It was to be a day when severe battle would be fought, but on the contrary Panthers established their verdict as they routed their way on to the victory against Markhors by 5 wickets and concluded the final as a thumping triumph which testifies of their dominance over the opponent on one-sided encounter at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.

They easily chased down a modest target of 123 set up by the Markhors.

Wrist-Wristy Struggle for Markhors in Their Innings

Batting first, Markhors could only manage 122 as they were dismantled by the bowling attack of Panthers. Among all Markhor batsmen, Fakhar Zaman was the only one who was in good touch to score a half-century of 46 runs. Haseebullah Khan and Bismillah Khan (16) tried to stabilize the innings but no other batsman crossed double figures.

The Panthers bowlers did not let the Panthers drop their guard as Mohammad Hasnain spearheaded the fast bowling attack to peg back the Markhors’ top order, taking 3 crucial wickets. The innings was sealed with Arafat Minhas drawing things to a conclusion with one run being conceded and 3 wickets to take in the last moments, adding two wickets to Sajid Khan’s tally while Ali Raza and Shadab Khan added one apiece.

Panthers Congratulatory Cruise to Victory

Chasing the target of 123 runs, the Panthers played timidly initially but thereafter went cruising into victory in the 18th over, winning by 5 wickets. Abdulwahid Bengalzai stood out with a well-played knock of 41 runs, anchoring the chase.

The Markhors’ bowlers, Akif Javed and Mohammad Imran, did manage to pick up two wickets apiece but the target was too small to create any kind of pressure on the Panthers.

Toppers of the Tournament

A consistent performer with the bat throughout the tournament, wicket-keeper batsman of Panthers, Usman Khan was declared as the best batsman. In fact, he was the best wicketkeeper of this tournament also. The star bowler of the tournament was Mohammad Hasnain, who had been declared as the best bowler and the player of the tournament respectively due to his characteristic fiery pace and his impact performances which played a very crucial role behind his team’s success.

Reactions from Captains

Panthers’ captain Shadab Khan, after the match, thanked the team and the spectators for a great effort put in by his team to give a team performance. “The result is not in our hands, but we can always try. Thanks to the spectators for their incredible support.”

We could not produce a combination in the final, and there were some national duties of some players. Fakhar Zaman and Kamran Ghulam are playing consistently, and Akif Javed bowled pretty well, but we just could not come up as a team to deliver today,” said Markhors’ captain Iftikhar Ahmed at the conclusion of the match.

Into the Future

While the Markhors could not make it to the final, the Champions ODI Cup certainly braced some thumping performances by both teams. The future of cricket looks so bright with the middle-order pack comprising up-and-coming stars like Mohammad Hasnain and Usman Khan.

Sources: jang.com.pk

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