KARACHI: Emerging all-rounder Amad Butt bowled splendidly to enable Punjab to stay alive when they defeated Islamabad by 30 runs in their day-night match of Pakistan Cup 2016 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, on Monday.
Sialkot-born Amad took 4-34 from ten overs to dismiss Islamabad for 183 in 46.1 overs while chasing a target of 214.
Iftikhar Ahmed (67) kept Islamabad’s hopes alive with his brave fight but failed to take his team to the target.
Asad Shafiq (54), Shan Masood (50) and Aamer Yamin (49) guided Punjab to 213 all out in 43.3 overs.
After Shoaib Malik opted to bat first, Punjab lost an early wicket on a pitch on which bounce and swing was seen in the initial few overs.
Young medium-pacer Hasan Ali dismissed the experienced Salman Butt (10), who sliced a ball that pitched on the off-stump. Young Shadab Khan took a diving catch just inches above the ground at point. The former Pakistan captain struck two fours from 13 balls.
All-rounder Aamer Yamin (49) was promoted and he lived up to the expectations, adding 85 for the second wicket with left-hander Shan Masood (50). He was run out by a direct throw from Shadab Khan while trying to take a quick single.
Yamin struck four fours and also hit Mohammad Abbas and Zafar Gohar for one six each in his 52-ball glorious knock. Punjab were 103-2 in 18.2 overs at that stage.
Iftikhar Ahmed got the prized scalp of Shan to reduce Punjab to 132-3. Shan, who was held at short mid-wicket by substitute Sarmad Bhatti, hit four fours from 60 balls.
Asad Shafiq (54) and Shoaib Malik (17) tried to expedite the pace of their innings but rookie leg-spinner Shadab Khan sent Malik back, held by Misbah-ul-Haq at mid-off. Malik smacked one four from 31 balls.
At one stage it was expected that Punjab would put more than 300 on the board. But after Malik’s fall wickets tumbled like nine pins.
The last six wickets fell for just 49 runs. Asad, who seemed in elegant touch, hammered six fours in his 51-ball fifty before he was caught by Shadab at point off Mohammad Irfan when the Karachi-born player offered a one-handed stroke.
Tall Irfan was the pick of the bowlers with 3-34 in 7.3 overs. Shadab, who removed Malik and Mohamamd Rizwan (4), claimed 2-27 from five overs.
Hasan Ali, who bowled a few superb deliveries to Salman Butt, got 2-35 from nine overs.
Chasing a tricky target in tough conditions, left-hander Sharjeel Khan (30) and Nasir Jamshed (16) provided a solid 45-run start to Islamabad from 37 deliveries. Nasir was the first man out, trapped lbw by medium-pacer Amad Butt after the Test-discard had hit two fours from 19 balls.
Malik removed Kamran Akmal (5) and bulky Sharjeel in one over to leave Islamabad at 55-3 in eight overs.
Kamran wanted to cut a ball that pitched on the off-stump, but got an inside edge onto his stumps. Sharjeel went forward to play defensively a ball that pitched on the middle and off, got an inside edge onto his pad before it rolled back to crash the stumps.
Sharjeel clobbered two sixes and four fours in his rapid 22-ball innings. Amad dismissed Misbah-ul-Haq (9) and Hammad Azam (0) to break the back of Islamabad.
Misbah, who hit fifties in his previous two outings, struck two fours from five balls.
After losing two more wickets in quick succession, Iftikhar and Hasan Ali (27) kept Islamabad alive by sharing 60 runs for the eighth wicket before Amad had Hasan trapped lbw. Islamabad were 147-8. They needed 67 runs from 81 balls. Hasan struck two fours and a six from 46 balls.
Islamabad required 32 to win from 28 balls but Malik brought young spinner Saif Badar into the attack who had Iftikhar stumped by Rizwan. Iftikhar struck six fours and a six in his 109-ball excellent innings.
Ehsan Adil bowled Mohammad Irfan (1) to end Islamabad’s innings. Malik had figures of 2-23 and Ehsan 2-49.
Islamabad brought Hasan Ali and Zafar Gohar in place of unfit Mohammad Sami and out-of-form Imran Khalid. Punjab brought left-handed opener Shan Masood in place of all-rounder Hafiz Saad Nasim.
Ghaffar Kazmi and Qaiser Waheed supervised the match. Asif Yaqoob served as the television umpire, Ahsan Reza as the reserve umpire and Musaddiq Rasool as the match-referee.
There will be no match on Tuesday (today). On Wednesday (tomorrow) Sindh face Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Score Board
Punjab won toss
Punjab
Shan Masood c sub (Sarmad) b Iftikhar 50
Salman Butt c Shadab b Hasan 10
Aamer Yamin run out 49
Asad Shafiq c Shadab b Irfan 54
*Shoaib Malik c Misbah b Shadab 17
Akbar-ur-Rehman c Kamran b Hasan 2
†M Rizwan c Hasan b Shadab 4
Saif Badar b Abbas 0
Amad Butt c Hasan b Irfan 9
Zulfiqar Babar not out 7
Ehsan Adil c Kamran b Irfan 6
Extras (w 5) 5
Total (all out; 43.3 overs) 213
Fall: 1-18, 2-103, 3-132, 4-164, 5-169, 6-182, 7-182, 8-199, 9-204, 10-213
Bowling: Irfan 7.3-0-34-3 (3w); Hasan 9-0-35-2 (1w); Abbas 7-1-39-1 (1w); Iftikhar 7-0-33-1; Zafar 8-0-45-0; Shadab 5-0-27-2
Islamabad
Nasir Jamshed lbw b Amad 16
Sharjeel Khan b Shoaib 30
†Kamran Akmal b Shoaib 5
Iftikhar Ahmed st Rizwan b Saif 67
*Misbah-ul-Haq c & b Amad 9
Hammad Azam b Amad 0
Shadab Khan lbw b Zulfiqar 4
Zafar Gohar c Akbar b Ehsan 3
Hasan Ali lbw b Amad 27
M Abbas not out 9
M Irfan b Ehsan 1
Extras (lb 5, w 7) 12
Total (all out; 46.1 overs) 183
Fall: 1-45, 2-54, 3-55, 4-66, 5-68, 6-79, 7-87, 8-147, 9-182, 10-183
Bowling: Ehsan 9.1-0-49-2 (3w); Aamer 5-0-27-0 (1w); Shoaib 7-0-31-2 (2w); Amad 10-1-34-4 (1w); Zulfiqar 10-4-13-1; Saif 5-0-24-1
Result: Punjab won by 30 runs
Man of the Match: Amad Butt (Punjab (Pakistan)
Umpires: Ghaffar Kazmi and Qaiser Waheed. TV umpire: Asif Yaqoob. Match referee: Mussadaq Rasool