In the day’s other game, Faisalabad defeated Peshawar by five wickets in a dramatic finish at the same venue. Imran Khalid smashed the last ball for six to power his side home. Needing four to win with one ball remaining and international star Fahim Ashraf off strike, Faisalabad looked to be done for. But Khalid pounced on a length delivery in his arc, and just managed to clear the midwicket boundary to guarantee Faisalabad a spot in the semis. This was another low-scoring game, with no Peshawar batsman able to build on a solid start. Veteran opener Rafatullah Mohmmad was the top scorer with 32, and though four other batsmen reached double figures, none were able to construct an innings to ensure they could post a big total. Saeed Ajmal, in his farewell tournament, bowled a sensational spell, getting two wickets for 15 off his four overs. The target of 140 looked to be too much for Faisalabad as they struggled to keep up with the asking rate. Sohail Khan’s disciplined spell of 4-0-19-2 tied the chasing side down, and with 33 required off the last three, it appeared they would fall short. It continued to appear that way till the very last ball, when Khalid shot to prominence in fairy tale fashion.
Brief scores
1: Rawalpindi 118 vs Lahore Blues 124-3
Lahore Blues won by 7 wickets (with 17 balls remaining)
2: Peshawar 139 vs Faisalabad 142-5
Faisalabad won by
5 wickets.
Published in Daily Times, November 24th 2017.
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