KARACHI: Ehsan Adil and Zulfiqar Babar bowled well and Shan Masood struck a fine fifty to enable Punjab to qualify for the final on net run-rate basis after beating Sindh by five wickets in their last league outing of Pakistan Cup 2016 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, on Friday.
Set to score 159 in the allotted 50 overs, Punjab had to achieve it in 35.2 overs to qualify for the final. They did it in 28 overs for the loss of five wickets thanks to Shan’s fine 59.
Ehsan and Zulfiqar got three wickets each to dismiss Sindh for a paltry total of 158 in 46.3 overs.
In the final on Sunday (tomorrow), Punjab will face Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who were to be joined by Younis Khan on Friday night.
Sarfraz Ahmed’s decision to bat first proved wrong as Sindh struggled throughout on the slow wicket. It was difficult for batsmen to play strokes fluently.
After losing four wickets for only 35, Fawad Alam (62) and Sarfraz (40) tried to rebuild the innings, adding 69 for the fifth wicket.
Left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti broke the partnership when Sarfraz stretched forward to a delivery that pitched on the middle and off, kissed the bottom of his bat and then rolled back to crash the stumps. Sindh were 104-5 in 26.5 overs. Sarfraz smacked two fours and a six from 54 deliveries.
Fawad struggled till the 45th over, completing his second successive fifty, to build on the total before he was held in the deep by Saif Badar off the bowling of Zulfiqar.
Fawad, who was dropped by Zulfiqar off Amad Butt when on 18, smashed one six and two fours from 99 balls.
Under-19 boy Hassan Khan scored 13. He shared 35 for the eighth wicket with Fawad, which helped Sindh cross the 150-run mark.
The new ball partners Ehsan Adil and Aamer Yamin bowled extremely well in the first ten overs power-play, sending Sindh’s top three batsmen back to the pavilion.
Ehsan provided Punjab with an early breakthrough when he bowled Khurram Manzoor (3) in the second over. It pitched on the off-stump, Khurram wanted to cut it but got an inside edge onto his stumps. He faced only five balls.
In the next over, Yamin removed dangerous Khalid Latif (1), who was held comfortably at short mid-on by Shoaib Malik. This left Sindh reeling at 9-2.
Ehsan dislodged Sami Aslam (9) who wanted to hit a short-pitched ball over long-on, but edged it and was caught by Amad Butt at mid-off.
The left-hander struck one four from 18 balls. Sindh were 35-3 in ten overs.
After the power-play ended, Zulfiqar picked up the prized scalp of Sohaib Maqsood (16), who failed to impress throughout the event. The ball pitched on the middle and off and turned away from Sohaib who missed it completely and Mohammad Rizwan took off the bails with the bulky man well outside the crease.
Sohaib struck two fours from 24 balls.
Ehsan captured 3-23 from ten overs. Zulfiqar got 3-34 in 8.3 overs. Kashif Bhatti, who was selected in place of Akbar-ur-Rehman, got 2-34 from ten overs.
Salman Butt and Shan Masood provided an 85-run opening stand to Punjab in 16.2 overs.
The left-handed former Pakistan captain got run out after hitting three fours from 54 balls.
Shoaib Malik (15), who promoted himself in the batting order, was clean bowled by Test pacer Sohail Khan. Malik hit two fours from 13 balls.
Mohammad Amir had Asad Shafiq (4) caught brilliantly by young Hassan Khan at cover to reduce Punjab to 128-3 in the 25th over.
Sohail dislodged the well-set Shan, held excellently by Amir at mid-on.
Shan, who hit his second fifty, smashed five fours from 77 deliveries.
Amir had Amad Butt (5) held by Sarfraz with the replay indicating that the ball went into the keeper’s gloves after kissing Amad’s helmet.
Mohammad Rizwan (16) and Saif Badar (3) took their team home without losing any further wicket.
Amir got 2-44 from ten overs while Sohail captured 2-57 from ten.
Score Board
Sindh won toss
Sindh
Khurram Manzoor b Ehsan 3
Sami Aslam c Amad b Ehsan 9
Khalid Latif c Shoaib b Aamer 1
Sohaib Maqsood st Rizwan b Zulfiqar 16
Fawad Alam c Saif b Zulfiqar 62
*†Sarfraz Ahmed b Kashif 40
Bilal Asif c sub (Asif) b Aamer 4
Sohail Khan c Amad b Kashif 0
Hasan Khan lbw b Ehsan 13
Rumman Raees not out 1
M Amir c Salman b Zulfiqar 2
Extras (lb 1, w 6) 7
Total (all out; 46.3 overs) 158
Fall: 1-8, 2-9, 3-30, 4-35, 5-104, 6-113, 7-116, 8-151, 9-154, 10-158
Bowling: Aamer 10-1-38-2 (2w); Ehsan 10-1-24-3 (2w); Zulfiqar 8.3-0-34-3; Amad 8-0-27-0 (1w); Kashif 10-0-34-2
Punjab
Shan Masood c Amir b Sohail 59
Salman Butt run out 39
*Shoaib Malik b Sohail 15
Asad Shafiq c Hasan b Amir 4
†M Rizwan not out 15
Amad Butt c Sarfraz b Amir 8
Saif Badar not out 3
Extras (b 4, lb 3, w 3, nb 6) 16
Total (5 wickets; 28 overs) 159
To bat: Aamer Yamin, Kashif Bhatti, Zulfiqar Babar, Ehsan Adil
Fall: 1-85, 2-117, 3-128, 4-132, 5-148
Bowling: Amir 10-2-44-2 (1w); Sohail 10-0-57-2 (4nb, 2w); Bilal 4-0-30-0; Rumman 4-0-21-0 (2nb)
Result: Punjab won by 5 wickets
Man of the Match: Shan Masood (Punjab)
Umpires: Rashid Riaz and Riazuddin. TV umpire: M Sajid. Match referee: M Anees
Points Table
Teams M W L T N/R Pts Net RR
KPK 4 3 1 0 0 6 +0.383
Punjab 4 2 2 0 0 4 +0.601
Sindh 4 2 2 0 0 4 +0.166
Balochistan 4 2 2 0 0 4 -0.554
Islamabad 4 1 3 0 0 2 -0.740