Lions to take on Dolphins in final
Hasan, fresh from a match-winning century on Thursday, guided his team past a competitive 210-run target with seven balls to spare at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The right-hander has scored 248 runs in the three matches in the tournament so far.
Though wickets fell at regular intervals, Hasan occupied one end as Dolphins never let the required rate climb. Captain Shahid Afridi hit a whirlwind 38 off just 12 balls including four sixes while Fawad Alam also contributed a 15-ball 31.
Earlier, Dolphins’ Sohail Khan was the pick of the bowlers as he took three for 27. Umar Amin hit 44 off just 31 balls while Babar Naeem contributed 62 off 38 to take Rams past the 200-mark but it was their bowling which let them down later. Sohail Tanvir conceded 41 off three overs while Hammad Azam, who took eight wickets in the tournament, went for 32 in his two overs.
Lions crush Leopards
A three-wicket burst by fast-bowler Wahab Riaz halted Islamabad Leopards to 132 for eight before Lahore Lions overhauled the modest target in the 17th over to win the other semi-final by six wickets. Riaz took three for 26 and dismissed the Leopards’ highest-scorer Fayyaz Ahmed (53) as the other batsmen struggled to find the big hits. While the Leopards were left to rue their inability to score freely, Lions were off to a terrible start in their reply. Azhar Mahmood dismissed Nasir Jamshed in the second over and then bowled the in-form Umar Akmal as Leopards staged a comeback.
However, captain Mohammad Yousuf and Ahmed Shehzad added 103 for the third wicket in quick time as Leopards were batted out of the game.
Mahmood broke the partnership and struck again to dismiss Abdul Razzaq but by then it was too late as Yousuf guided the Lions past the finish line.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2010.
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