Sami overcomes HSBC challenge with late assault

LAHORE Diamond Paints stunned star-studded HSBC Bank by 6 1/2 goals 4 to in the New Year Cup at the Lahore Polo Club here on Tuesday. Raja Samiuulah, who has been in splendid form this season, hammered four goals for Diamond Paints and prevented Hissam Ali Hyder-led HSBC from making any serious impact on the match. Hissam, the only five-goaler in the country, who has earned similar ratings in Argentina and the UK, was playing at number four and only managed to score two goals, one of which was a 40-yard penalty. Sami opened the match with beautiful solo-effort field goal but Atif Tiwana equalised it for HSBC with a field goal after a long chase. Atif Tiwana did not err when asked to hit an undefended 30-yarder by the start of the second chukker and soon Hissam Ali Hyder showed his class by converting a 40 yard penalty with ease. HSBC Bank, for this brief period led the match by 3-2 but this was not to be for long. When referees decided to award a 30 yar penalty to Diamond Paints, Ahmed Ali Tiwana made it and the score was level at 3-3. With match at knifes edge by start of fourth cukker, Raja Samiullah, sprang with an agility that took HSBC by surprise. First he hit field goal with a stunning under-the-neck shot and then hit another two to take his teams to bigger proportions. Shah Shamyl Alam and Raja Arsalan Najeeb officiated the match. In another match of the day, Military Farms Group beat Guard Rice by 6 1/2 to 6. Lt Col Asif Zashoor and Ahsen Javed Sher hit two goals apiece for the winning team. Umar Sadik and Ahmed Nawaz Tiwana served as umpires. Teams: DIAMOND PAINTS: Mir Shoaib Ahmad, Raja Temur Nadeem, Ahmed Ali Tiwana, Raja Samiullah. HSBC BANK: Dr. Kamran Zaidi, Sufi Muhammad Haris, Atif Tiwana, Hissam Ali Hyder MILITARY FARMS GROUP: Ahsan Javed Sher, Maula Baksh, Azhar Ali, Lt. Col. Asif Zahoor. GUARD RICE: Hashim Kamal Agha, Agha Murtaza Ali Khan, Taimur Ali Malik, Naveed M Sheikh.

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