KARACHI: Babar Rehman produced a superb all-round show as defending champions Tapal CC book their place in the quarter-finals of the 28th Aga Khan Gymkhana Ramazan Cricket Tournament for the State Life Trophy with a thrilling one-wicket win over Brothers CC Dadu.

By virtue of this result, Tapal CC topped Group ‘A’ on superior net run-rate while Sojhla international of Dera Ghazi Khan took also move in the last-eight round as the runners-up after both sides finished with same number of points.

Batting first Brothers CC Dadu were all out for 169 with Zahid Mahmood making a 19-ball 31 (two sixes and two fours) and Nadeem Qureshi 29 off 23 balls (two fours and one six) and Sarang Bhutto 25 off 12 with two sixes.

Babar captured four wickets for 19 runs with leg-spinner Akhtar Waheed Kayani taking two for 28 and the slow left-armer Mohammad Asad two for 36.

Tapal CC lost nine wickets before achieving victory by making 173 on the last ball of the match.

Babar Rehman hammered unbeaten 43 off 20 balls with the help of five towering sixes and one four, while Tauseef Khan contributed 31 off 20 balls with three fours and one six and Ali Sarfraz made 25 off 16 balls with four fours.

Slow left-armer Ali Asghar captured three wickets for 29 runs. Babar Rehman was named man-of-the-match.

Summarised scores:

BROTHERS CC DADU 169 in 19.4 overs (Zahid Mahmood 31, Nadeem Qureshi 29, Sarang Bhutto 25; Babar Rehman 4-19, Akhtar Waheed Kayani 2-28, Mohammad Asad 2-36); TAPAL CC 173-9 in 20 overs (Babar Rehman 43, Tauseef Khan 31, Ali Sarfraz 25; Ali Asghar 3-29, Zahid Mahmood 2-34, Chandio 2-36).

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2015

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