Quetta Gladiators Academy move into KG Ramazan Cricket final

KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators Academy advanced to the final of the Karachi Gymkhana Omar Associates Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament 2019 after edging out Eaton Cricket Club by just a couple of runs in the closely-fought semi-final here at the KG Cricket Ground on Saturday.

It may well turn out to be an all-Quetta final if Heroes Cricket Club from Quetta manage to blow the whistle on defending champions Omar Cricket Club in the other semi-final on Sunday (today). The tournament will conclude with the final and the prize distribution ceremony on Monday (tomorrow).

The semi-final encounter between Quetta Gladiators Academy and Eaton CC turned out to be a low-scoring affair in which only 268 runs were scored in 40 overs.

Put into bat, Quetta Gladiators Academy scored 135 for the loss of six wickets in the allotted 20 overs but they bowled and fielded superbly to restrict their opponents to 133 for eight in 20 overs to win the absorbing encounter. Left-arm Shabbir Ahmed of Quetta Gladiators Academy was declared the Man of the Match for his three-wicket haul.

Salahuddin held the Quetta Gladiators Academy innings together with a solid 47 off 38 balls, smashing half-a-dozen boundaries. Openers Naimat Khan (20 off 16 balls) and Zubair Mengal (18 off 21 balls) also contributed their bit before their team lost the momentum against Eaton CC’s left-arm spinner Sadaqat Ali (2-18) and left-arm seamer Muhammad Ismail (2-28).

Eaton CC had reasons to feel satisfied and confident to have limited Quetta Gladiators Academy to 135 after the top three batsmen had laid the foundation for a much bigger total.

Eaton CC, however, could not force the issue while chasing what looked like a modest target. Skipper Ramiz Aziz made 33 off 32 balls and Nadeem Javed scored 24 off 28 balls but their other teammates crumbled against left-arm spinners Shabbir Ahmed (3-19) and Zainullah (2-26).