Canada Seniors beaten in last two matches

KARACHI: Omar Associates Seniors and Rashid Latif Cricket Academy (RLCA) Seniors overpowered the visiting Canadian Seniors cricket team, comprising over-40 players, in the last couple of matches of the tour over the weekend.

Opener Nadeem Shaikh’s blazing hundred powered Omar Associates Seniors to an emphatic nine-wicket victory here at the National Stadium.

Asif Siddiqui’s aggressive century enabled RLCA Seniors to defeat the visitors by six wickets at the UBL Sports Complex.

The fixtures brought to an end the tour of Canada Seniors, organised by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Electing to bat after winning the toss, Canada Seniors got off to a sensational start against Omar Associates Seniors as the openers Zulfiqar Khan (99 off 60 balls) and Kashif Mehar (67 off 55 balls) scored 148 for the first wicket.

Omar Associates Seniors fought back after left-arm spinner Fawad Ijaz Khan got a crucial breakthrough.

The Canadian middle-order struggled against the spin duo of Haris Ayaz (2-25) and Mahmood KK (2-35) to be restricted to 208 for six off the allotted 25 overs.

Omar Associates Seniors attacked from the outset and the outcome was never in doubt aonce the openers had laid the platform.

Nadeem Shaikh retired after scoring 102 off 51 balls with the help of one six and 20 fours. His opening partner Sajid Ali returned undefeated on 90, blasting three sixes and 14 fours.

The target was achieved with almost seven overs to spare.

In the other match, Canada Seniors were bowled out for 210 off 33 overs by RLCA Seniors.

Mohammad Shariq (55 off 65 balls), Zulfiqar Khan (31 off 14 balls) and Mahmood Ahmed (30 off 43 balls) were the leading scorers for the visitors whose innings was rocked by medium-pacer Kamil Mahmood (4-47) and left-arm spinner Sharafat Hussain (2-42).

RLCA Seniors lost a couple of wickets early, but a fluent century by Asif Siddiqui, who retired after scoring 100 off 69 balls with the aid of five sixes and 10 fours, allowed them to get over the line in the 30th over.