LAHORE  -   A commanding century from Kamran Ghulam, coupled with an all-round performance by Salman Ali Agha and a solid half-century from captain Mohammad Rizwan, propelled the UMT Markhors to a resounding 92-run victory over Engro Dolphins in the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, on Wednesday. This win marks the Markhors’ third consecutive victory, placing them firmly at the top of the points table. Meanwhile, Dolphins remain winless after two matches, anchored at the bottom. Their next challenge will be against Stallions today (Wednesday)at 3 pm.Chasing a target of 285, Dolphins struggled throughout their innings, eventually folding for 192 in 43.5 overs. Salman Ali Agha, after contributing 49 runs, was the star with the ball, taking 3-34 in his 10 overs.

Earlier, Kamran Ghulam, the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 239 runs, smashed his second century of the competition, scoring a brilliant 113. He shared a crucial 122- run partnership for the third wicket with skipper Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 51 off 67 balls, featuring three boundaries and a six. Kamran’s century included 12 fours and three sixes, and Salman added to the scoreboard with three fours and a six in his 47-ball knock. Together, they stitched a vital 71-run stand for the fourth wicket following Rizwan’s departure in the 27th over. Muhammad Imran struck 27 off 25 balls, including two sixes, pushing Markhors past the 250-run mark, while Zahid Mehmood remained unbeaten on 15.For Dolphins, Faheem Ashraf was the standout bowler, claiming 4-50, while Mir Hamza took two wickets. Usman Qadir and Sameen Gul each chipped in with one wicket.

Dolphins’ chase faltered early, as they were reduced to 13-2 and later 99-5. Saud Shakeel top-scored with 41 off 56 balls before falling to Salman, while Asif Ali fought valiantly with a quickfire 50 off 43 balls, smashing three fours and three sixes. However, his efforts were in vain as Muhammad Imran’s 3-28, along with Salman’s tight spell, dismantled the Dolphins’ lower order, reducing them from 135-5 to 161- 8, effectively sealing the match for the Markhors.

SCORES IN BRIEF

MARKHORS 284-9 in 50 overs (Kamran Ghulam
113, Mohammad Rizwan 51, Salman
Ali Agha 49; Faheem Ashraf 4-50, Mir Hamza
2-26) beat DOLPHINS 192 all out in 43.5 overs
(Asif Ali 50, Saud Shakeel 41; Muhammad Imran
3-28, Salman Ali Agha 3-34) by 92 runs.