March 11, 2007	Sunday	Safar 21, 1428

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KARACHI, March 10: Despite a magnificent all-round performance by Fawwad Alam, Karachi Dolphins just failed to make the ABN-Amro One-day Gold League Cup final on Saturday.

Fawwad, an upcoming all-rounder, had a game to remember as the Dolphins defeated Rawalpindi Rams by seven wickets at the National Stadium. But his remarkable deeds were not enough to take the Dolphins through to Monday’s final against Sialkot Stallions at the same venue. Instead, Peshawar Panthers qualified by a difference of 0.078 on net run-rate.

Fawwad claimed five for 53 as the Rams made 253 for eight. The talented left-hander then blasted 15 fours and two sixes in making 127 off 88 balls. He put on 213 for the third-wicket with Khalid Latif, who scored an unbeaten 100 off 99 balls with 11 fours and two sixes.

Scoreboard

RAWALPINDI RAMS:

Adnan Mufti c Atif Zaidi b Fawwad 58

Babar Naeem c Sarfraz b Tariq 11

Naveed Qureshi c Wasim b Anwar 26

Usman Saeed c Wajihuddin b Fawwad 53

Mohammad Wasim c Nauman b Fawwad 5

Sohail Tanvir c Khalid b Fawwad 1

Tahir Rauf c Adnan b Atif 9

Ali Sarfraz not out 65

Yasim Murtaza c and Fawwad 11

Akhtar Ayub not out 7

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-3, NB-1) 7

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 253

FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-72, 3-119, 4-127, 5-129, 6-140, 7-214, 8-237.

DID NOT BAT: Najaf Shah.

BOWLING: Anwar Ali Khan 10-1-66-1; Tariq Haroon 7-0-41-1 (1nb, 1w); Wasim Naeem 6-1-16-0 (1w); Atif Maqbool 10-2-44-1; Adnan Malik 7-0-30-0 (1w); Fawwad Alam 10-0-53-5.

KARACHI DOLPHINS:

Wajihuddin c Naveed b Akhtar 2

Khalid Latif not out 100

Wasim Naeem c Naveed b Najaf 1

Fawwad Alam c Ali Sarfraz b Akhtar 127

Tariq Haroon not out 13

EXTRAS (LB-7, W-4) 11

TOTAL (for three wkts, 34.4 overs) 254

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-20, 3-233.

DID NOT BAT: Naumanullah, Atif Ali Zaidi, Sarfraz Ahmed, Adnan Malik, Atif Maqbool, Anwar Ali Khan.

BOWLING: Najaf Shah 6-0-28-1 (2w); Akhtar Ayub 6-2-29-2 (2w); Sohail Tanvir 5-0-40-0; Yasim Murtaza 10-0-69-0; Babar Naeem 4.4-0-56-0; Naveed Qureshi 3-0-25-0.

RESULT: Karachi Dolphins won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: Iftikhar Malik and M. Akbar Khan.

MATCH REFEREE: Taslim Arif.

OFFICIAL SCORER: Muhammad Ahsan.

Final standings

(Tabulated under played, won, lost, points, net run-rate):

Sialkot Stallions 6 5 1 20 0.481

Peshawar Panthers 6 4 2 16 0.448

Karachi Dolphins 6 4 2 16 0.370

Lahore Eagles 6 4 2 16 0.199

Karachi Zebras 6 3 3 12 0.334

Rawalpindi Rams 6 1 5 4 -0.887

Faisalabad Wolves 6 0 6 0 -0.970