Sports

UBL snare Departmental ODI cup title with WAPDA rout

Captain Younus Khan applauds team’s unbeaten run in victorious campaign

Nabil Tahir January 14, 2018

ubl players with winner 039 s trophy photo courtesy pcb

UBL players with winner's trophy. PHOTO COURTESY: PCB

KARACHI: Home side UBL beat WAPDA by six wickets in the final of the National One-Day Departmental Cup on Sunday to become champions at the UBL Sports Complex Ground, Karachi.

An excellent bowling performance by UBL all-rounder Hammad Azam restricted WAPDA to 218 all out in 48.3 overs after the latter were invited to bat first. Azam bagged three wickets in his 8.3 overs, giving away only 35 runs.

Bismillah Khan’s 43 at one-down steered WAPDA forward but they kept losing wickets to see themselves standing on 113-7 in the 32^nd over.

However, tail-enders Wahab Riaz (53 off 45) and Khalid Usman (46 off 60) added some decency to the total.

WAPDA beat PTV, enter National One-Day Departmental Cup final

While chasing a meagre total, WAPDA lost their first two wickets for 43, but tournament’s top-scorer and UBL opener Shan Masood held team’s reigns and scored 59 off 89 balls, while he supported by Sohaib Maqsood (63 off 71) from the other end.

Masood and Maqsood departed with the scoreboard showing 157-4, but incoming Saad Ali (42*) and UBL captain Younus Khan (33*) made sure the team ran past the finishing tape with 42 balls and six wickets to spare.

“It was a good match and we are glad that our players played and supported each other well,” said Younus after the match. “When we took early wickets that was when we got control of the match and I am glad the batsmen carried the match well towards victory.”

He then lauded team’s unbeaten run towards the silverware. “Winning the title without losing a single match is an honour for the team and shows that everyone played their part perfectly,” he said.

With the victory UBL bagged the winning amount of Rs1 million, while WAPDA were awarded a runner-up prize of Rs500,000.

Meanwhile, man-of-the-final Azam, tournament’s best batsman Masood (632 runs), best bowler Sadaf Hussain (18 wickets) and the outstanding player of the tournament, Kamran Akmal, with his 532 runs and 12 dismissals behind the wickets, bagged Rs100,000 each.