RAWALPINDI: Open­e­rs Khawaja Nafay and Fakhar Zaman smashed belligerent half centuries to help Markhors rout a hapless Dolphins by eight wickets, going top of the five-team table in the Champions T20 Cup here on Wednesday.

Nafay cracked three sixes and seven boundaries in his unbeaten 44-ball 66 while Fakhar knocked his first fifty of the event with a 34-ball 53 with a six and eight boundaries to help Markhors chase down a modest 140-run target in 14.1 overs.

The swashbuckling openers gave a sound 113-run partnership start that gave no chance to Dolp­hins for whom spinner Shayan Sheikh took 2-16.

The win lifted Mark­hors to the top of the table with 10 points from six games. Stallions are second with eight points in six games. Lions are third with six points while Panthers are a rung behind with six points but inferior net run-rate.

Dolphins have lost all their six matches and are out of the race for the December 25 final.

Sent into bat, Dolphins were once again let down by their batting. Opener Mirza Tahir Baig fell for two and Sahibzada Farhan for three, leaving the Dol­phins struggling at 14-2.

Waqar Ahmed, playing his first match in the tournament, top scored with a 47-ball 55 studded with six boundaries and a six. Wa­­qar and Salman Khan Jr (13) took the score to 61. Qasim Akram scored a 24-ball 31 with a six and three boundaries while skip­per Faheem Ashraf made 20.

Nisar Ahmad was the best bowler for Markhors with 4-22. He is now second on the bowling chart with 12 scalps, two behind Lions’s Shahid Aziz. Akif Javed took 2-28.

Scores in brief:

Dolphins 139-8 in 20 overs (Waqar Ahmed 55, Qasim Akram 31, Faheem Ashraf 20; Nisar Ahmad 4-22, Akif Javed 2-28); MARKHORS 140-2 in 14.1 overs (Khawaja Nafay 66 not out, Fakhar Zaman 53; Shayan Sheikh 2-16).

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2024