Daily Times

LAHORE: Haider Ali’s struggle to find his form continued as he failed to deliver with the bat again for Derbyshire against Northamptonshire in UK on Monday. After scoring 0 and 1 in his previous two games, Haider managed only 11 runs off 9 balls before being dismissed by David Willey. Although he started promisingly with a couple of boundaries, his innings was cut short, adding to his disappointing run in the tournament. Derbyshire, batting first, could only muster 151/6 in their allotted 20 overs, leaving them reliant on their bowlers to defend a modest total.

Zaman Khan, however, stood out as he put in a commendable performance with the ball. In just his second ball of the match, Zaman made an impact by removing opener, Ricardo Vasconcelos, for just 5 runs. Despite Zaman’s early breakthrough, the other bowlers failed to provide significant support, conceding runs at an economy rate of over 7.50. Zaman returned in the 15th over and claimed the wicket of Josh Cobb, who had scored 23 runs. With impressive figures of 2/17 in 3 overs, Zaman showcased his skills and made a notable contribution to the team’s bowling effort. However, Northamptonshire successfully chased down the target in 18 overs, ultimately resulting in Derbyshire’s defeat. Despite the loss, Zaman has emerged as Derbyshire’s top wicket-taker in the Vitality Blast so far, with five wickets in three matches, maintaining an economy rate of 8.