KARACHI, July 16: Slow left-armer Azam Hussain spun Port Qasim Authority (PQA) to a narrow six-run victory over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in the truncated PCB Ramazan T20 Cup match at the National Stadium here on Monday night.
After PQA, who were put into bat, had collected 145-7 in their 20 overs, Azam wrecked ZTBL’s hopes by grabbing four wickets in a brilliant spell to send them limping to 105-8 after their target was revised to 112 in 14 overs following a downpour between the innings break.
Azam, a vastly-experienced 27-year-old spinner, turned the game on its head by removing Shakeel Ansar (13), ZTBL skipper Imran Nazir who fell without scoring for the second consecutive match, the left-handed Hussain Talat (2) and Kashif Daud (2).
Because of the rain the pitch suddenly became a treacherous track as the ball turned and swung prodigiously in favour PQA bowlers. Azam, taking full advantage of the situation, returned his best-ever figures in T20 cricket with four for 17 in three overs, capturing those wickets in the space of just 11 deliveries — a performance that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.
In between Khurram Manzoor’s occasional off-spin accounted for the in-form Babar Azam, who made 22 off 13 balls with the aid of four boundaries, as ZTBL found their chase in tatters at 57 for six at the beginning of the ninth over.
Atif Ashraf and teenaged Zafar Gohar managed to put on 34 in quick time but to no avail. The left-handed Pakistan Under-19 player Zafar showed a lot of promise by striking two sixes in the final over of the match bowled by slow left-armer Kamran Younis.
The youngster fell to the last ball after top scoring with a robust 29 off 21 balls.
Atif scored a 19-ball 28 with a brace of sixes and a four before the lanky fast bowler Ahmed Jamal had the strongly-built right-hander well caught by Shahzaib Hasan.
Earlier, Shahzaib dominated the PQA innings with another breezy knock of 48. The former Pakistan international struck two sixes and as many fours while negotiating 42 balls before 16-year-old Hussain Talat produced a magnificent yorker to get rid of him.
Hussain, who bowls brisk medium-pacers, finished with career-best three for 23 in only his second T20 appearance. Zafar, also playing second T20, snared two wickets for 23 runs.
PQA’s second win on the trot have put them in pole position to make the semi-finals from Group ‘B’.
At the time of filing this report, the match between National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) was in progress late on Tuesday. The bankers, led by discarded Pakistan wicket-keeper/batsman Kamran Akmal, must win to improve their semi-final prospects after having already losing to PQA.
Scoreboard
PORT QASIM AUTHORITY: Shahzaib Hasan b Hussain 48Khalid Latif c Zafar b Kashif' 14Khurram Manzoor st Shakeel b Zafar 16Kamran Younis lbw b Hussain 3Afsar Nawaz b Hussain 23Daniyal Ahsan c Babar b Zafar 10Mohammad Talha not out 4Mohammad Salman run out 7Azam Hussain not out 1EXTRAS (B-4, LB-6, W-7, NB-2) 19 TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 145FALL OF WKTS: 1-55, 2-86, 3-89, 4-93, 5-127, 6-129, 7-141.DID NOT BAT: Ahmed Jamal, Shahzaib Ahmed Khan.BOWLING: Rehan Riaz 3-0-33-0 (1nb, 2w); Mohammad Khalil 4-0-22-0 (2w); Kashif Daud 4-0-22-1 (1w); Talat Mahmood 2-0-14-0; Zafar Gohar 4-0-23-2 (1w); Hussain Talat 3-0-21-3 (1w).ZARAI TARAQIATI BANK LIMITED:Sharjeel Khan c Salman b Talha 2Shakeel Ansar c Salman b Azam 13Babar Azam c Salman b Khurram 22Hussain Talat b Azam 0Imran Nazir c Khalid b Azam 0Atif Ashraf c Shahzaib Hasan b Ahmed Jamal 28Kashif Daud c Shahzaib Hasan b Azam 2 Zafar Gohar c Khurram b Kamran 29Mohammad Khalil not out 1EXTRAS (w-2, NB-4) 6 TOTAL (for eight wkts, 14 overs) 105FALL OF WKTS: 1-18, 2-29, 3-43, 4-44, 5-45, 6-57, 7-91, 8-105.DID NOT BAT: Rehan Riaz, Tahir Mahmood. BOWLING: Mohammad Talha 3-0-13-1; Ahmed Jamal 3-0-24-1 (2nb, 1w); Azam Hussain 3-0-17-4; Khurram Manzoor 3-0-27-1 (1w); Shahzaib Ahmed Khan 1-0-10-0; Kamran Younis 1-0-14-1.RESULT: Port Qasim Authority won by six runs (D/L Method).UMPIRES: Riazuddin and Aftab Gillani.TV UMPIRE: Ahsan Raza.MATCH REFEREE: Ishtiaq Ahmed. MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Azam Hussain. WEDNESDAY’S FIXTURE: KRL v PQA (10:30pm).