Sindh beat KP by eight runs in T20 Cup

FAISALABAD: Sindh beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by eight runs and secured their second win in the National T20 Cup at Iqbal Stadium here on Wednesday, says a press release.

The Asad Shafiq-led side scored 176-6 after they were asked to bat.

Khurram Manzoor and Ahsan Ali provided a solid foundation with an 83-run opening stand in 10.1 overs. The partnership ended with the dismissal of Khurram, who scored 35 off 32 with five fours.

Ahsan kept going from the other end and cracked a brilliant 37-ball 64, hitting eight fours and three sixes. The 25-year-old was later named man-of-the-match.

One-drop batsman Saad Ali was the other notable scorer with 20 off 18 balls.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa used five bowlers and all took a wicket each.

In reply, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wobbled early as they were 48-3 in 5.5 overs due to two back-to-back wickets of Fakhar Zaman (15) and Mohammad Mohsin (0) off paceman Mohammad Hasnain.

A 52-run partnership for the fourth-wicket between captain Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed denied any further inroads to Sindh bowlers.

Rizwan kept the contest alive till the very last over, scoring a 43-ball 70, before he was dismissed on the third ball of the 20th over. The wicketkeeper-batsman struck six fours and two sixes.

Anwar Ali was the pick of Sindh bowlers, taking 3-30 runs in three overs.

Scores in brief: Sindh 176-6, 20 overs (Ahsan Ali 64, Khurram Manzoor 35, Saad Ali 20). Khyber Pakhtun­khwa 168-6, 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 70, Israrullah 28, Iftikhar Ahmed 20; Anwar Ali 3-30, Mohammad Hasnain 2-29).