LAHORE: Lahore Lions won the 5th National T20 Veterans cricket tournament by beating last year’s champions Karachi Omar Associates by five wickets in the final played at the LCCA ground here on Sunday.

Karachi Omar Associates after winning the toss opted to bat and scored an impressive 191 for six wickets in the 20 overs. Ashraf Pakhari scored 54 runs in 32 balls with two sixes and four fours.

Kamil Khan scored 43 runs off just 25 balls while Tahir Rasheed scored 30 in 21 balls. Former Pakistan player Sajid Ali also scored a breezy 25 in18 balls.

For the Lahore Lions Javed Hayat took 2-35 and Kafayat Hussain, Imtiaz Shah and Muhammmad Javed took one wicket each for 30, 35 and 38 runs respectively.

Batting second Lahore Lions reached the winning target of 192 runs for loss of 5 wickets in 19.5 overs.

Ghaffar Kazmi scored his second unbeaten century in this tournament. Ghaffar’s innings of 100 not out was scored off just 55 balls with four Sixes and nine fours. Dastagir Butt also scored a fluent 50 in 33 balls with eigth fours. From Omar Associates, Ali Akbar took two wickets for 14 runs.

Ghaffar Kazmi for his excellent innings was declared the Man of the Match and Best Player of the Tournament.

At the conclusion of the match, a prize distribution ceremony was held which was attended by Chief Executive PVCA Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, Intikhab Alam, Chairman Punjab Veterans Cricket Association, and Test cricketers Mohammad Irfan and Sohail Tanveer and former Test spinner Nazir Junior.

This tournament, organised by Pakistan Veterans Cri­cket Association, is contested among six city teams comprising players who are 50 years of age and above.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

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