RAWALPINDI: Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai made a decisive contributions for winners as Lake City Panthers overwhelmed hapless Engro Dolphins by six wickets in the Champions T20 Cup here at Pindi Stadium on Monday.
Wasim impeded Dolphins’ sailing with figures of 3-28 in his four incisive overs and was ably supported by spinner Arafat Minhas (2-11) and all-rounder Amad Butt (2-12) to keep their opponents down to 106-9 in 20 overs.
The win helped Panthers get to six points in as many games with three wins and as many defeats while Dolphins sunk to fifth defeat in as many matches. Losing opener Sahibzada Farhan off the third ball of the innings to fast-rising pacer Ali Raza jolted the Dolphins from which they could never recover.
Mirza Tahir Baig hit a rapid 13-ball 19 with a six and two boundaries but Wasim dislodged him in the sixth over. Mohammad Huraira fell for a three-ball duck and Umar Amin managed just four. It was left to skipper Faheem Ashraf (25), Muhammad Akhlaq (19) and Qasim Akram (14) to get the team past the 100-run mark. Faheem’s 34-ball fight had one boundary and a six.
Dolphins’s pacer Sameen Gul dismissed Umar Siddiq for five and Shadab Khan without scoring to leave the chase in tatters at 2-9. It became 3-14 when Ihsanullah accounted for Mubasir Khan, who returned for a four-ball duck.
But Abdul Waheed Bangalzai and Danish Aziz set the chase back on track with a solid 82-run stand for the fourth wicket. Bangalzai’s 38-ball 51 had two sixes and six boundaries. Danish hit a 34-ball 38 not out with three boundaries and a six as the chase was completed in 15 overs. Scores in brief: Engro Dolphins 106-9, 20 overs (Faheem Ashraf 25, Mirza Tahir Baig 19, Muhammad Akhlaq 19; Mohammad Wasim Jnr 3-28, Arafat Minhas 2-11, Amad Butt 2-12).
Lake City Panthers 109-4, 15 overs (Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 51, Danish Aziz 38 not out; Sameen Gul 2-16, Ihsanullah 2-27). Player of the match: Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Lake City Panthers).
