ISLAMABAD: Fast bowler Afaq Afridi rewrote record books with the best bowling figures by a Pakistan bowler on T20 debut and a hat-trick, lifting Nurpur Lions to the top of the Bahria Town Champions T20 Cup with a seven-wicket win over Engro Dolphins at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.

The second last double-header saw ABL Stallions displace UMT Markhors from the top of the table in the morning game with a clinical 29-run win.

The Mohmand-born Afaq registered stunning bowling figures of 5-18 in four overs which sent Dolphins packing for 71 in 16 overs.

Lions raced to victory in just nine overs to go top of the five-team table with ten points and a better net run-rate of 1.07. Stallions are now second and Markhors third — both the teams have ten points each but Stallions have a better net run-rate.

Lake City Panthers are fourth with six points while Engro Dolphins have lost all their seven games.

Afaq, 24, bettered previous best figures on debut by Zeeshan Khan (5-19) on debut for Multan Tigers against Karachi Zebras at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium in 2005.

Right-armer Afaq thrilled the crowd by dismissing Faheem Ashraf (three), Abbas Afridi (zero) and Shayan Sheikh off successive deliveries to record a memorable hat-trick in the 10th over as Dolphins slumped to 38-8. Fellow pacer Musa Khan claimed 4-14.

A tenth-wicket stand of 27 between Awais Ali (15 off 17 balls) and Mohammad Rameez Jr (11 off 18) guided Dolphins to a sub-par total. Opener Waqar Ahmed (16) was the top scorer.

Lions also lost Hasan Nawaz and Sharoon Siraj without scoring to Faheem Ashraf in the first over but Omair Bin Yousuf (30-ball 34) and Mohammad Taha (19-ball 28) saw off the target in nine overs. They shared a third-wicket stand of 66.

In the other match held at the same venue, pacer Mohammad Ali returned figures of 4-13 and Jahandad Khan fetched 3-9 as Markhors failed in the chase of a modest 148-run target set by Stallions with only Saad Masood making a fighting 29-ball 38.

Markhors were finally bowled out for 118 in 18.3 overs.

Markhors lost Fakhar Zaman to Jahandad with the first ball of the second over for one. It started a procession of wickets as Markhors were in tatters at 36-6.

Ali dismissed Mohammad Faizan (seven) and skipper Iftikhar Ahmed (nought) while Jahandad had Mohammad Khawaja Nafay (17) and Abdul Samad without scoring. It became 37-7 when Mohammad Nawaz fell to Usman Tariq for nought.

But Saad cracked two sixes and three boundaries in his knock and added 57 for the eighth wicket with Nisar Ahmed who scored a 21-ball 22 with two sixes. Ali came for his second spell to dismiss Saad and Zahid Mehmood (three) to finish the match.

Earlier, sent into bat, Stallions also found the going tough.

Shoaib Malik made a patient 28-ball 27 containing three boundaries. Taimur Khan and Maaz Sadaqat made 20 each as Stallions posted 147-9 off 20 overs.

Jahandad also chipped in with 16 off just nine balls to earn the player-of-the-match award.

For Markhors, Akif Javed (2-16), Zahid Mehmood (2-23) and Bilawal Bhatti (2-24) were among the wickets.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2024