KARACHI: Multan trounced Islamabad by 59 runs at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi to seal a hat-trick of titles in the National Disabled T20 Cricket Championship on Monday.

The final of the sixth edition saw Multan post a commanding total of 231-3 after being put into bat with skipper Matloob Qure­shi leading the onslaught by striking undefeated 76 off 51 balls while hitting eight boundaries.

Matloob and all-rounder Majid Hussain, who struck a 47-ball 74 with the aid of 11 fours and one six, put on 129 for the second wicket.

Jahanzaib Tiwana then arri­ved to blast six sixes and a four in his knock 49 from only 17 balls.

Islamabad, in reply, limped to 172-9. Adeel Abbasi scored a 32-ball 51 (seven boundaries while skipper Usman Paracha made 37 (off 25 balls, five fours and two sixes) as the two added 76 in their opening partnership.

Left-arm seamer Zubair Saleem captured three wickets for 37 runs, while Mohammad Sarfraz took 2-10 and Umaiz-ur-Rehman 2-21.

Former Test wicket-keeper and PCB representative retired colonel Naushad Ali grace the final as the chief guest and distribute the prizes in a ceremony attended by ICRC’s Younis Alam, Dr Shahzad, Hajra Khan, Rimsha Ali Shah, RCA’s regional head Raja Ashraf, PDCA Rawalpindi coordinator Sabih Azhar, PDCA honorary secretary Amiruddin Ansari and media manager Mohammad Nizam along with ex-Pakistan stars Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Wasim, who also acted as the match referee.

Multan collected the winners’ trophy plus Rs100,000 while Islamabad received Rs50,000 and the runners-up trophy.

The individual prizes, worth Rs10,000 each, were given to Multan trio of Matloob (best batsman, 220 runs), Jahanzaib best bowler, nine wickets) and Majid Hussain (player-of-the-tournament, 193 runs and four wickets) and Islamabad’s Waqif Shah (best fielder), while Matloob was also adjudged man-of-the-final.

Summarised scores:

MULTAN 231-3 in 20 overs (Matloob Qureshi 76 not out, Majid Hussain 74, Jahanzaib Tiwana 49); ISLAMABAD 172-9 in 20 overs ((Adil Abbasi 51, Usman Paracha 37, Saim Ali 30, Mohammad Naeem 25; Zubair Saleem 3-37, Mohammad Sarfraz 2-10, Umaiz-ur-Rehman 2-21).

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2018