Faisalabad, 21 September: Imran Butt’s half-century led Balochistan to a seven-wicket win over Northern in the 25th fixture of the Cricket Associations T20 2022-23 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. In the 26th fixture of the tournament, Central Punjab defeated Sindh by four wickets at the same venue.
Balochistan beat Northern by seven wickets
After being asked to bat first, Northern managed to score 146 for six in 20 overs. Mohammad Hammad coming to bat at number five top-scored with an unbeaten 36-ball 48, which included five fours and one six.
Balochistan’s Jalat Khan and Rasool Bakash bagged two wickets each.
In return, Balochistan chased down the target for the loss of three wickets in 19.1 overs. Test opener Imran Butt top-scored with a 40-ball 64 studded with 14 boundaries. Muhammad Azeem Ghumman was other notable run-getter, he returned undefeated on 34-ball 40, laced with five fours and one six. Northern’s Sufiyan Mehmood bagged two wickets for 26 runs from four overs.
Central Punjab beat table topper Sindh by four wickets
Arsalan Arshad Bajwa (37, 40b, two fours, two sixes) and Sadaqat Ali’s unbeaten 36 off 12 balls, which included four sixes and two fours helped Central Punjab chase down 152-run target for the loss of six wickets. Sindh’s Arish Ali Khan and Hasan Mohsin bagged two wickets apiece.
Earlier, after opting to bat, number eight batter Kashif Ali rescued Sindh that were six down for just 84 runs on the board. Kashif returned unbeaten on a 21-ball 46, which included three fours and as many sixes. Opener Ammad Alam was other notable run getter with a 26-ball 38, hitting four fours and two sixes.
For Central Punjab, Haseeb-ur-Rehman and Mohammad Salman Mirza bagged two wickets each.
This was Sindh’s fourth defeat in the tournament, they lead the points table with 11 points after playing there 10 matches. Northern – that are second on the points table trail by one point with two games in hand.
Scores in brief:
Balochistan beat Northern by seven wickets
Northern 146-6, 20 overs (Mohammad Hammad 48 not out; Jalat Khan 2-12, Rasool Bakash 2-26)
Balochistan 147-3, 19.1 overs (Imran Butt 64, Muhammad Azeem Ghumman 40 not out; Sufiyan Muqeem 2-26)
Central Punjab beat Sindh by four wickets
Sindh 151-7, 20 overs (Kashif Ali 46 not out, Ammad Alam 38; Mohammad Salman Mirza 2-24, Haseeb-ur-Rehman 2-27)
Central Punjab 154-6, 19.1 overs (Arsalan Arshad Bajwa 37, Sadaqat Ali 36 not out; Hasan Mohsin 2-25, Arish Ali Khan 2-41)
