KARACHI: Defending Champions Sialkot Stallions won the RBS Twenty 20 trophy for the fifth time in a row after beating Faisalabad Wolves by 5 wickets in the final showdown at National Stadium in Karachi.
Chasing 110, Stallions achieved the target in just 16.3 overs at the loss of five wickets.
Imran Nazir provided a brisk start to Stallions, hitting four and six on the first two deliveries before getting out on the next ball.
Naveed-ul-Hasan and Abdul Razzaq then chipped in with valuable 27 and 24 runs. While Shahid Yousuf 21 and Adil Malik 14 not out sealed the match for Stallions.
Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Nazir of Wolves bowled well but in the end the total was too low to defend.
Earlier, batting first, Faisalabad Wolves could manage only 109/9 in the allotted 20 overs.
The star performer of Saturday’s semifinal match against Lahore Lions, Muhammad Hafiz could not repeat his performance as the Faisalabad scored 109 runs.
Hafiz 29, skipper Misbah-ul-Haq 27 and Shahid Nazir 17 were the top scorers.
Abdul Razzak and Abdul Rehman got two wickets each to restrict Faisalabad Wolves to 109.
Sialkot
to clash with Faisalabad in T20 finaltoday
KARACHI:
Sialkot Stallions as expected qualified for the final RBS T20
Cricket Championship when they beat Karachi Dolphins by seven
runs on Saturday before strong crowd of around 20,000.
Replying to Sialkot Stallions total of 149-7 in 20 overs,
Karachi Dolphins after an exhilarating start was bowled out
for 139 with nine-ball of 20 overs remaining at National
Stadium’s dazzling floodlights.
4-time Champion Sialkot Stallions will take on Faisalabad
Wolves in Sunday night final.
Shahid Afridi in a brief cameo of 11-ball, he struck three
boundaries and brace of 6s in 29 while Fawad Alam made 41 off
33-ball with two 4s and one six while Shahzaib slammed nine
ball 20 with three strikes to the boundary and one over.
At one stage after the departure of Afridi, Sheharyar Ghani
and Fawad Alam were unable force the pace as they went without
a boundary in 31 balls to the disappointment of the large
crowd.
Pakistan Test paceman Muhammad Asif was named man of the match
for his excellent figures of three wickets for 37 runs.
Sialkot electing to bat first was restricted to 149 for the
loss of seven wickets in 20 overs thanks to brilliant spell of
bowling spinners duo of Shahid Afridi and Azam Hussain.
Afridi grabbed three wickets for 21 runs in tight four overs
spell and slow left spinner Azam Hussain claimed two wickets
for 25 runs.
Sialkot Captain Shoaib Malik top-scored with a fine 40 in 32
balls including three boundaries and one six while opener
Imran Nazir hit five boundaries and one six in his 38 off 24
deliveries.
Scores:
Sialkot Stallions 149-7 in 20 overs(Shoaib Malik 40, Imran
Nazir 38, Shakeel Ansar 11 not out, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 10,
Shahid Afridi 3-21, Azam Hussain 2-25).
Karachi Dolphins 139 all out in 18.3 overs (Fawad Alam 41,
Shahid Afridi 29, Shahzaib Hasan 20, Muhammad Sami 18, Tanveer
Ahmed 15, Muhammad Asif 3-37, Sarfraz Ahmed 2-23, Abdul Razzaq
2-25).
Sialkot’s thrilling 7-run win over
Karachi to reach final
KARACHI: In the second semi-final of the
RBS National Twenty20 Cup championship here at the National
Stadium on Saturday night, defending champions Sialkot
Stallions recorded a thrilling win over Karachi Dolphins by
just seven runs.
Sialkot opener Imran Nazir started the
match with two fours off the first two balls, then smacked a
six over square leg and a four to midwicket in the second over
before retiring hurt with the score at 29 in two overs. After
a steady spell, Sialkot lost three wickets in the space of
three overs, followed by another burst of hitting, from Shoaib
Malik and Nazir, who returned after the fifth over.
