KARACHI: It was a virtual one-way traffic in the PCB Inter-region Under-19 One-day Cup final in Mirpur on Tuesday as Peshawar rode on skipper Mohammad Mohsin Khan’s unbeaten 70 to crush Karachi Blues by seven wickets.

The Karachiites paid heavily for fielding a bowling attack which was laden with five spinners and just one pacer — Ghazi Nasir — when conditions at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium in the Azad Jammu Kashmir suited quick bowlers.

Peshawar were rewarded for shrewd team selection as their pace quartet of Izhar Ahmed, Niaz Khan, Mohammad Imran and Aamir Azmat shared six wickets between them to send Karachi Blues hurtling to a miserable 127 all out in 41.1 overs after Mohsin opted to field first at the toss.

Barring Anas Ilyas, who waged a one-man battle, Karachi Blues struggled from start of the match. Taha Mahmood scored 15 but faced as many as 59 deliveries for his effort while his opening partner Mohammad Nafay made 13 from 32 balls.

Karachi captain Obaisullah Khan, who was only other batsman to reach double figures (15 off 24 balls) as and Anas put on 33 for the fourth wicket in the highest partnership of their innings.

Anas stood out, however, by striking five fours and one six in a fighting 57-ball knock of 46.

Mohsin then led from the front as the Pakistan Under-19 opener completed the job for his team by decorating his 93-ball innings with 10 fours and one six. Despite losing Saqib Jamil and Mukhtyar Ahmed on successive deliveries to leg-spinner Ali Nasim, the result was never in doubt as Peshawar won with 19.2 overs to spare.

Mohsin was adjudged man-of-the-match, while other individual prizes went to Hyderabad captain Saad Khan (best batsman, 387 runs), Multan’s Mohammad Jahangir (best bowler, 27 wickets) and Mukhtyar (best wicket-keeper, 29 dismissals including six stumpings).

Peshawar received the winners’ purse of Rs200,000 while runners-up Karachi Blues got Rs100,000.

Scoreboard

KARACHI BLUES:

Taha Mahmood c S. Jamil b Awais 15

Mohammad Nafay st Mukhtyar b M. Aamir 13

Ahsanullah lbw b Imran 1

Obaisullah Khan c Mukhtyar b A. Azmat 15

Anas Ilyas c Mukhtyar b Niaz 46

Saif Ali c Haris b A. Azmat 3

Ghazi Nasir c Mohsin b M. Aamir 3

Ali Nasim c A. Azmat b Awais 5

Nadir Shah c Awais b Niaz 1

Khafid-un-Nabi c Mukhtyar b Izhar 2

Tariq Khan not out 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-15, NB-2) 23

TOTAL (all out, 41.1 overs) 127

FALL OF WKTS: 1-27, 2-33, 3-49, 4-82, 5-87, 6-104, 7-120, 8-122, 9-127.

BOWLING: Izhar Ahmed 6.1-1-16-1 (4w); Niaz Khan 8-2-15-2 (5w); Mohammad Aamir 7-2-24-2; Mohammad Imran 5-1-21-1 (3w); Awais Ali Shah 5-1-15-2; Aamir Azmat 4-0-20-2 (2nb, 1w); Saqib Jamil 6-1-10-0.

PESHAWAR:

Aamir Azmat c Ahsan b Khafid 24

Mohammad Mohsin Khan not out 70

Saqib Jamil c Anas b A. Nasim 16

Mukhtyar Ahmed b A. Nasim 0

Saqib Khan not out 11

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-4, NB-2) 7

TOTAL (for three wkts, 30.4 overs) 128

FALL OF WKTS: 1-45, 2-75, 3-75.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Haris, Awais Ali Shah, Izhar Ahmed, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Aamir, Niaz Khan

BOWLING: Tariq Khan 6-1-39-0; Saif Ali 1-0-15-0 (1nb); Nadir Shah 10-4-13-0; Khafid-un-Nabi 4.4-0-25-1 (1nb); Ali Nasim 5-1-13-2; Ghazi Nasir 4-0-22-0 (3w).

RESULT: Peshawar won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: Mir Dad and Saleem Butt.

MATCH REFEREE: Allah Ditto.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mohammad Mohsin Khan.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2018