Khyber Pakhtunkhwa record win in opener

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa (KP) kicked-off their National T20 Cup campaign on a high beating Balochistan by seven wickets in the opening match at the Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad.

Set a target of 141, Mohammad Rizwan-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chased down the total in 17.1 overs.

The opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan provided solid foundation to their side with a partnership worth 58 runs.

Fakhar’s 36-ball 45 played an integral role in setting the tone for what turned out to be a comfortable run chase. During his stay at the crease, the left-handed batsman struck six fours and a six. Once the wickets of Fakhar and Sahibzada Farhan (14 off 20) fell, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Mohammad Rizwan and Adil Amin ensured that there were no further hiccups and completed the run chase in 17.1 overs Earlier, Balochistan had scored 140 for nine in 20 overs with Imamul Haq making half of the team’s runs.

The left-handed opening batsman proved to be the lone warrior, after Balochistan were put into bat, as he scored 70 off 51 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes.

The other notable contribution with the bat came from his opening partner, Awais Zia, who cracked a 27-ball 31 with three fours and two sixes. For Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa, leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin was the pick of the bowlers, returning four for 17 in four overs.

Scores in brief: Balochistan 140-9 in 20 overs (Imamul Haq 70, Awais Zia 31; Mohammad Mohsin 4-17). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 141-3 in 17.1 overs (Fakhar Zaman 45, Adil Amin 47, Mohammad Rizwan 30).