Bahria Town Champions ODI Cup: Noorpur Lions win first eliminator

Bahria Town Champions ODI Cup: Noorpur Lions win first eliminator

Allied Bank Stallions defeated by 12 runs.

In the second eliminator, Norpur Lions will face UMT Markhors.

Faisalabad, 25 September 2024: 

A crucial unbeaten 65-run innings followed by a three-wicket haul by Ahmed Daniyal helped Nurpur Lions overcome the Allied Bank Stallions by 12 runs as they successfully defended the 264-run target in the first eliminator of the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup here at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Wednesday.

The second Eliminator, to be played between Nurpur Lions and UMT Markhors on Friday, will decide the other finalist to face Lake City Panthers on 29 September.

After Lions stumbled to 140-7, a match-winning 81-run eighth-wicket partnership between Daniyal and Aamer Yamin, who scored 46 off 57 balls, helped their team to post 263-9 in 50 overs. In turn, the Allied Bank Stallions were bundled up for 251 in 49.3 overs. Khushdil Shah (3-40) and Daniyal (3-59) shared six wickets among them.

Earlier, after Lions opted to bat first they were reduced to 43-3 as Ubaid Shah, playing his maiden game of the tournament, struck thrice in the first powerplay. Mohammad Taha (47, 59b, 2x4s, 2x6s) and Sharoon Siraj (38, 50b, 2x4s, 1×6) joined forces to stitch a 77-run stand for the fourth wicket as they took the score to 120 at halfway mark before the Lions collapsed to 140-7.

Daniyal hit five sixes and two fours while Yamin hit three fours and two sixes to help their team reach a competitive total. Apart from Ubaid’s 3-46, Adil Amin and Maaz Sadaqat picked up two wickets each. Haris Rauf dismissed one batter.

Stallions pursuit of the target was dented by the fall of regular wickets as none of their batters crossed the 40-run mark. They were first reduced to 139-5 in 30.3 and then 187-6 in 39.2 overs. Mohammad Haris (30, 42b, 3x4s) and Jahandad Khan (36, 31b, 2x4s, 2x6s) put on a 39-run seventh-wicket stand to keep their team in the game but in vain as Haris departed in the 46th over with Stallions requiring 38 off 25 balls and eventually falling 12 runs short.

Yasir Khan top scored with 39 off 42 balls while Mohammad Mohsin (30, 30b, 4x4s, 1×6), and Tayyab Tahir (28, 53b, 2x4s, 1×6) were the other contributors. Apart from Khushdil and Daniyal’s three-fers, Faisal Akram, Sharoon Siraj and Sirajuddin bagged one scalp each.

Scores in brief ; Eliminator 1 – Nurpur Lions beat Allied Bank Stallions by 12 runs

Nurpur Lions 263-9, 50 overs (Ahmed Daniyal 65 not out, Mohammad Taha 47, Aamer Yamin 46, Sharoon Siraj 38; Ubaid Shah 3-46, Adil Amin 2-35, Maaz Sadaqat 2-50)

Allied Bank Stallions 251 all out, 49.3 overs (Yasir Khan 39, Jahandad Khan 36, Hussain Talat 32, Mohammad Mohsin 30. Mohammad Haris 30, Tayyab Tahir 28; Khushdil Shah 3-40, Ahmed Daniyal 3-59, Sharoon Siraj 1-21)

Player of the match: Ahmed Daniyal (Nurpur Lions)

Next fixture (Eliminator 2 – 27 September): UMT Markhors vs Nurpur Lions, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad at 3pm (local time)