Lahore Lions hunt down Dolphins

Umar Akmal’s half-century boosts Lahore outfit to 16-run victory

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Lahore Lions defeated South African Dolphins by 16 runs on Saturday in their third group match of the Champions League T20 in Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.

The Lahore Lions started off the proceeding by batting first, but soon found themselves on 34-4 in the 8th over. After that, man-of-the-match Umar Akmal and Saad Nasim started to rain sixes and boundaries on the Dolphins’ parade. They added 92 runs for the fifth wicket partnership, and took the score to 126 in the 17th over when Nasim was dismissed.

Akmal batted till the end and led the Lahore cause to set up a target of 165 runs.

Robbie Frylinck was the pick of bowlers for the Dolphins as he accounted for three batsmen spilling away just 22 runs in his four overs.

In reply, the Dolphins started losing wickets from the very start. Lions’ captain Muhammad Hafeez kept his grip tight on the Dolphins’ scoring using spinners on a slow wicket. But it was a magnificent show from a man in his prime form, Frylinck who entered the scene when Vaughn van Jaarsveld left the crease after being accounted by Hafeez. He saw his partners walking back to the dug-out but made sure every time he hit the ball, it went across the boundary.

He scored 62 off just 27 balls with the help of four boundaries and six maximums. He was also helped by a poor bowling performance from Aizaz Cheema who kept feeding him full-tosses.

With 27 required in the last over, Wahab Riaz made sure the Lions stopped Frylinck from causing the greatest upset.

Hafeez, in the post-match ceremony, said: "It's a beautiful game of cricket and we know that T20 can give you anything. Umar Akmal was exceptionally good today [Saturday] and Saad Nasim gave him excellent support. Everyone chipped in very well. We were very confident and we knew we had very good spinners who did a really good job."

Mustafa Iqbal, Hafeez and Saad bagged two wickets each while Adnan Rasool and Wahab bagged one wicket apiece.

Dolphins’ captain Morne van Wyk said: “We just haven't clicked in the tournament. We arrived prepared really well. The Perth Scorchers game could have been so different so easily, and you know what the consequences of that might have been [he's talking about those sixes off the last two balls from Mitchell Marsh which helped Perth bag a win]."

Lahore will now face Perth Scorchers in their last league round match on September 30.