National One-Day Cup: Dolphins demolish Stags in rain-affected match
Karachi-based team revive semi-final qualification hopes after 10-wicket win.
Multan Tigers defeated hosts Hyderabad Hawks by six wickets. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Rain and sixes poured down at the Shaheed Mohtarma Benzair Bhutto International Stadium in Garhi Khuda Baksh as Karachi Dolphins blew away Bahawalpur Stags with a ten-wicket win in their Faysal Bank One-day Cup round five group A match yesterday.
The start of the match was delayed due to shower.
Batting first, Stags were bowled out for 91 in 20 overs as Atif Maqbool took three wickets while Haris Ayaz and Faheem Ahmed bagged two scalps each.
In reply, the Dolphins openers struck mercilessly as they blazed their way to 93 for no loss in just 6.2 overs. Shahzaib Hasan smashed 53 off 22 with half-a-dozen sixes and three boundaries while Khalid Latif hammered 36 off 16.
With the win, Dolphins revitalised their hopes for qualifying for the semis otherwise another loss could have dashed all their hopes.
“This win has given us some hope and we’ll treat our next two matches as finals,” Dolphins coach Tauseef Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “We can’t be complacent now otherwise we will be out of the running for the semi-finals which will be embarrassing for such a strong team.”
The official praised his opening pair for unleashing their best at a crucial time and said he hoped his team would take positives out of this match and would apply the same intensity in the upcoming matches.
Meanwhile, Multan Tigers defeated hosts Hyderabad Hawks by six wickets.
Set a target of 315, Tigers crossed the finish line courtesy a 98-run blitz from Kashif Naved, who hit three sixes and seven boundaries.
Earlier, Hawks piled on 314 for six with Sharjeel Khan smashing 86 including seven sixes and two boundaries while Rizwan Ahmed (77) and Azeem Ghumman (64) chipped in with important knocks.
In another match, Ikramullah and Yasir took three wickets apiece as Abbottabad Falcons beat Faislabad Wolves by eight wickets.
Bears shock Stallions
Elsewhere, Shahzad Tareen took three wickets and scored 26 crucial runs to help Quetta Bears stun Sialkot Stallions with a one-wicket victory.
Stallions set a target of 177 which was chased down by the Bears in 47.1 overs.
In group B, the Karachi Zebras-Rawalpindi Rams and the Lahore Lions-Islamabad Leopards matches were abandoned due to rain. Both teams were awarded a point, which was enough to seal the Zebras’ passage into the last-four.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2013.
in with a chance for a place in the final, and I am sure they would want to redeem their pride. What better way to do so than a strong display against Malaysia?”
The coach added that despite the team’s unbeaten run, much was left to achieve the target.
“There is much work to be done and the success so far is due to hard work put in by the players, coaching staff and the management.”
Team needs combined effort: Shahnaz
Meanwhile, former hockey great Shahnaz Sheikh said Pakistan can make a comeback in the tournament by displaying a combined effort.
“We are focusing too much on individual game,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune.
“Our players who are mainly youngsters do not have those skills and speed yet. The team management must devise a strategy that will work best for pairs or trios in defence to get much-needed improvement in these departments.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2013.
Rain and sixes poured down at the Shaheed Mohtarma Benzair Bhutto International Stadium in Garhi Khuda Baksh as Karachi Dolphins blew away Bahawalpur Stags with a ten-wicket win in their Faysal Bank One-day Cup round five group A match yesterday.
The start of the match was delayed due to shower.
Batting first, Stags were bowled out for 91 in 20 overs as Atif Maqbool took three wickets while Haris Ayaz and Faheem Ahmed bagged two scalps each.
In reply, the Dolphins openers struck mercilessly as they blazed their way to 93 for no loss in just 6.2 overs. Shahzaib Hasan smashed 53 off 22 with half-a-dozen sixes and three boundaries while Khalid Latif hammered 36 off 16.
With the win, Dolphins revitalised their hopes for qualifying for the semis otherwise another loss could have dashed all their hopes.
“This win has given us some hope and we’ll treat our next two matches as finals,” Dolphins coach Tauseef Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “We can’t be complacent now otherwise we will be out of the running for the semi-finals which will be embarrassing for such a strong team.”
The official praised his opening pair for unleashing their best at a crucial time and said he hoped his team would take positives out of this match and would apply the same intensity in the upcoming matches.
Meanwhile, Multan Tigers defeated hosts Hyderabad Hawks by six wickets.
Set a target of 315, Tigers crossed the finish line courtesy a 98-run blitz from Kashif Naved, who hit three sixes and seven boundaries.
Earlier, Hawks piled on 314 for six with Sharjeel Khan smashing 86 including seven sixes and two boundaries while Rizwan Ahmed (77) and Azeem Ghumman (64) chipped in with important knocks.
In another match, Ikramullah and Yasir took three wickets apiece as Abbottabad Falcons beat Faislabad Wolves by eight wickets.
Bears shock Stallions
Elsewhere, Shahzad Tareen took three wickets and scored 26 crucial runs to help Quetta Bears stun Sialkot Stallions with a one-wicket victory.
Stallions set a target of 177 which was chased down by the Bears in 47.1 overs.
In group B, the Karachi Zebras-Rawalpindi Rams and the Lahore Lions-Islamabad Leopards matches were abandoned due to rain. Both teams were awarded a point, which was enough to seal the Zebras’ passage into the last-four.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2013.
in with a chance for a place in the final, and I am sure they would want to redeem their pride. What better way to do so than a strong display against Malaysia?”
The coach added that despite the team’s unbeaten run, much was left to achieve the target.
“There is much work to be done and the success so far is due to hard work put in by the players, coaching staff and the management.”
Team needs combined effort: Shahnaz
Meanwhile, former hockey great Shahnaz Sheikh said Pakistan can make a comeback in the tournament by displaying a combined effort.
“We are focusing too much on individual game,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune.
“Our players who are mainly youngsters do not have those skills and speed yet. The team management must devise a strategy that will work best for pairs or trios in defence to get much-needed improvement in these departments.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2013.