KARACHI, Dec 14: Underdogs Balochistan Bears held their nerves on Sunday to pull off a sensational last-ball victory over Sindh Dolphins by one wicket in the second match of the RBS Pentangular Cup one-day cricket tournament here at the National Stadium.

After being set a stiff target of 313, the Bears chased down the runs successfully in the high-scoring thriller watched by chairman of selectors Abdul Qadir.

The result was a crippling blow for Shahid Afridi, the Dolphins skipper who had earlier bludgeoned a blistering 114 off only 54 deliveries in a welcome return to batting form that had deserted the 28-year-old Pakistan all-rounder for a long time.

But the Bears – who were missing the services of their regular skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez from this game since they had just returned from Saudi Arabia after performing Hajj – rode on Saeed Anwar Junior’s splendid 97 to upset the odds.

Kamran Hussain, making amends for his atrocious display in the field when he twice dropped sitters off Danish Kaneria which allowed Afridi to reach his highest score in limited-overs cricket, put the finishing touches to a great match by striking an unbeaten 45 off 37 balls to trigger mass celebrations in the Bears camp.

The Dolphins, it must be said, paid a heavy price for taking victory for granted after piling up 312 for six once Afridi decided to bat first at the toss.

The start of the match was as dramatic as the end when Abdur Rauf, the stand-in Bears captain, went for 10 runs in his opening over during which he also had Khalid Latif nicely caught at the wicket by Gulraiz Sadaf.

Khurram Manzoor and Naumanullah then consolidated the Dolphins’ innings by adding 101 for the second wicket before the latter departed for a 76-ball 54 (six fours and one six).

Kaneria, one of many guest players in the Bears squad, bowled tidily in his first game since August and showed no signs of discomfort from the finger surgery that sidelined him for such a lengthy period.

The Test leg-spinner dismissed Faisal Iqbal (22) and Khurram (83 off 115 balls, seven boundaries) and would have seen the back of Afridi much earlier had Kamran been kind enough in the field.

Afridi, let off at 17 and 32, respectively, fully capitalised to produce a series of savage strokes to reach 50 off 28 balls. The desperately unlucky Kaneria was thrice lifted in his final over for sixes by the hard-hitting Pakistan all-rounder.

Not long after, Afridi registered his sixth one-day hundred off just 45 balls by casually flicking Kamran over long-on for a six. Fawad Alam (23) almost remained a silent partner in the company of his skipper as the pair put on 95 for the fifth wicket. Afridi, whose previous best one-day score was 112 for Pakistan ‘A’ against India ‘A’ at the same ground in March 1998, was dismissed on the final delivery of the innings, holing out to midwicket.

The Bears’ started their reply on a disastrous note when Shoaib Khan Junior was trapped in front by Sohail Khan for a golden duck. Saeed Anwar Junior kept the scoreboard moving with fine strokes as his namesake Saeed bin Nasir (38 off 50 balls, five fours) assisted the left-hander in a third-wicket stand of 88.

Saeed, who hit 10 boundaries in his 101-ball knock, received more support from Khaqan Arsal (33) before Kamran and Gulraiz Sadaf (39 off 28 balls, two sixes and two fours) maintained the tempo in a vital partnership of 74.

A couple of run outs in the dying stages almost changed the final outcome, but Kamran and last man Nazar Hussain dented Dolphins’ hopes.

Scoreboard

SINDH DOLPHINS:

Khurram Manzoor lbw b Kaneria 83

Khalid Latif c Gulraiz b Rauf 4

Naumanullah c Gulraiz b Yasir 54

Faisal Iqbal c Gulraiz b Kaneria 22

Shahid Afridi c Yasir b Nazar 114

Fawad Alam c Saeed bin Nasir b Nazar 23

Sarfraz Ahmed not out 0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, W-7) 12

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 312

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-111, 3-162, 4-205, 5-300, 6-312.

DID NOT BAT: Tanvir Ahmed, Azam Hussain, Anwar Ali, Sohail Khan.

BOWLING: Abdur Rauf 10-0-53-1 (5w); Kamran Hussain 9-0-62-1 (1w); Yasir Ali 9-0-49-1 (1w); Nazar Hussain 7-0-36-2; Danish Kaneria 10-0-75-2; Saeed Anwar Jr 5-0-32-0.

BALOCHISTAN BEARS:

Shoaib Khan Jr lbw b Sohail 0

Hammad Tariq c Tanvir b Anwar 22

Saeed Anwar Jr c Sarfraz b Tanvir 97

Saeed bin Nasir c Fawad b Afridi 38

Khaqan Arsal run out 33

Gulraiz Sadaf b Sohail 39

Kamran Hussain not out 45

Abdur Rauf b Tanvir 9

Yasir Ali run out 0

Danish Kaneria run out 0

Nazar Hussain not out 7

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, W-12, NB-6) 23

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 313

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-52, 3-140, 4-191, 5-202, 6-276, 7-293, 8-294, 9-301.

BOWLING: Sohail Khan 10-0-55-2; Anwar Ali 10-0-72-1 (1nb, 6w); Tanvir Ahmed 5-0-49-2 (1nb); Shahid Afridi 10-0-60-1 (6w); Azam Hussain 10-0-42-0; Fawad Alam 5-0-30-0.

RESULT: Balochistan Bears won by one wicket.

UMPIRES: Salim Badar and Rasheed Bhatti.

TV UMPIRE: Iftikhar Malik.

MATCH REFEREE: Ishtiaq Ahmed.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH (joint): Shahid Afridi and Saeed Anwar Jr.

MONDAY”S FIXTURE: NWFP Panthers v Punjab Stallions.