RAWALPINDI, March 27: Karachi Dolphins, thriving on a brilliant Khalid Latif innings, gained sweet revenge when they eased past reigning champions Rawalpindi Rams by 32 runs in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 clash at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium here on Monday night.
The Dolphins, who lost the final in a Super-Over finish at the inaugural tournament in Faisalabad last year against the Rams, put up a powerful show with the bat to plunder 171-4 mainly because of Khalid who hammered a career-best 88 after Sohail Tanvir elected to bowl first after winning the toss in the Group ‘B’ game.
The Rams, in reply, stuttered from the beginning of their chase and lost five wickets for mere 63 runs in the eighth over before they were sent packing inside 19 overs for 139. Opener Naved Malik and the teenaged Twenty20 debutant Mohammad Nawaz were two prominent exceptions though in this batting chaos. Naved blasted seven boundaries and three sixes on his way to a 42-ball 59 before falling to off-spinner Haris Ayaz in the 15th over.
Nawaz, the 18-year-old left-hander who toured South Africa with the Pakistan Under-19 side earlier this year, showed immense promise while reducing the margin after being surprisingly demoted to No 9 as the Rams think-tank tinkered with its batting order. Striking the ball cleanly, the youngster was the last man out for a 25-ball 37 that included three fours and a pulled six off Dolphins skipper Mohammad Sami.
In between those two contributions, it was regular procession as Faraz Ahmed Khan claimed three LBW victims to finish with 3-20 in four overs. Speedster Sohail Khan nipped out three wickets for 30 after Tanvir Ahmed chipped in with two wickets.
But the story of the game was Khalid Latif. The 26-year-old, bidding to add to his tally of five One-day International and as many Twenty International appearances, produced a high-quality 61-ball knock after the quick departure of Shahzaib Hasan. Watched by a packed 20,000 crowd, the right-handed opener displayed a full repertoire of strokes in hitting 11 boundaries and a brace of consecutive sixes off slow left-armer Samiullah until Yasir Arafat nailed him in the last over.
Man-of-the-Match Khalid was involved in two decisive 70-plus partnerships, outscoring both Asad Shafiq (31 off 30 balls with three fours) and Rameez Raja (28 off 18, two fours and one six). Khalid’s stand with Asad yielded 75 in 66 deliveries, while Rameez helped him add 72 in just 45 balls.
Sohail Tanvir was at the receiving end as his four overs cost 47 runs, a tally which included 42 in boundaries.
