Karachi-based JGDC look to maintain winning run

Jinnah Government Degree College from Karachi dominated the Red Bull Campus Cricket National final and beat Lahore-based University of Central Punjab by 17 runs on June 7, to make the World Finals of the event being held in Dehradun on October 19.

Ali Tipu, UCP's captain, won the toss and opted to field on a spin-friendly track. Their opponents were off to a strong start and openers Hamza Ghanchi and Shahzar Khan added 36 runs for the first wicket.

Ghanchi's dismissal in the sixth over produced a top-order collapse, as they lost three wickets for just 15 runs.

Shahzar then found able support from Qadir Khan and the duo rebuilt the innings with intelligent rotation of the strike. They added 33 runs for the fourth wicket.

Shahzar was dismissed after completing his fifty. The lower-order failed to provide much resistance and fell cheaply. JGDC managed just 119 in their innings.

In reply, UCP were off to a shaky start with the bat and lost opener Junaid Ali, for just four, in the first over.

His opening-partner Tamour Sultan looked composed and refused to hand over the initiative. He smashed four fours and two sixes in his quickfire 48-ball 54.

However, the other batsmen failed and managed just 27 runs between them. Sultan's dismissal in the 16th over ended any chances of a UCP recovery. They fell 17-runs short of the target.

JGDC celebrations lasted long after the final wicket fell. Ghanchi collected the glittering winner's trophy from Faisal Khan, Red Bull's Country Head.

Ghanchi's team will look to maintain their winning ways in Dehradun when they compete against some of the best campus-cricket teams from around the world.