Saif’s late blitz helps Lahore Whites clinch T20 Cup

KARACHI: Saif Badar played a useful innings in the death overs to enable Lahore Whites to lift the National T20 Cup as they defeated Rawalpindi by two wickets in a thrilling final at Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Sialkot-born right-hander hammered 35 not out off 23 balls to help Lahore Whites chase the 163-run target with four balls to spare after losing eight wickets. Earlier, Naved Malik slammed a solid 29-ball 44 to catapult Rawalpindi to 162-8.

Chasing 163, Lahore Whites required 25 runs in the last two overs with only two wickets in hand. Saif hit international all-rounder Hammad Azam for two sixes in the penultimate over that fetched 21 runs. These included four overthrow runs off the last ball when Hammad attempted a throw towards the keeper’s end when Amad Butt was coming back for the second run. The glove-man Jamal Anwar failed to collect the ball which crossed the rope and so six came off the last delivery to leave only four runs for left-arm pacer Sadaf Hussain to defend in the final over.

Saif got a couple off the first ball from Sadaf and hit a four off the next delivery to end the contest. Saif, who has represented Pakistan Under-19, smashed two sixes and one four in his match-winning knock. Amad scored 12 not out off six balls.

After opting to bat first, Rawalpindi had a fragile start. Fast bowler Umaid Asif provided an early breakthrough to Lahore Whites when he had Haider Ali for four.

Skipper Umar Amin joined Naved. In the fifth over, spinner Zafar Gohar got the prized scalp of the Rawalpindi captain, who fell after scoring 11 off six balls. Umar wanted to pull the delivery, but ended up top-edging it, for Bilal Asif to take a nice catch in the deep. Umar smashed one four and a huge straight six off Zafar.

Test pacer Wahab Riaz built further pressure on Rawalpindi when he had Saud Shakeel (5) to leave Rawalpindi at 53-3 in 7.3 overs. It was expected that Naved would take his side to a big total. But in the tenth over he got run out when a direct throw from Amad crashed the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Naved hit seven fours and a six in his 29-ball knock.

After they lost Naved, it seemed that Rawalpindi had lost their way. But Mohammad Nawaz and Zahid Mansoor batted aggressively to take Rawalpindi past 100 runs in the 13th over.

Umaid, in his second spell, once again did the job for Lahore Whites when he sent Nawaz back. Nawaz smashed three fours in his 20-ball 21. He added 38 off 27 balls for the fifth wicket association with Zahid.

Amad got rid of Zahid after the right-hander had hit five fours in his 21-ball 30.Hammad batted sensibly, scoring 19-ball 22 to take his side to a fighting total. Hammad smashed two fours. He shared 31 runs for the seventh wicket with wicket-keeper batsman Jamal Anwar (10).

Amad (2-25) and Umaid (2-30) bowled well in their quotas of four overs.

Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt provided a solid 42-run start to Lahore Whites. Mohammad Nawaz gave a breakthrough to Rawalpindi when he had Salman trapped LBW. The left-handed former Pakistan captain went for a slog sweep and missed it completely.

Hammad brought Rawalpindi in the game when he took the prized scalps of Kamran and Zeeshan Ashraf (0) off two successive deliveries to leave Lahore Whites 77-3 in the tenth over.

Kamran hammered two sixes and three fours in his 31-ball 42. After Kamran’s fall, Lahore Whites kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Ali Khan got run out for five before off-spinner Zahid Mansoor held Umar Akmal off his own bowling. Umar smashed five fours and one six in his 21-ball 34.

Wahab Riaz fell after smacking two fours and one six in his nine-ball 18.

Lahore Whites were gasping at 123-6 in 15.2 overs. Zafar Gohar (2) got run out before Hammad removed Bilal Asif (1) in the same over to leave Lahore Whites struggling at 129-8 in 16.5 overs.

Saif and Amad batted well to take their side home. Hammad got 3-39 in four overs.

The winners Lahore Whites were handed over a trophy and a purse of Rs2.5 million. The runners-up Rawalpindi went away with a cheque of Rs1.2 million.

Besides, Rs100,000 each was handed over to Saif Badar (Lahore Whites, Man-of-the-Match), Umaid Asif and Amad Butt (Lahore Whites, best bowlers, 16 wickets each), Khurram Manzoor (Karachi Whites, best batsman, 322 runs), Kamran Akmal (Lahore Whites, best wicket-keeper/outstanding cricketer). Lahore Whites’ skipper Kamran praised his team for its superb performance. “Our bowlers, particularly Umaid Asif and Amad Butt, bowled really well. I will also give credit to the team management as they played the right combinations,” Kamran said.

“The way Saif batted in the end with Amad was fantastic. At one stage it seemed that we were in a difficult position but both the youngsters did well. Their running between the wickets was very good,” Kamran said.

Rawalpindi’s skipper Umar Amin defended his side. “I am proud of my team as every player made a contribution. But I will give cricket to Lahore whites who outclassed us today,” Umar said. Ahsan Raza and Shozab Raza supervised the match.