Dahani’s five-fer leads Shaheens to four-wicket win

LAHORE: Defending champions Pakistan Shaheens secured a four-wicket victory over Nepal in their first match of the ACC Men's Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 at the Colombo Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka.

After winning the toss, Nepal elected to bat first but were bowled out for 179 runs in 37 overs. Shahnawaz Dahani and Mohammad Wasim Jnr, both right-arm pacers, were the standout performers with the ball for Pakistan Shaheens. Dahani claimed an impressive five-wicket haul, conceding 38 runs in his 10 overs. Wasim took four wickets for 51 runs in his allotted 10 overs.

Nepal were struggling at 72 for eight in 15.4 overs. However, Sompal Kami and Pratis GC formed a crucial partnership of 58 runs for the ninth wicket. After the dismissal of Pratis, Kami continued to fight and stitched a 49-run partnership for the 10th wicket. Kami was the last batsman to be dismissed, scoring 75 runs off 101 deliveries, including nine fours and two sixes.

Shaheens reached the target in 33 overs with four wickets in hand. Tayyab Tahir scored 51 runs off 67 balls, including six boundaries. Other notable contributions came from Omair Bin Yousuf (36 runs off 40 balls, including four fours) and Kamran Ghulam (31 runs off 26 balls, including one four and two sixes). The next match for Pakistan Shaheens will be against UAE A on 17 July at the PSaravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo.