Hammad, Sohaib, Shan shine as UBL crowned champions

By Alam Zeb Safi

January 15, 2018

KARACHI: Hammad Azam picked vital wickets while Sohaib Maqsood and Shan Masood blasted fine fifties as United Bank Limited (UBL) were on Sunday crowned champions when they overwhelmed WAPDA by six wickets in the final of the National One-day Cup for Departments here at the UBL Sports Complex.

International all-rounder Hammad picked 3-35 in 8.3 overs to enable UBL to dismiss the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy’s runners-up WAPDA for 218 in 48.3 overs.Sohaib (63) and Test opener Shan (59) once again lived up to the billing to help UBL achieve the target in 43 overs after losing only four wickets.

Chasing an easy target on a batting-friendly pitch, UBL faced two early blows when left-handed opener Umar Siddiq (16) and Umar Akmal (1) fell in quick succession.Off-spinner Zahid Mansoor had Siddiq caught comfortably at short cover by WAPDA’s skipper Salman Butt. He hit three fours from 17 balls.

Soon afterwards, left-arm spinner Khalid Usman sent Umar Akmal back, caught at the same position by Salman. UBL were 43-2 in 8.2 overs at that stage. Pakistan’s discard Sohaib joined the event’s top batsman Shan Masood and added 94 runs for the third wicket.

Khalid broke the partnership in the 29th over when he had Shan, trapped leg before. Shan, who completed his fourth fifty in the eight-team contests, smacked five fours from 89 deliveries.In the 33rd over, Khalid also got Sohaib lbw. Sohaib smashed six fours and one six from 71 balls.

Skipper Younis Khan (33*) and gutsy left-handed batsman Saad Ali (42*) added 63 for the fifth wicket unbroken association to bring in a well-deserved victory for their department which last won division-II title in 2011-12 and Wills Cup crown way back in 1988-89.

Saad, also a leading scorer of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, smashed five fours and one six in his 43-ball unfinished knock.Younis, who hit left-arm spinner Khushdil Shah for a four to complete the chase, hammered five fours from 36 deliveries.

Khalid was the pick of the bowlers with 3-42. Zahid Mansoor got 1-33. After being invited to bat, when Younis Khan won a crucial toss, WAPDA were at one stage gasping at 113-7 in the 32nd over.

However, international Wahab Riaz (53) and Khalid Usman (46) put on 84 valuable runs for the eighth wicket to take their side to a respectable total.Wahab, who was held by Mir Hamza in the deep off the bowling of left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar, hammered six fours and two sixes in his fourth List A fifty. He faced 45 balls. Khalid, who had also asserted himself well with the bat in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, was the last man out. The Peshawar-born player smashed four fours from 60 balls.

Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza provided UBL an early breakthrough when he bowled Kamran Akmal (0) off the first ball of the innings.Skipper Salman Butt (19) and stumper Bismillah Khan (43) tried to build the innings by adding 50 for the second wicket before the former got run out. Salman smacked four fours from 33 balls. Hammad then had the key wicket of Bismillah and left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar had Zahid Mansoor (20) to leave WAPDA reeling at 88-4 in the 21st over.

Bismillah struck five fours and two sixes in his a-run-a-ball knock.Asghar then got the crucial wicket of Khushdil Shah (1), Hammad had Aamer Sajjad (14) and off-spinner Ashiq Ali dislodged Mansoor Amjad (11) to put WAPDA in deep trouble.

Asghar (2-44) and Mir Hamza (2-49) also bowled intelligently.Ashiq was the most economical as he captured 1-31 in ten overs. Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, renowned banker and PCB Governing Board member Mansoor Masood Khan and PCB’s General Manager Domestic Cricket Operations Shafiq Ahmed Papa graced the closing ceremony.

The winners UBL were handed over a trophy and a purse of Rs1million. The runners-up WAPDA went away with Rs500,000. Moreover, Rs100,000 each was handed over to Hammad Azam (UBL, man of the final), Shan Masood (UBL, best batsman, 632 runs), Sadaf Hussain (KRL, best bowler, 18 wickets) and Kamran Akmal (WAPDA, outstanding player, 532 runs, 12 dismissals).

UBL won toss

WAPDA

Kamran Akmal b Hamza 0

*Salman Butt run out 19

†Bismillah Khan b Hammad 43

Zahid Mansoor c & b Asghar 20

Aamer Sajjad c & b Hammad 14

Khushdil Shah c Younis b Asghar 1

Mansoor Amjad c Umar b Ashiq 11

Khalid Usman c Sameen b Hammad 46

Wahab Riaz c Asghar b Hamza 53

M Asif c Ashiq b Sameen 6