Karachi Whites secure berth in Pakistan Cup final

LAHORE: Karachi Whites booked their place in the final of the Pakistan Cup after a convincing 43-run victory over Multan in the second semi-final held at the Pindi Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

In the final, they will face Peshawar scheduled to take place at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Multan, opting to field first, were made to pay by the Karachi Whites openers, Shan Masood and Saim Ayub, as both laid a solid foundation with a formidable 106-run partnership.

Shan contributed 41 runs, but the highlight of the innings was Saim Ayub’s exceptional 95-run knock off 86 balls, including 12 fours and a six. Other notable contributions came from Habibullah (40), Danish Aziz (33), and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (28).

Multan’s bowling unit, led by Mohammad Imran, managed to restrict Karachi Whites to a total of 280 runs in 44.3 overs. Imran was the most successful bowler, claiming three wickets for 58 runs. Muhammad Sadaqat and Faisal Akram chipped in with two wickets each.

Multan faced challenges from the onset, losing two early wickets to the bowling prowess of Ghulam Mudassar. The match, however, experienced interruptions due to low light conditions. At the stoppage, Multan had scored 229 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 41 overs. The Duckworth-Lewis method was invoked to determine the final result.

In Multan’s innings, Haseebullah played a heroic innings, scoring an unbeaten 106 runs off 108 balls, featuring 12 fours and 2 sixes. Despite his outstanding effort, Multan fell short of the revised target. Sohail Khan emerged as the star bowler for Karachi Whites, securing four crucial wickets for 44 runs.

Brief Score:

Karachi Whites 280 runs (44.3 overs) Saeem Ayub 95, Shaan Masood 41, Habibullah 40, Muhammad Imran 58 / 3 wickets.

Multan 229 runs 9 out (41 overs) Haseebullah 106 not out, Sohaib Maqsood 32, Sohail Khan 44 / 4 wickets.