LAHORE, Oct 17 Inspired by Abdul Razzaq's hurricane batting and a probing spell of seam bowling from Wahab Riaz, Lahore Lions overwhelmed Karachi Dolphins by 37 runs to lift the Faysal Bank National Twenty20 cricket title at a jam-packed Gaddafi Stadium here on Saturday night.
Razzaq lit up the final with awesome hitting as the Pakistan all-rounder bludgeoned a breathtaking 71 off just 29 deliveries to help his team post more than competitive total of 221-3 after Lions skipper Mohammad Yousuf called correctly at the toss.
The hard-hitting Razzaq, the Man-of-the-Match, took the game away from the Dolphins by smashing half a dozen sixes and four fours. He had made 28 off 15 balls at the start of the 18th over but clubbed four sixes and three as the Lions collected 57 runs from the last three overs of their innings.
The Dolphins, which had successfully chased 210 to beat Rawalpindi Rams in the semi-final, started well but gradually subsided against the accuracy of Test left-armer Wahab.
When skipper Shahid Afridi was deceived by a slower delivery from medium-pacer Waqas Ahmed, the match was effectively over as the Dolphins went onto lost their fourth final at this level.
The tempo for the Lions was set up earlier by Ahmed Shahzad and Nasir Jamshed. The openers, who both won Pakistan colours but are now among the long list of discards, cashed in on sloppy fielding to plunder 72 inside the opening eight overs.
Ahmed was the aggressive of the pair with a 23-ball 43 that included five fours and two sixes. He was particularly severe on Mohammad Sami and hit four fours and a six in the fast bowler's first two overs.
Nasir survived a 'dropped' catch early on when umpires Asad Rauf and Nadeem Ghauri after consulting TV official Ahsan Raza, decided that Afsar Nawaz had not held the ball long enough to justify a 'catch'. The left-hander, who changed gears to strike five fours and three sixes in making 68 off 57 balls until he ran himself out, saw Umar Akmal stumped off Afridi for 17 before Razzaq joined him in a partnership that yielded 84.
The Dolphins needed an electrifying start to their chase and their intent was clear with Shahzaib Hasan and Khalid Latif each hitting a six off Razzaq who trapped Khalid in front shortly afterwards.
The in-form Shahzaib made 33 off 16 balls (four fours and two sixes) before the tournament's highest run-getter provided the Lions a decisive breakthrough in the fifth over through Aizaz Cheema who had the opener caught by Nasir.
Afridi and Afsar added 51 after the Dolphins lost Asad Shafiq (12) and Fawad Alam (22), but the with asking rate mounting, it was always going to be too much for the boys from Karachi. The Lions, understandably, were overjoyed for winning the title for the first time after making their second final.
The new champions were awarded Rs2 million, while the Dolphins runner-had to settle for the runners-up prize Rs1 million generously put by Faysal Bank, PCB' latest partner to sponsor major domestic cricket events.
Shahzaib earned Rs30,000 after his 281 runs in four matches. Wahab earned the bowler's award for taking 10 wickets, his team-mate Adnan Akmal, brother of Kamran and Umar, was declared the best keeper for holding nine catches. But the surprise of the night was Yousuf who won the fielder award for his six catches.
Scoreboard
LAHORE LIONS
Nasir Jamshed run out 68
Ahmed Shahzad c Sami b Azam 43
Umar Akmal st Sarfraz b Afridi 17
Abdul Razzaq not out 71
Waqas Ahmed not out 8
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-8, NB-3) 14
TOTAL (for three wkts, 20 overs) 221
FALL OF WKTS 1-72, 2-109, 3-193.
DID NOT BAT Mohammad Yousuf, Raza Ali Dar, Adnan Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Shabbir Ahmed, Aizaz Cheema.
BOWLING Sohail Khan 4-0-37-0 (2w); Mohammad Sami 4-0-56-0 (1nb, 2w); Tanvir Ahmed 4-0-46-0 (1w); Shahid Afridi 4-0-36-1 (1w); Azam Hussain 4-0-43-1 (1w).
KARACHI DOLPHINS
Shahzaib Hasan c Nasir b Aizaz 33
Khalid Latif lbw b Razzaq 8
Asad Shafiq c Umar b Shabbir 12
Fawad Alam c Yousuf b Wahab 22
Shahid Afridi b Waqas 48
Afsar Nawaz c Adnan b Wahab 17
Sarfraz Ahmed c Adnan b Aizaz 0
Tanvir Ahmed c Adnan b Shabbir 7
Sohail Khan not out 20
Mohammad Sami b Wahab 0
Azam Hussain run out 0
EXTRAS (LB-4, W-5, NB-8) 17
TOTAL (all out, 19.4 overs) 184
FALL OF WKTS 1-22, 2-53, 3-62, 4-90, 5-141, 6-144, 7-151, 8-178, 9-184.
BOWLING Abdul Razzaq 4-0-53-1 (4w); Shabbir Ahmed 4-0-31-2; Aizaz Cheema 4-0-37-2; Wahab Riaz 3.4-0-14-3; Waqas Ahmed 4-0-45-1 (2nb, 1w).
RESULT Lahore Lions won by 37 runs.
UMPIRES Asad Rauf and Nadeem Ghauri.
TV UMPIRE Ahsan Raza.
MATCH REFEREE Arshad Pervez.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH Abdul Razzaq.
