RAWALPINDI: Inspired by a buccaneering 94 from their captain Fawad Khan, Fata stunned Rawalpindi by 15 runs while Karachi Whites tasted second defeat on the trot in the Cool & Cool presents Jazz National T20 Cup matches at the Pindi Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

Fawad led by example after opting to bat first in the opening fixture on day two of the competition, while enabling Fata to post 162-5. Dominating the first period of play, Fawad blasted eight sixes and seven boundaries in a memorable 51-ball innings before he was out on the second delivery of the last over.

Rawalpindi skipper Sohail Tanvir denied his Fata counterpart the golden opportunity of a maiden T20 century when the left-armer produced a great yorker which ricocheted off the bat onto the stumps.

Peshawar overwhelm Karachi Whites

Nevertheless, it was a sensational performance from Fawad against a bowling attack that also included Test spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who was easily the best bowler with an excellent analysis of 2-22, former internationals Aizaz Cheema and Yasir Arafat.

After a bright start, with Fawad and ex-Test batsman Yasir Hameed (16) adding 43, Fata lost three more wickets to be 77-4 in the 11th over. But debutant Mohammad Usman (31 off 29 balls, two fours and one six) helped his captain put on 72 in the next nine overs to give their team a competitive score to defend.

Rawalpindi made a quick beginning in the run chase as Mukhtar Ahmed (18) and Awais Zia (23) shared a stand of 30. However, Fata fought back to seize full control by taking five wickets in the space of 30 runs.

Rawalpindi finally reached 147-9 as man-of-the-match Fawad and his team-mates celebrated a famous result.

Slow left-armer Asif Ali was Fata’s bowling hero by claiming four wickets for 20 runs.

In the late afternoon match, Peshawar got out of a tight corner in a scrappy three-wicket victory over Karachi Whites, who suffered again a tight finish after having suffered a nine-run defeat against Karachi Blues in the opening fixture of the event 24 hours earlier.

Ironically, it was a Karachi player who became the villain for his city when Pakistan limited-overs all-rounder Anwar Ali (11) lifted Tariq Haroon over long-on for a six to end the game with two balls to spare after Karachi Whites made 152-5 while deciding to bat first.

Riffatullah Mohmand, who was adjudged man-of-the-match, played a blistering 30-ball knock of 49, hoisting four sixes and as many fours while dominating the opening partnership of 77 with Israrullah (27 off 19 balls, three fours and one six) in the first eight overs of the chase.

Fakhar Zaman maintained the tempo by striking a quick 29 with his 16-ball contribution laced with two sixes and two fours.

Captain Akbar-ur-Rehman was the mainstay for Karachi Whites with a 27-ball 48 (five fours and two sixes). Test star Asad Shafiq hit 27 (24 balls, two boundaries) in his first match before being bowled off his gloves when attempted to sweep spinner Imran Khalid.

At the time of filing report, Friday’s late evening game between Islamabad and Lahore Whites was in progress before the tournament resumes on Monday after a two-day break.

In Thursday’s night game, Lahore Whites rode on a rollicking first-wicket partnership of 163 between former Pakistan players Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt to whip Lahore Blues by a handsome margin of nine wickets with as many as 21 deliveries to spare.

After being sent into bat, Lahore Blues amassed 182-5 with Nasir Jamshed (46 off 20 balls, seven fours and two sixes) and Naved Yasin (53 off 40, six fours and one six) playing major innings.

Upcoming seam-bowling all-rounder Amad Butt picked up three wickets for 34 runs.

Lahore Whites, in reply, made light work of the tough-looking target as skipper Kamran blazed his way to a brilliant 84 from only 40 deliveries as the wicket-keeper/batsman slammed 11 boundaries and two sixes before he sliced a catch behind the stumps.

Salman, the former Pakistan captain who was the central figure in the infamous spot-fixing saga of 2010, was not behind as the left-hander finished undefeated on a 55-ball 84, which included 13 fours and two sixes. But it was Kamran who was declared man-of-the-match.

Friday’s results:

Peshawar beat Karachi Whites by three wickets.

KARACHI WHITES 152-5 in 20 overs (Akbar-ur-Rehman 48, Zain Abbas 33, Asad Shafiq 27, Asif Zakir 18; Imran Khan Jr 2-19); PESHAWAR 154-7 in 19.4 overs (Riffatullah Mohmand 49, Fakhar Zaman 29, Israrullah 27, Iftikhar Ahmed 17, Anwar Ali 11 not out; Mir Hamza 2-34).

Fata beat Rawalpindi by 15 runs.

FATA 162-5 in 20 overs (Fawad Khan 94, Mohammad Usman 31 not out, Yasir Hameed 16; Zulfiqar Babar 2-22); RAWALPINDI 147-9 in 20 overs (Zahid Mansoor 30, Sohail Tanvir 26, Awais Zia 23, Mukhtar Ahmed 18; Asif Ali 4-20, Mohammad Imran 2-21).

Thursday’s remaining result:

Lahore Whites beat Lahore Blues by nine wickets.

LAHORE BLUES 182-5 in 20 overs (Naved Yasin 53, Nasir Jamshed 46, Nauman Anwar 28, Saad Nasim 26 not out, Ahmed Shehzad 19; Amad Butt 3-34); LAHORE WHITES 185-1 in 16.3 overs (Salman Butt 84 not out, Kamran Akmal 81, Umar Akmal 15 not out).

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2016