KARACHI: A remarkable century from Arsalan Bashir spurred Agha Steel to a sensational one-run victory over Qasmi Gymkhana in the final of the 31st Aga Gymkhana Ramazan Cricket tournament at the AKG Ground here on Thursday.

For the second time in two days, Qasmi Gymkhana came perilously close to winning the title but just as Omar CC dented their hopes in the final of the final Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Cricket Festival on Wednesday by securing a three-run success, Qasmi Gymkhana skipper Abid Qasmi was left shell-shocked.

Needing eight runs off the last ball of a thrilling title-decider on a batting paradise, Qasmi Gymkhana could only managed to finish two runs short of the 196-run target when Hasan Sardar slammed the final ball of the tournament for a six.

Earlier after being asked to bat first, Agha Steel’s innings was entirely dominated by the right-handed Arsalan, who blasted 130 from just 61 balls with the aid of seven sixes and 10 fours as his side posted 195-8.

Man-of-the-match Arsalan, in fact, scored 130 of the 160 runs his team made while he was at the crease.

Former Pakistan international Kamran Hussain grabbed three wickets for 32 runs with his left-arm seamers while off spinner Moazzam Malik took two for 39.

The real difference that actually decided the outcome was Agha Steel’s magnificent catching at crucial junctures. In contrast, Qasmi Gymkhana’s poor fielding cost them heavily.

Akhtar Mohammad was Qasmi Gymkhana’s main run-getter with a 29-ball 53 that included four sixes and three fours, while Hasan’s unbeaten 52 off 31 featured five sixes.

Pakistan Test batsman Asad Shafiq graced the final as the chief guest and distributed the prizes. In a brief speech, Asad lauded the efforts of the organisers for putting up a grand show for the 31st consecutive year.

Agha Steel captain Shaharyar Ghani received the winners’ trophy with cash award of Rs400,000 with Qasmi Gymkhana captain Abid Qasmi picking up the runners-up trophy and Rs200,000.

Kamran Hussain was declared the tournament’s best bowler and Usman Khan the best batsman.

Also present were Aga Khan Gymkhana chairman Sultan Ali Khimani, AKG honorary secretary Abdul Khaliq Pasnani, senior member finance Al-Amin Turyani, AYSB chairman Shamez Mukhi, Shahnawaz Damji, Ali Shah Hussain, Iqbal Agha, cricket convener Mir Afzal Baig, Hamid Ali, Riazuddin, Altaf Asrani, Akbar Alam, Junaid Ghafoor, Mohammad Nizam, Syed Imran Ali, Irfan Sutani and Abbas Nawaz.

Summarised scores:

AGHA STEEL.195-8 in 20 overs (Arsalan Bashir 130, Saim Ayoub 16, Imran Ali 13; Kamran Hussain 3-32, Moazzam Mali 2- 39 ); QASMI GYMKHANA.194-6 in 20 overs ( Akhtar Mohammad 53, Hassan Sardar 52 nit out: Hassaan Khan 2-44).

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2018