Hunts Indoor League Returns with Thrilling Opening Week
The popular Hunts Indoor League run by Cricket East returned last week with 4 excellent matches of Indoor Cricket. AK11, Ufford Park, Wansford and Werrington are the teams who have started well with victories in their first matches with the most dramatic match being the first match of the new season between defending champions AK11 and Hampton. Last year’s Hunts Indoor League winners who finished the season unbeaten and will represent Hunts in the National ECB Indoor Tournament in February 2026 started with a bang with a 31 run win against Hampton.
Ak11 batted first and collapsed from 99-1 to 99-4 before closing out on 131-5 from their 10 overs. Opener Abrar Ahmed led the way with 48, supported by an unbeaten 33 from Sufyan Mazhar. Hampton looked to be in control of the run chase and were 94-3 from 7 overs needing 38 from the last 3 overs, which in indoor 6 a side cricket is quite chasable. That equation got even lower as Hampton moved to 100-3 from 7.1 overs but captain Mohammad Zahid Nadeem had other ideas taking a hat trick with a smart catch from wicket keeper Sudheer Jafeer and two outstanding catches (one of them one handed) from Sufyan Mazhar saw Ak victorious. Mohammad Zahid Nadeem was certainly the man of the match with his first ever indoor hat trick, but incredibly this was his 5th hat trick of his career as he has 4 other hat tricks from outdoor cricket.
2018/2019 and 2023/2024 champions Ufford Park started the season in explosive style with a resounding 126 run win against Pak Azad. Opening batsman Waheed Javeed retired twice (players have to retire when they score 25, or their last scoring shot passes 25 and then return when all other batters have retired or other teammates are out) and came back to bat for a 3rd time finishing unbeaten with 54. He received useful support from other members of his team with Muhammad Raheel (34) and Sandeep Dahiya and Jonathan Bigham both hitting 27. Pak Azad then collapsed to 52 all out with Usman Sadiq in the thick of the action with a run out and taking 2 wickets in two balls to end the match and will be on a hat-trick the next time he plays.
For the first time in their history Burghley Park have joined the Hunts Indoor League, but they regrettably started with a 3 wicket defeat to close neighbours Wansford. One player did not arrive for Burghley so they played with 5 and were bowled out for 65 from 4.2 overs. The Wansford fieldsman were in great form executing 4 run outs. In reply Wansford lost 3 wickets with two run outs and a smart stumping from Matt Davies off the bowling of David Popple but the cool head of Kester Sainsbury who retired with 26 saw them home.
10 times champions Bretton started the season with a 47 run defeat to Werrington. Last years match between the two clubs was a knockout affair as Werrington recorded one of the lowest scores ever in the competition history making just 19. However, a much better batting performance saw them score 162-4 from their 10 overs with Mudassar Shafiq (39 not out), Naveed Ahmed (38 not out) and Saad Ashraf (33) doing the bulk of the run scoring. Ethan Bennett was the pick of the Bretton bowling with 2-27. In reply some good tight bowling and fielding from a number of players restricted Bretton to 115-4 despite an unbeaten 42 from Bennett and an unbeaten 25 from his dad Andy.
Week 1 Results – Sunday 26th October 2025
1st match – AK11 beat Hampton by 31 runs
AK11 131-5 from 10 overs. Abrar Ahmed 48 (3x6 and 2x4), Sufyan Mazhar 33 not out (1x6 and 1x4)
Hampton 100 all out from 7.4 overs. Saqab Ali 28 (3x6 and 1x4), Aurangzaib Tahir 27 (1x6 and 2x4) Mohammed Zahid Nadeem 3-6 from 0.4 overs including a hat trick.
2nd match – Wansford beat 5 man Burghley Park by 3 wickets
Burghley Park 65 all out from 4.2 overs. Simon Sherwin 16 (1x4), 4 run outs.
Wansford 68-3 from 5.2 overs. Kester Sainsbury 26 – Retired (1x6 and 1x4), Dhasarathsingh Janardhan 17 (1x4)
3rd match – Ufford Park beat Pak Azad by 126 runs
Ufford Park 178-3 from 10 overs. Waheed Javed 54 not out (4x6 and 2x4), Muhammad Raheel 34 (2x6 and 2x4), Jonathan Bigham 27 not out (3x4), Sandeep Dahiya 27 – Retired (2x6 and 1x4), Usman Sadiq 15.
Pak Azad 52 all out from 4.2 overs. Usman Sadiq 2-6 from 0.4 overs.
4th match – Werrington beat Bretton by 47 runs
Werrington 162-4 from 10 overs. Mudassar Shafiq 39 not out (1x6 and 2x4), Naveed Ahmed 38 not out (2x6 and 3x4), Saad Ashraf 33 (3x6 and 2x4), Muhammad Toseeq 19 (1x6 and 1x4).Ethan Bennett 2-27.
Bretton 115-4 from 10 overs. Ethan Bennett 42 not out (3x6 and 2x4), Andy Bennett 25 not out, Dave Bennett 16 (1x4), Tom Sanderson 15 (1x4).
Fixtures Week 2 – Sunday 16th November:
- 2.30pm – Hampton v Burghley Park
- 3.30pm – Pak Azad v Werrington
- 4.30pm – Wansford v AK11
- 5.30pm – Bretton v Ufford Park
The league table can be found on Play Cricket here
NOTE:
- 3 points for a win.
- If places are level positions are determined on head-to-head win against each other.
- If points are still level, positions are determined on the amount of opposition wickets taken during the season.
- If a team concedes a match the defaulting team looses 3 points and the non-offending team receives 3 points and 6 opposition wickets. The team that concedes also gets fined £60.
- Ak11 are currently ahead of Ufford Park and Wansford on alphabetical order after week 1 of matches.
- Burghley Park are ahead of Pak Azad on alphabetical order after week 1 of matches.
