Pakhtoons pack a punch as Rajputs raise white flag
sharjah — Former Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan had invented the ‘dilscoop’ during his heyday. On Friday, we saw another player playing similar shots.
Shafiqullah of Pakhtoons delighted the crowd in the T10 League at the Sharjah Stadium by playing the ‘Shafiscoop’ on three occasions, twice it cleared the ropes, with ease but it was his teammate Andre Fletcher who took the match away from Rajputs with a crackling unbeaten 68 to power them past Rajputs.
Chasing 122 to win, Pakhtoons, who lost their first match to Kerala Knights, reached their target in 9.4 overs and nine wickets in hand.
Fletcher struck six fours and five
sixes during his 27-ball stay at the wicket, while Shafiqullah was unbeaten on 29 from 18 balls (1 four and three sixes) and Cameron Delport chipped in with 22 from 14 balls (2 fours, 1 six).
Earlier, a lot was expected from Rajputs’ Mohammad Shahzad especially after his hurricane 74 not out from 16 balls against Sindhis in the first match was just what the doctor had ordered to begin the tournament. The burly wicketkeeper and opening batsman gave a glimpse of it by spanking Sohail Khan over the ropes from the very second ball he faced. But the Pakhtoons bowler got his revenge. After foxing him with three successive dot balls, he forced him to hole out to captain Shahid Afridi at mid-wicket.
If Pakthoons thought by getting rid of the dangerman they could breathe easy, they were mistaken as captain Brendon McCullum and Rilee Rossouw put their attack to the sword and by the fourth over Rajputs were 64 for 1.
Captain Shahid Afridi introduced himself into the attack and was welcomed with a six by Rossouw. But the former Pakistan captain got his revenge in the very next ball when Rossouw tried to sweep him and was bowled. The South African, however, had done enough damage by hitting four sixes during his 25-ball stay at the wicket which came off only seven balls and consisted of four big sixes.
McCullum almost carried his bat through only to lose his stumps to the tall Mohammad Irfan in the second-last ball of the innings. By then his 58 from 28 balls (3 fours and 4 sixes) and Laurie Evans’ 27 from 19, which had two sixes and an equal number of fours, gave Rajputs a total of 121 for 3 which in the end proved short by 15 runs.
Brief scores: Rajputs 121 for 3 in 10 overs (Brendon McCullum 58, Rilee Rossouw 25, Laurie Evans 27 not out) Pakthoons 126 for 1 in 9.4 overs (Andre Fletcher 68 not out, Shafiqullah 29 no., Cameron Delport 22). Man of the match: Andre Fletcher.