Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam’s brilliant 79-ball 76 and bowlers’ brilliance powered the Stallions to a 133-run lopsided victory against the Lions in the second match of the inaugural edition of the Champions One-Day Cup at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Friday.
LIONS' INNINGS
Chasing a mammoth 337-run target, the Lions could not manage to show significant resistance with the willow and went on to be skittled out for 203 inside the 40 overs.
Lions opener Imamul Haq was the only batter to show some serious resistance with the bat, scoring an 83-ball 78, before he was trapped by Jahandad Khan.
Other of the Lions’ batters, who showed some sort of resistance were Sharoon Siraj (28). Aamer Yamin and Shaheen Shah Afridi had compiled 22 each.
Yamin was undone by Mehran Mumtaz, while Shaheen was dismissed by his Pakistan and Lahore Qalandars teammate, Haris Rauf.
Sajjad Ali (0), Abdullah Shafique (9), Omair Yousuf (2), Aamer Jamal (0), Sirajuddin (10) and Khushdil Shah (19) failed to show significant resistance with the bat.
For the Stallions, Haris Rauf (3-43) rose to the occasion and showed his experience by scooping up three wickets.
Mohammad Ali (2-18) and Jahandad Khan (2-33) picked up two wickets apiece.
Abrar Ahmed (1-39), Hussain Talat (1-13) and Mehran Mumtaz (1-56) took a scalp each.
STALLIONS' INNINGS
Opting to bat first, the Stallions posted a staggering tournament on the scorecard, scoring 336-5 in their 50 overs. After losing Pakistan red-ball captain Shan Masood (41) and Yasir Khan (13), Babar Azam and Tayyab provided an impetus to the Stallions’ innings by stitching a 114-run partnership.
The partnership started to frustrate the Shaheen Shah Afridi-led Lions. Babar’s innings turned out to be classy ones, lacing with nine boundaries. Tayyab was neither bad as he flexed his muscles for compiling a 72-ball 74, studding with seven boundaries and two towering sixes.
Babar and Tayyab’s hard work was not in vain as Stallions skipper Mohammad Haris played a scintillating knock and went on to rack up a 36-ball 55, clobbering four boundaries and four sixes.
Hussaiun Talat ensured to tick all the boxes with the bat in the death overs to set the formidable total for his team over the Lions.
Talat smashed six boundaries and one six in his unbeaten knock, which was well complimented by Jahandad Khan, who also remained unbeaten, hitting two boundaries.
For the Lions, Aamer Jamal (2-60) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-63) picked up two wickets apiece.
Faisal Akram (1-40) had picked up a scalp.
Aamer Yamin (0-62), Sirajuddin (0-72), Khushdil Shah (0-24), Sharoon Siraj (0-14) remained wicketless.
TOSS
The Stallions had opted to bat first against the Lions in the second match of the domestic white-ball tournament.
