Tapal CC for KG Ramazan crown

KARACHI: Advance Telecom dethroned Tapal Cricket Club after outwitting them by 31 runs in the final of the 32nd edition of the Omar Associates Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Twenty20 2017 at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground here on Friday.

Tapal CC, the most consistent outfit in the 31-year-old history of the tournament, could not live up to the billing while chasing what looked like a modest target of 145 in the title clash.

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Advance Telecom struggled against the steady Tapal CC bowling, having been reduced to 51 for three at the halfway stage of their innings.

They lost another wicket in the 12th over and the dismissal of the well-set opener Sahibzada Farhan, who struck a couple of sixes and as many fours in his 45 off 49 balls, put them in serious trouble.

Off-spinners Nasir Owais (3-12) and Hafiz Asad (2-20) had put Tapal CC in complete control but some lusty hitting from number nine Sadaqat Ali, who hammered three sixes in an unbeaten 21 off six balls, lifted the Advance Telecom total to 144 for seven in the allotted 20 overs.

After fine knocks from Shaharyar Ghani (47 off 37 balls) and Daniyal Ahsan (28 off 25 balls), Tapal CC suffered a fatal middle-order collapse which saw them lose four wickets for three runs and their lower-order was left with a very difficult task in the final overs.

The deadly left-arm spin of Sadaqat Ali, who claimed three wickets for only 12 runs and was named Man of the Match, was supported by the trio of Zia-ul-Haq (2-13), Ramiz Aziz (2-24) and Ali Shafiq (2-30) as Tapal CC were all out for 113 in 19 overs.

The final was followed by the prize distribution ceremony in which Fawad Salim Malik, President Karachi Gymkhana, was the chief guest, and it was presided over by Nadeem Omar, Chief Executive Officer, Omar Association, also the owner of Quetta Gladiators.