Alubond emerge champions of Asianet Premier League
dubai — The second edition of the Asianet Premier League T20 cricket tournament was handsomely won by Alubond Tigers at the Dubai Rugby Sevens ground on Friday night.
Winning the toss Alubond skipper Nasir Aziz, aware of his team’s batting strength, elected to field against Red Flowers Tourism.
At first it didn’t look like it was the right decision when openers Waqas Raja and Yaqoob Masih gave Red Flowers a good start of 41 runs. Raja struck a six in his contribution of 11 runs from 8 balls and departed.
A run later Masih was sent packing after a brisk 28 from just 18 balls. His knock contained three sixes and two fours.
In came Yasir Kaleem, who was later adjudged ‘best batsman of the tournament’. Along with Dawood Eijaz he compiled 46 runs for the third wicket and with the match reduced to 15 overs the going looked good for Red Flowers.
Realising that the match was slipping out of Alubond’s grasp the skipper Nasir Aziz brought himself on and it turned out to be a master stroke as he got rid of both batsmen in quick succession and later got the better of his opposite number Vipin Venu cheaply to finish with impressive figures of 3-0-25-3.
Yasir hit a six and a four in his 24ball 21, while Dawood too blasted a six and a four for his 20 from 17. No. 7 batsman Kasim Butt played a cameo hitting 16 from 12 balls to take the team’s total to 123. But that was not going to be enough after Rohan Mustafa played a gem of an innings for Alubond.
Rohan and Shahid Siddique gave Alubond a flying start which was enough to see their team cruise home in 13.2 overs.
Shahid destroyed the Red Flowers attack by clobbering five fours for his 29 which came off only 19 balls.
Man of the match Mustafa was elegant during his unbeaten knock of 58 which contained two sixes and six fours. Gulam Shabbir joined in the party towards the end to pile on 22 unfinished runs from 18 balls and hand Alubond a one-sided victory in the final.