T20 Cricket News

Federal Areas Leopards 245 (Amin 55, Talha 3-38) beat Punjab Stallions 221 (Jamshed 101, Murtaza 3-42) by 24 runs

Nasir Jamshed scored a century in the opening game of the RBS Pentangular One-Day Cup but his team, the Punjab Stallions, collapsed around him to suffer a 24-run defeat against the Federal Areas Leopards in Karachi. Leopards had been dismissed for 245 and their bowlers were struggling to defend the target before a late burst, during which seven wickets fell for 34 runs, secured victory.

Jamshed scored his runs quickly too, scoring 101 off only 90 balls, with seven fours and a six. He added 45 for the first wicket with his captain Imran Farhat and 114 with Azhar Ali for the third. Even though Ali and Aamer Sajjad, who was lbw to Yasim Murtaza, fell in quick time, Stallions were still comfortable on 187 for 4, with Jamshed still at the crease.

The crippling blow came when Murtaza had Jamshed caught with the score on 192. Stallions needed 54 runs with five wickets in hand and the tail couldn't meet that demand. They lost their last four wickets for one run, collapsing from 220 for 6 to 221 all out. Murtaza was the Leopards' most successful bowler, taking 3 for 42, while Shoaib Akhtar and Imad Wasim took two each. Wasim had bowled the final over, during which three Stallions wickets - one was a run out - fell.

Earlier in the day Stallions' bowlers had also chipped away at the Leopards' line-up, taking wickets at regular intervals without allowing a partnership to build. Umar Amin top-scored with 55 and several middle-order batsmen got starts but failed to carry on. Mohammad Talha took 3 for 38 and Abdur Rehman 2 for 46 to dismiss Leopards.

News Source