Umar Akmal’s blitz guides Omar Associates to semis

KARACHI: Discarded Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal and left-arm spinner Muhammad Asghar guided Omar Associates into the semi-finals of Naya Nazimabad Ramadan Cup Twenty20 as they overpowered Sindh Police by 80 runs in a one-sided quarter-final under floodlights here at Hussain Lawai Stadium late Thursday night.

Umar, who got three chances, scored 78 off 46 balls with four sixes and eight fours. He was adjudged Man of the Match ahead of his teammate Asghar who picked up four wickets.Batting first after winning the toss, Omar Associates posted a huge score of 195 for five with Khushdil Shah slamming unbeaten 41 off 18 deliveries with two sixes and four fours.

Sindh Police were sloppy in fielding, dropping as many as half a dozen catches. Leg-spinner Raza-ul-Hasan (2-36) was the only bowler to manage respectable figures in difficult circumstances.

Sindh Police crashed to 115 all out in 18 overs. They suffered a blow in the start when their talented opener Fazal Subhan fractured his right elbow, hit by lanky Pakistan speedster Muhammad Irfan. He retired when on nine with two boundaries.

Only Zeeshan Jamil (35 off 27 balls) and Shaharyar Ghani (22 off 16 balls) offered some resistance. They were undone by the left-arm spin duo of Muhammad Asghar (4-12) and Muhammad Nawaz (3-24).

Haji Osman Ghani, Chairman Al Abbas Group, presented a Rs10,000 Man of the Match award to Umar. Nadeem Omar, president-elect of Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) and owner of Quetta Gladiators, was also present on the occasion.