LAHORE - All-rounder Muhammad Hafeez guided Multan Region to a convincing 7-wicket victory over Lahore Whites in the National Twenty20 Cup 2018-19 match played at Multan Stadium on Tuesday.
Lahore Region Whites won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 109 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Ali Khan was top scorer for Lahore Whites as he struck unbeaten 43 runs off 36 balls hitting one four and one six while Saif Badar contributed 20 runs. Muhammad Irfan Khan bowled well for Multan as he captured 2 wickets for 17 while Muhammad Hafeez, Muhammad Imran and Amir Yamin got one wicket one.
Multan Region replied very well and punished Lahore bowlers at their will to chase the required target losing just three wickets in 17.2 overs. Muhammad Hafeez was phenomenal with bat as he played 38 balls and smashed five boundaries and two sixes to hammer unbeaten 46 runs. Hasan Raza also played key role in the team’s triumph by hitting 33 runs off 34 balls with the help of five fours. Umaid Asif, Zafar Gohar and Amad Butt got one wicket apiece. Asif Yaqoob and Imtiaz Iqbal performed the duties of field umpires while Alay Haider was TV umpire, Nadeem Arshad referee and Muhammad Akbar official scorer.
Meanwhile in the second match, Karachi Region Whites outlasted Lahore Region Blues by 38 runs. Put into bat first, Karachi Region Whites posted 179-6 on the board in 20 overs. Awais Zia batted with authority and slammed 68 runs off 43 balls studded with 7 fours and three sixes while international player Shoaib Malik thwarted 37-ball 48 runs wrapped with two boundaries and two towering sixes and Danish Aziz made unbeaten 19. Muhammad Irfan (2-31), Hussain Talat (2-31), Salman Ali Agha (1-23) bowled well for Lahore Blues.
Karachi Whites bowling, which had the services of international players like M Sami, Rahat Ali Raza Hassan and Shoaib Malik, didn’t allow Lahore Region Blues batsmen freely and restricted them to 141 in 18.4 overs. Muhammad Sami was main wrecker-in-chief of Lahore Blues batting as he grabbed 5-14 while he was assisted well by Rahat Ali (3-44), Raza Hasan (1-21) and Shoaib Malik (1-25). For Lahore Blues, Rizwan Hussain played a significant knock of 45 runs off 40 balls hitting four boundaries and one six while Saad Nasim scored 23. M Sami of Karachi Region Whites was declared man of the match for his brilliant bowling spell. Muhammad Sajid and Wasimuddin were field umpires while Ahmed Shahab was TV umpire, Aziz-ur-Rehman referee and Muhammad Akbar official scorer.
SCORES IN BRIEF
FIRST MATCH
LAHORE REGION W: 109-7 in 20 overs (Ali Khan 43*, 36 balls, 1x4, 1x6, Saif Badar 20, 27 balls, 1x4, Muhammad Irfan Khan 2-17, Muhammad Imran 1-6, Muhammad Hafeez 1-18, Amir Yamin 1-18)
MULTAN REGION: 113-3 in 17.2 overs (Muhammad Hafeez 46*, 38 balls, 5x4s, 2x6s, Hasan Raza 33, 34 balls, 5x4s, Umaid Asif 1-15, Zafar Gohar 1-18, Amad Butt 1-27)
SECOND MATCH
KARACHI REGION W: 179-6 in 20 overs (Awais Zia 68, 43 balls, 7x4s, 3x6s, Shoaib Malik 48, 37 balls, 2x4s, 2x6s, Danish Aziz 19*, 14 balls, 3x4s, Muhammad Irfan 2-31, Hussain Talat 2-31, Salman Ali Agha 1-23)
LAHORE REGION B: 141 all out in 18.4 overs (Rizwan Hussain 45, 40 balls, 4x4s, 1x6, Saad Nasim 23, 17 balls, 1x4, 1x6, Muhammad Sami 5-14, Rahat Ali 3-44, Raza Hasan 1-21, Shoaib Malik 1-25).