SSGC emerge Group A champs in Ramazan Cricket

KARACHI: Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) emerged the Group A champions by overpowering State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) by 39 runs while Pakistan Customs stormed into the pre-quarters by short-circuiting K-Electric by seven wickets in their Group C fixture of the 5th Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2018 under floodlights here at the Hussain Lawai Stadium late on Sunday night.

Test opener Shan Masood, who missed the selection in Pakistan team now touring Ireland and England due to knee injury, played another blazing knock for SSGC as he hammered 59 off 32 balls with two sixes and nine fours to clinch Man of the Match award for the second time running. The SSGC captain, Umar Amin, won the toss and decided to bat first. They managed to raise a healthy total of 172 runs for four off 20 overs with Adil Amin providing good support to Shan by making a handy 41 off 34 deliveries spiced with four boundaries. In the death overs, Tariq Haroon slammed four fours in his unbeaten 21 off 16 balls and Aamir Yamin clubbed three fours in his rapid 17 not out after facing mere seven balls. SBP, in reply, was bowled out for 133 in 18.3 over. Leg-spinner Usama Mir caused the middle-order collapse by grabbing three wickets for 16 runs off 3.3 overs while Zubair Khan and Zafar Gohar chipped in with a couple of wickets each.

At one stage SBP looked like getting out under 100 after being reduced to 65 for five but Dainyal Rajput blasted 37 off 27 with two towering sixes and as many boundaries and adding 56 for sixth wicket with Musaddiq Ahmed who cracked a six and two fours in his 26 off 19 balls. Despite the defeat, SBP secured spot behind SSGC to qualify for the last eight round of the competition with two wins and one loss. Pakistan Customs also cruised into the last eight rounds with a comfortable seven-wicket win over K-Electric in the other game. Left arm spinner Monis Ahmed starred in his team’s triumph by taking four wickets for 38 runs. He was named Man of the Match. Batting first, K-Electric was dismissed for 123 off 18.2 overs with opener Nauman Anwar topscoring with 45 off 35 balls, hitting three sixes and five fours. Customs romped home for the loss of three wickets in 17.2 overs. Tassawur Abbas hammered a rapid fire unbeaten 38 off 17 balls with four towering sixes and two fours. Daniyal Ahsan hit a four and a six in his 30 while Asad Baig made 36 with the help of a six and two fours.