Rafat, Sohaib guide Peshawar to second successive win

KARACHI: Rafatullah Mohmand and Sohaib Maqsood hit superb fifties to enable Peshawar to record their second successive victory when they defeated Islamabad by 36 runs in their National T20 Cup 2016 match at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi on Monday.

In the other game of the day, Lahore Blues romped to their first victory when they overcame buoyant FATA by six wickets at the same venue.

The Peshawar-Islamabad outing turned out to be a one-sided affair with Rafat (66) and Sohaib (51) guiding Peshawar to 176-4.

Experienced Rafat was involved in three partnerships that helped them set up a tough target for Islamabad, who had also lost their first game.

Rafat scored 76 runs from 57 balls for the first wicket with Israrullah (42) who hit five fours and two sixes from 33 deliveries.

Rafat added a brisk 68 off 32 balls for the third wicket with hard-hitting Sohaib, who smacked three sixes and five fours in his 22-ball fifty.

Rafat also shared 32 for the second wicket with Fakhar Zaman (13), who hit one four from 14 balls.

Test seamer Junaid Khan removed both Rafat and Sohaib off the last two deliveries of Peshawar’s innings.

Rafat smashed nine fours from 51 deliveries.

Junaid, who is fighting for a place in Pakistan team, picked 2-39 from four overs. Adil Amin and left-arm international spinner Abdur Rehman got one wicket each.

Chasing the stiff target, Islamabad failed to build pressure on the opposition. After opener Raheel Majeed (21) and Ali Sarfraz (8) were sent back to the pavilion, two useful partnerships were built but those did not help the chasers as they were restricted to 140-5.

Imam-ul-Haq (34*) added 46 off 28 balls for the third wicket with Afaq Raheem (34). He added 46 off 37 balls for the fourth wicket with Adil Amin (32), who struck two fours and a six from 35 balls.

Imam smashed three fours from 30 balls. Afaq cracked two sixes and one four from 32 deliveries.

Left-arm spinner Imran Khalid (2-22) and medium-pacer Imran Khan Junior (2-22) proved effective for Peshawar.

Sohaib was declared man-of-the-match for his explosive knock.

International Hafiz Saad Nasim (66*) catapulted Lahore Blues to an emphatic six-wicket win over FATA who had shocked Rawalpindi in their first game the other day.

After they were reduced to 14-3 while chasing 140, Saad helped Lahore Blues recover and took them home comfortably with seven balls to spare.

Saad, who hit five sixes and four fours from 39 balls, shared 76 off 65 balls for the fourth wicket with Naved Yasin (38), who was bowled by Mohammad Imran after hitting five fours from 33 balls. Saad, who has played three One-day Internationals, shared 53 off 26 balls for the fifth wicket unbroken stand with Reza Ali Dar (30*) to enable Lahore Blues to open their accounts.

Reza smashed two sixes and one four from 15 balls.

Bilal Asif, Asif Ali and Mohammad Imran took one wicket each.

Earlier, fast bowler Faheem Ashraf (2-28) and spinner Zafar Gohar (2-22) bowled superbly to restrict FATA to a low total of 139-7.

Fawad Khan (38) scored 38 off 30 balls. He smashed two sixes and six fours in his rapid knock.

Test cricketer Yasir Hameed (16) once again failed to play a big innings.

All-rounder Aamer Yamin remained not out on 16-ball 21 in which he hit one six and one four. Bilal Asif scored 15-ball 17 with one six and one four. Khushdil Shah made 14-ball 15. Saad was adjudged man-of-the-match.