Falcons hold nerve in see-saw contest
A round-up of Faysal Bank T20 matches played on February 12, 2014
ESPNcricinfo staff
12-Feb-2014
Junaid Khan bowled a tight last over to help Abbottabad Falcons prevail in a see-saw contest against Lahore Lions in Rawalpindi. Lahore needed nine runs to win in the last over with two wickets in hand, but could only score six runs in the over. Junaid didn't get a wicket, but ensured there were no boundary balls in the last over.
Lahore needed 57 runs to win in the last five overs, but made a dash towards the target in the 17th over as Wahab Riaz hit Khaled Usman for a six and a four. Lahore took 17 runs came in that over and added a further 23 in the next two, but faltered against Junaid.
Lahore had won the toss and opted to field. Aizaz Cheema gave them a good start, striking with the second ball of the innings to dismiss Hammad Ali. But Abbottabad's innings was propped up by an unbeaten half-century from Younis Khan, who held one end together and scripted crucial partnerships. Abbottabad finished at 136 for 4 in their innings.
The win helped Abbottabad overtake Lahore in the group D table. Both teams are tied on points, but Abbottabad have a better net run rate.
Fakhar Zaman scored a 63-ball 86 to guide Karachi Zebras to a five-wicket win over Rawalpindi Rams in Rawalpindi.
Zaman, the left-handed opener, struck 12 fours and a six and was at the crease for the bulk of Karachi's innings as they chased 140. When he was caught behind off Sohail Tanvir, they only needed 17 from 23 balls, with seven wickets in hand. They wobbled a bit, with left-arm seamer Nasir Malik striking twice, but got home in the end with three balls remaining.
Rawalpindi, who elected to bat, were in trouble as fast bowler Tabish Khan struck three times to have them 22 for 3. Umar Amin and Sohail Tanvir rescued them with a 61-run stand for the fourth wicket, before legspinner Shahzaib Ahmed triggered a collapse from 83 for 3 to 106 for 7. It was left to an unbeaten 14-ball 27 from Yasim Murtaza to lift Rawalpindi's score to an eventual 139 for 8, with Tabish coming back to dismiss Mohammad Nawaz with the last ball of the innings.