RAWALPINDI: The Cool & Cool presents Jazz National T20 Cup got off to a rousing start at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thurs­day when Karachi Blues survived a late blitz from Tariq Haroon and Sohail Khan before upstaging Karachi Whites by nine runs.

After Karachi Blues, having won the toss and elected to bat first, had posted 158-8, Karachi Whites never looked like threatening to win the match as they slumped to 80-6 midway through the 15th over.

But Tariq, the 39-year-old all-rounder, and Pakistan fast bowler Sohail turned the game on its head by bludgeoning together 51 in only 23 deliveries for the seventh wicket to take their within striking distance of victory.

However, Karachi Blues hit back to regain control by dismissing both batsmen off successive balls. Tariq holed out to Fawad Alam on the midwicket boundary off Bilawal Bhatti on the last ball of the 18th over after top-scoring with an electrifying 28 from just 12 balls with three sixes and one four.

Pakistan discarded paceman Mohammad Sami then sent back Sohail (25 off 14 balls, two sixes and one four) with the first delivery of the penultimate over with Ali Khan taking a neat catch in the covers.

Other than Tariq and Sohail, just Akbar-ur-Rehman managed to play a noteworthy knock as the Karachi Whites captain hit four boundaries in scoring 25 from 29 balls.

Sami finished with three wickets for 29 runs in his four overs while Bilawal took 2-26 in four overs but the standout performer for the Blues was ex-Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who dismissed Akbar and Asif Zakir (4) to end up with tidy figures of 2-21 from his quota of four overs.

Earlier, the Karachi Blues innings was dominated by another Pakistan reject, Shahzaib Hasan, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for an invaluable contribution of 60.

After losing Khurram Manzoor to the third ball of the innings without a run on the board, the Blues prospered through a second-wicket partnership of 47 between Shahzaib, who adorned his 50-ball effort with six fours and one six, and skipper Khalid Latif (17).

Karachi Whites picked up wickets at regular intervals after getting rid of Khalid as Fawad Alam (8), Ali Khan (3) and Saifullah Khan Bangash (9) perished cheaply.

Sami then blasted a 7-ball 15 to boost the score before Shahzaib was caught behind off paceman Tabish Khan with the score on 124. But Bilawal then struck a quickfire 21 off just 10 balls with a brace of sixes in a much-needed late flourish.

Left-arm seamer Mir Hamza, Tabish and slow left-armer Azam Hussain claimed two wickets each but Sohail’s four overs went for 44 runs and the solitary wicket of Sami.

On the opening day of the first leg of the tournament — which ends on Sept 2 before the second leg shifts to Multan from Sept 5 — Lahore Whites were playing Lahore Blues in the late evening fixture on the opening day when this report was being filed.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rescheduled two matches of the competition on request of the law enforcement agencies.

“We’ve rescheduled Sunday’s matches [Karachi Whites vs Peshawar and Islamabad vs Lahore Whites] because of logistics issues,” a PCB official said. “Now both these games will be played on Friday along with the Rawalpindi vs Fata fixture.”

The official said the matches had been rescheduled because the law enforcement agencies will be occupied with other engagements on Sunday and won’t be in a position to provide foolproof security for the teams.

Thursday’s result:

Karachi Blues beat Karachi Whites by nine runs.

KARACHI BLUES 158-8 in 20 overs (Shahzaib Hasan 60, Bilawal Bhatti 21 not out, Khalid Latif 17, Mohammad Sami 15; Azam Hussain 2-23, Mir Hamza 2-27, Tabish Khan 2-36); KARACHI WHITES 149-8 in 20 overs (Tariq Haroon 28, Akbar-ur-Rehman 25, Sohail Khan 25, Rameez Raja 19; Mohammad Sami 3-29, Saeed Ajmal 2-21, Bilawal Bhatti 2-26).

Friday’s fixtures: Rawalpindi vs Fata (9:00pm); Karachi Whites vs Peshawar (4:00pm); Lahore Whites vs Islamabad (8:00pm).

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2016