Zohaib Powers Peshawar To Six-wicket Win Over Lahore Blues

RAWALPINDI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd September, 2016) : Zohaib Khan - allround performance fashioned an emphatic - six-wicket victory for Peshawar over Lahore Blues in a Cool and Cool Presents Jazz National T20 Cup here at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi on Friday.

Zohaib, who earlier bowled economically, conceding just 20 runs and picking up two important wickets in his four over starred with the bat later on as he scored brisk 23 runs off 16 balls, hitting two fours and a six opening batsman.

Opener Rafatullah, who scored unbeaten 45 runs off 38 balls was another main contributor for Peshawar. The right-hand batsman, who will turn 40 in November, this year hit two boundaries and same number of sixes.

The other opener, Israrullah handed over his catch to Naved Yasin on the bowling of slow left-arm bowler Zafar Gohar in the second over of the match. He scored 11 runs off 8 balls. Fakhar Zaman, who came on one-down position, scored 10 runs off nine balls.

His catch was taken by Nauman Anwar on the bowling of right-arm offbreak Agha Salman in the fifth over of the match. Two-down batsman Sohaib Maqsood made 20 off 14 balls, hitting one boundary and two sixes.

Middle-order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed made 26 off 26 balls.

Lahore Blues Zafar Gohar took two wickets for 24 runs, while on wicket each was grabbed by Agha Salman and Raza Ali Dar for 20 and 30 runs, respectively.

Earlier, electing to bat first after winning the toss, Lahore Blues posted 137 for the loss of seven wickets in allotted 20 overs. Openers Nasir Jamshed and Nauman Anwar failed to provide a solid start to Lahore Blues as their first wicket fell in third over on 12 runs when Nauman's catch was taken by Imran Khalid on the bowling of right-arm medium-fast Anwar Ali.

One-down batsmen Muhammad Akhlaq was also bowled by Anwar Ali on the duck in the same over. Their third wicket fell in the fifth over on the score of 26 when Nasir Jamshed was run out by Anwar Ali.

Two-down batsman Naved Yasin departed on 20 runs off 22 balls. Other main contributors for Lahore Blues were Agha Salman and Fahim Ashraf, who scored 32 and 22 runs, respectively. For Peshawar Anwar Ali picked up three scalps for 24 runs in his four overs, while slow left-arm bowler Zohaib Khan finished with two for 20 and left-arm medium-fast Imran captured one wicket for 31 runs.

Zohaib was declared man-of-the-match for his match winning performance.