Four-run lead gives Rawalpindi title

LAHORE: Rawalpindi won the Northern-leg of the two-day City Cricket Association Tournament 2021-22 on the basis of their first innings lead after their final against Islamabad ended in a draw at the Shalimar Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Rawalpindi defended their first innings score of 206 to dismiss Islamabad for 202. When the match ended, Islamabad were 52 for one after Rawalpindi had set them a 239-run victory target.

The stars of Rawalpindi’s victory were Hamza Arshad and Raheel Wakeel, who scored 54 and 50, respectively, in their side’s modest 206, and Kashif Ali, who grabbed four wickets for 54 runs to help his side dismiss Islamabad four runs short.

In the two-group 11-team Northern-leg, Rawalpindi topped Pool A with two wins and two draws from five matches, while Islamabad topped Pool B with one win and one draw from four outings.

Rawalpindi’s Hamza, who scored 54 and 69 in the final, was the most successful batsman with 550 runs at 78.57 with a best score of 129 not out.

Second on the batting chart was Sarmad Hameed from Jhelum who scored 431 runs from five matches at 86.20 with unbeaten 157 his best. The right-handed batsman scored two centuries and one half-century in the tournament. His teammate Mohammad Ajmal finished third with 335 runs at 67.

Rawalpindi’s Kashif Ali, Jhelum’s Shoaib Amir and Attock’s Nadeem Sikander shared the bowling honours with 26 scalps apiece. Kashif bagged two five-fers and one 10-wicket haul. Meanwhile, the triangular stage of the CCA Tournaments commenced in Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.