Balochistan beat Sindh by 52 runs in a high-scoring match

Faisalabad: An all-round performance from Amad Butt and blistering knocks from Awais Zia and Bismillah Khan helped Balochistan to a 52-run win over Sindh at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium in the fourth match of the National T20 Cup.

After being put into bat, Balochistan set a mammoth total of 233 for six in 20 overs.

Awais struck five fours and seven sixes in his 48-ball 77 and Bismillah cracked 54 off 30 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes as the pair stitched a 99-run partnership for the second wicket.

It was, however, Amad’s scorching 10-ball 31 that helped Balochistan set an imposing total.

The all-rounder struck four sixes and a four.

For Sindh, Hasnain was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets for 42 runs.

Sindh were off to a decent start and were well on track to chase down another high score in back-to-back matches.

They were 93 in 8.2 overs when their second-wicket fell.

The fall of Ahsan Ali (23 off 13) initiated a collapse which saw their next three batsmen – Anwar Ali, Abid Ali and Asad Shafiq – fall in a span of 14 balls.

Rearguard efforts from Saud Shakeel (28 off 20) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (36 off 25) instilled a ray of hope in the run chase.

But, with the wicket of Saud, on the first ball of the 16^th over, Balochistan had pocketed the game.

Sindh were all-out on 181 in 19.4 overs, with Amad this time starring with the ball by taking three wickets for 32 runs.

The other notable performance with the ball came from the young speedster Akif Javed who took three wickets for 42 runs.

Scores in brief:

Balochistan 233-6, 20 overs (Awais Zia 77, Bismillah Khan 54, Amad Butt 31; Mohammad Hasnain 3-42)

Sindh 181 all-out, 19.4 overs (Abid Ali 41, Sarfaraz Ahmed 36, Khurram Manzoor 33, Saud Shakeel 28, Ahsan Ali 23; Amad Butt 3-32, Akif Javed 3-42)