National Q8 T20 Cup: Qualification awaits with semis last hurdle to overcome

With two sides set to go through to the main round, the final is just a formality.

KARACHI:

The top two sides from both groups of the qualification round are set to compete in the all-important semi-final stage of the Haier Q8 T20 Cup 2015-16 on Saturday at the Pindi Stadium, with the winners of the semi-finals qualifying for the tournament proper.

The unbeaten Karachi Blues side, led ably by international wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed in the absence of Pakistan T20 and Karachi Blues skipper Shahid Afridi, won their first encounter by a close eight-run margin against Fata before claiming two more points by defeating Dera Murad (DM) Jamali by a much more convincing 53-run margin in their second match to seal their spot in the semi-finals.

A win over second-placed Bahawalpur in the final match of the group meant the Karachi side go into the semi-final high on confidence after claiming the top spot in their group; which also helped them avoid the ominous Lahore Blues side in the semi-final.

Bahawalpur, led by Kamran Hussain, defeated DM Jamali by three runs in a nail-biting encounter to claim their first triumph of the tournament before winning their second match against Fata by 10 runs to confirm their spot in the last four.

However, a defeat against Karachi Blues in the final match meant their path to the final is more difficult as they face Lahore Blues, the top side from the second group.

“We have followed the instructions of our coach and captain down to the last word, and that has shown especially while fielding,” a Bahawalpur player told The Express Tribune. “We have to improve our batting a bit but what has been heartening is that whenever we have failed with the bat or with the ball, others have stepped up to the plate.”

Despite a potentially tough knockout match to follow against Lahore Blues, Bahawalpur are confident of going through. “The last match was tough as Karachi are a good team but we will give it our all despite facing a potentially tricky opponent in Lahore,” said the player.

Meanwhile, Lahore Blues opened the tournament with a huge 82-run win over Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) before following it up with a similarly comfortable nine-wicket win over Quetta to ensure their path into the semi-final.

“It has been a team effort so far and we are completely behind each other,” said a Lahore player. “We will be looking to keep our form going in the semi-finals.”

The semi-finals, which will be played on Saturday, are the most important matches of the qualifying round, with the winners of the two matches qualifying for the tournament proper. The final, therefore, will be a mere formality.

The Haier T20 Cup begins from September 8 where 10 teams await the two winning semi-finalists.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2015.

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