RAWALPINDI: Karachi Blues left Lahore in the Blue by winning the Cool & Cool Presents JAZZ National T20 Cup 2016/17 match by 51 runs here at the Pindi Stadium.
In fact Wednesday, August 31, was not the day of Lahore because both of their teams, Whites and Blues lost their matches to Karachi teams. In the earlier match of the day Karachi Whites defeated Lahore Whites by seven wickets and in the second match of the day, Lahore Blues were given the same treatment by Karachi Blues.
Karachi team posted 174 runs while batting first and in reply Lahore Blues were reduced to 123 in 19.1 overs. After a solid 61 runs partnership followed by some small stands consolidated Karachi Blues total that came for the loss of seven wickets.
Khurrum Manzoor 34 and Shahzain Hassan 52, together gathered 61 runs for th3 first wicket and later Fawad Alam made brisk 49 with some useful addition of runs from Ali Khan 10 and Mohammad Sami 13 gave their total respect. Ahmed Bashir, Rahar Ali, and Saad Nasim shared two wickets each while Zafar Gohar had one.
In reply, Lahore Blues kept losing their wickets at regular intervals. Pakistan discarded off spinner Saeed Ajmal, who lost his place in the international cricket to illegal action, played havoc in Lahore batting taking four key wickets. Rumman Raees had two wickets while Mohammad Sami, Bilawal Bhatti, Mohammad Asghar, and Fawad Alam shared one wicket each to successfully defend their batsmen’s efforts. Ajmal was later named the player of the match.
Nauman Anwar and Agha Salman were the highest scorers from Lahore’s side with 31 and 30 runs respectively while Ahmed Shahzad 17, and Saad Nasim 11 were the only other players who could reach the double figures. And with that defeat Lahore Blues who were at the bottom half of the points table further sunk down the ladder.
