KARACHI: Skipper Aaqib Rizvi, Umar Imtiaz and Tanvir-ul-Haq produced telling contributions as Royals CC clinched a comfortable 20-run victory over Medicam in the final of the second Dollar East T20 Premier League at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium here on Thursday.

The win enabled Royals CC to retain the crown as Medicam were restricted to 158-9 after being set a tough target of 179. Leg-spinner Tanvir derailed Medicam’s chase by grabbing two wickets with the first two deliveries of his opening over — the only maiden over of the pulsating title-decider.

Left-handed opener Daniyal Ali struck 41 off 21 balls with seven boundaries and one six, while adding 55 for the fourth wicket with Shahzar Hasan who struck a 42-ball 57 featuring five fours and three sixes.

Wasim Ahmed blasted two sixes to score a 14-ball 21.

Tanvir finished with fine figures of 3-16 in four overs with fellow leggie Arif Yaqoob taking 3-27 in his four overs and slow left-armer Amjad Manzoor 2-43.

Earlier, Royals rode on a brilliant second-wicket partnership of 105 in just 68 deliveries between the left-handed opener Umar (65 off 45 balls, four sixes and four fours) and Aaqib who remained unbeaten with a 44-ball 64 (four sixes and three boundaries) to post 178-7 after opting to bat first on a hazy afternoon.

Left-arm spinner Tauheed Khan (2-19 in three overs) and medium-pacer Arif Khan (2-30 in four) were the pick of Medicam bowlers.

Chief guest Zaheer Ahmed Shaikh, head of Dollar East Sports, later distributed the prizes at a graceful ceremony.

Royals CC captain Aaqib Rizvi received the winners’ trophy and cash award of Rs25,000 and the runners-up trophy and Rs15,000 were given to Medicam skipper Arsalan Farzand.

Aaqib pocked Rs5,000 for being adjudged the man-of-the-match in the final, while Rs5,000 each were presented to his team-mates Waqas Haroon (best batsman of the event with 257 runs) and Arif Yaqoob (12 wickets). The best wicket-keeper award went to Hamza CC’s Haq Nawaz (six dismissals including five catches).

Summarised scores:

ROYALS CC 178-7 in 20 overs (Umar Imtiaz 65, Aaqib Rizvi 64 not out, Waqas Haroon 16; Tauheed Khan 2-19, Arif Khan 2-30); MEDICAM 158-9 in 20 overs (Shahzar Hasan 57, Daniyal Ali 41, Wasim Ahmed 21, Arif Khan 17; Tanvir-ul-Haq 3-16, Arif Yaqoob 3-27, Amjad Manzoor 2-43).

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2016