KARACHI: In an extraordinary twist of events, Sialkot Stallions completed a resounding 65-run thrashing of Karachi Dolphins to storm into the final of the Cool & Cool presents Haier Super 8 T20 Cup at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Sunday.

After suffering a startling batting capitulation in the first half of the opening semi-final, the Stallions tightened their grip on the Dolphins who never came to terms with the situation which required a commonsense approach from their batsmen.

Instead of batting sensibly, the Dolphins chose to reach the target of 168 in 10 overs and paid the price of being their recklessness. Leg-spinner Usama Mir and all-rounder Bilal Asif shared six wickets between them — with good support from Ali Khan who bagged two — as the Karachi team lost the last six wickets for just 16 runs after reaching 86-4 in 12 overs.

The Stallions too suffered similar calamity in the first period of play after Mukhtar Ahmed and Nauman Anwar had provided them with a perfect launching pad in a rollicking partnership of 74 in the opening overs.

Mukhtar, who is slowly getting into form after a lean start to the tournament, scored 25 off 19 balls with three hits to the fence when slow left-armer Faraz Ahmed Khan nabbed him.

But Nauman, the 19-year-old who hails from Gujranwala, was in belligerent mood as he unleashed an array of powerful strokes in making a career-best 80 from mere 43 deliveries. His knock was embedded with nine boundaries and five sixes.

Even when he was bowled by Faraz with the total on 115 in the 12th over, the Stallions were on course for a second successive 200-plus score. But their plans went haywire as they stumbled from 136-2 in the 14th over to 155-8 in 18.2 overs in a sensational turnaround.

Bilal Asif, who scored that record century against Abbottabad Falcons on Friday night, managed to slam a brace of sixes as well two fours in making a quick 25 from only 13 deliveries before providing slow left-armer Faraz Ahmed Khan the last of his three successive wickets.

Left-arm paceman Abdul Ameer grabbed three wickets in the 17th over when he sent back Ali Khan, Ayaz Tasawwar and Sultan Ahmed in the space of four balls.

Shoaib Malik was still in when those wickets fell around him. But the long-serving Stallions captain couldn’t break free and was caught off slow left armer Fawad Khan in the final over for a 21-ball 22 that included a solitary six.

The Stallions’ opponents in the final on Monday night were being decided later on Sunday when the powerful Lahore Lions play Rawalpindi Rams in the other semi-final.

The winners of the tournament will qualify for the Champions League T20 competition later this year.

Scoreboard

SIALKOT STALLIONS:

Mukhtar Ahmed b Faraz 25 Nauman Anwar b Faraz 80 Bilal Asif c Fazal b Faraz 25 Shoaib Malik c Rameez b Fawad 22
Haris Sohail run out 0 Ali Khan c Asad b Ameer 7 Ayaz Tasawwar c Anwar b Ameer 0 Sultan Ahmed c Hasan b Ameer 0 Usama Mir c Anwar b Sami 1 Ahmed Butt c Fazal b Fawad 4 Bilawal Bhatti not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1) 2

TOTAL (all out, 19.4 overs) 167

FALL OF WKTS: 1-74, 2-115, 3-136, 4-137, 5-150, 6-151, 7-151, 8-155, 9-166.

BOWLING: Mohammad Sami 4-0-28-1 (1w); Anwar Ali 4-0-31-0; Fawad Khan 3.4-0-39-2; Abdul Ameer 4-0-38-3; Faraz Ahmed Khan 4-0-30-3.

KARACHI DOLPHINS:

Fazal Subhan st Ahmed b Sultan 4 Shahzaib Hasan b Usama 20 Asad Shafiq b Bilawal 5 Rameez Raja st Ahmed b Usama 24 Mohammad Waqas b Usama 29 Mohammad Hasan c Ali Khan b Bilal 4 Anwar Ali c Ali Khan b Bilal 4 Mohammad Sami b Bilal 7 Faraz Ahmed Khan c Mukhtar b Ali Khan 0 Fawad Khan c Usama b Ali Khan 1 Abdul Ameer not out 1

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-1) 3

TOTAL (all out, 17 overs) 102

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-27, 3-40, 4-69, 5-86, 6-90, 7-99, 8-100, 9-100.

BOWLING: Sultan Ahmed 4-0-31-1 (1w); Bilawal Bhatti 3-1-16-1; Usama Mir 4-0-16-3; Shoaib Malik 1-0-15-0; Bilal Asif 4-0-20-3; Ali Khan 1-0-2-2.

RESULT: Sialkot Stallions won by 65 runs.

UMPIRES: Riazuddin and Tahir Hussain.

TV UMPIRE: Khalid Mahmood.

MATCH REFEREE: Anwer Khan.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Nauman Anwar.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play