Farhan, bowlers power Blues to dominant win over Gold

Sahibzada Farhan hits a fine century to enable his side chase 213 with ease

A masterclass century from opener Sahibzada Farhan, paired with lethal four-wicket hauls from Sufiyan Muqeem and Hasan Ali, propelled Pakistan Blues to a commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan Gold at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

The match, the second of the National Champions Cup, saw the Blues effortlessly chase down a 213-run target with 50 balls to spare.

Chasing a modest target, Pakistan Blues’ captain Sahibzada Farhan anchored the innings from the front. Farhan ruled the roost at the crease, crafting a brilliant 102 off 101 deliveries, punctuated by nine boundaries and two towering sixes.

Blues suffered an early set-back when pacer Muhammad Imran dismissed opener Maaz Sadaqat (9) in the sixth over. However, Farhan quickly took charge, stitching crucial partnerships to keep the scoreboard ticking. He put together 55 runs with Muhammad Faiq (30) and a steady 64-run stand with Tayyab Tahir (35).

Farhan brought in his fifty off 54 balls and accelerated efficiently to register his ninth List A century. Though he fell to Muhammad Imran (2-30) in the 38th over just after reaching his milestone, the damage was already done. Rohail Nazir (21*) and Muhammad Irfan Khan comfortably made Blues home in the 42nd over.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Gold won the toss and opted to bat first. They seemed positioned for a massive total, sitting comfortably at 100-1, thanks to solid fifties from Kamran Ghulam and Shamyl Hussain.

Shamyl scored a fluent 50 off 47 balls before a spectacular catch by Tayyab Tahir off Sufiyan Muqeem broke the 75-run second-wicket partnership. Ghulam followed soon after, departing for a well-made 63 off 85 balls, falling prey to left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas.

Following Ghulam’s dismissal, Gold faced a big collapse as their last nine wickets fell inside 112 runs. Left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem tore through the middle order, cleaning up Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Abdul Samad and Muhammad Imran in quick succession to finish with stellar figures of 4-37 in his quota of ten overs.

At the other end, veteran pacer Hasan Ali provided raw precision, stifling the batsmen with two maidens and returning figures of 4-32 in 8.3 overs. Haider Ali offered some late resistance with a gritty 44, but Hasan quickly blew up lower order, wrapping up Gold’s innings for 212 with 27 balls unused. Arafat Minhas also played an important supporting role, keeping things incredibly tight with figures of 2-36 across his ten overs.

With a comprehensive opening win under their belt, Pakistan Blues will return to the Multan Cricket Stadium on Thursday to face Pakistan Whites.

Summarised scores

Pakistan Gold: 212 all out in 45.3 overs (Kamran Ghulam 63, Shamyl Hussain 50, Haider Ali 44; Hasan Ali 4-32, Sufiyan Muqeem 4-37, Arafat Minhas 2-36)

Pakistan Blues: 213-4 in 41.4 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 102, Tayyab Tahir 35, Muhammad Faiq 30; Muhammad Imran 2-30)

Result: Pakistan Blues won by 6 wickets.

Player of the match: Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan Blues)