RAWALPINDI: Peshawar put themselves in pole position on Friday for a semi-final place of the Cool & Cool presents Jazz National T20 Cup as they registered their fourth successive victory with Lahore Blues being the latest victims at the Pindi Cricket Stadium here.

Zohaib Khan, not for the first time, produced an inspirational performance as the Peshawar skipper first returned tidy figures of two wickets for 20 runs with his left-arm spin while Lahore Blues collected 137-7 after stand-in captain, Nasir Jamshed, chose to bat first.

It was appropriate that the honour of striking the winning runs fell to Zohaib who, adjudged man-of-the-match, outscored veteran opener Riffatullah Mohmand in their unbroken partnership of 35.

Riffatullah anchored the chase with 45 as he struck two sixes and as many fours. Iftikhar Ahmed scored 26 with the aid of three fours.

Sohaib Maqsood played his part after getting off the mark with a six against the spin of Agha Salman. The Pakistan discard slammed another one when he lifted Ahmed Bashir over the midwicket fence until he was taken in the deep off Raza Ali Dar for a 14-ball 20.

Earlier, Anwar Ali derailed Lahore Blues’ hopes of a sizeable total with three wickets for 28 runs, including two in three balls during his second over.

The discarded Pakistan all-rounder just didn’t stopped there since he was also responsible of running out Nasir Jamshed when a firm drive from Naved Yasin dislodged the bails at the non-striker end after touching the bowler’s hand.

Agha Salman somehow managed to add respectability to the total after Lahore Blues nosedived to 84-6 in the 15th over by top-scoring with a 27-ball 32.

Islamabad, meanwhile, failed miserably to draw inspiration from the first appearance in the tournament of Shahid Afridi as they suffered a third straight defeat late on Thursday night when arch-rivals Rawalpindi upstaged them by five wickets.

Umar Amin was Rawalpindi’s man of the moment as the stylish left-hander played a sublime 50-ball innings of 76 after Islamabad had posted 174-5.

After being sent into bat by Sohail Tanvir, Islamabad got off to a good start when Raheel Majeed (23 off 19 balls, five boundaries) and Imam-ul-Haq (54 off 45, six fours) added 45 inside the Powerplay overs. Imam then partnered Adil Amin in a 74-run partnership before both were out with the total being 128. Adil hit three sixes and two fours in scoring 44 off 32 balls.

Afridi blasted two sixes and a four while making 26 off 13 balls.

Test spinner Zulfiqar Babar bowled well to capture two wickets for only 17 runs in his quota of four overs.

Mukhtar launched Rawalpindi’s response to the chase by striking six fours and one six in a 27-ball 40 before Umar Amin, who faced 50 balls while hitting five fours and four sixes — including two off Afridi — and Hammad Azam (34 off 25, three fours and one six) changed the complexion of the match when it appeared Islamabad would pull of a win after reducing their opponents to 64-4 in the ninth over.

The decisive stand between the two Pakistan discards yielded 94 runs when spinner Mohammad Irfan claimed his third wicket by dismissing Hammad in the 18th over. But man-of-the-match Umar ensured Rawalpindi celebrate their second success in three outings. Afridi took 1-34 in four overs in his first competitive match since the end of July.

When this report was being filed, Islamabad and Karachi Whites were playing in the last match of the first phase on Friday night before the competition’s second leg commences from Monday in Multan.

Results:

Played on Friday:

Peshawar beat Lahore Blues by six wickets.

LAHORE BLUES 137-7 in 20 overs (Agha Salman 32 not out, Fahim Ashraf 22, Naved Yasin 20, Saad Nasim 18; Anwar Ali 3-28, Zohaib Khan 2-20); PESHAWAR 139-4 in 18.2 overs (Riffatullah Mohmand 45 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 26, Zohaib Khan 23 not out, Sohaib Maqsood 20; Zafar Gohar 2-24).

Thursday’s remaining match:

Rawalpindi beat Islamabad by five wickets.

ISLAMABAD 174-5 in 20 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 54, Adil Amin 44, Shahid Afridi 26 not out, Raheel Majeed 23; Zulfiqar Babar 2-17); RAWALPINDI 175-5 in 19 overs (Umar Amin 76 not out, Mukhtar Ahmed 40, Hammad Azam 34; Mohammad Irfan 3-35).

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2016