Ashfaq Memorial Club reach final

KARACHI: Ashfaq Memorial Club advanced to the final by stunning favourites Omar Associates by two wickets in a low-scoring semifinal of the 36th edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament 2023 for the Omar Trophy here at the KG Cricket Ground on Friday.

Batting first, Omar Associates struggled to reach a below-par total of 128 for eight in the allotted 20 overs. But they bounced back to reduce Ashfaq Memorial Club to 103 for seven in the 18th over but heroics of their lower-order batsmen decisively tilted the balance in a tense finish.

It was the 25-run eighth wicket stand dominated by Saqib Khan, who finished the game with an unbeaten 16 off seven balls to earn Man of the Match, which swung the pendulum Ashfaq Memorial Club’s way. Sadaqat Ali’s nine off six balls also helped their cause immensely in trying conditions. Danish Aziz (3-21) and Rizwan Khan (2-19) brought

Omar Associates back in the game after opener Shahzar Hasan (31 off 19 balls) and Mubashir Nawaz (18 off 21 balls) gave Ashfaq Memorial Club a solid start by scoring 44 for first wicket in 5.4 overs. Omar Associates earlier squandered the opportunity of capitalising on the solid 59- run second wicket partnership between opener Ammad Alam (50 off 32 balls) and Khurram Manzoor (32 off 32 balls).

Ashfaq Memorial Club’s opponents in the Sunday’s final will be the winners of the other semifinal to be con tested between Rangoonwala Sports and Greeno Cmax on Saturday (today).