MULTAN - Excellent bowling of Musa Khan, Harris Rauf and Shadab Khan’s all rounder performance lead victory to defending champion Northern against Central Punjab with 35 runs during the 7th match and registered its third consecutive victory in the National T20 Cup First XI tournament being played at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

In chase of Northern’s 155 runs target, Central Punjab could score 120 runs all-out in 18.1 overs. 

Four players of Central Punjab could enter in double figures in front of better bowling line up of Northern.  Opener Abid Ali scored 36 runs and Abdullah Shafiq 20 runs and remained highest scorers. 

Northern team wins match by 35 runs

Rizwan Hussain and Saad Naseem scored 14 runs each.  Musa Khan and Harris Rauf from Northern took three wickets each while Sohail Tanvir and captain Shadab Khan bagged two wickets each. 

Earlier, Central Punjab captain Saad Naseem won the toss and elected to field first.  First three wickets of winning team fell down on 40 runs. However, captain Shadab Khan, Asif Ali and Rohail Nazeer speed up the pace of making runs as Shadab Khan scored 30 runs on 17 deliveries and Asif Ali made 24 runs on 11 balls.  Defending champion scored 155 runs for loss of eight wickets in 20 overs due to Rohail Nazeer’s 21 runs unbeatable innings on eight balls.  Usman Qadir from Central Punjab took three wickets by giving 28 runs.  Captain Northern team Shadab Khan was declared man of the match over all rounder performance. 

Scorecard

NORTHERN: 
Zeeshan c Irfan b Saad Nasim 20
Ali Imran c Gohar b Usman 15 Haider Ali lbw b Usman Qadir 3
Shadab Khan c Gohar b Usman 30
Umar c Abdullah b Gohar 21
Asif Ali c Qasim b Ehsan Adil 24
Nawaz run out (Irfan Khan) 16 Rohail Nazir not out 21
Sohail c Rizwan Hussain b Irfan 0 
Extras: (b 1, lb 2, nb 1, w 1) 5
TOTAL: (8 wkts, 20 overs) 155
FOW: 1-32, 2-38, 3-40, 4-81, 5-98, 6-127, 7-153, 8-155
BOWLING: Zafar Gohar 4-0-22-1, Sohaibullah 4-0-44-0, Ehsan Adil 4-0-27-1, Usman Qadir 4-0-28-3, Saad Nasim 3-0-27-1, Irfan Khan 1-0-4-1
Central Punjab:
Kamran Akmal b Haris Rauf 1
Abid Ali c Rohail Nazir b Musa 36
Abdullah c Asif Ali b Musa 20
Rizwan Hussain b Shadab 14
Saad Nasim c Rohail b Shadab 14
Qasim Akram c Asif Ali b Musa 0
Irfan Khan c Asif Ali b Haris Rauf 9
Gohar c Shadab Khan b Haris Rauf 9
Usman Qadir c Nawaz b Sohail 5
Ehsan Adil c Haider Ali b Sohail 4 Sohaibullah not out 0
Extras: (lb 3, w 5) 8
TOTAL: (18.1 Over) 120
FOW: 1-2, 2-33, 3-57, 4-90, 5-90, 6-92, 7-104, 8-112, 9-119, 10-120 
BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 3.1-0-15-2, Haris Rauf 4-0-26-3, Mohammad Nawaz 3-0-28-0, Muhammad Musa 4-0-23-3, Shadab Khan 4-0-25-2
Toss: Central Punjab