Sialkot had reached a strong 89 for 3
after ten when Karachi started to reel in the run-rate, with
the help of the legspin of Shahid Afridi, who took wickets in
three consecutive overs. Malik remained unbeaten on 40 but
Sialkot never hit the gear they had in the early part of the
innings to finish on a middling 149.
The Karachi chase had a bizarre first 12
overs. They reached 82 for 6, but 49 of those runs came in
three frenetic overs, while in the rest they struggled to
score. Shahzaib Hasan started in a hurry, carting Mohammad
Asif's first over for 18 but Abdul Razzaq struck twice in the
second over to check the scoring. Asif then took two wickets
of his own in the third over and Karachi were down to 22 for
4.
Afridi didn't bother about the wickets
lost, belting three fours and two sixes before top-edging a
catch to cover to fall for a 11-ball 29. The required-rate was
less than seven at that stage, so Fawad Alam and Sheharyar
Ghani sensibly went about accumulating the runs in singles and
twos.
After Ghani was dismissed in the 12th
over, Fawad brought the required-rate back under control by
crashing a six and a four off two free-hits in a Abdur Rehman
over. His exit in the 15th over, to a superb diving catch from
Shahid Yousuf at short midwicket, turned the game but Karachi
managed to take it to a stage where the last pair needed 19
off two overs.
When Mohammad Sami took eight off the
first three balls from Naved-ul-Hasan, the match could have
tilted either way, but he was run out off the next delivery to
send Sialkot through to the final.
Hafeez
inspires Faisalabad to T20 final
KARACHI:
Muhammad Hafeez smashed a magnificent century to help
Faisalabad Wolves defeat Lahore Lions by 45 runs in the first
semifinal of the RBS Twenty20 Cup 2009-10 at the National
Stadium here on Saturday.
Hafeez, who started Wolves’ innings with a four on the very
first delivery of Aizaz Cheema, scored 100, the first century
of the tournament, to enable Faisalabad Wolves post 211 for
five, the highest total of the competition, so far. In reply,
Lahore Lions were restricted to 166 for nine.
Earlier, Salman Butt won the toss and surprisingly invited
Faisalabad Wolves to bat first on a pitch which had nothing
for the bowlers.
Openers Muhammad Hafeez and Asif Hussain punished the
opposition bowlers by playing effortless strokes. Asif was the
first to depart after he had added 117 runs for the opening
stand with Hafeez. This was also the first century stand of
the event for the opening wicket. He hit six fours and two
huge sixes in his 34-ball 54.
Ali Waqas joined Hafeez and the duo kept on scoring at a great
pace. Hafeez’s half century came in 31 balls before he hit
left-arm spinner Sohail Ahmed for two to complete his century.
He departed soon after completing his ton; caught by
wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal off Wahab Riaz. Hafeez cracked 16
fours and two sixes in his 53-ball innings.
Ali Waqas (28), Misbah-ul-Haq (11) and Khurram Shehzad (4)
were the others who got out as Faisalabad Wolves reached 211
for five, the first 200-plus total of the competition.
Wahab Riaz produced a career-best feat of three for 32.
In reply, Lahore Lions failed to bear the pressure of a tough
chase and were restricted to 166 for nine. The hallmark of
Lahore Lions innings was excellent half century from skipper
Salman Butt who was run out on 59. The left-hander hit eight
fours and a six. Kamran Akmal hit four fours in his 12-ball 19
while his brother Umar Akmal cracked two fours and a six in
his eight-ball 17.
Summarised scores: Faisalabad Wolves 211-5 in 20 overs
(Mohammad Hafeez 100, Asif Hussain 54; Wahab Riaz 3-32).
Lahore Lions 166-9 in 20 overs (Salman Butt 59; Shahid nazir
2-24, Asad Ali 2-35).
Faisalabad
Wolves set semifinal date with Lahore Lions
KARACHI: Faisalabad Wolves qualified for the semifinals when
they inflicted a crushing seven-wicket defeat on Islamabad
Leopards in their last Group C league match of the RBS Twenty20
Cup 2009-10 held here at the National Stadium on Friday.
Now, Faisalabad Wolves will meet Lahore Lions in the first
semifinal which will start today (Saturday) at 5:00pm.
