SSGC in Ramazan Cricket semis

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

May 31, 2018

KARACHI: Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) stormed into the semifinals of the 5th Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2018 as they overpowered Pakistan Customs by 58 runs under floodlights here at the Hussain Lawai Stadium late on Tuesday night.

The SSGC opener Muhammad Ahmed, who replaced the injured Shan Masood, played a sensational 31-ball knock of 58 containing half a dozen sixes and a couple of fours to be adjudged Man of the Match.

The decision of the Pakistan Customs skipper, Ali Zaidi, to insert the opposition backfired as SSGC launched an attack from the outset to rattle a huge score of 182 for seven in 20 overs.

After Ahmed had set the tone, the momentum was sustained by the experienced duo of Tariq Haroon (43 off 24 balls) and Saif Bangash (37 off 24 balls) who added 73 for fifth wicket in quick time to take the total past 150. Hasan Mahmood (3-31), Yasir Hussain (2-24) and Waqas Qudrat (2-31) were the wicket-takers for Customs.

Chasing a daunting target of 183, Customs got off to a nightmarish start losing both the openers, Hafiz Asad Baig and Hasan Mahmood cheaply. Ali Zaidi (33 off 27 balls) and Daniyal Ahsan (29 off 21 balls) briefly revived their hopes but they were pegged back by the spin trio of Kashif Bhatti (2-21), Zafar Gohar (2-28) and Usama Mir (2-34).

The asking rate kept on mounting with the fall of wickets at regular intervals and it was beyond the reach of later order batsmen to change the complexion of the game. Customs finished with 124 for eight to be knocked out of the competition.

In the other quarter-finals, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will take on Dollar East, Omar Associates will be pitted against Sindh Police and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) will lock horns with Brighto Paints.

The winners of the first quarter-final will take the winners of the third quarter-final in the first semifinal on June 2 while the winners of the second quarter-final will lock horns with the winners of the fourth quarter-final in the second semifinal the following day. The final is scheduled to be played on June 4.