Abbottabad Falcons v Karachi Zebras – Faysal Bank T-20 Cup, 2012/13 (Group A) – Match Update – Younis Khan stars for Falcons in last-ball thriller
Leading from the front, Abbottabad Falcons’ skipper Younis Khan guided the team to a 5-wicket last-ball victory over the Karachi Zebras, in their Group A match in the ongoing Faysal Bank T-20 tournament, played at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground
today on December 5.
Having chosen to field first, the Falcons’ Khalid Usman (4-0-23-3) and Amjad Waqas (4-0-26-2) kept a tight leash on the Zebras’ batsmen – nevertheless, the Zebras painstakingly managed to work their way up to a final total of 135 before they were all out
in the final over.
The main contributions came from the top-order, but even these were far too meagre, and did not amount to much. Skipper and opening batsmen http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rameez-Raja-c2277 was the first to go, trapped lbw by Ahmed Jamal after a mere 4-run contribution. However, his fellow opener
Rameez Aziz (10) and successor http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Adrian-Roger-Kirshaw-Pierson-c42135 it out at the crease long enough for a 20-run partnership for the second wicket.
Fahad Iqbal was eventually dismissed by Baber Khan in the 3rd over, and the 7th over saw http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Javed-Mansoor-c66578 (12), lbw. The highlight of the team’s innings was a 73-run partnership
for the 5th wicket, between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sheharyar-Ghani-c89904 (46), both of whom were the top contributors for their team.
Their combined efforts got the team total up to 116, after which both batsmen were dismissed in successive overs – Ahsan off http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Amjad-Waqas-c44101 in the 16th, and Ghani by Khalid Usman in the 17th over. The remainder of the batting order registered
insipid performances, and failed to rise above single-digit scores. The final over saw the Zebras all out for a final total of 135.
The Falcons’ performance with the bat was as average as their opponents, but skipper Younis Khan’s determination to stick it out until the end saw the Falcons home with a nail-biting finish to the clash. Top-order batsmen Mir Azam (0) and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yasir-Hameed-c2811 (3)
were both dismissed early, but http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Adnan-Raees-c42061 (11) for a 43-run partnership for the third wicket.
Both batsmen were eventually dismissed in successive overs, and the team found themselves at 71 for 4 by the 13th over. However, Player of the Match http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319 (12) and Khalid Usman (8*), got
the team up to 139 in exactly 20 overs, with 5 wickets still in hand and 0 balls remaining.
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