KARACHI: Dastageer Butt knocked a brilliant and unbeaten ton to help Pakistan Veterans record a convincing 77-run victory against host Galle FOG Veterans in a match played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan Veterans’ captain Fawad Ijaz Khan won the toss and elected to bat. The team was in deep trouble after losing the first four wickets for only 34 runs in the first four overs. But the partnership between opener Ghulam Ali, a former ODI player, and Dastageer Butt of 53 runs helped their team to recover.

Pakistan Veterans scored 264-7 in the allotted 35 overs. Dastageer scored an unbeaten 121 runs off only 72 balls with the help of six sixes and as many boundaries. For the FOG Veterans, SR Nanakkera took three wickets for 49 runs.

Like the Pakistan Veterans, FOG Veterans also made a disastrous start and they were five wickets down for only 28 runs in seven overs. Iftikhar Ahmed took three wickets for only 11 runs.

Galle FOG Veterans scored 187 runs before the team was bundled out in 33 overs. Duminda Wickramesinghe, the skipper of FOG Veterans, played a brilliant innings of 98 runs off 80 balls.

For Pakistan Veterans, Imtiaz Tarar also took three wickets for 15 runs and skipper Fawad Ijaz Khan took two wickets for 43 runs in his seven overs.

Now Pakistan Veterans play their remaining matches against the Sri Lankan Veterans’ team on Dec 5, 7 and 9 in Colombo.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2017