RLCA bag National Veterans Cricket trophy

KARACHI: Rashid Latif Cricket Academy (RLCA) extended their brilliant form in the final to win the 19th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2017-18, organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

RLCA came up with its usual clinical brand to demolish Okara by 102 runs in the national final here at the Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium on Sunday. Batting first, after winning the toss, RLCA posted an impressive total of 249 for eight in the allotted 30 overs. Okara struggled after losing wickets upfront to be bowled out for 147 in 20.2 overs.

Opener Muhammad Rizwan (75 off 55 balls), adjudged Man of the Match, and skipper Asim Jah (57 off 53 balls) added 103 for second wicket in quick time to lay a strong foundation for a big RLCA total. The cameos in death overs from Qamar Ibrahim (36 off 22 balls) and Asif Siddiqui (34 off 16 balls) boosted their total considerably after a middle-order slump caused by the spin cum pace combination of Muhammad Hafeez (3-43) and Khalid Hussain (2-39). Chasing a target of 250 in 30 overs, Okara lost three early wickets as the openers were cleaned by medium-pacer Asif Shaikh. Wickets continued to tumble with the introduction of spinners and the visiting side fell behind the clock.

Irshad Ahmed (60 off 40 balls) and Muhammad Hafeez (30 off 22 balls) briefly revived Okara’s hopes but their dismissals in quick succession allowed RLCA to press home the advantage. Left-arm spinner Nadeem Khan (3-35) and off-spinner Asif Jah (2-28) sent them crashing to 147 all out.

Nadeem Omar, Director, Omar Associates and owner of Quetta Gladiators, was chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony and he presented a cash prize of Rs 150,000 alongwith winners’ trophy to Asim Jah, skipper of RLCA. The Okara captain, Muhammad Hafeez, collected the runners-up trophy with a purse of Rs 75,000.

Tahir Mughal of Sialkot Giants was declared Player of the tournament, fetching him a purse of Rs 15,000 while Muhammad Rizwan (RLCA), Abdul Qadir (RLCA) and Muhammad Raees (Multan Whites) were adjudged best batsman, best bowler and best wicketkeeper of the tournament respectively, getting Rs 10,000 each. The tournament was contested by a total of 103 teams and sponsored by Omar Associates with Naya Nazimabad and State Life Insurance Company of Pakistan being the co-sponsors.

This season’s National Seniors Cup witnessed the emergence of some powerful new outfits, who advanced to the final at the expense of the fancied teams in their respective regions. Neither RLCA, the southern zone champions, nor Okara, the northern zone champions, had reached the national final of the Seniors Cup in the past. RLCA proved too good for their opponents to clinch the crown. It was for the first in the 19-year old history of the tournament when no team from Lahore could make to the northern region final which was contested between Okara and Wah Power.