RAWALPINDI – UMT Markhors beat Nurpur Lions by 29 runs in the Qualifier at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday to reach final of Champions T20 Cup.
Markhors will face ABL Stallions in final on Wednesday.
Markhors were lifted to 180-6 in their 20 overs by a whirlwind 89 off 64 balls by player of the match Fakhar Zaman who single-handedly fought after his team was sent into bat. They restricted Lions to 151-9 in the allotted 20 overs.
Lions were never in the hunt after losing openers Imam-ul-Haq to a run out for one and Omair Bin Yousuf for two. Hasan Nawaz, who scored a 22-ball 27 added 62 for the third wicket with Mohammad Taha who scored a quick 28-ball 44. But the innings fell apart once they departed.
Akif Javed finished with 3-22 and Nisar Ahmed 2-19.
Earlier, Afaq Afridi followed his debut hat-trick in the last game against Dolphins by dismissing Khawaja Mohammad Nafay and Mohammad Faizan in the second over of the innings, both without scoring.
It became 3-23 when Afaq had Muhamamd Imran caught for one, leaving the Markhors in tatters. Fakhar led the recovery with some lusty hitting, cracking five sixes and nine boundaries. Fakhar added 30 for the fourth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed who scored 14. Mohammad Nawaz (10) helped add another 35 with Fakhar, but the real impetus was given through an 82-run stand for the sixth wicket between Fakhar and Abdul Samad.
Samad cracked two sixes and five boundaries in his 20-ball 41 not out. Afaq finished with 3-29 while left-arm pacer Shahab Khan took 2-36.
The defeat means Lions finished the five-team event in third. Panthers finished fourth and Dolphins fifth and last.
