LAHORE: While Lahore Corps team earned a four-wicket victory against Australian Army team, Jordanian Army’s Ibrahim Hikmat Khalil won the 3.2km marathon race on the second day of the PACES Championships at the Cantonment here on Wednesday.

In the T20 match, Lahore Corps chased the 131-run target in the 19th over while losing six wickets. Sabir Hussain (29), Mohammad Afzal (28), Anwar Khan (18) and Qayyum Nasir (17 not out) contributed in the victory.

For the visiting team, Robert Maram was the major wicket-taker with 2-19, while Thomas Gilmore and Nicolas Brown captured one wicket each for 12 and 17 runs, respectively.

Earlier, after captain Craig Holmes elected to bat first, Australia scored 130 for 5 in the allotted 20 overs. Mark Brown top-scored with 39 featuring four boundaries. Holmes struck 28 studded with three towering sixes and a four while Beau Wright chipped in with 23.

Awais Zafar, Imran Ali and Nauman Naveed took one wicket each for the host team.

Mohammed Afzal was declared man-of-the-match.

Former Test cricketers Majid Khan, Salim Altaf, Intikhab Alam and Abdul Qadir watched the match at the special invitation while ex-Test opener Aamir Sohail contributed with his accurate and polished remarks on the match timeline.

A large number of army officers, Australian International Policy Adviser for Pakistan Simon Tchaikovsk and Defence Attache Col David Bruk witnessed the match.

Later, chief guest Commander Lahore Corps Lt Gen Sadiq Ali thanked Australian Army team for travelling to Lahore and hoped that Australia’s national cricket team would also visit Pakistan soon. He also distributed prizes among the players.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Hikmat Khalil of Jordan Army clocked nine minutes, 38 seconds to clinch the 3.2km race, which ran from Askari-10 near Lahore Airport to the Ayub Stadium.

Pakistan Army sepoy Mohammed Naveed came second (nine minutes, 43 seconds) and Chinese Army’s Zhu Kang Xiang third (nine minutes, 46 seconds).

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2016