USA's Seattle Sonics Dominate South England Giants in WJL Opener

The Seattle Sonics kicked off their World Junior League (WJL) 2025 campaign with a commanding 86-run victory over the South England Giants. Batting first, the Sonics posted an imposing 199/4 in their 20 overs. Aarav Alok Patel scored 64 off 44 balls, while Dhruv Gorintla contributed 40 from 33 deliveries.

The Giants, in response, failed to chase down the target and collapsed under scoreboard pressure. Krish Patel led the Sonics’ bowling attack, delivering a tight spell of 3 wickets for just 10 runs.

WJL has positioned itself as a groundbreaking initiative for youth cricket development. Unlike traditional youth tournaments, it follows a franchise model similar to major professional leagues, providing players with a structured, high-competition environment.

In a video shared on Instagram, WJL co-founder Adil Rashid said, “This league will bring together top talent from around the world to compete in a professional environment and take their game to the next level."

The league features multiple age divisions with scheduled tournaments throughout 2025. The Under-12 (U12) tournament will take place from April 17th to 21st in La Manga, Spain, while the Under-14 (U14) competition is set for April 7th to 15th in Dubai and Sharjah, UAE. The Under-16 (U16) and Under-18 (U18) tournaments are both planned for October 24th to 31st in Dubai and Sharjah.

It continues with Day 2 matches on April 9 at JMR Sporting Ground. The fixtures are:

North England Warriors vs South England Giants (1:30 PM)
London House Kings vs Melbourne Lions (1:30 PM)
Seattle Sonics vs Sharjah Cricket (5:00 PM)
Houston Mavericks vs Seven Districts (5:00 PM)