SBP cruise into Naya Nazimabad Cup semis

KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) sneaked into the semi-finals of the 5th Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Twenty20 after edging out Dollar East by five wickets in a thrilling quarter-final under floodlights here at the Hussain Lawai Stadium on Wednesday night.

SBP opener Sahibhzada Farhan, who plays for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), played a commanding innings of 78 in a closely contested fixture to clinch the Man of the Match award. His knock was chiefly responsible for taking his team to the target of 168.

He clobbered a couple of sixes and nine boundaries in his 52-ball 78 which allowed SBP to regain control after having lost the key wickets of skipper Kamran Akmal and international Mukhtar Ahmed. Dollar East had to pay the price when he was dropped on 26 by Muhammad Sami off Sohail Akhtar.

All-rounder Daniyal Rajput, who took two wickets on successive deliveries in the Dollar East’s innings, made a vital 20 off 18 balls to see his team across the line. Gohar Ali blasted the winning boundary off Sohail Akhtar when SBP needed two runs on the last two balls to seal the victory.

Earlier batting first, Dollar East recovered from 86-4 to muster a competitive total of 167 for six off 20 overs due to the late onslaught from Jahandad Khan and Sohail Akhtar.

Ejaz Ali Shah (28) and Khurram Manzoor (20) had perished after looking dangerous in the initial phase of the innings but it was the 75-run fifth-wicket stand in the last six overs between Jahandad and Sohail which lifted the total substantially.

Jahandad blasted 52 off 35 balls with four towering sixes and two fours while Sohail plundered 44 off just 19 balls which had three sixes and four boundaries. Daniyal Rajput (2-12) was the pick of the SBP bowlers.

Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and SBP have now qualified for the semi-finals. In the remaining quarter-finals, Omar Associates will be pitted against Sindh Police and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) will lock horns with Brighto Paints.