KARACHI: Leg-spinner Mansoor Ahmed excelled with a five-wicket haul as Nazimabad Gymkhana sealed a 49-run victory over Al-Noor Gymkhana in the opening final-round fixture of the KCCA Commissioner Karachi Cup at the TMC Ground here on Tuesday.

Opting to bat first in the Group ‘B match, Nazimabad Sports collected 237-9 in the stipulated 45 overs with Hamza Ghanchi top-scoring with 41 (four boundaries) and Ali Mudassar hitting three sixes and two fours in making 36. Leg-spinner Shariq Ahmed grabbed four wickets for 58 and slow left-armer Sanjay Esther 3-31.

Al-Noor Gymkhana, in reply, had no answer to the guiles of Mansoor who claimed five for 32 to dismiss the opponents for 188 in 39.3 overs.

Zia-ul-Haq, a controversial inclusion since he had obtained no NOC from former club Vital Five CC to join Al-Noor Gymkhana whose president Khurram Ashraf happens to be the KCCA Zone-I chairman, struck five fours in scoring 39 while Sami Afridi made 40 with the aid of two sixes and as many fours.

On Thursday two matches are scheduled to be played. Nazimabad Gymkhana face Airport Gymkhana at the TMC Ground while Group ‘A’ rivals Mohammad Hussain CC ad Tapal CC meet at the KCCA Stadium.

The two sides in Group ‘A’ are Dawood Sports and Landhi Friends while the formidable Pakistan CC are the fourth team in Group ‘B’.

Summarised scores:

NAZIMABAD GYMKHANA 237-9 in 45 overs (Hamza Ghanchi 41, Ali Mudassar 36, Athar Abid 34, Shah Ali Zafar 29; Shariq Ahmed 4-58, Sanjay Esther 3-31); AL-NOOR GYMKHANA 188 in 39.3 overs (Sami Afridi 40, Zia-ul-Haq 39, Farrukh Rizvi 31; Mansoor Ahmed 5-32, Shah Ali Zafar 2-21, Khalid Mahmood 2-27).

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2016