LAHORE: Day five of the ABS Developers present University of Lahore National T20 Cup Qualifier brought relief for Larkana Region and Quetta Region, who both secured their first victories in Pool A at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
In the opening match, Larkana defended a modest 132-run target against Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Region thanks to a devastating spell from pacer Mushtaq Ahmed, who returned career-best figures of 4-14. He was ably supported by Shahnawaz Dahani (3-17) and Asif Ali Chandio (2-28) as AJK collapsed from 98-4 to 115 all out, losing their last seven wickets for just 17 runs. Earlier, Larkana’s innings was built around Malhar Rasool’s 32 off 17 balls and skipper Zahid Hussain’s 33, helping them to 131-8 in 20 overs.
The second game saw Quetta Region stun table-toppers Islamabad Region with an eight-wicket win. Chasing 178, Quetta were powered by a match-defining 156-run stand between Bismillah Khan (80 off 44) and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (85 not out off 59). Their partnership dismantled Islamabad’s bowling attack, with Wahid sealing the victory in the 19th over by plundering 18 runs off Musa Khan. Islamabad’s innings had earlier been lifted by Ali Imran (45) and Rizwan Ali (40 off 19), but their total of 177-7 proved insufficient against Quetta’s batting onslaught.
With these results, Islamabad and Karachi Blues lead Pool A with four points each, Islamabad ahead on net run rate. Quetta and Larkana now sit third and fourth respectively with two points apiece, while AJK remain winless after two matches. These victories not only keep Larkana and Quetta alive in the qualification race but also underline the growing influence of emerging talents like Mushtaq Ahmed and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, whose performances have injected fresh energy into the tournament.
Scores in brief:
Match 9: Larkana Region beat AJK Region by 16 runs at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Larkana 131-8, 20 overs (Zahid Hussain 33, Malhar Rasool 32; Hasan Raza 2-27, Zaman Khan 2-31)
AJK Region 115 all out, 18.3 overs (Hasnain Shamir 37, Arslan Mehzood 26; Mushtaq Ahmed 4-14, Shahnawaz Dahani 3-17) Player of the match: Mushtaq Ahmed (Larkana Region)
Match 10: Quetta Region beat Islamabad Region by eight wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Islamabad Region 177-7, 20 overs (Ali Imran 45, Rizwan Ali 40, Naseerullah Khan 25; Muhammad Junaid 2-29, Khalil Ahmed 2-32)
Quetta Region 179-2, 18.5 overs (Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 85 not out, Bismillah Khan 80) Player of the match: Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta Region) Thursday’s fixtures Hyderabad v Bahawalpur at 7pm PKT Dera Murad Jamali v Rawalpindi at 11:15pm PKT.
