on the ground, sharing in the success of each and every member,’ said Dulanka Weraduwage – a senior member of the Victorious Secret team. ‘We have a bunch of an individual who come together and do their best individually to support the team – we share in each other’s success and that’s what makes it enjoyable.’
Victorious Secret will be looking towards John Kulikowski (Killa), a childhood prodigy and a man of immense cricketing talent to lead with both bat & ball. He has had a stellar tournament so far having scored 320 runs, with 1 century and a fifty and taken 13 wickets in 5 matches.
‘Goes without saying that Killa will be looking to be destructive; (but) we have the talent around him to bring it home,’ warned Dulanka.
Ahmadiyyah will hope they can keep him quiet. To their credit, their bowlers have been in good form with Ul Basit taking 6 wickets in an earlier group game.
There will also be an ‘All-Star’ exhibition match prior to the Grand Final featuring the best players from the tournament.
The players are split into two teams – Infinity Orange and Infinity Yellow – and will be led by tournament founder Navneet Ganesh and Ravi Wickramaratne, the Game Development coordinator.
Navneet Ganesh, Infinity Cricket’s founder believed they were heading in the right direction. ‘This is our first Winter T20 tournament and it has been a great response from the teams and players. We have continued to focus on enhancing the player experience – and have introduced scoring through mobiles & tablets thanks to our partners CricHQ.’
‘Our thinking is why should a premium experience be reserved only for a BBL or an IPL? 99% of cricketers are at the grass-roots level so this is where it counts. This is where we will focus and continue connecting people through cricket.’
Players include multiple team captains, such as Arjun Dhingra (The Boys), Daniel Bense (T20 Pterodactyls) and Raam Gowriswaran (Melb Super Roos).
Arjun Dhingra, captain of the Boys team and runners up of the 2013 Summer Tournament shared his thoughts. ‘Having participated in the tournament since its inception, it is a privilege to be part of the all-star exhibition game. The Boys’ have always seen Infinity Cricket as the perfect opportunity to bring out the entertainment aspect of playing cricket with mates.’
Dhingra believed that the exhibition match would be the perfect curtain-raiser for the Grand Final. ‘We hope to put on a show for fans in attendance on Sunday, in preparation for the main event.’
He added, ‘Both teams have worked hard to reach this stage, and having been part of an Infinity Grand Final, I’m sure both teams will love the feeling of playing on the big stage!’
Prasannakumar Palani, an Infinity Cricket scorer and match-day coordinator has been able to witness the event from close quarters. ‘The amusement and excitement the tournament provides every time is quite unbelievable. That is one of the reasons teams come back every time they hear the words Infinity Cricket!’
As has become the norm with Infinity Cricket events, the Grand Final day will feature plenty of entertainment.
DJ Rush, will be providing the music and ensuring that every player have their favourite song when walking out to bat. DJ Rush is a leading DJ in Melbourne featuring in the hottest nightspots.
The Red Bull Wiings girls will also be around handing out drinks in the afternoon. A selection of pizzas will also be provided.
Infinity Cricket was founded in 2010 by Navneet Ganesh, who was 21 at the time. The first tournament took place in 2011, and has since become the largest open T20 event specialists in the city. In 2013, over 650 players and 44 teams have taken part in the events across a Summer & Winter event.
The Grand Final promises to be a fun-filled day of entertainment for cricket lovers, families and children alike. Ample parking is available at Fairbairn Park. The matches will be played on Ground 9. Venue locations can be found here.
Infinity Cricket’s tagline is ‘Connecting people through Cricket.’ Infinity Cricket is active on Facebook & Twitter. You can visit their website here.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Date: Sunday 29th September 2013
Time: 11 am Exhibition Match 2 PM Grand Final
Venue: Fairbairn Park, Ascot Vale, Ground 9
Highlights: Grand Final (Victorious Secret V Admadiyyah
Exhibition match (Infinity Orange V Infinity Yellow)
Entertainment: DJ Rush, Studio LT (Photography & Video)
Food & Drinks: Red Bull Wiings Girls + Assortment of Pizza
Player prizes: Winners Cheque
Biblos Menswear Prize pack
Footlocker Prize pack
Man What a Fuss prize pack
Value of prizes offered: Over $2500
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