Omar Associates regain Naya Nazimabad Ramadan Cup

KARACHI: Omar Associates regained the trophy by toppling National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) by 29 runs in the final of Naya Nazimabad Ramadan Cup T20 here at the Hussain Lawai Stadium late Monday night.

Opener Usman Khan smashed a breezy 71 and all-rounder Muhammad Nawaz followed up his rapid 29 with a three-wicket haul to engineer yet another title victory for Omar Associates, who had also clinched the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2014.

The ground was packed to capacity when Omar Associates chose to bat first after winning the toss. They entertained the crowd with sizzling strokes and piled up a huge total of 201 for seven.

Openers Umar Akmal and Usman gave their team a flying start of 64 in the six overs of power play. Umar slammed two sixes and five boundaries in his 46 off 28 balls.The momentum was maintained despite fall of three wickets in the space of six balls for just one run. Bilal Asif took two wickets off successive balls, removing Umar and Sami-ur-Rahman. Saad Nasim was dislodged by Sohail Tanvir, leaving Omar Associates at 67 for three.

Usman, however, batted brilliantly under pressure and hoisted four sixes besides belting half a dozen boundaries in his 71 off 36 balls. Nawaz plundered 26 off 12 balls with three massive sixes and one four.

NBP were restricted to 172 for eight in their 20 overs despite the heroics of opener Ahsan Ali, who scored 21-ball 42, laced with three sixes and four fours. Raza Dar banged three sixes in his 37 and Bilal Asif hoisted three sixes in his 11-ball cameo of 22.

Left-arm spinner Nawaz grabbed three wickets for 26 runs, while medium-pacer Anwar Ali snapped up two wickets for 24 runs. Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair was the chief guest on the occasion. Also present on the occasion were Nadeem Omar, president-elect of Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Fawad Ijaz Khan, chairman of Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), and Arif Habib, chairman of Arif Habib Group.

The winners received Rs1.2 million, while the runners-up got Rs600,000. The Rs40,000 Man of the Match award for the final was shared between Usman and Nawaz.

Bilal Asif was declared the player of the tournament for his all-round excellence. Sahibzada Farhan and Zafar Gohar, both of them from Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), were adjudged the best batsman and the best bowler, respectively. The trio received Rs25,000 each.