Zebras kick off tournament in style with 92-run win

Zaman, Iqbal help team beat Lahore Lions, Rams register big victory.

KARACHI: In-form batsman Fakhar Zaman slammed 141 to help Karachi Zebras thrash Lahore Lions by 92 runs in their Faysal Bank One-day Cup Group ‘B’ opening match at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Being put in to bat, Zebras amassed 314 for six in 50 overs. Zaman scored 141 off 118 balls hitting two sixes and 15 boundaries. Skipper Faisal Iqbal, who returned from South Africa after Pakistan’s 3-0 demolition in the Test series, supported Zaman with a solid 78-run knock.

In reply, Lions bundled out for 222 in 44.3 overs as Azhar Ali made a 71-ball 56 while Rumman Raees and Misbah Khan bagged three wickets each.



“It’s a really good start for me and the team. We have  kicked off the tournament in style,” Iqbal told The Express Tribune. “We would like to build on this start because the team has been doing well since the last tournament.”

Zia hammers 119 in Rams victory

Meanwhile, Awais Zia’s quickfire 119, laced with a six and 18 fours, gave Rawalpindi Rams, who made 338 for seven, a 66-run victory against hosts Islamabad Leopards at the Diamond Ground.

Set a target of 339, Leopards were restricted to 272 for nine in 50 overs despite Babar Azam’s 101 off 114 balls. Yasim Murtaza took three wickets.

In the other match of the group, Abbottabad Falcons defeated Peshawar Panthers by 45 runs in a low-scoring tie at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

Falcons made 219 for nine with Khalid Imran top-scoring (80) as Zohaib Khan picked up four wickets. Panthers were bowled out for 174 in 44.1 overs. Khalid Usman dismissed three batsmen.

Sami, Ahmed star as Dolphins win

In group A, wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed made 76 and Mohammad Sami took three wickets as Karachi Dolphins downed Lahore Eagles by 103 runs at the Niaz Stadium.

Dolphins posted 309 for three while batting first, thanks to half-centuries from Ahmed, Saeed Bin Nasir (74), Khalid Latif (64) and Shahzaib Hasan (63).

In reply, Eagles could only labour to 206 for nine as Jahangir Mirza top-scored with 83.

Elsewhere, Rizwan Ahmed maintained his fine form by making an 88-ball 101 along with Azeem Ghumman, who scored an exact 100 as Hyderabad beat Quetta Bears by 150 runs at the Shaheed Mohtarma Benzair Bhutto International Stadium, Garhi Khuda Baksh.

Hyderabad scored 260 for two and in reply, Bears were cleaned up for 110 in 33.5 overs as Kashif Bhatti claimed a five-wicket haul.

There was victory for host Multan Tigers as well, who beat Bahawalpur Stags by seven wickets.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2013.