Peshawar thump FATA to book Pakistan Cup final berth

Sports Nov, 16 2023
Peshawar thump FATA to book Pakistan Cup final berth
  • 205
  • 0

RAWALPINDI: A combined effort from the bowlers led Peshawar to defeat FATA by 44 runs in the first semi-final of the Pakistan Cup at Pindi Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.

Earlier, Peshawar had finished first on the points table at the conclusion of the round-robin stage while FATA had finished fourth. FATA were bundled out for 201 in 41.1 overs in pursuit of the 246-run target set by Peshawar, who were put into bat first. FATA openers Mohammad Farooq and Samiullah Jnr made 13 off 31 and two off nine with the latter losing his wicket earlier in the fifth over. Salman Khan Jnr scored 46 off 60 before getting caught by Adil Amin off the bowling of Iftikhar Ahmed. Rehan Afridi made a meager 13 off 20 before losing his wicket to Azam Khan in the 17th over while Mohammad Sarwar Afridi emerged as his side’s highest run-getter scoring 56 off 45 balls featuring three boundaries and three sixes. He was the last batter to be dismissed. The performance of FATA’s lower-order batters remained under par and they failed to withstand Peshawar’s bowling attack.

Peshawar’s Mohammad Abbas Afridi claimed three wickets and conceded 34 runs while off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed, pacer Mohammad Imran and left-arm spinner Azam Khan claimed two wickets each.

Earlier, Peshawar managed to score 245 at the expense of seven wickets. Opener Sahibzada Farhan played an impressive innings scoring 69 off 76 balls featuring 11 boundaries before being bowled by Khushdil Shah in the 28th over. Fellow opener Maaz Sadaqat, however, managed to make only 16 off 27 before losing his wicket to Shahid Aziz in the 13th over. Kamran Ghulam registered a dismal performance making only one off six deliveries before being sent packing by Asif Afridi while Mohammad Haris managed 28 off 28 balls before getting caught by Khushdil Shah off the bowling of Sameen Gul.

Iftikhar Ahmed entered the fray in the 28th over and was sent packing by Khuhdil Shah after scoring only five off 14 balls. Nabi Gul pulled off 43 off 42 before conceding his wicket to Shahid Aziz in the in the 43rd over. Mohammad Abbas Afridi made only three off four balls before being caught by Usman Khan Shinwari off Shahid. Adil Amin managed a brisk 56 off 58 balls and continued to play till the end of the innings along with Azam Khan. Shahid Aziz claimed three scalps at the expense of 55 runs. Khushdil Shah claimed two wickets at the expense of 39 runs while Sameen Gul and Asif Afridi took one wicket each. Meanwhile, the second semi-final of the ongoing Pakistan Cup between Karachi Region Whites and Multan Region will take place at the same venue on Friday.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 17 2023

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

NC Big Stories

Army Chief says attempts to divide 'army, people' will fail

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir has said that Pakistanis take pride in their religion and culture and will never allow the mischief of Khawarij to impose its outdated ideology on the country. The army chief made these r...

Gov Sindh, Bangladesh HC discuss ways to foster bilateral relations

KARACHI: A meeting was held between the Governor of Sindh, Kamran Khan Tessori, and the High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Iqbal Hussain Khan, at the Governor House in Karachi. The meeting aimed to strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and Ba...

'Pakistan Navy, RSNF reaffirm operational readiness'

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy (PN) and Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) successfully concluded bilateral maritime exercise NASEEM AL BAHR-XV, with a display of live weapon firing in North Arabian Sea. Commander Royal Saudi Naval Forces graced the event as th...

Pakistan, KSA agree to enhance bilateral economic ties

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have vowed to further strengthen economic ties for a shared future. The commitment was expressed during a high-level meeting between Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and his Saudi counterpart Mohammed b...

More like this
Related

Sarfaraz Ahmed breaks silence on retirement plans

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has addressed his future in international cricket, acknowledging that every player must eventually step away from the game. In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Sarfaraz stated that he would...

Mohsin Naqvi throwaways premium VIP box

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has chosen to forgo a $400,000 VIP hospitality box for the ICC Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, opting instead to sit with regular cricket fans. The UAE Cricket Board had allocated a 30-se...

Champions Trophy 2025: Lahore hosts dazzling opening ceremony

LAHORE: The opening ceremony of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is currently underway at Lahore Fort, with several high-profile guests in attendance. The event has garnered significant excitement, with cricket fans eagerly awaiting the start of the tou...

PAF's JF-17 jets to feature at Champions Trophy opening ceremony in Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan is set to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, featuring the world's top eight cricket teams. The tournament will begin on February 19 with Pakistan facing New Zealand in the opening match in Karachi, and the final is scheduled for...
Need Help? Chat with us