KARACHI, Feb 27: Taufiq Umar produced a magnificent all-round performance as Lahore Lions notched up their fourth win on the trot to book their semifinal berth in the Twenty20 Cup cricket championship on Monday.
Taufiq bludgeoned a 60-ball 100 before taking four wickets for 11 runs with his off-spinners as Islamabad Leopards crashed to a 87-run defeat in the Pool ‘B’ fixture on Monday.
The left-handed Taufiq was in supreme touch as he stroked 10 fours and three sixes to help Lahore Lions post the tournament’s highest-ever total of 234-4 in 20 overs.
Islamabad Leopards, in reply, were bowled out for 147 in 18 overs. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir claimed three for 25.
Lahore Eagles chalked out their third win in Pool ‘A’ when they thrashed Rawalpindi Rams by seven wickets with opener Mohammad Ashfaq narrowly missing a century.
Ashfaq finished with an unbeaten 99 off 58 balls, a knock clobbered with 10 hits to the fence and four over it.
The Rams’ paceman Najaf Shah bowled a ball down the leg side which went for four wides to deny Ashfaq the chance of completing a well-deserved hundred.
Youngster Khurram Manzoor slammed a brilliant 100 off 61 balls with 11 fours for Karachi Zebras but his great effort was wasted as Multan Tigers were declared winners after the match ended in a tie.
Both teams scored 173 and lost nine wickets, but the Tigers won because they had made 94 in the first 10 overs of their innings compared to the Zebras’ 72 in the same number of overs.
Left-handed Saeed Anwar struck seven fours and a six in his 73 off 60 balls and Hasnain Abbas after a slow start, cracked nine boundaries and a six in his 43-ball 71.
Sialkot Stallions also remained on course for a semifinal berth with their third win by defeating Peshawar Panthers by five wickets.
The Panthers were dismissed for 126 with pacemen Sarfraz Ahmed and Rana Navedul and left-arm spinner Qaiser Abbas taking two wickets apiece.
Imran Nazir blasted 40 off 20 with four sixes and as many fours as the Stallions reached the target in 16.4 overs. Shahid Yousuf contributed 38 in 28 balls with six fours and one six.
Off-spinner Irfanuddin grabbed four for 26 and Afsar Nawaz struck 64 as Karachi Dolphins got the better of Quetta Bears by six wickets in an evening fixture at the National Stadium.
Earlier on Sunday night Bazid Khan blasted a quick 90 off 47 balls with seven fours and six sixes as Islamabad Leopards beat Hyderabad Hawks by five wickets.
That was quite pathetic by Najaf Shah
