Stallions gallop into 6th final

Captain Malik rips into Eagles’ bowlers, aims for 100% record.

KARACHI:

Captain Shoaib Malik gave Karachi Dolphins a lesson in how to chase a competitive total as he cracked an unbeaten 88 off just 49 deliveries to lead Sialkot Stallions into the final of the National Twenty20 Cup.

Malik thrashed the Lahore Eagle bowlers to all parts of the ground, sealing the six-wicket win with back-to-back sixes as the 168-run target proved too small for the five-time winners. His innings consisted of three sixes and nine fours as Sialkot recovered from a dismal start – losing two wickets for just nine runs – to ease past the finish line with seven deliveries remaining.

Malik cut, drove and flicked with ease, in stark comparison to his form on the tour of Zimbabwe, as Eagles, who took on the field under lights confident after posting a competitive total, looked totally at sea against the former Pakistan captain. He put on 127 for the third wicket with Shahid Yousuf (49) to put the match beyond Lahore’s control.

Earlier, opener Imran Farhat carried on his purple patch as he cracked another half-century in a brutal start to the match. Farhat’s 44-ball 73 was laced with 11 boundaries and a six as Lahore put on 86 in just eight overs opting to bat first.

However, the total proved too little for Malik’s team who await the winners of the other semi-final between Peshawar and Rawalpindi for a crack at yet another trophy.

Dolphins ripped to pieces by Panthers

Earlier, crowd favourites Karachi Dolphins bowed out of the tournament courtesy a 29-run thrashing at the hands of the Peshawar Panthers.

Backed by majority of the capacity crowd for the second day running, Dolphins showed poor effort with the ball and in the field. Wayward bowling, dropped catches and poor fielding complemented aptly by some wonderful strokeplay from the Panthers sealed their progress to the semi-finals.

Umar Gul won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first, knowing that bowling was his strength and a target of 150 would be defendable despite Karachi’s strong batting lineup.

Despite an early loss, Peshawar opener Rafatullah Mohmand and Mohammad Fayyaz blasted the hapless Karachi bowlers to all corners, picking on the frequent wayward deliveries that were on offer.

Faraz Ahmed and captain Shahid Afridi did manage to slow down the scoring rate but a whirlwind unbeaten 43 by Zohaib Ahmed who blasted two sixes and three fours in his 23-ball knock, upped the scoring rate again.

A huge task in front of an expectant home crowd became too hot to handle for Karachi batsmen as opener Shahzaib Hasan, who was lucky to be dropped off the first ball of the innings, and Afridi were unable to repeat their heroic performance against Islamabad a day earlier.

Struggling to form a decent partnership, Dolphins lost wickets regularly as they strived to contain the mounting asking-rate. Safe catching and the added pressure sealed the result in favour of the Panthers.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2011.