An all-rounder Faisalabad Wolves annihilated Sialkot Stallions by 36 runs in the final of Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday.
Riding on the Asif Ali’s whirlwind unbeaten 70 off 49 balls and the invaluable contributions from skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (38 off 25) and Khurram Shehzad (30 off 31) after electing to bat, Wolves managed a competitive total of 158-3 and bundled the Stallions out for 122 in the last over.
Skipper Shoaib Malik top-scored with 40 off 39 balls and Ayaz Tasawwar resisted with 28, but the rest of others Stallions batsmen failed to make impact.
Ehsan Adil, who inspired Wolves to the final by delivering a dramatic final over in the semi-final against Lahore Lions, and fellow-seamer Asad Ali claimed two wickets apiece.
Stallions got off to worst possible start in chase and slumped to 4-26 following the cheap dismissals of Shakeel Ansar (4), Ali Khan (3), Umaid Asif (0) and Mansoor Amjad (3) before Malik and Tasawwar snapped the tumble of wickets.
Despite of the mounting asking rate, the two batsmen avoided to play aggressive shots and concentrated on the rotation of strike.
The 63-run fifth-wicket partnership between Malik and Tassawar ended with latter’s dismissal in 15th over. The diminutive Stallions hopes shattered with the departure of skipper in the next over.
