Rawalpindi Rams all-rounder Umar Amin collected Man-of-the-Match Award
Rawalpindi Rams held nerves in the dying moments to clinch a thrilling five-run victory over Karachi Dolphins in the group B match of Faysal Bank T20 Cup at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday.
Karachi had needed 26 in the last over to overhaul the 189-run target. Explosive left-hander Fawad Alam, who smashed 40 off 17 balls, plundered 20 off the first five deliveries of the final overs through two sixes and a boundary, before being perished to Sohail Tanvir off the final ball.
Umar Amin, who scored a whirlwind half-ton before bowling an economical spell of 1-24, was named Man of the Match.
In purist of a massive target, Dolphins lost opener Shahzaib Hasan in the first over before Khurram Manzoor (50 off 37) and Khalid Latif (25 off 17), steadied the innings with a 52-run second-wicket stand.
After Latif’s dismissal in the sixth over, Manzoor combined with Asad Shafiq (21) for another comprehensive 49-run stand to keep Dolphins in hunt. However, the pair’s dismissal to seamer Hammad Azam in the same over and Shahid Afridi’s cheap departure left Dolphins tottering at 5-108 in 14 overs.
Alam and Tanvir Ahmed were not in mood to capitulate without fighting till last moment. They produced some sparkling shots all over the park to shrink down the sky-scraping asking-rate.
Yasir Arafat eventually ended the resistance of Tanivr, who hit five boundaries in his 20-ball cameo, by uprooting his stumps in the penultimate over.
Earlier, elected to bat, Rawalpindi openers Awais Zia (22) and Naved Malik (39) laid the foundations of a competitive total by delivering a brisk 64-run opening stand.
Tanvir give the much-crucial breakthrough to his side in 8th over by dismissing Malik, who hit three sixes and two fours.
Dauntless Zia continued to pile up runs in the company of Babar Naeem and drove up the total to 101 in the 11th over before perishing to Afridi.
Naeem hit seven boundaries in his 23-ball 44 before being undone by pacer Mohammad Sami. Umar Amin spanked three sixes and four boundaries in his brisk vigil.
