DARWIN: Jack Wood’s unbeaten century led Northern Territory Strike to a 46-run win over Pakistan Shaheens in the final of the Top End T20 Series at the DXC Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Opting to bat first, NT Strike scored a mammoth 185 for four in 20 overs. Right-handed Jack Wood led the charge and scored an unbeaten 101 off 59 balls, which included eight fours and five sixes. He was supported by Jason Sangha (33 off 23), who added 71 runs for the second wicket.

For Shaheens, spinners Aaliyan Mahmood, Ali Asfand and Arafat Minhas snapped a wicket each, while left-arm pacer Sajjad Ali too bagged one wicket and gave away 24 runs from three overs.

In turn, Shaheens managed to score for 139 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.

For Shaheens, Arafat Minhas coming to bat at number six, top-scored for his side with a 30-ball 41, smashing two fours and as many sixes. Muhammad Irfan Khan (24 off 25) and Shamyl Hussain (23 off 19) were the other contributors with the bat for the losing side.

For NT Strike, Brodie Symons was the most successful bowler taking three wickets for 16 in three overs.

Pakistan Shaheens will now feature in two 50-over matches on the tour. They will play Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, August 8 before taking on Northern Territory Strike the very next day.

Scores in brief:

NT STRIKE 185-4 in 20 overs (Jack Wood 101 not out, Jason Sangha 33); PAKISTAN SHAHEENS 139-7 in 20 overs (Arafat Minhas 41, Muhammad Irfan Khan 24, Shamyl Hussain 23; Brodie Symons 3-16).

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2023