365 Sporting Days

Match 25 – Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans

The weather ‘won’ this one, the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Match 26 – Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalanders

Lahore – 150 for 5

• Sohail Akhtar(c) – 68 from 49
• Fakhar Zaman – 17 from 13
• Chris Lynn – 5 from 5
• Ben Dunk(wk) – 9 from 14
• Mohammad Hafeez – 35 from 22
• Samit Patel – 5 from 9
• David Wiese – 5 from 8
• Shaheen Afridi – DNB
• Haris Rauf – DNB
• Dilbar Hussain – DNB
• Muhammad Faizan – DNB

Karachi – 151 for no wicket

• Sharjeel Khan – NO 74 from 59
• Babar Azam – NO 69 from 46
• Alex Hales – DNB
• Chadwick Walton(wk) – DNB
• Iftikhar Ahmed – DNB
• Imad Wasim(c) – DNB
• Umaid Asif – DNB
• Chris Jordan – DNB
• Usama Mir – DNB
• Mohammad Amir – DNB
• Arshad Iqbal – DNB

This was a match Karachi needed to win, Sohail used 7 bowlers in Lahore’s 20 overs and they most definitely restricted their big guns! The best innings for Lahore cam from Hafeez, he scored his 35 at a Strike rate of 159.09. The 150 was unlikely to be a high enough target for Karachi to chase.

In fact Karachi reached the required total with 17 balls remaining, without losing a wicket. It always gives me pleasure to think of the crowds in Pakistan being able to enjoy a Babar innings, although I don’t suppose the Lahore fans were that thrilled!

Both Karachi batsmen are my Star Men for this match.

That innings put Babar at the top of the runs list for the tournament so far. Below is the runs table before match 27.

Match 27 – Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi

Multan – 154 for 6

• Rohail Nazir – 14 from 14
• Zeeshan Ashraf(wk) – 52 from 39
• Shan Masood(c) – 28 from 23
• Moeen Ali – Out for A Duck – 2nd ball
• Ravi Bopara – 5 from 8
• Khushdil Shah – 30 from 20 –
• Shahid Afridi – 19 from 13
• Sohail Tanvir – 0 from 1
• Imran Tahir – DNB
• Mohammad Irfan – DNB
• Ali Shafiq – DNB

Peshawar – 151 for 8

• Kamran Akmal(wk) – 2 from 7 balls
• Imam ul-Haq – 56 from 41
• Wahab Riaz(c) – 3 from 7
• Umar Amin – 29 from 23
• Shoaib Malik – 30 from 25
• Haider Ali – 1 from 4
• Hammad Azam – 7 from 5
• Adil Amin – NO 7 from 6
• Hassan Ali – NO 1 from 3
• Rahat Ali – DNB
• Amir Khan – DNB

Wahab Riaz won the toss and put Multan in to bat, a win for Peshawar would see them in second place and joining Multan in the semi-finals. A 3 over spell from Rahat Ali saw him take 3 for 15. A brilliant catch from Umar Amin despatched the danger man Afridi for just 19 as Multan were restricted to 154. Wahab himself gave away just 20 runs from his 4 overs, taking 1 wicket.

The gigantic Irfan struck early as he bowled Kamran Akmal and Peshawar were 3 for 1. Strangely Wahab came in at 3, he fell to a wonder catch taken by Moeen Ali at slip. Moeen later followed up with a wonder ball to bowl Umar Amin. Wahab coming in at 3 meant young star Haider Ali came in at 6, that didn’t work for him or his team as he was out for just 1. With 6 balls remaning Peshawar were 7 wickets down with 15 required. Ali Shafiq was the bowler, a wide on the first ball took it to 14 from 6. A No Ball that went for 4 followed by a second didn’t help Multan’s cause one bit! Peshawar needed 5 from 2. A single from the penultimate ball meant a 4 was needed, a decent ball on the batsman’s body saw Multan through to the win. This was a match for the bowlers.

Hard to pick a Star Man for this one, it could go to several bowlers, I’m going with Ali Shafiq in spite of his 2 No Balls in the final over.