KARACHI: Sialkot Stallions stayed on course for the semi-finals when they eased to a 44-run victory over Quetta Bears in Saturday’s first match of the Bank AlBaraka presents Haier T20 Cup here at the National Stadium.
The Stallions, who have lifted the national crown six times, chalked up their third successive win in Group ‘A’ after piling up 171-4 after Bears skipper Bismillah Khan invited them to have a bat in cloudy conditions when the match commenced at 9:00am.
But Bismillah, who was hauled by match referee for hearing soon after their game against Karachi Dolphins on Friday night, was left to rue his decision as Mukhtar Ahmed (32 off 22 balls, six boundaries) and Mansoor Amjad (22) launched the innings with a stand of 50 in 34 balls.
Haris Sohail and Ali Khan further pulverised the Bears in a quick partnership, yielding 79 runs from only 40 deliveries, Haris finished on an unbeaten 52 (39 balls, five fours and one six) while Ali was dismissed on the last of the innings after striking four sixes and a solitary four in a 23-ball 44.
The Bears, chasing a rate of 8.60, slumped to 84-7 in the 14th over before a 43-run partnership between debutant Ehsanullah (13) and Nazar Hussain (29 off 25) lifted them to 127-7.
Mukhtar snared the wickets of Zubair Khan (35 off 26, five boundaries) and Taimur Khan (32 off 31, five fours) and Jalat Khan (first ball) to clinch the man-of-the-match award after his breezy knock in the morning.
Scoreboard
SIALKOT STALLIONS:
Mukhtar Ahmed c Mohiuddin b Jalat32
Mansoor Amjad run out22
Haris Sohail not out52
Shahid Yousuf b Ghulam 12
Ali Khan c Taimur b Jalat44
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-5, NB-2) 9
TOTAL (for four wkts, 20 overs) 171
FALL OF WKTS: 1-50, 2-62, 3-92, 4-171.
DID NOT BAT: Adeel Malik, Ayaz Tasawwar, Shakeel Ansar, Bilawal Bhatti, Abdur Rehman, Hasan Ali.
BOWLING: Nazar Hussain 4-0-42-0 (1w); Mohiuddin 3-0-28-0 (2w); Jalat Khan 4-0-39-2 (1nb, 1w); Ehsanullah 4-0-21-0; Ghulam Mohammad 4-0-24-1 (1w); Mohibullah 1-0-15-0.
QUETTA BEARS:
Bismillah Khan c Shakeel b Hasan5
Zubair Khan c Bilawal b Mukhtar35
Mohammad Farhan c Shahid b Bilawal0
Mohibullah c Mukhtar b Ali Khan 4
Taimur Khan c Ali Khan b Mukhtar 32
Umar Qasim c Adeel b Mansoor3
Jalat Khan and b Mukhtar0
Ehsanullah not out13
Nazar Hussain not out29
EXTRAS (W-2, NB-4) 6
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs)127
FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-18, 3-32, 4-66, 5-82, 6-82, 7-84.
DID NOT BAT: Ghulam Mohammad, Mohiuddin.
BOWLING: Bilawal Bhatti 4-0-34-1 (1nb); Hasan Ali 2-0-8-1; Ali Khan 3-0-30-1 (2w); Abdur Rehman 4-0-22-0; Mansoor Amjad 4-0-17-1 (1nb); Mukhtar Ahmed 3-0-16-3.
RESULT: Sialkot Stallions won by 44 runs.
UMPIRES: Hakeem Shah and Mohammad Asif.
TV UMPIRE: Zameer Haider.
MATCH REFEREE: Saadat Ali.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mukhtar Ahmed.
Published in Dawn, September 21st , 2014
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