Bilal guides Qasmi Gymkhana to victory in KG T20

KARACHI: Bilal Irshad hammered a sensational century as Qasmi Gymkhana outsmarted Ashfaq Memorial Hospital by 75 runs in their Group C encounter of the 33rd Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2018 for the Omar Associates Trophy here at the KG Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

After electing to bat first, Qasmi Gymkhana reached a convincing total of 189 for four in the allotted 20 overs, which was largely made possible by number three Bilal Irshad who smashed eight sixes and seven fours in his unbeaten 110 off only 69 deliveries. It was the first century in the tournament. He was later adjudged Man of the Match.

Opener Akhtar Muhammad also played a cameo of 16-ball 29 with the help of two sixes and as many fours, adding 87 for the second wicket with the rampaging Bilal Irshad. The brakes in the middle overs were applied by the spin duo of Hasnain Bokhari (2-23) and Usman Aleem (2-26).

Chasing a formidable target of 190, Ashfaq Memorial Hospital was in disarray after losing both its openers for ducks. Mohammad Saleem (36 off 21 balls) and Hasib-ur-Rahman (34 off 32 balls) resisted for a while but Qasmi Gymkhana pressed home the advantage through its spinners Mohammad Usman (4-21), Wasim Ali (3-26) and Hasan Sardar (2-2) to send their opponents tumbling to 114 all out in 15.5 overs.