FAISALABAD: Saim Ayub struck a magnificent 156 as Panthers beat Stallions by 20 runs on Saturday night here at the Iqbal Stadium.

The flamboyant left-hander helped Panthers post 344 before the Stallions were bundled out for 324, despite Zaman Khan’s late cameo that threatened to take the game away from Panthers.

Coming in at number nine, Zaman smashed a 16-ball 42 including six sixes and a four but was dismissed with Stallions requiring 21 runs off five balls.

Zaman’s knock came after Tayyab Tahir’s century and Hussain Talat’s half-century including a 157-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Earlier, Saim and Azan Awais laid the platform for a big first innings score with a 138-run partnership before the latter fell prey to Abrar for a 77-ball 51 with four fours and a six.

Usman Khan, who struck a quickfire 75 off 47 balls smashing eight fours and four sixes, stitched a 116-run stand for the second wicket with the skipper.

Saim’s masterly knock was laced with 13 fours and seven sixes as he departed in the 46th over becoming the second of Zaman’s four wickets in the game.

Panthers scored 46 runs in the last 43 balls giving away five wickets as they reached 344-7 in 50 overs.

Apart from Zaman who bagged a four-fer Jahandad Khan and Abrar Ahmed picked up one each for Stallions.

After Stallions lost their top three, Tayyab and Hussain joined forces and kept the Stallions innings intact with scores of 109 and 63, respectively.

Tayyab hit eight fours and four sixes while Hussain clubbed three fours and one six before the partnership was broken by Mubasir Khan in 35th over derailing the Stallions’ momentum.

With Stallions reeling at 272-8, Zaman and Abrar (nine not out) put on a brisk 52-run ninth-wicket partnership off just 20 balls to bring their team close but fell 20 runs short.

Scores in brief:

PANTHERS 344-7 in 50 overs (Saim Ayub 156, Usman Khan 75, Azan Awais 51; Zaman Khan 4-90); STALLIONS 324 in 49.3 overs (Tayyab Tahir 109, Hussain Talat 63, Zaman Khan 42, Mubasir Khan 3-77, Mohammad Hasnain 2-49, Ali Raza 2-54).

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2024