KARACHI: Sarfraz Ahmed played a captain’s innings that launched Karachi Dolphins’ campaign in the Cool & Cool presents Haier Super 8 T20 Cup with a handsome seven-wicket victory over Multan Tigers at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Thursday.

The result effectively ended Tigers’ knockout round hopes, leaving Dolphins, Faisalabad Wolves and Lahore Lions to fight it out for the semi-final places from Group ‘B’.

At the time of the filing this report, the Wolves — already winners against the Tigers — were playing the Lions in the late night fixture.

The Dolphins, who had to share points with the Lions after their high-profile clash on Tuesday night was washed out, had the Tigers on the run once Sarfraz elected to bowl first at the toss.

There was just one significant partnership during the Tigers’ innings when skipper Gulraiz Sadaf and all-rounder Aamir Yamin combined to share a third-wicket stand of 65.

Aamir, the dominant partner, easily surpassed his previous highest T20 score (16 not out) to make 47 from 35 balls with the aid of three boundaries and two sixes before he was caught behind by Sarfraz off left-arm seamer Abdul Ameer.

Gulraiz, the wicket-keeper/batsman, then saw two of his team-mates lose their wickets before himself departed in the 18th over after having struck a 41-ball 40 that included two boundaries and one six.

The Tigers did well to reach 147-9 due to consecutive sixes veteran Pakistan spinner Zulfiqar Babar hit off Ameer’s last deliveries of the final over of the innings.

Mohammad Sami, Fawad Khan, Faraz Ahmed and Ameer all finished with a brace of wickets apiece.

The Dolphins began their rather hesitantly as both openers, Shahzaib Hasan and Rameez Raja, perished to Aamir Yamin’s pace bowling. But once Sarfraz joined his Pakistan team-mate Asad Shafiq, the balanced tilted in favour of the Karachi side.

Asad and Sarfraz gradually raised the tempo in adding 87 in just over 10 overs. Asad, however, didn’t stay till the end when he caught off paceman Sadaif Mehdi for a 36-ball 46, featuring six boundaries.

Mohammad Waqas finished off the Tigers in style by hoisting Zulfiqar for three sixes, including in the 17th over which proved to be last of the game.

Waqas faced 13 balls for his 24, while Sarfraz helped himself a 40-ball 50 with the aid of five hits to the fence.

Scoreboard

MULTAN TIGERS:

Ahmed Rasheed c Shahzaib b Anwar 13 Ammar Ali b Fawad 2 Gulraiz Sadaf c Waqas b Faraz 40 Aamir Yamin c Sarfraz b Ameer 47 Naved Yasin c Ameer b Sami 5 Mohammad Ali c Waqas b Fawad 5 Yasir Butt c Asad b Ameer 13 Aftab Niazi c Asad b Faraz 0 Sadaif Mehdi c and b Sami 1 Zulfiqar Babar not out 14 Majid Ali not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-3, NB-3) 7

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 147

FALL OF WKTS: 1-17, 2-25, 3-94, 4-100, 5-108, 6-118, 7-119, 8-121, 9-135.

BOWLING: Mohammad Sami 4-0-23-2 (1w); Anwar Ali 4-0-20-1 (1w); Fawad Khan 4-0-29-2; Abdul Ameer 4-0-32-2 (1nb); Faraz Ahmed Khan 3-0-30-2; Ahsan Jamil 1-0-11-0.

KARACHI DOLPHINS:

Rameez Raja lbw b Aamir 11 Shahzaib Hasan b Aamir 5 Asad Shafiq c Aftab b Sadaif 46
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 50 Mohammad Waqas not out 24

EXTRAS (b-5, w-2, nb-6) 13

TOTAL (for three wkts, 17 overs) 149

FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-22, 3-109.

DID NOT BAT: Ahsan Jamil, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Sami, Faraz Ahmed Khan, Fawad Khan, Abdul Ameer.

BOWLING: Majid Ali 3-0-34-0 (2nb, 2w); Aamir Yamin 2-0-10-2; Sadaif Mehdi 4-0-25-1 (1nb); Zulfiqar Babar 4-0-40-0; Mohammad Ali 1-0-13-0; Naved Yasin 3-0-22-0.

RESULT: Karachi Dolphins won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: Ahmed Shahab and Mohammad Asif.

TV UMPIRE: Zameer Haider.

MATCH REFEREE: Musaddeq Rasool Khan.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sarfraz Ahmed.

FRIDAY’S FIXTURES: Peshawar Panthers vs Rawalpindi Rams (5:00pm); Sialkot Stallions vs Abbottabad Falcons (9:00pm).

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2015

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