MULTAN: Peshawar region Wednesday maintained its authority when it collided with Rawalpindi Region in the Cool and Cool Present Jazz National T20 Cup.
Peshawar first could score only 140 runs for all in 20 overs and later contained Rawalpindi at 122 for eight to clinch the match by 18 runs.
Peshawar’s top to middle order developed small partnerships. Their opener Rafatullah Mohmand, having lost his partner Israrullah for just five, went on to score 25 runs. The next player at the crease Fakhar Zaman scored 21 ball 21. After Rafat was Shoaib Maqsood came to the crease to provide some stability to the score with his 21 balls 30.
The later coming batsmen, Iftikhar Ahmed 16 and Zohaib Khan 13 played useful innings. Rawalpindi bowlers Hammad Azam and Shadab Khan had two wickets each and Aizaz Cheema, Zilfiqar Babar, Zahid Mansoor and Mansoor Amjad took one wicket each.
After Peshawar’s batting failed to put up good show, their bowlers filled the void created by their batsmen with their contained bowling.
They sent two of the Rawalpindi batsmen for just 18 runs. Their one down batsman Umar Amin played a responsible innings of 52 runs that was enough to raise Rawalpindi hopes. But the players at the other end could not provide any resistance before Peshawar attack. Asif Ali and Hammad Azam with 13 and 12 runs were the only other batsmen who could reach double figures.
Imran Khan was the Peshawar bowler who did the main damage to Rawalpindi batting while Waqas Maqsood and Zohaib Khan also played their part in ripping the line up.
