RAWALPINDI – ABL Stallions lead the Bahria Town Champions T20 Cup points table with an impressive 12-run win over Nurpur Lions, achieving their second win in as many matches.
Stallions were helped to 162-5 in 20 overs by a solid unbeaten 36-ball 51 by Hussain Talat who knocked his maiden T20 hundred in the team’s victory over Lake City Panthers on Saturday. They then restricted Lions to 150-7 in 20 overs.
Shoaib Malik (2-23), Usman Tariq (2-23) and Zaman Khan (2-38) put brakes on the rival batting as Lions have now lost both their games. Lake City Panthers have won one and lost one while UMT Markhors have one win in one and Engro Dolphins have lost their only game.
Chasing 163 for victory, Lions got off to a worst possible start with opening batter Zeeshan Malik dismissed for a three-ball duck. It brought Imam-ul-Haq and Hasan Nawaz together for a 71-run stand. Imam’s 43 came off 28 balls inclusive of four boundaries and a six while Hasan’s 25-ball 30 were studded with a six and three boundaries.
Rohail Nazir and Muhammad Awais Zafar fell for three each, leaving the Lions in a spot of bother. With the asking rate soaring, Khushdil Shah and Aamer Yamin came together with 66 needed in 43 deliveries which came down to 26 in 12. Mohammad Ali conceded just four runs in the penultimate over to almost seal the match.
Zaman Khan, known for death overs mastery, gave away just nine to give Stallions victory. Khushdil scored 28 and Aamer made unbeaten 27 off 24 balls.
Hussain Talat was once again the architect of Stallions innings after they were sent into bat by Lions. He cracked five boundaries in his 36-ball knock, adding an invaluable 88 for the fifth wicket with team mentor cum player Shoaib Malik to steady the innings.
Malik scored a 30-ball 39 with four boundaries. Mohammad Haris hit the only six of the innings in his 18-ball 25, also hitting two boundaries. Maaz Sadaqat once again showed his promise with a 29-ball 32 including five hits to the rope. Pacer Musa Khan was the pick of Lions’ bowlers with 2-31.
