KARACHI: Karachi Dolphins continued their winning run in the alBaraka presents Haier T20 Cup with another impressive display that saw Hyderabad Hawks being handed a crushing nine-wicket defeat at the National Stadium here on Saturday.

The result was never in doubt once the Hawks had been restricted to 119-8. Rameez Raja made a welcome return to form with a rasping unbeaten knock of 70.

Winning with 20 balls to spare meant the Dolphins have a net run-rate of 2.88 ahead of their clash against Sialkot Stallions (net run-rate 1.074) in what is expected to be a rousing encounter for the semi-final place from Group ‘A’.

The Hawks chose to bat first after winning the toss. But once again they made a wretched beginning. Skipper Sharjeel Khan had yet another forgetful outing at the crease when Anwar Ali clipped his off-stump as the left-handed Pakistan limited-overs opener played down the wrong line for a second-ball duck.

Not to be outdone, discarded Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Sami then uprooted Azeem Ghumman’s off-stump a vicious delivery, the third of his first over from the University Road End.

Sami might have another wicket in his next over but Shahzaib Hasan, stationed next to leg umpire, floored a chest-high chance offered by Faisal Athar who later provided Shahid Afridi with his first success of the current tournament.

The Hawks huffed and puffed to 119-8 only because of Shoaib Leghari’s run-a-ball 25 and Mir Ali Talpur who struck two huge sixes off Tahir Khan, who was drafted in place of fellow spinner Faraz Ahmed Khan in the playing XI, and left-arm seamer Abdul Ameer in a 25-ball top score of 27.

Anwar Ali and Ameer bagged two wickets each and conceded less than five an over; Afridi, in contrast, was hit for 31 but regained some form with a much-needed wicket.

The Dolphins lost Pakistan T20 discard Shahzaib Hasan cheaply for the third innings running when the hard-hitting opener lobbed a catch to short fine leg while trying to sweep Nasir Awais.

But Rameez Raja made amends for his earlier failings by cutting cut shots that brought about his downfall against Larkana Bulls and Quetta Bears in the first two Dolphins’ fixtures. The 27-year-old, who has T20 best score of 97, brought up his third half century in 38 balls with eight strikes to the fence.

Asad Shafiq, with scores of 64 not out and 78 in the last two matches, kept Rameez good company in the unfinished partnership worth 81 from 67 deliveries when the opener struck the winning runs – a six over midwicket off part-time spinner Shoaib Leghari.

Rameez, adjudged man-of-the-match, laced his 70 off 49 balls with 10 fours and that six, while Asad’s 40-ball 38 featured three boundaries.

Scoreboard

HYDERABAD HAWKS:

Azeem Ghumman b Sami 1

Sharjeel Khan b Anwar 0

Faisal Athar c Rameez b Afridi 19

Mohammad Awais c Afridi b Anwar 13

Shoaib Leghari c Asad b Tahir25

Lal Kumar c Rameez b Ameer11

Mir Ali Talpur not out27

Nauman Ali lbw b Ameer5

Nasir Awais run out8

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-3, NB-6) 10

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs)119

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-1, 3-31, 4-54, 5-68, 6-88, 7-98, 8-119.

DID NOT BAT: Rehan Nizamuddin, Farhan Ayub.

BOWLING: Anwar Ali 4-0-18-2; Mohammad Sami 4-0-28-1 (3nb, 1w); Abdul Ameer 4-0-16-2; Shahid Afridi 4-0-31-1 (1w); Tahir Khan 4-0-25-1 (1w).

KARACHI DOLPHINS:

Rameez Raja not out70

Shahzaib Hasan c Farhan b Nasir10

Asad Shafiq not out38

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-3)4

TOTAL (for one wkt, 16.2 overs)122

FALL OF WKT: 1-41.

DID NOT BAT: Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Tahir Khan, Mohammad Sami, Abdul Ameer.

BOWLING: Farhan Ayub 2-0-19-0 (1w); Nauman Ali 4-0-26-0; Rehan Nizamuddin 4-0-26-0; Nasir Owais 4-0-28-1 (1w); Mir Ali Talpur 2-0-15-0 (1w); Shoaib Leghari 0.2-0-7-0.

RESULT: Karachi Dolphins won by nine wickets.

UMPIRES: Ijaz Ahmed and Saqib Khan.

TV UMPIRE: Qaiser Waheed.

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Javed.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Rameez Raja.

Published in Dawn, September 21st , 2014