KARACHI: Opener Ahsan Ali smashed a brilliant unbeaten double century on Saturday as Alamgir Gymkhana outclassed National Gymkhana by 165 runs to qualify for the final of the KCCA Zone-VI Daud Khan Memorial cricket tournament at the KCCA Stadium.

Ahsan’s dazzling 124-ball knock, which was embedded with 33 boundaries and three sixes, propelled Alamgir Gymkhana to a mammoth total of 369-5 in the allotted 40 overs of the first semi-final.

Mohammad Hasan also batted well to contribute 55 while sharing a fifth-wicket partnership of 130 with the well-set Ahsan.

National Gymkhana, in reply, were all out for 204 in the 37th over with Abdul Rehman (57) and Abrar Warsi (47) batting defiantly. Slow left-armer Bilal Manzoor claimed three wickets for 17 runs.

In the final Alamgir Gymkhana will meet either Pakistan CC or Sakhi Hasan Gymkhana.

Summarised scores: ALAMGIR GYMKHANA 369-5 in 40 overs (Ahsan Ali 212 not out, Mohammad Hasan 55, Mohammad Waqas 27, Jaahid Shaukat Ali 23; Adnan Wasi 2-25); NATIONAL GYMKHANA 204 in 36.5 overs (Abdul Rehman 55, Abrar Warsi 47, Simon Saleem 26, Faiz Hussain 25, Usman Khalil 23; Bilal Manzoor 3-17, Jaahid Shaukat Ali 2-31, Najeebullah Khan 2-39).

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2014