Nauman sparkles as Stallions reclaim title

KARACHI: Nauman Anwar played a superb innings while spinners Sultan Ahmed and Bilal Asif bowled well as Sialkot Stallions reclaimed the title when they demolished Lahore Lions by 74 runs in the final of the Haier Super Eight T20 Cup at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, on Monday.
Nauman hit 54-ball 97 to guide Sialkot Stallions to 197-9 in the allotted overs. Sultan (2-16) and Bilal (2-30) then bowled tightly to restrict Lions to 123-8.
Lions began their chase in a dramatic manner when Bilawal Bhatti clean bowled Ahmed Shehzad (0) off the first ball of the innings.
Left-arm spinner Sultan sent back Mohamamd Hafeez (10) and skipper Kamran Akmal (3) to reduce Lions to 18-3 in 3.3 overs. Off-spinner Bilal got rid of Nasir Jamshed (2) and Umar Akmal (35) in quick succession to finish Lions’ hopes of a fight-back.
Umar hammered four fours and a six from 30 balls. Lions were reeling at 62-5 in 10.3 overs at that stage.
Saad Nasim (26) showed some spark with a run-a-ball 26 before he was removed by Shoaib Malik. Nasim struck one six and a four.
Mukhtar Ahmed (2-23) snared Mustafa Iqbal (1) and Imran Ali (23) to keep Lions far away from the target. Imran Ali smacked two sixes and a four from 15 deliveries.
Young leg-spinner Usama Mir once again bowled well, conceding only 18 runs in his quota of four overs.
Usama topped the leading wicket-takers chart with 11 wickets to his credit.
Earlier, young Nauman Anwar smashed six sixes and ten fours in his career-best knock which enabled Stallions to pile up the big total.
Nauman became the highest run-getter of the event with 270 runs at an average of 54.
Stallions were 39-3 in the fourth over, but Nauman added 111 runs from 68 balls for the fourth wicket with Haris Sohail, who slammed 47 off 34 deliveries. Haris struck four fours and a six.
Skipper Shoaib Malik scored 11 off eight balls with one six.
Test-pacer Aziaz Cheema, who rocked the top and lower order, finished with figures of 4-34 from four overs.
Young left-arm spinner Qaiser Ashraf claimed 3-39 from four overs, which included the prized scalps of openers Mukhtar Ahmed (6) and Nauman.
Nauman was declared man of the match.
Stallions will represent Pakistan in the Champions League which will be held in India in September.
In the second semi-final on Sunday night, Lahore Lions defeated Rawalpindi Rams by four wickets in a tense encounter.
Ahmed Shehzad hit 57-ball unbeaten 58 to enable Lions to chase 101-run target with five balls to spare after losing six wickets.
Shehzad added 59 for the second wicket with Nasir Jamshed (26), who smashed three fours from 23 balls.
Samiullah and Hammad Azam got two wickets each. Mohammad Amir picked 1-20 from four overs.
After opting to bat, Rams had failed to put up a big score and managed only 100-8. Tayyab Riaz (22) and Mohammad Nawaz (18) were the main scorers. Aizaz Cheema (2-21) and Mustafa Iqbal (2-26) bowled well.