Off-spinner and an expert of doosra, Saeed Ajmal chipped
in with four for 20 to help Faisalabad Wolves perish Shoaib
Akhtar-led Islamabad Leopards for a paltry 103 in 19.4 overs.
A good bowling performance followed by a smart batting display
from Asif Hussain and Ali Waqas made the chase easier for
Misbah-ul-Haq-led Faisalabad Wolves as they raced to the target
in just 15.3 overs after losing only three wickets.
After opting to bat first, Islamabad Leopards’ batting
failed to cope with the tight bowling initially from Wolves’
pace battery and then the spinners Saeed Ajmal and Khurram
Shehzad and the whole team was bowled out for 103. Faizan
Riaz emerged as the leading scorer with 25. He smasahed two
fours in his 21-ball knock.
Fayyaz Ahmed, 20 off 21 deliveries with three boundaries,
and Naeem Anjum, 16 off 21 balls with one four, were the only
other batters with substantial contribution. Saeeed Ajmal
grabbed four for 20 in 3.4 overs while Khurram Shehzad clinched
two for ten in three overs with his right-arm off-breakers.
Pacer Asad Ali bagged two for 21 in his four overs.
In reply, Faisalabad Wolves received an early shock when
fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar bowled Muhammad Hafeez for a duck.
After the initial loss, Ali Waqas joined Asif Hussain and
both batted with great responsibility by adding 82 runs for
the second wicket before left-hander Waqas was run out by
Faizan Riaz for 32. He hit three fours and a six in his 37-ball
knock.
The next and last one to go was Asif Hussain, who made fine
44 off 39 deliveries in which he smashed five fours and a
six as Wolves achieved the target in the 16th over.
Shoaib Akhtar, who had missed the previous match against
Abbottabad Rhinos on March 3 due to fever, took one for 21
in four overs while Imad Wasim grabbed one for 22 in four
overs.
Stallions qualify for Twenty20 Cup semis
KARACHI: Sialkot Stallions became the second team after Lahore
Lions to qualify for the semifinals after they beat Rawalpindi
Rams by 17 runs in their last Group B match of the RBS Twenty
20 Cup 2009-10 held here at the National Stadium on Thursday
night.
Star allrounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan blasted 95 to enable
Sialkot Stallions post 197 for four in the allotted 20 overs
and then Rawalpindi Rams, in reply, were restricted to 180
for six.
Stallions would now meet the winners of the Group D match,
which was scheduled between Karachi Dolphins and Lahore Eagles
last night, in the semifinal on Saturday (today).
After deciding to bat first, Sialkot Stallions lost their
openers Imran Nazir (1) and Kamran Younis (0) with just six
runs on the board. But Sheikhupura-born Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
and Shahid Yousuf batted superbly and added 59 runs for the
third wicket before Shahid was excellently caught by young
left-arm spinner Raza Hasan on his own bowling for 31. He
smashed four fours and a six during his 22-ball knock.
Captain Shoaib Malik joined Rana and the duo kept on scoring
with a good pace and added another vital 92 for the fourth
wicket before Naved was unlucky not to complete his century
after he misread a top spin from Raza Hasan when Stallions
were 157.
Naved smashed ten fours and three huge sixes in his 57-ball
innings.
Abdul Razzaq came in and he used the long handle to put on
40 runs with Malik for the fifth wicket unbroken partnership.
Razzaq cracked two boundaries and a six in his 11-ball 25
while Shoaib Malik remained not out on 33 which he scored
off 26 balls with three boundaries.
Raza Hasan, who was impressive in the Under-19 World Cup
in New Zealand recently, picked up two for 27.
In reply, Rawalpindi Rams kept struggling throughout and
were restricted to 180 for six.
Allrounder Hammad Azam, also an Under-19 World Cup find,
top-scored with an unbeaten 36 which he scored off 30 deliveries.
The right-hander sent three hits across the fence and a huge
one over the fence.
Tahir Mughal hit five fours and a six in his 19-ball 34 while
Umar Amin contributed 31 off 19 balls in which he hammered
five boundaries. Left-arm medium pacer Sarfraz Ahmed took
two for 28 while Abdur Rehman and Naved-ul-Hasan shared one
wicket each.
