Skipper Shahid Afridi led from the front with a commanding all-round performance to inspire Karachi Dolphins to an easy eight-wicket win over Islamabad Leopards in the Faysal Bank National T20 Cup at National Stadium Karachi on Thursday night. Islamabad Leopards won the toss and chose to bat first. Leopards’ openers Afaq Raheem (22) and Nauman Masood (20) gave a solid start and made 37 runs for the first wicket. After their departure, no one was able to face Afridi’s ferocious spell (3-20) and the Leopards crumbled to 131-9 in 20 overs.
Chasing 132, Karachi Dolphins completed the victory in 13.3 overs for the loss of only two wickets in their first match in the tournament. Leopards’ ordinary bowling lineup was thrashed by Afridi and Rameez Raja. Afridi made 58 on 32 balls and hit seven fours and two sixes. The Dolphins were 26 runs away from victory when Afridi departed after adding 70 runs along with Rameez Raja for the second wicket partnership. Then Raja and Asad Shafiq took 17 balls to reach the target and both remained not out on 36 and 10, respectively.
Earlier, in the second match of the day, Faisalabad Wolves faced tough resistance before winning by 13 runs against Afghan Cheetas in the second match of the day.
Deciding to bat first, the Wolves scored 145 runs for eight with Asif Hussain and Mohammad Salman playing the leading role in developing the innings against a stiff lined bowling of the Cheetas and later when the visitors came to bat they showed courage and temperament to reach 132 runs but lacked the finishing touch required for a win.
Wolves’ Asif scored 30 runs while Salman got 32 and Khurrum Shahzad supported with 21 runs. Cheetas’ Mohammad Nabi took two wickets.
Cheetas batsman Gul Badeen showed character to make 68 runs off 42 balls and was declared the man of the match.
In the first match of the day, Rawalpindi Rams won their second match in two days after beating Multan Tigers by five wickets. The win was set up by a four-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, by fast bowler Mohammad Rameez and a half-century by opening batsman Awais Zia.
Choosing to bat, the Tigers put on 151 for nine. Gulraiz Sadaf, Kamran Hussain and Ansar Javed each made into the 30s, but there was not much contribution from the others. Left-arm spinners Samiullah and Yasim Murtaza did most of the damage upfront, claiming two wickets apiece, before Rameez came back to run through the lower order. Zia then put on an 84-run stand with Tahir Mughal for the third-wicket to put the Rams firmly on track. The pair were dismissed in quick succession by pacer Mohammad Zahid, but with just about a run a ball required off the last six overs, the Rams managed to ease home in the 19th over, handing Multan their second loss in as many as matches.
Multan Tiger vs Rawalpindi Rams:
Multan Tiger 151-9 in 20 overs (Ansar Javed 35*, Gulraiz Sadaf 35, Muhammad Rameez 4-24, Samiullah 2-21).
Rawalpindi Rams 152-5 in 18.4 overs (Awais Zia 52, Tahir Mughal 37, Muhammad Zahid 2-30).
Toss: Multan Tigers, who chose to bat
Result: Rawalpindi Rams won by 5 wickets.
Player of the match: Muhammad Rameez (Rawalpindi Rams).
Faisalabad Wolves vs Afghan Cheetas:
Faisalabad Wolves 145-8 in 20 overs (Muhammad Salman 32, Asif Hussain 30, Muhammad Nabi 2-24, Nasim Khan 1-19).
Afghan Cheetas 132-9 in 20 overs (Gulbodin Naib 68, Karim Sadiq 20, Abdur Rauf 2-25, Imran Khalid 2-29).
Toss: Faisalabad Wolves, who chose to bat
Result: Faisalabad Wolves won by 13 runs.
Player of the match: Gulbodin Naib (Afghan Cheetas)
Islamabad Leopards vs Karachi Dolphins:
Islamabad Leopards 131-9 in 20 overs (Afaq Raheem 22, Moed Ahmed 21, Shahid Afridi 3-20, Fawad Alam 1-13).
Karachi Dolphins 132-2 in 13.3 overs (Shahid Afridi 58, Rameez Raja 36, Rizwan Malik 1-27, Zohaib Ahmed 1-35).
Toss: Islamabad Leopards, who chose to bat
Result: Karachi Dolphins won by 8 wickets.
Player of the match: Shahid Afridi (Karachi Dolphins).
