November 26, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 20, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

KARACHI, Nov 25: Southern Sui Gas Company (SSGC) qualified to set up a quarterfinal clash with Baqai Dolphins after scoring a narrow 10-run victory over A.J. Worldwide in the 8th Tapal Trophy Ramazan Cricket Festival at UBL Sports Complex here Monday.

SSGC owed their win to Saad Umar, who hit 75 off 52 balls with six sixes and two fours and then claimed two crucial wickets for 11 runs.

Batting first, SSGC made 201 for five in their 25 overs, mainly because of a fine opening stand of 107 between Man-of-the-Match Saad and Ashraf Ali (54 off 46 balls, four sixes and two fours).

A.J. Worldwide, in reply, were all out for 191 in 24.5 overs. Opener Khurram Manzoor struck a whirlwind 57 off 36 deliveries. His knock was laced with seven fours and a brace of sixes.

Rashid Hanif, the slow left-armer, captured three for 34.

Tuesday’s final league game between A.O. CC and Customs Academy will complete the quarterfinal line-ups. A straight win for Customs will pit them against Tapal CC in the first quarterfinal Wednesday.

In case A.O. CC win, then net run-rate will decide the qualifiers from Group ‘C’ because three teams, including KBCA, will have the same number of points.

In other quarterfinals, Group ‘C’ winners Dewan Sugar Mills take on Group ‘A’ runners-up Shalimar CC on Thursday, Group ‘B’ champions KESC meet DHA, the Group ‘D’ runners-up, on Friday while Group ‘D’ leaders Baqai Dolphins clash against runners-up of Group ‘B’ SSGC on Saturday.

Summarised scores:

SSGC 201-5 in 25 overs (Saad Umar 75, Ashraf Ali 54, Irfanullah 20, Rashid Hanif 20; Akbar Rehman 2-30);

A.J. WORLDWIDE 191 in 24.5 overs (Khurram Manzoor 57, Fahim Ahmed 35, Atif Raza 26; Rashid Hanif 3-34, Saad Umar 2-11, Saeed Asif 2-28).

Tuesday’s fixture: Customs Academy v A.O. CC at 1.00pm.