Lahore http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lions-c808 v Bahawalpur Stags – Faysal Bank T-20 Cup, 2012/13 (1st Semi-Final) – Match Recap – Lions secure finals spot with 51-run win
A timely century from Ahmed Shehzad secured the Lahore Lions a spot in the final of the ongoing Faysal Bank T-20 Cup, after having clinched a 51-run win over the Bahawalpur Stags in the tournament semi-final, played today on December 8 at the Gaddafi Stadium
in Lahore.
The Stags kicked the match off by winning the toss and choosing to field first. Kamran Hussain (4-0-23-4) spearheaded the bowling attack, and was assisted in his endeavours by Kashif Siddiq (4-0-40-1) – however, their efforts fell short when it came to restraining
the Lions’ batting order.
Opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-Jamshed-c78752 (2) was dismissed early, taken out by Kamran Hussain in the 5th over. However, his fellow opening batsman, and Player of the Match Ahmed Shehzad, drove the bulk of the innings with a fluent knock of 107 off 57.
He was joined by skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Hafeez-c76898 (65) for a 96-run partnership for the second wicket, and by the time Ahmed Shehzad was dismissed by Kashif Siddiq in the 14th over, the team total had swelled to 137.
Hafeez, accompanied by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Umar-Akmal-c94595 (28*), set up a 70-run partnership for the third wicket, but the final over saw Kamran Hussain sending Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq (0), and Wahab Riaz (2) back to the pavilion – however, the Lions managed to post a solid final
total of 211 by the end of 20 overs.
In comparison, none of the Stags’ batsmen managed to step up and shoulder responsibility the way http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ahmed-Shehzad-c42359 had done. This, coupled with the assaults of Wahab Riaz (3.2-0-23-3), Adnan Rasool (4-0-27-3), and Abdul Razzaq (3-0-24-2), saw the Stags falling
well short of the target.
Top-order batsmen http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ali-Haider-Naqvi-c43590 (2), and the Stags found themselves at
an unpromising 34 for 3.
Opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bilal-Khilji-c1161 (17)
and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Moinuddin-c77625 (33) set up a steady 42-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Their efforts got the team up to 113, after which Khilji made his exit at the hands of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Talha-c77400 (10)
made valiant attempts to revive the innings, but both were cut off by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wahab-Riaz-c95839 in the 17th over.
Wahab Riaz completed his 3-wicket haul with the dismissal of Ataullah (9) in the final over, and the Stags finished, all out, at 160, with the Lions securing a comfortable 51-run victory.
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