KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Fighters stormed into the final of Cool & Cool presents Haier Pentangular One-day Cup after sealing a clinical seven-wicket victory over Balochistan Warriors at the National Stadium here on Saturday.

The Fighters’ third successive triumph — followed their wins against Sindh Knights and Federal United — rendered their last-round fixture against Punjab Badshahs to an inconsequential affair from their point of view. The Badshahs enter fray from Monday when they meet Federal United.

After dismissing the Warriors for 136 in less than 43 overs, the Fighters rode on Shoaib Malik’s third 50-plus score on the trot to romp home in the 36th over.

Malik struck back-to-back boundaries to end the match as the right-hander followed up his scores of 68 and 70 in the previous two games with another pleasing knock as he unleashed 10 fours and a pulled six off Test paceman Rahat Ali in an undefeated 88-ball 68.

Adil Amin, playing second fiddle to the domineering Malik in the unfinished partnership of 78 in 93 deliveries, scored a 45-ball 27 during which he was caught off an Ehsan Adil just before the final rites were completed.

Of the three wickets to fall in the Fighters’ run-chase, Ehsan grabbed two for 25.

Earlier, the Warriors went into their opening fixture of the tournament with a somewhat depleted XI since Sohaib Maqsood was missing. The Pakistan batsman, who has just recovered a lengthy wrist injury, has yet to arrive in the city.

On a pitch that had more carry for pacemen, the Warriors’ decision to bat first yielded devastating consequences against partnership of Junaid Khan and Mohammad Sami.

Three wickets fell within the blink of an eye in the space of 35 deliveries after Azhar Ali reluctantly opted to go with the trend of past three days when teams winning the toss opted for batting.

But this was a different story as both Junaid and Sami, in particular, made life tough for the early batsmen.

In fact, the shell-shocked Warriors could have been four down by that point since skipper Azhar Ali was let off on the very first ball he faced from Sami when Israrullah spilled a straightforward chance at first slip.

But Sami was not be denied when in the same over he forced Sami Aslam (7) to play onto his stumps as the young left-hander tried to utilise the big gap in the cover region without ever moving his feet.

Junaid was then rewarded after six deliveries in almost identical fashion to Sami’s dismissal. This Ali Asad, another left-hander who has made a name for himself with tons of runs at the first-class level, perished for one.

Sami made it 20-3 at the start of the eighth over when Usman Salahuddin edged simple catch to Adnan Raees at second slip. Three of the powerplay overs were scoreless while Warriors crawled to 21-3.

More misery was in store for them not long after. Rameez Aziz found himself trapped in front by left-arm paceman Taj Wali for 12 before Zafar Gohar struck twice in his first over, a double-wicket maiden.

Azhar’s scratchy innings came to end his opposite number, Junaid Khan, took an easy catch at mid-wicket off the slow left-armer’s first delivery. Wicket-keeper Bismillah Khan’s stay was brief before he was neatly held by Yasir Shah at short cover for a four-ball duck.

At 50-7, it seemed the Warriors wouldn’t last long with an early closure to the match very much on the cards.

But Ayaz Tasawwar and Zulfiqar Babar came together in an act of defiance as they more than doubled the score. The stand was worth 58 from 76 balls, easily the biggest partnership of this clash, before Zulfiqar was brilliantly taken behind off a bottom-edge by Rizwan as the tail-ender tried to slog sweep Yasir Shah after making 32 from 31 balls.

Undeterred by the precarious situation his side was facing, Zulfiqar disdainfully pulled a short-pitched delivery from Junaid over the midwicket boundary for six. Even better was the six, wide of long-off near the electronic scoreboard, when Shoaib Malik offered enough width for him get underneath and snack it hard.

Rahat Ali failed to open his account despite negotiating 10 deliveries but Mohammad Irfan struck two fours in scoring nine while helping Ayaz garner 24 for the last wicket.

Ayaz, the fourth left-hander in the top six who had gone in at 42-4 in the 17th over, was the final wicket to fall after a resolute 81-ball innings of 44 when umpire Khalid Mahmood took his time before declaring the Warriors’ top-scorer caught behind off Sami who finished with excellent analysis of three for 14 in 7.2 overs.

Zafar bagged four wickets for 37 from his full quota to clinch the man-of-the-match award with one each claimed by Junaid, Yasir and Taj.

Scoreboard

BALOCHISTAN WARRIORS:

Sami Aslam b Sami 7Azhar Ali c Junaid b Zafar 17 Ali Asad b Junaid 1Usman Salahuddin c Adnan b Sami 3Rameez Aziz lbw b Taj 12Ayaz Tasawwar c Rizwan b Sami 44Bismillah Khan c Yasir b Zafar 0Ehsan Adil c Malik b Zafar 2Zulfiqar Babar c Rizwan b Yasir 32Rahat Ali c Naeemuddin b Zafar 0Mohammad Irfan not out 9

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-7) 9

TOTAL (all out, 42.2 overs) 136

FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-8, 3-20, 4-42, 5-46, 6-46, 7-50, 8-108, 9-112.

BOWLING: Junaid Khan 7-2-27-1 (1w); Mohammad Sami 7.2-2-14-3 (1w); Taj Wali 6-0-18-1 (2w); Yasir Shah 10-2-27-1; Zafar Gohar 10-2-37-4 (2w); Shoaib Malik 2-0-11-0.

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA FIGHTERS:

Naeemuddin c Rameez b Ehsan 11Israrullah b Azhar 27Mohammad Rizwan b Ehsan 4Shoaib Malik not out 68Adil Amin not out 27

EXTRAS (W-1, NB-1) 2

TOTAL (for three wkts, 35.4 overs) 139

FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-27, 3-61.

DID NOT BAT: Adnan Raees, Zafar Gohar, Mohammad Sami, Yasir Shah, Junaid Khan, Taj Wali.

BOWLING: Mohammad Irfan 7-3-20-0 (1nb); Rahat Ali 7.4-1-39-0; Ehsan Adil 6-0-25-2 (1nb); Zulfiqar Babar 7-1-18-0; Azhar Ali 8-0-37-1.

RESULT: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Fighters won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: Khalid Mahmood and Ghaffar Kazmi.

TV UMPIRE: Sajid Afridi.

MATCH REFEREE: Musaddeq Rasool Khan.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Zafar Gohar.

Monday’s fixture: Punjab Badshahs vs Federal United (1:00pm).

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2015

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