By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)
(Pakistan News & Features Services)
Omar Cricket Club retained the title by edging out K-Electric by nine runs in the low-scoring final of the 29th edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Omar Associates Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2014 at the KG Cricket Ground on July 27.
Batting first, Omar CC recovered to post a total of 145 for six in the allotted 20 overs with Sarfaraz Ahmed’s unbeaten 33 off 22 balls being the highest contribution. Anwar Ali played a little cameo of 25 off 15 balls while Hafiz Saad Nasim remaining undefeated on 23 off 10 balls and Khurram Manzoor making 21 off 20 balls.
K-Electric was restricted to 136 for nine after an absorbing contest between bat and ball. Shahid Khan (31 off 24 balls), Faraz Ali (25 off 26 balls) and Tariq Haroon (20 off 20 balls) got a start but neither of them could finish the game as Omar CC fought back through medium-pacer Asif Raza (3-22) and the spin duo of Zulfiqar Babar (2-25) and Adnan Kalim (2-31).
Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, who was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony held immediately after the conclusion of the final, presented a cheque of Rs five lacs to the winning captain, Adnan Kalim, while total cash awards of Rupees one million were disbursed on the occasion.
Asif Raza’s fine all-round performance had enabled the defending champions to storm into the final when outwitted Eaton Cricket Club by 32 runs in the rain-curtailed semifinal on July 25.
Batting first, Omar CC managed 125 for nine in the allotted 17 overs with Hafiz Saad Nasim (26 off 23 balls), Anwar Ali (21 off 15 balls), Asif Raza (21 off 8 balls), presented Man of the Match award by chief guest Jahangir Moghul, and Omar Siddiq (21 off 27 balls) chipped in with crucial knocks as the batsmen were tested by the spin duo of Saadat Munir (4-33) and Fahad Anjum (2-29).
Eaton CC could not get on top of the penetrative bowling to be skittled for 93 in 16.3 overs with only Ali Jawwad (27 off 30 balls), Nadeem Javed (17 off 15 balls) and Fahad Anjum (14 off 10 balls) offering some resistance as the innings was wrecked by the quartet of Zulfiqar Babar (3-29), Anwar Ali (2-8), Faraz Ahmed (2-9) and Asif Raza (2-22).
K-Electric had cruised into the final by having overwhelmed Advance Telecom by seven wickets in the other semifinal on July 26.
Put into bat, Advance Telecom struggled against the slow bowlers to reach a total of 133 for nine in 20 overs in which Sohail Khan (22 off 14 balls), Mohammad Yasin (21 off 20 balls) and Asif Ali (18 off 19 balls) contributed anything of note.
Off-spinners Shahid Khan (2-11) and Misbah Khan (2-30) were well supported by the quartet of Fawad Khan, Osama Basharat, Rizwan Khan and Saud Shakil, all of whom got a wicket each.
Opener Faraz Ali, adjudged Man of the Match, smashed a couple of sixes and seven boundaries in his 70 off 51 balls which allowed K-Electric to reach the target comfortably with 2.1 overs to spare. Off-spinner Nasir Owais (2-14) was the pick of the Advance Telecom bowlers.
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