RAWALPINDI, March 26: Sialkot Stallions, the national champions of cricket’s shortest format, launched their Group ‘B’ campaign in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup with a workmanlike five-wicket victory over Lahore Eagles at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium here on Monday.

After restricting the Eagles to 129-8, the Stallions found themselves under pressure when the fifth wicket fell with the score on 85 in the 15th over with their inspirational captain Shoaib Malik also among those already back in the dugout. But Shahid Yousuf and Ali Khan batted with assurance to gallop the Stallions by taking advantage of the penultimate over bowled by part-timer Imran Farhat who was hit for 15 runs; the last ball being powerfully driven to the mid-off boundary by Shahid.

However, the over which really turned the tide in favour of Malik’s side was the 16th.

Medium-pacer Junaid Zia, the former international, conceded 15 runs, including a pulled six over midwicket from the bat of Ali Khan. The decisive partnership between Ali (18 off 15 balls) and Man-of-the-Match Shahid (27 off 14, four boundaries) yielded 47 in 25 deliveries.

The Stallions’ innings began on a sensational note when the hard-hitting ex-Pakistan opener Imran Nazir played Mohammad Khalil’s first delivery onto his stumps. Faisal Naved, the other opener, was run out for eight after adding 34 with Shakeel Ansar. Shakeel and Malik carried the total to 57 when the wicket-keeper was run out for a 35-ball 32 – the highest individual of the game – by his counterpart in the Eagles’ side Adnan Akmal.

Malik was given out, caught at the wicket, off leg-spinner Saad Nasim after hitting three boundaries in his 15-ball 19. Qaiser Abbas (12) also was prised out by Saad in the bowler’s next over, giving Eagles skipper Taufiq Umar an easy catch at midwicket.

Saad bagged two for 29 in his four-over stint, but the man who kept the Eagles in the game was slow left-armer Mustafa Iqbal who gave just 13 from his quota.

Following the rain in the early hours of Monday, Malik inserted the Eagles into bat after winning the toss. His decision paid off as the Eagles lost Imran (8), Humayun (5) and Taufiq (22 off 16 balls, four boundaries) in that order in the opening five overs with Bilawal Bhatti taking two and Malik holding three catches on the trot.

Pakistan Test batsman Azhar Ali, a surprise inclusion at this level ahead of the highly talented Usman Salahuddin, was never comfortable during his 17-ball stay for eight runs until Umaid Asif ended his misery.

Ali Azmat (24 off 29 balls) and Saad (27 not out off 18 balls, three fours) ensured the Eagles had a fighting total to give their bowlers something to bowl at. Bilawal, one of the most promising young pacemen, claimed three for 33, slow left-armer Raza Hasan two for 21 and Malik one for 12.

Scoreboard

LAHORE EAGLES: Imran Farhat c Malik b Bilawal    9 Taufiq Umar c Malik b Bilawal    22 Humayun Farhat c Malik b Sarfraz    5 Azhar Ali lbw b Umaid    8 Ali Azmat c and b Bilawal    24 Adnan Akmal lbw b Malik    2 Asif Raza b Raza    4 Junaid Zia c Shakeel b Raza    14m Saad Nasim not out    27 Mohammad Khalil not out    4 EXTRAS (LB-5, W-3, NB-2)    10 TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs)    129 FALL OF WKTS: 1-21, 2-29, 3-37, 4-57, 5-62, 6-79, 7-81, 8-93. DID NOT BAT: Mustafa Iqbal. BOWLING: Bilawal Bhatti 4-0-33-3; Sarfraz Ahmed 4-0-22-1 (1w); Shoaib Malik 4-0-12-1; Umaid Asif 4-0-36-1 (1nb, 2w); Raza Hasan 4-0-21-2. SIALKOT STALLIONS: Imran Nazir b Khalil    0 Faisal Naved run out    8 Shakeel Ansar run out    32 Shoaib Malik c Adnan b Saad    19 Qaiser Abbas c Taufiq b Saad    12 Shahid Yousuf not out    27 Ali Khan not out    18 EXTRAS (LB-6, W-10)    16 TOTAL (for five wkts, 19 overs)    132 FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-34, 3-57, 4-73, 5-85. DID NOT BAT: Raza Hasan, Bilawal Bhatti, Sarfraz Ahmed, Umaid Asif. BOWLING: Mohammad Khalil 3-0-16-1 (1w); Junaid Zia 3-0-24-0 (2w); Mustafa Iqbal 4-0-13-0 (1w); Asif Raza 1-0-7-0; Ali Azmat 2-0-16-0; Saad Nasim 4-0-29-2 (1w); Taufiq Umar 1-0-6-0; Imran Farhat 1-0-15-0 (1w). RESULT: Sialkot Stallions won by five wickets. UMPIRES: Iqbal Butt and Mir Dad. TV UMPIRE: Qaiser Waheed. MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees. MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shahid Yousuf.