Summarised scores: Sialkot Stallions 197-4 in 20 overs (Rana
Naved-ul-Hasan 95, Shoaib Malik 33*, Shahid Yousuf 31, Abdul
Razzaq 25*; Raza Hasan 2-27). Rawalpindi Rams 180-6 (Hammad
Azam 36*, Tahir Mughal 34, Umar Amin 31; Sarfraz Ahmed 2-28)
National T20 Championship: Sialkot, Lahore in semis
KARACHI: Defending champions Sialkot Stallions and Lahore
Lions have qualified for the semi-finals in the National Twenty20
Cup Championship.
In the first match played here at the National Stadium on
Thursday, Lahore Lions after a hard fight defeated Multan
Tigers by just two runs.
Batting first, Lahore Lions scored 166-7 in the allotted
20 overs with Umar Akmal being the top scorer making 64.
Mohammad Irfan and Zulfiqar Babar claimed three wickets each.
Chasisng 167 to win, Multan tigers could reach 164-7 in 20
overs. Kashif Naved top scored with 58 while Waqas Ahmed captured
four wickets.
In the second match, Sialkot Stallions ousted Rawalpindi
Rams by 17 runs in a high scoring game.
Sialkot Stallions batted first and made 197 runs for four
wickets. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan smashed 95 from 57 balls.
In reply, Rawalpindi Rams could make 180 with Hammad Azam
(36) top scored.
Today, Islamabad Leopards meet Faisalabad Wolves and Karachi
Dolphins face Lahore Eagles.
Lions oust Tigers to enter NT20 semis
KARACHI: Lahore Lions blasted their way into the semifinals
when they recorded a two-run win over Multan Tigers in their
last Group A league match of the RBS Twenty20 Cup 2009-10
held here at the National Stadium on Thursday.
Umar Akmal smashed 64 not out to steer Lahore Lions to a
fighting total of 166 for seven in the allotted 20 overs and
then the bulky allrounder Waqas Ahmed, who was included in
the side in place of Adnan Raza, took four wickets to restrict
Multan Tigers to 164 for seven after a thrilling finish.
Chasing 167, Multan Tigers, led by Abdur Rauf, lost opener
Babar Ali (2) and No 3 batsman Gulraiz Sadaf (14) when the
total score was 26. But at this stage opener Rameez Alam and
Kashif Naved made great recovery by sharing 74 runs for the
third wicket before Waqas Ahmed gave a fine breakthrough to
his team when he clean bowled Rameez. Rameez hit four fours
in his 33 off 31 balls. However, Lahore Lions bounced back
in real sense when in-form Kashif Naved was run out for 58
in which he hit five fours and two huge sixes.
Waqas, soon after, took three more wickets which resulted
in the close finish at the end in favour of Lahore Lions.
Waqas finished with four for 22 while Aizaz Cheema clinched
two for 24.
Earlier, Lahore Lions, after opting to bat first, were in
deep trouble when they were 41 for three when fast bowler
Muhammad Irfan took the wickets of Nasir Jamshed (10), Salman
Butt (0) and Sohail Ahmed (25). But as usual, Akmal brothers
once again came to the rescue of their unit and shared 54
runs for the fourth wicket before Kamran edged left-arm spinner
Zulfiqar Babar to the keeper who took a fine catch behind
the stumps. Kamran scored 31 with four fours.
Umar Akmal continued to add to his team’s total with
his excellent strokes and remained not out on 64 as Lahore
Lions reached 166 for seven. He smashed five fours and three
sixes in the end in his gritty 41-ball knock. He was also
assisted well by Waqas Ahmed, who hit 20 off 11 balls. He
hammered three fours and a huge six off left-arm spinner Ali
Moazzam.
Lanky fast bowler Muhammad Irfan took three for 34 while
Zulfiqar Babar captured three for 22.
