K-Electric advance in Ramazan Cup

KARACHI: K-Electric defeated Dollar East by 24 runs in their Group C encounter of the 5th Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2018 being played under floodlights, here at the picturesque Hussain Lawai Stadium.

Nasir Nawaz produced a fine all-round show to guide K-Electric to their maiden win in the competition thereby ending Dollar East’s unbeaten run after a couple of successive victories.The enterprising Nasir hit a swift unbeaten 17 off 10 deliveries with a six and a four and followed it up with the key wickets of Jahandad Khan and Muhammad Sami for 28 runs with his medium-pacers to clinch the Rs 5,000 Man of the Match award. The Dollar East captain and ex-Test speedster Muhammad Sami won the toss and inserted the opponents. His gamble backfired as K-Electric posted a competitive total of 165 for the loss of five wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Openers Zeeshan Malik and Nauman Anwar gave their team a flying start by adding 71 for the first wicket. Nauman smashed a delightful 42 off 28 balls with a six and six boundaries while Zeeshan emerged as the highest scorer with a steady 51 off 47 balls, also hitting a six and half a dozen fours. Salman Agha contributed 22 laced with a six and two fours and one six while wicketkeeper Umair Masood hoisted a six and struck one four in his 13 not out to take his team to a competitive total. Dollar East, in reply, was restricted to 144 for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs. They were jolted early when Test opener Khurram Manzoor was caught by Zeeshan Malik for 14 off Quetta Gladiators left-arm spinner Hassan Khan.

Ejaz Ali Shah, the other opener, made an enterprising 33 off 26 balls with two sixes and three boundaries before becoming left-arm spinner Faraz Ahmed Khan’s victim. Nabeel Khalid (18) and Ramiz Aziz (8) went cheaply to put Dollar East under pressure. Jahandad Khan blasted 12-ball 24 with two sixes and two fours and Mir Afzal hoisted one six and one four. But that was too late to change the course of the match. Hassan Khan took two wickets for 18 runs in his four overs. He got good support from Nasir Nawaz and Faraz Khan who also got two wickets apiece.