Ameer Hamza and Fayyaz Ahmed led the run riot to ensure Bangla Tigers – Karwan a 53-runs victory over Delhi Bulls – Future Mattress in the 13th match of the AVRPAY NEWS AJMAN T20 CUP powered By SKY EXCHANGE.NET at the Malek Stadium on Saturday night. Ameer Hamza not only cracked an unbeaten 94 off 62 balls studded with five boundaries and six sixers, he also picked two crucial wickets. Fayyaz Ahmed hit 92 off 49 balls with 10 boundaries and five sixes. Chasing the total of 209 for 2, Delhi Bulls – Future Mattress could muster only 156 despite Mohammad Usman’s knock of 60 off 44 balls with seven boundaries and a six.
Delhi Bulls – Future Mattress had won the toss and put Bangla Tigers – Karwan into bat. The match produced a total of 365 runs on a day when batsmen dominated the bowlers. The first match of day between Northern Warriors – Defenders and Maratha Arabians – Brothers Gas had also produced 353 runs where Maratha Arabians – Brothers Gas won by five wickets. Fans were in for a run treat on Saturday with both matches producing a total of 718 runs.
When the second match began, none expected it to be a run riot because Bangla Tigers – Karwan opener and star batsman Sagar Kalyan got bowled for a duck in the second ball of the match. Thereafter, it was opener Fayyaz Ahmed and Ameer Hamza who transformed the wicket into a batting paradise. The pair made the bowlers look helpless through a mammoth 191 runs partnership.
It was Ameer Hamza who hit the first six of the innings off Mohammad Azhar in the third over, giving no indication that it was the start of a rain of sixes after that. Together, both batsmen hit 11 sixes, most of them so powerful that all the bowlers could do was to helplessly watch the ball fly over the boundary. It was a sheer massacre of the bowling attack. From the fifth over, boundaries and sixes flowed easily. Fayyaz Ahmed hit Sultan Ahmed for two sixes in the fifth over. The score went past the 50 run mark in seventh over when Fayyaz hit Mohmmad Azhar for another six. In the eighth over, Fayyaz punished Umair Ali for a boundary and a six off successive balls. Almost 10 runs were scored in every over that followed.
In the 13th over, Ameer Hamsa hit Nilansh Keshwani for a six off the first delivery, followed by Fayyaz too hitting a six and a boundary to take 19 runs off that over. The 14th over from Sultan Ahmed too yielded 19 runs when Fayyaz hit Sultan for a four and two consecutive sixes off the last three deliveries.
At the end of the 15th over, Bangla Tigers – Karwan had reached the 150-run mark. Though Zawar Farid gave away only nine runs in the 16th over, the next over from Umair Ali yielded 14 runs. The 18th over from Zawar Farid was an eventful one. He was hit for a boundary and two sixes by Hamza but with the last delivery he had Fayyaz caught by Umair Ali at mid-off, eight runs short of his century. Amer Hamza hit the last ball of the innings for a six to remain unbeaten, but six short of a century.
Chasing the mammoth score, Delhi Bulls lost their opener Zawar Farid, clean bowled by Arsalan Jawed off the first ball of the third over. Opener Abdul Shakoor and Mohammad Usman took the score to 44 in 5.2 overs when Shakoor top edged a pull to be caught by wicketkeeper Furqan Khalil off Sheraz Ahmed for 24.
Qamar Awan and Usman added 42 runs for the third wicket before Qamar pulled Amer Hamza into the hands of Umaid Khan for 7. Wasim Bari lasted only two balls before he inside edged Salman Khan into wicketkeeper Furqan Khalil’s gloves.
Skipper Umair Ali who joined Usman played some powerful shots. They took the score past the 100-run mark. Usman reached his half century in 38 balls. At the score on 145, Sheraz Ahmed yorked Mohammad Usman for 60. The pair had put on 56 runs for the fifth wicket. Two runs later, Umair Ali too followed hitting Arsalan Jawed high to Ameer Hamza at long on for 32.
With two fresh batsmen in the middle and 59 runs needed off the last three overs, defeat began to stare at Delhi Bulls – Future Mattress. Zahid Ali hit Ameer Hamza straight to Salman Khan at deep covers for 3. Ameer Hamza also ran out Mohammad Azhar for 1. Sultan Ahmed hit Salman high and wicketkeeper Furqan Khalil took a brilliant running catch for 2. In the end, Delhi Bulls – Future Mattress fell short of the target by 53 runs.
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| Ameer Hamza receives the Man of the Match award from Muhammad Saifullah, Director Cricket Operations Ajman Cricket Council |
Speaking about his stupendous all-round show, Ameer Hamza, who won the Man of the Match award, said: “This is the result of my hard work. I have been working on my batting for the last few days wanting to play such a knock. We have a fabulous team and we will do well in the coming matches too.”
Brief scores:
Bangla Tigers – Karwan bt Delhi Bulls – Future Mattress by 53 runs. Bangla Tigers – Karwan 209 for 2 in 20 overs (Fayyaz Ahmed 92, Ameer Hamza 94n.o) Delhi Bulls – Future Mattress 156 in 18.2 overs (Abdul Shakoor 24, Mohammad Usman 60, Umair Ali Khan 32, Arsalan Javed 2 for 15, Sheraz Ahmed 2 for 33, Salman Khan 2 for 29, Ameer Hamza 2 for 26) Man of the Match: Ameer Hamza.