RAWALPINDI: Middle-order batter Abdul Samad displayed nerves of steel as he propelled Markhors to an enthralling three-wicket victory over Lions by smashing a last-ball six in the 12th match of the Champions T20 Cup here at the Rawalpindi Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a daunting 188-run target, Markhors needed five runs off the last ball of the innings with Samad on strike.
The right-handed batter defied the odds and hit Shahid Aziz for a six to hand his side a narrow victory. He scored an unbeaten nine off four deliveries, which featured the match-winning six.
Besides Abdul Samad, skipper Iftikhar Ahmed and top-order batter Mohammad Faizan made significant contributions, scoring 66 runs each.
Faizan took 42 deliveries, while Iftikhar conceded only 31 and batted with a strike rate of more than 200 in an innings that featured two fours and eight sixes.
The duo shared a 88-run partnership for the third wicket, which was followed by a gruelling middle-order collapse.
Shahid bagged four wickets for Lions but was expensive as he leaked away 42 runs in his four overs. Khushdil Shah and Aamer Yamin, on the other hand, made one scalp apiece.
Opting to bat first, a combined effort helped Lions to register a commendable total of 187/7 on the board in the allotted 20 overs.
Leading the way was experienced all-rounder Yamin, who top-scored with an unbeaten 39 off 27 deliveries, laced with two fours and as many sixes.
Besides Yamin, skipper Imam-ul-Haq (28), Hasan Nawaz (24) and Rohail Nazir (22) were the other notable run-getters.
For Markhors, Akif Javed and Nisar Ahmed bagged two wickets each, while Mohammad Nawaz and Bilawal Bhatti chipped in with a wicket apiece.
The three-wicket victory lifted Markhors to second in Champions T20 Cup standings with eight points in five matches, while Lions remained third with four points in as many matches.
