KARACHI: Opener Bismillah Khan launched New Al-Habib CC’s back-to-back three-game league run in the 33rd Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Cricket Festival for the Omar Associates Trophy with a match-winning half-century here on Friday.

Pooled in Group ‘D’, New Al-Habib CC were handed a backbreaking fixture list with all their league-round matches scheduled on three consecutive afternoons.

Undeterred by the draw, New Al-Habib CC still managed to get past Heroes CC Quetta by three wickets at the Karachi Gymkhana Ground on a humid afternoon.

Opting to bat first at the toss, Heroes CC failed to cash in fully on the splendid platform provided by Najeebullah (43 off 37 balls, four fours and two sixes) and Fawad Khan (39 off 30, three sixes and three fours), who together added 78 upfront.

Bismillah then took the centre stage as the wicket-keeper/batsman thrashed five fours and three sixes while making 52 from just 28 deliveries to clinch the man-of-the-match award.

Rehman contributed 19 in the opening stand of 63 with Bismillah before Tariq Haroon (unbeaten 28 off 20 balls, two fours and Mohammad Waqas (21) made notable contributions as well.

Summarised scores:

HEROES CC QUETTA 154-9 in 20 overs (Najeebullah 43, Fawad Khan 39, Usman 19, Wasim Qureshi 18; Abdur Rehman 3-25, Saim Ayub 2-26); NEW AL-HABIB CC 155-7 in 19.3 overs (Bismillah Khan 52,Tariq Haroon 28 not out, Mohammad Waqas 21, Abdur Rehman 19; Khushdil Shah 3-31, Asif Ali 2-19).

Saturday’s fixture: Agha Steel vs New Al-Habib CC (Group ‘D’, 2:30pm).

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2018