Left-arm pacer Saqib Manshad bowled Maratha Arabians – Brothers Gas to an easy seven-wicket win in the seventh match of the AJMAN T20 CUP powered By SKY EXCHANGE.NET at the Malek Stadium on Wednesday night.
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| Saqib Manshad receives the Man of the Match award from Taher Hassan, General Manger Brothers Gas and Rajesh Tandon, Director Tanava Textile |
On a bowlers’ day at the Malek Stadium in which the first match saw Delhi Bulls – Future Mattress’s left-arm spinner Mohammad Azhar wreck Northern Warriors – Defenders with a deadly five-wicket spell, the second match saw left-arm pacer Saqib Manshad destroy Bangla Tigers – Karwan’s batting and help Maratha Arabians – Brothers Gas win by seven wickets. Saqib Manshad produced a spell of 4 for 10 from his four overs and restricted Bangla Tigers – Karwan to 105 for 8 in 20 overs. Maratha Arabians – Brothers Gas’s Usman Khan (38n.o) and Tanveer Junaid (32n.o) steered their team to victory in 11.3 overs.
Maratha Arabians – Brothers Gas won the toss and elected to bowl. Bangla Tigers – Karwan openers Sagar Kalyan and Fahad Nawaz posted 25 runs before Saqib Manshad clean bowled Nawaz for 9. Sagar Kalyan was beginning to display his aggressive shots when he got caught by Omer Farooq while attempting a reverse slog off Harry Bharwal for a run-a-ball 30 runs. Fayyaz Ahmed lasted only nine balls to score six runs before getting trapped leg before to Omer Farooq.
Ali Khan and Ameer Hamza settled down but were unable to unleash their usually aggressive strokes. The bowlers bowled tightly to tie the aggressive Ali Khan who scored only 15 runs in 26 balls. But Hamza somehow managed to pick the gaps. Bangla Tigers – Karwan lost Ali Khan at the score on 99 while going for a mighty shot, top edging Saqib Manshad to wicketkeeper Hamdan Tahir for 16 in 28 balls. Saqib Manshad also removed Ameer Hamza with the next ball, caught by Usman Khan at mid-off for 34. His knock off 31 balls had three boundaries and a six.
Manshad picked his fourth wicket by having Mohammad Farooq caught by Zeeshan Abid at fine-leg for a duck. From 99 for 3 in 18.2 overs Bangla Tigers – Karwan thus slipped to 105 for 8.
Chasing the score, skipper Jiju Janardhanan and Hamdan Tahir began slowly. At the score on 15, Jiju flicked Sheraz Ahmed into the hands of Fayyaz Ahmed for 3. Usman Khan joined Hamdan Tahir and took the score to 28 when Tahir got caught by Ali Khan at mid-on off Sheraz Ahmed for 14.
Mohammad Asif hit 12 runs off nine deliveries before getting clean bowled by Arsalan Javed. Tanveer Junaid joined Usman and slowly but steadily began to pick the gaps. Usman remained unbeaten on 38 off 25 balls with two boundaries and two sixes. Javed, who provided good support to Usman, remained unconquered on 32 off 18 balls with four boundaries. Marathan Arabians – Brothers Gas thus won the match in 11.3 overs.
Speaking after winning the Man of the Match award for his four-wicket spell, Saqib Manshad said: “The wicket was supportive. My captain asked me to bring the ball into the batsman. It was a wicket in which if one can bowl a good line and length one can get wickets. I did just that and got those wickets.”
Brief scores:
Maratha Arabians – Brother Gas bt Bangla Tigers – Karwan by 7 wkts. Bangla Tigers 105 for 8 in 20 overs (Sagar Kalyan 30, Ameer Hamza 34, Saqib Manshad 4 for 10) Maratha Arabians 106 for 3 in 11.3 overs (Usman Khan 38n.o, Tanveer Junaid 32n.o, Sheraz Ahmed 2 for 12)
Man of the Match: Saqib Manshad