The Lions triumphed in a tense showdown, defeating the Stallions by 12 runs in the first eliminator of the Champions One-Day Cup match held at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Wednesday. The Stallions, led by Mohammad Haris, fell short in their chase of a 264-run target, finishing their innings at 251 all out in 49.4 overs.
In their pursuit of the target, the Stallions got off to a decent start with Yasir Khan scoring 39 runs off 41 balls, including seven boundaries, before being dismissed lbw by Faisal Akram in the 14.3 overs. Opening the innings with Yasir, Maaz Sadaqat contributed 27 runs with four boundaries before being caught behind by wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir in the 15.1 overs.
Hussain Talat entered the fray but could only manage 32 runs off 41 balls. Other players like Tayyab Tahir (28), Mohammad Mohsin (30), and Haris (30) also made notable contributions but fell short of reaching half-centuries. Zaman Khan joined the action in the 47.4 overs after Haris Rauf was caught by Khushdil Shah, managing 7 runs off 7 balls.
The match concluded dramatically with Jahandad Khan run out by Aamer on the penultimate ball of the 49th over. Jahandad scored 36 runs off 32 balls, including two boundaries and two sixes, while Zaman added 6 runs to the total.
The Lions showcased an impressive bowling performance, with Ahmed Daniyal and Khushdil Shah each claiming three wickets, while Sirajuddin, Sharoon Siraj, and Faisal Akram took one wicket apiece. Ahmed Daniyal was recognized as the Player of the Series for his outstanding performance during the match.
Earlier, the Lions set a challenging target of 264 runs after opting to bat first. They finished their innings at 263/9 in 50 overs. The Lions experienced a shaky start, losing top-order batsman Rohail Nazir for just 4 runs, bowled out by Ubaid Shah in the 2.2 overs.
Captain Imam-ul-Haq was dismissed after scoring 23 runs off 32 balls, also falling victim to a spectacular catch by Ubaid Shah. Mohammad Taha was the top scorer for the Lions, contributing 47 runs from 59 balls with two fours and two sixes. Aamer Yamin (46 off 57) and Ahmed Daniyal (65 off 59) were instrumental in pushing the total past 260.
Aamer was run out by Stallions’ captain Haris in the 43.6 overs. Other players such as Omair Yousuf (4), Irfan Khan (7), Khushdil Shah (2), Sirajuddin (7), and Faisal Akram (2) struggled to make significant contributions.
In the closing moments of the innings, Ahmed hit five sixes in the final over, helping the Lions finish strong. Ubaid Shah stood out in the Stallions’ bowling attack with three wickets, while Haris Rauf claimed one and both Adil Amin and Maaz Sadaqat took two wickets each.
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