PANCHKULA, Dec 15: Pakistan’s dashing all-rounder Abdul Razzaq hit a whirlwind 67 off just 33 balls to earn a fantastic victory for Hyderabad Heroes against Brian Lara-led Mumbai Champs at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium here on Saturday. The Champs thus ended their miserable run in the ICL Twenty20 championship by finishing last.

Chasing 180, Mumbai Champs fell short by a good 25-run margin despite a fighting half-century by Shreyan Khanolkar and a 24-ball 45 by Vikram Solanki.

Lara’s team fell shot by 25 runs finishing at 154-6 in reply to Hyderabad Heroes’ score of 179-3.

Mumbai Champs would have hoped that their skipper Brian Lara got going with the bat in their last outing of the tournament but that was not so, even though the West Indian batting legend managed to cross into the double digits for the first time in the series scoring 15 runs before he was stumped out off Nicky Boje.

The Champs chase got off to a blistering start with 29 runs coming in only 2.3 overs before the first wicket in the form of Subhojit Paul fell. But that was of no major concern for the Champs as they were well on target at the end on 10 overs having lost just two wickets with 86 run on the board.

Khanolker was run out just when he was looking to run away with the match and things went horribly wrong from then on even as Lara started with two beautiful fours but failed to last long.

After that the runs dried up as the Heroes gave all they had in the field and managed to restrict the Champs.

Azhar Mahmood took two wickets while Syed Shahubuddin and Nicky Boje picking one wicket each.

The win was set up by a brilliant and unbeaten fourth wicket partnership of 120 runs off just 63 balls between Man of the Match Razzaq and Chris Harris, which was also the highest partnership for any wicket in the tournament.—Agencies