Eagles through to National T20 Cup semis
Lahore team seals berth with nine-wicket rout of Quetta Bears.
KARACHI:
Lahore Eagles sealed their place in the semi-finals of the Faysal Bank T20 Cup with a nine-wicket drubbing of Quetta Bears who went home without winning a single game.
Opting to bat first, Quetta lost a wicket in the second over of the match and never recovered from the poor start. They managed to post 125 off their quota but that proved not enough in front of a strong Eagles batting line-up.
For Lahore, Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar scored even fifties at the top of the order and put on 85 in 10 overs to place their side in a commanding position. Although Farhat was caught behind after reaching his half-century, Umar and Azhar Ali ensured the Eagles strolled past the finish line without any fuss and seal their progress in the tournament.
However, victory was made possible by the Eagles bowlers who bowled an unerring line to restrict Quetta’s batsmen. Junaid Zia picked up two wickets and was given a hand by the supporting cast. Mustafa Iqbal and Saad Nasim picked up two wickets each as well as three Bears’ batsmen were dismissed without scoring, aiding their side’s demise in the match.
Raza, Aziz lead Zebras to victory
Test discard Hasan Raza and opener Rameez Aziz guided Karachi Zebras to a final-ball six-wicket win over Younus Khan-led Abbottabad Falcons in a pulsating match.
Zebras looked dead and buried after they lost four wickets with just 28 on the board, chasing 159. However, Raza, whose slow batting was blamed for Zebras’ loss against the Eagles, rose to the occasion despite being demoted in the order. An unbeaten 74 laced with 11 fours meant that Zebras not only finished their tournament with a win but also sealed a place in the National Super-8 T20 event courtesy a second-place finish in the group.
Aziz, who saw his opening partner Khurram Manzoor dismissed in the first over, played a fair share in Zebras’ win, scoring an unbeaten 67 off just 53 balls.
Earlier, Danish Kaneria picked up three wickets but was not able to stop the Falcons from scoring an above-par 158. Yasir Hameed was Abbottabad’s highest scorer, making 73 at the top of the order to lay the foundations of a competitive total. It looked a dream finish for the Falcons as they neared their second win of the tournament but a late flourish after a composed start by Raza proved it otherwise.
Abbottabad falter
Earlier, in the last match of the second day, Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar put on 87 in the first 10 overs to power Lahore Eagles to 150 against Abbottabad Falcons, a total that ultimately proved to be beyond the Falcons’ reach.
Farhat scored a 31-ball 43 and Umar 35 off 36 as the Eagles looked for a second successive win. Test batsman Azhar Ali chipped in with an 18-ball 21 that included a maximum as Falcons’ captain Younus Khan tried seven bowlers, including himself, to stop the flow.
Wajid Ali remained the most successive Abbottabad bowler, picking up two wickets in his two overs when he dismissed both openers in consecutive overs.
In reply, despite an aggressive start by Yasir Hameed, ably supported by the promoted Yasir Shah, the Falcons fell short by 15 runs. Hameed and Shah put on 62 for the second wicket in just over seven overs but Eagles’ bowlers held their nerve and chipped in with regular wickets to seal the finish.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2011.
Lahore Eagles sealed their place in the semi-finals of the Faysal Bank T20 Cup with a nine-wicket drubbing of Quetta Bears who went home without winning a single game.
Opting to bat first, Quetta lost a wicket in the second over of the match and never recovered from the poor start. They managed to post 125 off their quota but that proved not enough in front of a strong Eagles batting line-up.
For Lahore, Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar scored even fifties at the top of the order and put on 85 in 10 overs to place their side in a commanding position. Although Farhat was caught behind after reaching his half-century, Umar and Azhar Ali ensured the Eagles strolled past the finish line without any fuss and seal their progress in the tournament.
However, victory was made possible by the Eagles bowlers who bowled an unerring line to restrict Quetta’s batsmen. Junaid Zia picked up two wickets and was given a hand by the supporting cast. Mustafa Iqbal and Saad Nasim picked up two wickets each as well as three Bears’ batsmen were dismissed without scoring, aiding their side’s demise in the match.
Raza, Aziz lead Zebras to victory
Test discard Hasan Raza and opener Rameez Aziz guided Karachi Zebras to a final-ball six-wicket win over Younus Khan-led Abbottabad Falcons in a pulsating match.
Zebras looked dead and buried after they lost four wickets with just 28 on the board, chasing 159. However, Raza, whose slow batting was blamed for Zebras’ loss against the Eagles, rose to the occasion despite being demoted in the order. An unbeaten 74 laced with 11 fours meant that Zebras not only finished their tournament with a win but also sealed a place in the National Super-8 T20 event courtesy a second-place finish in the group.
Aziz, who saw his opening partner Khurram Manzoor dismissed in the first over, played a fair share in Zebras’ win, scoring an unbeaten 67 off just 53 balls.
Earlier, Danish Kaneria picked up three wickets but was not able to stop the Falcons from scoring an above-par 158. Yasir Hameed was Abbottabad’s highest scorer, making 73 at the top of the order to lay the foundations of a competitive total. It looked a dream finish for the Falcons as they neared their second win of the tournament but a late flourish after a composed start by Raza proved it otherwise.
Abbottabad falter
Earlier, in the last match of the second day, Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar put on 87 in the first 10 overs to power Lahore Eagles to 150 against Abbottabad Falcons, a total that ultimately proved to be beyond the Falcons’ reach.
Farhat scored a 31-ball 43 and Umar 35 off 36 as the Eagles looked for a second successive win. Test batsman Azhar Ali chipped in with an 18-ball 21 that included a maximum as Falcons’ captain Younus Khan tried seven bowlers, including himself, to stop the flow.
Wajid Ali remained the most successive Abbottabad bowler, picking up two wickets in his two overs when he dismissed both openers in consecutive overs.
In reply, despite an aggressive start by Yasir Hameed, ably supported by the promoted Yasir Shah, the Falcons fell short by 15 runs. Hameed and Shah put on 62 for the second wicket in just over seven overs but Eagles’ bowlers held their nerve and chipped in with regular wickets to seal the finish.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2011.