Karachi Dolphins will face Rawalpindi Rams in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup final at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium today as Dolphins beat Stallions by 42 runs in the second semi-final while Rams caged Lahore Lions by 47 runs in the other semi-final.
Dolphins won the toss, elected to bat first and set a massive target of 239 runs for Stallions. Dolphins lost their opener Shahzaib Hasan early but Asad Shafiq unbeaten 91 run-innings on 55 balls, having four sixes and nine fours with Rameez Raja quick 97 runs on 45 balls added 164 runs in the total. Later on Fawad Alam hit two sixes to get the mammoth total for the Stallions. No bowler from the Lions could impress the opposition.
In reply, Stallions’ top two batsmen were bowled out in a quick session. Shahid Yousuf and skipper Shoaib Malik led them in style but after their fall, Stallions fell down to 196. Sohail Khan was the successful bowler for the Dolphins taking four wickets.
Earlier Rawalpindi Rams brushed aside Lahore Lions by 47 runs. Choosing to bat, Rawalpindi put on 186 for four in their 20, on the back of quickfire half-centuries by Jamal Anwar and Sohail Tanvir. Rawalpindi were in a spot of bother at 66 for three in the eighth over, but the pair steered them to an imposing total with a 111-run fourth-wicket stand. Lahore were behind in the chase from the outset, losing wickets regularly to be 96 for nine, before a late blitz from Adnan Rasool carried them to 139. Opening bowler Mohammad Hameez and left arm-spinner Raza Hasan were the pick of the Rawalpindi bowlers, picking up two wickets apiece in tight spells.
