Ehsan, Ayaz push WAPDA into final

KARACHI: Ehsan Adil and Ayaz Tasawar did a fine job in their respective departments to put WAPDA in the final as they overwhelmed Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) by five wickets in the first semi-final of the Quaid-e-Azam One-day Cup at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Thursday.

On a lively track, unlike the slow pitches which had been prepared for the previous knock-out stage games, discarded international Ehsan Adil picked 3-29 to enable WAPDA to dismiss KRL for only 164.Ayaz then scored a solid 50 off 82 balls to help WAPDA chase the small target in 37.1 overs after losing five wickets.

In the 49 overs-a-side game which was reduced because of delayed start, WAPDA’s skipper Salman Butt’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss paid dividends. The pitch had moisture and Ehsan and left-arm tall international Mohammad Irfan (2-16) took great advantage of it. They put to shreds KRL’s batting line-up and the whole team was folded in only 43.2 overs. After Shoaib Ahmed (4), Gulraiz Sadaf (3) and Jaahid Ali (25) failed to click, the batting burden fell on the shoulders of Mohammad Mohsin (48) and Abdul Rehman Muzammil (34) who batted with some grace but still failed to set a defendable total. The duo put on 60 runs for the fifth wicket. After the partnership was broken, none of the batsmen in the lower order could cope with the fine bowling from KRL’s bowlers which included discarded international left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who picked 2-32 in his quota of ten overs.

Mohsin hit four fours and one six in his 60-ball knock. Abdul Rehman smacked two fours from 57 balls.Jaahid, who the other day slammed a superb century, had fallen prey to spinner Khalid Usman after hitting two fours from 59 balls in his 25 while opening the innings with Arslan Arshad (12).

Left-arm international pacer Wahab Riaz remained expensive as he finished with 1-52 in eight overs.WAPDA also had a brittle reply when they lost their key batsman Kamran Akmal (10) cheaply. It was a short-pitched delivery from left-arm pacer Sadaf Hussain and Kamran went for a pull, mistimed it and the ball went to mid-on fielder Saif Badar, who took an easy catch. Kamran hit two fours from 11 balls.

Experienced Rafatullah Mohmand (19) and skipper Butt (21) tried to consolidate the innings before Sadaf had the former caught at point by Jaahid. Rafat hammered four fours from 22 balls. Soon afterwards Butt was trapped lbw by left-arm quick Sohaibullah. The former Pakistan captain hammered three fours from 30 deliveries.

Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali then sent Mohammad Ikhlaq (14) back to leave WAPDA in trouble.But Ayaz and Zahid Mansoor (32*) added 65 for the fifth wicket to make the chase easier.

Ayaz, who was bowled by Sohaibullah off a beautiful delivery, hammered five fours.Zahid, who also faced a few vicious deliveries from Sohaibullah, struck three fours from 48 balls.

Sadaf got 2-34 in eight overs. Sialkot boy Sohaibullah claimed 2-39 in eight overs.Nauman, also the skipper, got 1-33 with his left-arm spin to take his wicket tally in the event to 17. He is the leading bowler so far in the event.

Ahmed Shahab and Qaiser Waheed supervised the match. Nasir Hussain served as the television umpire, Abdul Muqeet the reserve umpire and Aziz-ur-Rehman the match referee. The second semi-final will be held on Friday (today) between Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Pakistan Television.