RAWALPINDI: A blistering knock by Sharoon Siraj took Southern Punjab to victory over Balochistan while skipper Khalid Usman helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Northern in the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup matches here at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Southern Punjab recorded their first win of the event beating Balochistan by 21 runs. With one win each now, Balochistan and Southern Punjab stand at third and fourth positions, respectively.
Southern Punjab looked down and out for the most part of their innings following their captain’s decision to bat as they slumped to 80-6 in 14 overs before a belligerent partnership between player-of-the-match Sharoon and Mohammad Ilyas turned the game on its head, adding 76 off the last six overs.
Sharoon smashed 57 not out off 49 in which he struck six fours and two sixes. But it was Ilyas’s 17-ball 41 featuring four sixes and two fours that lifted Southern Punjab to 156 for six off the stipulated overs.
Yasir Shah finished with 3-17 as the Pakistan leg-spinner dismissed Sohaib Maqsood, Moinuddin and Mohammad Imran.
Balochistan’s run chase was off to a flying start with Haseebullah (21 off 22) and Asad Shafiq (43 off 35) adding 57 in 8.2 overs. But once Salman Ali Agha, the Southern Punjab captain, accounted for Haseebullah in the ninth over, the match started to slip from Balochistan’s grasp. Left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram sent Asad back to the pavilion in the next over.
Salman then accounted for Abdul Wahid Bangalzai and Shan Masood in the 13th over to reduce Balochistan to 82-4. With 30 off 25, Hussain Talat showed some resistance down the order but pacer Sameen Gul ensured Balochistan never got back in the game with his dismissals of hard-hitting Amad Butt and Hussain.
In the day’s second encounter, opener Hasan Nawaz (38 off 25) looked on course to hand Northern their first win as they looked to chase 160 but Khalid’s off-spin put a dent in their hopes as he accounted for Nasir Nawaz and Hasan in the fifth and ninth overs to reduce the opposition to 53-3. Khalid finished with terrific figures of 2-16 in four overs.
Rohail Nazir (24 off 29) and Ali Imran (31 off 27) ignited hopes with a 48-run stand off 41 balls but the partnership ended in the 15th over with Rohail’s dismissal and five balls later Ali followed him to the pavilion.
Aamir Jamal’s 29 not out off 15 lifted Northern’s scoring rate towards the backend of the innings and with 15 required off the last six, he brought his side closer to the win but Mohammad Imran defended the target.
Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan was the star of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s innings with a 45-ball 53 (two fours, three sixes) and was duly supported by fellow opener Mohammad Haris (33 off 27). They cracked 83 runs in the first 10 overs that set the tone for the last 10. Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, in the middle order, made 24 off 20 while Khalid contributed 19 off 14 as KP posted a fighting 159-8.
Fast bowlers Usman Khan Shinwari and Salman Irshad took 3-26 and 3-38, respectively.
Summarised scores:
SOUTHERN PUNJAB 156-6 in 20 overs (Sharoon Siraj 57 not out, Mohammad Ilyas 41 not out; Yasir Shah 3-17, Akif Javed 2-53); BALOCHISTAN 135-8 in 20 overs (Asad Shafiq 43, Hussain Talat 30, Haseebullah 21; Salman Ali Agha 3-15, Sameen Gul 2-26).
KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA 159-8 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 53, Mohammad Haris 33, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 24; Usman Khan Shinwari 3-26, Salman Irshad 3-38); NORTHERN 157-5 in 20 overs (Hasan Nawaz 38, Ali Imran 31, Aamir Jamal 29 not out, Rohail Nazir 24; Khalid Usman 2-16).
Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2022
