North Hawks, Clifton make winning start to KPL Season 2

KARACHI: North Hawks registered a thumping 79-run victory over Liyari Eagles while Clifton Lions humbled DHA Cougars by seven wickets on the second day of the Karachi Premier League (KPL) Season 2 here at Naya Nazimabad Cricket Ground on Saturday.

In the third match of the tournament, North Hawks, batting first, piled up a mammoth total of 192/7 in the allotted 20 overs.

Leading the way for the Hawks was opening batter Zakir Malik, courtesy of his quickfire half-century. He smashed three fours and five sixes on his way to a 27-ball 55.

Despite a strong start provided by Zakir, the Hawks had slipped to 118/5 in 13.4 overs but a counterattacking sixth-wicket partnership between skipper Shaaz Shahjani and Qadir Khan resurrected their innings.

The duo added 53 runs at a brisk rate before both fell victim to M Ghous in the penultimate over.

Qadir scored 35 off just 25 deliveries, Shahjani made a brisk 18-ball 29.

Dawood Khan’s blazing 20-run cameo at the backend pushed the Hawks’ total to 192/7.

For the Eagles, M Ghous and Usama Basharat bagged three wickets each, while Khanshah Khan made one scalp.

In response, the Eagles’ batting unit unfolded on a meagre 113 despite an anchoring 34-run knock by Ismail Shah.

Besides Shah, only Faizan Khan (19) and Hamza Ali Choudhry (11) made into the double digits while the rest of the Eagles’ batters struggled against a disciplined Hawks’ bowling attack.

For Hawks, Dawood, Shahjani and Rafay Safdar each took three wickets while Zohaib Khan had one to his name.

In the fourth match of the KPL Season 2, a strong opening partnership between Shoaib Buzdar and skipper Faraz Hussain led the Lions to chase down a modest 135-run target for the loss of just three wickets and 14 balls to spare.

The Lions’ openers came out all guns blazing in the run chase and scored 77 runs inside seven overs.

Israr Ahmed broke the threatening partnership by dismissing Shoaib, who remained the top-scorer for the Lions with a 22-ball 36.

The Lions lost two more wickets in quick succession including that of set batter Faraz Hussain (35 off 33) and were thus reduced to 95/3 in 11.1 overs.

But a sensible partnership between Habib Ullah and M Afzal made sure the Lions amass the target in the 18th over.

Habib Ullah scored an unbeaten 25 off 24, while M Afzal made a run-a-ball 17.

For Cougars, Israr Ahmed, Mamoon Intiaz and Jahanzaib Razzaq claimed one wicket apiece.

Batting first, the Cougars only managed 134/7 as none of their batters could register a big score.

Shahid Murani top-scored for the Cougars with a 21-ball 22, followed by Zaki Shah (21) while Zaki Shaaz and Deedar Azeem made 20 each.

Badar Uddin and Tariq Burki bagged two wickets each while Karnal Zahid picked one.