RAWALPINDI – Mohammad Haris hit a fiery 35-ball 61 and pacer Mohammad Ali grabbed 4-28 to give ABL Stallions a convincing six-wicket win over Lake City Panthers while a last-ball six by Abdul Samad helped UMT Markhors outlast Nurpur Lions by three wickets on a Super Sunday in Rawalpindi.
With the win, Stallions strengthened their top position in the five-team Champions Cup table as second-round matches started in a thrilling way.
Markhors, still second on the table, enthralled with a hard-fought win. They pulled off a sensational win with five needed off the last ball as a holiday crowd witnessed every action they sought in a rapid-fire T20 brand of cricket.
Panthers were lifted to 168-7 by Haider Ali who smashed a belligerent 49-ball 73 with five towering sixes and as many boundaries but the total proved reachable for the Stallions.
Stallions were given a robust 28-run start in just 3.1 overs as Yasir Khan hit a 13-ball 20 and Maaz Sadaqat 14-ball 18. Once the openers returned to the pavilion, Haris and in-form Hussain Talat took the baton, adding 64 off 42 for the third wicket. Haris smashed eight boundaries while Talat’s 25-ball 32 included two boundaries and a six.
Team mentor Shoaib Malik with 21 and Mohammad Mohsin 15 were unbeaten as the chase was completed with two balls to spare.
Sent into bat, Haider was the star for under-performing Panthers as he held the innings after the early loss of Sharjeel Khan for four. Haider and Umar Siddiq, who scored a 29-ball 30, lifted the innings through a second wicket stand of 61 off 54 balls.
Haider found another able partner in Mubasir Khan, adding an invaluable 63 off just 38 deliveries for the fourth wicket.
The pick of the bowlers were pacers Mohammad Ali with 4-28 and Mohammad Amir Khan with 2-34.
The second match proved to be the most thrilling of the event so far. Lions entrusted 21-year-old pacer Shahid Aziz with the task of defending 11 runs in the final over. Shahid removed the well-set Mohammad Faizan with the second ball for a 42-ball 66. Mohammad Nawaz smashed the next ball for a boundary but after a dot ball was caught in the deep. Abdul Samad, however, kept his cool to hit the winning six, chasing the stiff 188-run target.
Faizan, who cracked five sixes and three boundaries off 42 balls, came together with skipper Iftikhar Ahmed with their team in a spot of bother at 37-2. The duo added 88 in quick time. Iftikhar struck eight sixes and two boundaries in his 31-ball 66-run knock.
But the Lions hit back when Shahid dismissed Iftikhar in the 14th over and followed that with Saad Masood’s scalp. Faizan kept the tempo until the final over as Markhors pulled off a sensational win.
Unlucky Shahid took 4-42 in the losing cause.
Lions, who opted to bat first were given an aggressive start of 56 in 4.2 overs as Hasan Nawaz (24) and Imam-ul-Haq (28) cut loose from the get-go. Rohail Nazir (17-ball 22) and Shahzaib Khan (13-ball 16 with a six and a boundary) got starts but fell in the space of just one run.
All-rounder Aamer Yamin rescued the innings with a solid 27-ball 39 inclusive of two sixes and as many fours to help his team add 57 in the last five overs, taking them to 187-7 in 20 overs. Pacers Nisar Ahmed with 2-40 and Akif Javed 2-47 shared the bowling honours.