Jannisar shines as Panthers thrash Bears
KARACHI: Jannisar Khan hit unbeaten half century and then
made hat-trick to propel Peshawar Panthers to their consolation
30-run win over Quetta Bears in their last Group A match of
the RBS Twenty20 Cup 2009-10 held here at the National Stadium
on Wednesday night.
Jannisar smashed unbeaten 55 off 42 deliveries to enable
Peshawar Panthers post 150 for six in the stipulated 20 overs
and then he took four for 16 in four overs to dismiss Quetta
Bears for 120 in 18.2 overs.
Jannisar became the fourth bowler in Pakistan Twenty20 Cup
history to have made a hat-trick when he took the wickets
of Bismillah Khan, opener Shoaib Khan and Taimur Ali on three
consecutive deliveries. Zeeshan Khan (Multan, 2004-05), Sohail
Ahmed (Lahore Eagles, 2004) and Aslam Qureshi, Peshawar Panthers,
2006-07) are the others who have made hat-tricks before him.
Peshawar Panthers posted 150 for six in the stipulated 20
overs after opting to bat first. Openers Israullah (26) and
Adil Amin (25) gave 46 runs opening stand before Adil lost
his wicket. He smashed five fours in his 16-ball innings.
Then allrounder Jannisar joined Israrullah and took the responsibility
to stretch his team’s total. He smashed five fours and
a six in his 42-ball half century. Mahfooz Sabri, at the end,
hammered 17 off just eight balls while skipper Umar Gul scored
11 off 13 deliveries. Shoaib Khan grabbed three for 36 while
Nasrullah Khan claimed two for 23.
In reply, Quetta Bears landed in great difficulty when Jannisar
Khan got Bismillah Khan and Shoaib Khan on the last two balls
of the sixth over of the innings and then dismissed Taimur
Ali on his very first ball of his next over. Taimur Sadiq
(32) and Taimur Khan (29) offered some resistance in the middle
and put on 52 runs for the sixth wicket before the whole team
perished for 120. Sadiq struck five while Taimur Khan hit
three fours in his fine knock. Slow left-arm spinner Zohaib
Khan fully assisted Jannisar as he took three for 21 while
Umar Gul captured two for 15.
Jannisar was declared Man-of-the-Match.
Summarised scores: Peshawar Panthers 150-6 in 20 overs (Jannisar
Khan 55*, Israrullah 26, Adil Amin 25, Shoaib Khan 3-36, Nasrullah
Khan 2-23), Quetta Bears 120 all out in 18.2 overs (Taimur
Sadiq 32, Taimur Khan 29, Jannisar Khan 4-16, Zohaib Khan
3-21).
Leopards send Rhinos crashing out of T20 Cup
KARACHI: Abbottabad Rhinos crashed out of the tournament
when they were beaten by Islamabad Leopards by nine wickets
in their Group C match of the RBS Twenty20 Cup 2009-10 at
the National Stadium here on Wednesday.
Now, Islamabad Leopards will meet Faisalabad Wolves in their
most important match on Friday (tomorrow) which will decide
a semifinalist from the group.
Openers Umair Khan hit unbeaten 40 and Raheel Majeed smashed
35 to help Islamabad Leopards surpass 117 runs posted by the
toothless Abbottabad Rhinos.
The duo batted with great control and shared 77 runs for
the first wicket before Raheel Majeed was bowled by Muhammad
Sami Junior. Majeed hit three fours and a six in his 42-ball
innings.
Then Muhammad Yousuf joined Umair and both took the federal
capital team to an easy victory in 16.3 overs without losing
their wickets.
Umair’s knock was embellished with three fours and
six while Yousuf hit three fours and a six in his gritty 22-ball
27.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Abbottabad Rhinos, who
were bowled out by Faisalabad Wolves for just 75 the other
day, were once again unimpressive with the bat and were restricted
to only 117 for six.
Opener and kipper Yasir Hameed played an excellent innings
of 54 off 53 balls.
Yasir, who is desperately struggling for a comeback to the
national team, hit five fours.
He was involved in 73-run fifth wicket stand with Muhammad
Kashif who scored 34. Kashif smashed one four and a six in
his 36-ball knock.
Pacer Azhar Mehmood Sagar took three for 17 while Iftikhar
Anjum finished with two for 18.
