Pakistan Shaheens suffered a 47-run defeat in their second match of the Top End T20 Series against Melbourne Stars on Sunday.
Chasing the 176-run target, the Shaheens struggled from the very start and could only score 128 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs.
Riley Mark was the Stars’ biggest weapon with the ball as he bagged four wickets for 32 runs. Tayyab Tahir was the Shaheens’ top-scorer, scoring 57 not out but his efforts went in vain.
Other than Tahir, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah and Jahandad Khan, six Pakistani batters could not score in double digits.
Earlier, the Stars won the toss and decided to bat first and they ended up posting a 176-run target for the Shaheens, who couldn’t do much damage with the ball.
Liam Blackford was the Stars' best performer with the bat as he scored 55 runs with seven boundaries. Ashley Chandrasinghe was the second-best performer as he contributed 47 runs, and the two batters combined for a crucial 91-run partnership.
Arjun Nair’s prowess down the order helped the Stars conclude their innings at 175-4 as he scored 36 runs on just 15 balls with three sixes and as many fours.
For the Shaheens, Jahandad Khan took two wickets.
Pakistan Shaheens will now play Tasmania at the DXC Arena, Darwin on August 13.
Pakistan Shaheens squad for Top End T20 Series:
Mohammad Haris (captain), Abdul Faseeh, Arafat Minhas, Arif Yaqoob, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper/batter), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mubasir Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.
Schedule of Pakistan Shaheens Top End T20 Series
Aug 10 – vs Perth Scorchers [Pakistan won]
Aug 11 – vs Melbourne Stars [Pakistan lost]
Aug 13 – vs Tasmania
Aug 15 – vs Melbourne Renegades
Aug 16 – vs Bangladesh ‘A’
Aug 17 – vs ACT Comets
