Lahore teams excel in National T20 Cup

KARACHI: Lahore Whites and defending champions Lahore Blues pulled off identical wins to keep their semi-finals hopes alive on the 11th day of the National T20 Cup at Multan Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Lahore Whites overwhelmed former champions Peshawar by nine wickets. Meanwhile Lahore Blues whipped Fata by nine wickets. Both Lahore’s outfits moved their points to six from six matches each.

Fata, with six points, still have a chance of qualifying for the pre-finals. The fourth loss from six meetings has left Peshawar with a minor chance. In the evening game, Rizwan Hussain and international all-rounder Hussain Talat did a fine job to gift a heavy win to Lahore Blues against Fata.

Rizwan (68*) and Talat (35*) enabled Lahore Blues to achieve the 141-run target with 11 balls to spare.Earlier Hussain Talat took 3-22 in four overs to help Lahore Blues to restrict Fata to 140-9 in the allotted 20 overs.

Chasing a tricky target on the spinners-friendly track, Rizwan and Nauman Anwar (34) gave an electrifying 71 runs opening stand to Lahore Blues to make the chase easier for them.The 22-year old Rizwan shared 70 runs for the second wicket unbroken stand with Talat to make their side home safely. Asad Afridi remained the most expensive of Fata as he conceded 26 runs in only two overs. After being sent into bat Sohail Akhtar once again with his mighty hitting created tempo for Fata by blasting 27-ball 39.

Fata later on lost momentum and kept losing wickets at regular intervals before being restricted behind the 150 and plus target. Asad Afridi, in the end, blasted 16-ball 25 with two fours and one six. Hussain Talat was ably backed by Waqas Ahmed who claimed 2-27 in four overs. Talat was declared Man-of-the-Match for his fine all-round performance.

Earlier in the day Peshawar extended a pathetic batting performance and were bulldozed by Lahore Whites by nine wickets.Lahore Whites chased the 100-run target in 14.2 overs after losing skipper Salman Butt (6). Tayyab Tahir (51*) and Zeeshan Ashraf (39*) added 77 for the second wicket unbroken association to make their side home comfortably.

Spinner Sajid Khan got 1-30 in four overs. After being invited to bat Peshawar’s wickets fell like nine pins and were dismissed for only 99, the lowest total of the event so far.Saad Ali (37) and Sajid Khan (33*) only could manage double figures. Peshawar at one stage were 22-6. However both Sajid and Saad added 58 for the seventh wicket stand to prevent their side from complete destruction.

Tall medium fast bowler Umaid Asif was the main destroyer as he picked 4-13 in his quota of four overs. Spinner Zafar Gohar ably supported Umaid with 3-12 in four overs. Umaid was adjudged as Man-of-the-Match.