KARACH: Lahore Lions sent Peshawar Panthers packing with
a seven-wicket win in their Group A match of the RBS Twenty
20 Cup held here at the National Stadium on Tuesday night.
With this result, the real battle for the semifinal berth
will be between Lahore Lions and Multan Tigers, when they
meet in a do-or-die battle today.
Both the teams have won two matches each. Quetta Bears are
the other in the group which have already been kicked out
of the event after two back-to-back defeats. Both Peshawar
Panthers and Quetta Bears were scheduled to face each other
in a dead rubber of the group last night.
Chasing an easy 118, Lahore Lions faced almost no difficulty
and raced to the target in 12.4 overs after losing three wickets.
The hallmark of Lions innings was skipper Salman Butt’s
unbeaten knock.
The left-hander hammered ten fours in his 26-ball 47. He
dominated the 45-run third wicket stand with Adnan Raza (5).
Earlier, openers Nasir Jamshed (33) and Sohail Ahmed (17)
put on 58 runs for the first wicket before both the batsmen
fell on the same score.
Riaz Afridi picked up two for 18 while off-spinner Hamad-ul-Hassan
captured one for 29.
Earlier, after being invited into bat first, Panthers bating
flopped once again and they perished for 117 in the stipulated
overs. Pacers Aizaz Cheema and Imran Ali did the damage by
sharing eight wickets.
Aizaz captured four for 18 while Imran clinched four for
21.
Muhammad Idrees offered some resistance in the middle order
after Peshawar Panthers were reeling at 49 for five.
Summarised scores: Peshawar Panthers 117 all out in 20 overs
(Muhammad Idrees 30, Sajjad Ahmed 20, Aizaz Cheema 4-18, Imran
Ali 4-21), Lahore Lions 121-3 (Salman Butt 47, Nasir Jamshed
33, Riaz Afridi 2-18).
KARACHI: Islamabad Leopards opened their tournament campaign
with a facile nine-wicket win over Abbottabad Rhinos at the
National Stadium.
Abbottabad, after opting to bat, were rocked early in the
piece by Islamabad's new-ball pair of Iftikhar Anjum and Azhar
Mahmood, who quickly had them at 20 for 4.
Mahmood was destructive in his spell, taking three wickets,
and it needed a circumspect 53-ball 54 from the opener Yasir
Hameed to lend respectability to Abbottabad's total.
His dismissal to Iftikhar in the 17th over was followed by
Mohammad Kashif's 34 as Abbottabad made it to 117 from 20
overs.
Islamabad's openers, Raheel Majeed and Umair Khan, went about
the chase steadily. Majeed led the scoring initially without
accelerating, and none of the bowlers rotated were able to
make an impact.
After playing second fiddle to Majeed for seven overs, hardly
getting strike, Khan opened up with a four and six to jack
up the run rate. The pair raised the fifty stand at a good
clip and after ten overs Islamabad were well set on 70.
That's when Mohammad Sami dismissed Majeed for 35 in the
same over that he was struck for six, but Mohammad Yousuf's
first-ball four maintained the tone the openers had set.
Yousuf's breezy unbeaten 27 from 22 balls helped finish the
affair in the 17th over. Khan hit the winning runs and finished
on 40 from 35 balls. Abbottabad have failed to win either
of their two games so far.
KARACHI: Karachi Zebras were sent packing out of the RBS
Twenty 20 Cup 2010 when they were beaten by Rawalpindi Rams
by 11 runs in their Group B match at the National Stadium
here on Tuesday.
With Zebras’ ouster with two consecutive defeats, the
real tussle for the semifinal berth will be between defending
champions Sialkot Stallions and Rawalpindi Rams when they
will meet in a vital encounter on Thursday (tomorrow) under
lights.
Zebras failed to impress and were restricted to 163 for six
in the stipulated 20 overs while chasing 175.
Khurram Manzoor hit his second half century when he scored
53 off 43 balls. He smashed seven boundaries in his fine innings.
