Lions beat Stallions in last-over thriller

Second eliminator will be played between Lions and Markhors today

A crucial unbeaten 65-run innings followed by a three-wicket haul by Ahmed Daniyal helped Nurpur Lions overcome the Allied Bank Stallions by 12 runs as they successfully defended the 264-run target in the first eliminator of the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup here at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Wednesday. After Lions stumbled to 140-7, a match-winning 81-run eighth-wicket partnership between Daniyal and Aamer Yamin, who scored 46 off 57 balls, helped their team to post 263-9 in 50 overs. In turn, the Allied Bank Stallions were bundled up for 251 in 49.3 overs. Khushdil Shah (3-40) and Daniyal (3-59) shared six wickets among them.

Earlier, after Lions opted to bat first they were reduced to 43-3 as Ubaid Shah, playing his maiden game of the tournament, struck thrice in the first powerplay. Mohammad Taha (47, 59b, 2x4s, 2x6s) and Sharoon Siraj (38, 50b, 2x4s, 1x6) joined forces to stitch a 77-run stand for the fourth wicket as they took the score to 120 at halfway mark before the Lions collapsed to 140-7.

Daniyal hit five sixes and two fours while Yamin hit three fours and two sixes to help their team reach a competitive total. Apart from Ubaid's 3-46, Adil Amin and Maaz Sadaqat picked up two wickets each. Haris Rauf dismissed one batter.

Stallions pursuit of the target was dented by the fall of regular wickets as none of their batters crossed the 40-run mark. They were first reduced to 139-5 in 30.3 and then 187-6 in 39.2 overs. Mohammad Haris (30, 42b, 3x4s) and Jahandad Khan (36, 31b, 2x4s, 2x6s) put on a 39-run seventh-wicket stand to keep their team in the game but in vain as Haris departed in the 46th over with Stallions requiring 38 off 25 balls and eventually falling 12 runs short.

Yasir Khan top scored with 39 off 42 balls while Mohammad Mohsin (30, 30b, 4x4s, 1x6), and Tayyab Tahir (28, 53b, 2x4s, 1x6) were the other contributors.