Lahore Whites' Muhammad Faiq smashes a stunning 50-ball century
Muhammad Faiq of Lahore Region Whites delivered a spectacular performance, smashing the second century of the Bank Alfalah presents Inverex Solar Energy National T20 Cup 2024-25 against Larkana at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Monday night. FATA, Karachi Region Blues, Lahore Region Whites, and Sialkot Region all secured victories in their respective matches as doubleheaders took place in Faisalabad and Lahore.
Group A – Faisalabad
Karachi Region Blues vs. Quetta Region
In the first Group A match, Quetta suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Karachi Blues, who chased down the 139-run target in 16.4 overs. Haseebullah top-scored for Quetta with 46 off 42 balls, including six fours, while Karachi Blues’ Mohammad Asghar shone with figures of 4-19 in his four overs. Karachi Blues stumbled to 52-3 before captain Rameez Aziz (56 not out, 30 balls, 5x4s, 4x6s) and Saifullah Bangash (36 not out, 26 balls, 4x4s) formed an unbeaten 88-run partnership to seal the win. Opener Abdullah Fazal contributed a 29-ball 40, hitting seven fours.
Lahore Region Whites vs. Larkana Region
Lahore Whites dominated Larkana with a massive 134-run victory, powered by Mohammad Faiq’s explosive batting and Kamran Afzal’s bowling brilliance. Faiq scored an unbeaten 116 off just 56 balls, including 13 fours and seven sixes, reaching his half-century in 20 balls—the fastest in the tournament so far. His century came off just 50 deliveries. Contributions from Muhammad Akhlaq (35 off 26 balls) and captain Tayyab Tahir (33 off 16 balls) helped Lahore Whites post a formidable 215-4 in 20 overs. In response, Larkana collapsed to 32-7 and were eventually bowled out for 81 in 17.5 overs, with Kamran Afzal taking 4-17.
Group D – Lahore
FATA Region vs. Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region
At the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, FATA secured a four-wicket win over Azad Jammu and Kashmir, chasing down the 150-run target with 17 balls to spare. AJK’s openers Hasnain Nadeem (53 off 29 balls) and Hasan Raza (33 off 30 balls) put on an 86-run stand, but the team lost their last 10 wickets for just 63 runs. FATA’s Maaz Khan was outstanding with figures of 4-11, while Azaz Khan took three wickets. Player of the match Mohammad Farooq smashed a 26-ball 51, including six fours and two sixes, and shared a 76-run opening partnership with Mohammad Naeem (30 off 20 balls).
Multan Region vs. Sialkot Region
Sialkot started their campaign with a thrilling three-wicket win over Multan at the Gaddafi Stadium. Abdullah Shafique scored a crucial 57 off 41 balls, while captain Shoaib Malik added 43 off 33 balls, guiding Sialkot to the 148-run target with just three balls remaining. Multan’s Mohammad Ismail impressed with figures of 4-22, but his efforts went in vain. Earlier, Multan’s Muhammad Shahzad (55 off 42 balls) and Imam-ul-Haq (41 off 33 balls) helped their team post a competitive 147-8. Sialkot’s Hasan Ali (3-38), Ali Raza (2-23), and Bilawal Bhatti (1-25) shared six wickets between them.
Scores in Brief:
Match 9: FATA Region beat Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region by 4 wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
AJK: 149 all out in 20 overs (Hasnain Nadeem 53, Hasan Raza 33; Maaz Khan 4-11, Azaz Khan 3-17).
FATA: 154-6 in 17.1 overs (Mohammad Farooq 51, Mohammad Naeem 30; Aqib Liaqat 2-18).
Player of the Match: Mohammad Farooq (FATA Region).
Match 10: Karachi Region Blues beat Quetta Region by 7 wickets at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.
Quetta: 138-9 in 20 overs (Haseebullah 46; Mohammad Asghar 4-19).
Karachi Blues: 140-3 in 16.4 overs (Rameez Aziz 56*, Abdullah Fazal 40).
Player of the Match: Rameez Aziz (Karachi Blues).
Match 11: Sialkot Region beat Multan Region by 3 wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Multan: 147-8 in 20 overs (Muhammad Shahzad 55, Imam-ul-Haq 41; Hasan Ali 3-38).
Sialkot: 148-7 in 19.3 overs (Abdullah Shafique 57, Shoaib Malik 43; Mohammad Ismail 4-22).
Player of the Match: Abdullah Shafique (Sialkot Region).
Match 12: Lahore Region Whites beat Larkana Region by 134 runs at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.
Lahore Whites: 215-4 in 20 overs (Mohammad Faiq 116*, Muhammad Akhlaq 35; Mushtaq Ahmed 2-51).
Larkana: 81 all out in 17.5 overs (Kamran Afzal 4-17).
Player of the Match: Mohammad Faiq (Lahore Region Whites).
Tuesday’s Fixtures:
- Multan Region vs. Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region at LCCA Ground, Lahore; 4.30pm
- Karachi Region Whites vs. Lahore Region Blues at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 4.30pm
- Rawalpindi Region vs. Faisalabad Region at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; 7pm
- Sialkot Region vs. FATA Region at LCCA Ground, Lahore; 9pm
- Islamabad Region vs. Dera Murad Jamali Region at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 9pm
- Abbottabad Region vs. Hyderabad Region at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; 11pm
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