Babar Rehman hit four fours in his 23-ball 26 while Faisal
Iqbal hammered two sixes in his 14-ball 22. Hammad Azam picked
up two for 23 while Raza Hasan captured two for 37.
Earlier, Tahir Mughal scored 58 off 36 balls to propel Rawalpindi
Rams to 174 for eight. Tahir hit five fours and three sixes.
He shared 54 runs for the second wicket with Babar Naeem (20)
and put on another 42 with Umar Amin (37) in a third-wicket
association. Haris Ayaz took three for 20.
In a Group D match, Lahore Eagles pulled Hyderabad Hawks
out of the competition when they defeated them by 46 runs
in their Group D match. Imran Farhat was the key behind Eagles
impressive victory; first scoring a quick-fire 27 off 22 balls
and then producing his career-best bowling feat by claiming
five for 26 to dismiss Hyderabad Hawks for 113 while chasing
160. Lal Kumar (38) and Aqeel Anjum (25) were the only batsmen
for Hyderabad Hawks who showed some resistance while the rest
of the batting crumbled under pressure.
Pacer Muhammad Irshad pressed the panic button when he sent
openers Sharjeel Khan (4) and Azeem Ghumman (0) back to the
pavilion and then Imran Farhat did the rest of the job through
his leg-spin by taking five of the last six wickets to finish
the job.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Lahore Eagles scored
159 for seven. Middle order batsman Jahangir Mirza top-scored
with unbeaten 38 off 24 balls in which he hit four fours and
a six. Aamir Sajjad smashed two fours in his 32 which came
off 29 deliveries
Azeem Ghumman took two for 22 in four overs.
Summarised scores:
Rawalpindi Rams 174-8 in 20 overs (Tahir Mughal 58, Umar
Amin 37; Haris Ayaz 3-20), Karachi Zebras 163-6 (Khurram Manzoor
53; Hamzad Azam 2-23).
Hyderabad Hawks 159-7 in 20 overs (Jahangir Mirza 38, Aamir
Sajjad 32; Azeem Ghumman 2-22), Hyderabad Hawks 113 all out
in 18 overs (Lal Kumar 38; Imran Farhat 5-26).
KARACHI: Openers Shahzaib Hasan and Khalid Latif played explosive
knocks to propel Karachi Dolphins to an easy six-wicket win
over Hyderabad Hawks in their Group D match of the RBS Twenty
20 Cup 2009-10 at the National Stadium here on Monday night.
Shahzaib slammed 46 off 21 balls while Khalid Latif cracked
32 off 15 balls to enable Karachi Dolphins surpass Hyderabad
Hawks’ modest total of 119 in only 9.5 overs to take
a fine start in the 13-team event. Earlier, opener Sharjeel
Khan scored a solid 39 to help Hyderabad Hawks post 119 for
nine in the stipulated 20 overs.
Karachi Dolphins started in aggressive fashion with their
first 50 runs coming in just 23 deliveries. Pacer Mir Ali
struck for Hyderabad Hawks when he bowled Shahzaib Hasan with
the Dolphins on 60. Shahzaib smashed six fours and two glorious
sixes in his fiery innings.
After Shahzaib’s fall, Afsar Nawaz joined Khalid Latif
and the duo shared 42 runs for the second wicket before Khalid
was excellently caught by slow left-arm bowler Kashif Bhatti
on his own bowling. He smashed one four and three sixes in
his knock. Dolphins lost two quick wickets before Fahadullah
(13 not out) and Shahid Afridi (4 not out) guided the hosts
comfortably home. Afsar Nawaz smashed four fours in his 13-ball
innings.
Opener Sharjeel Khan looked in good form when Karachi Dolphins
sent Hyderabad Hawks to bat after winning the toss. Sharjeel
was timing the ball nicely and struck five boundaries in his
38-ball knock. But the rest of the batters failed to cope
with the pressure of the experienced Karachi Dolphins bowling
and were restricted to 119 for nine in the stipulated overs.
Fawad Alam took two while Tanvir Ahmed, Tariq Haroon, Shahid
Afridi and Tahir Khan captured one wicket each. Shahzaib Hasan
was declared Man-of-the-Match.
(Wednesday).