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Facile win for Lahore Badshahs

Special Correspondent

Imran Nazir and Humayun Farhat added 86 runs
At one stage Hyderabad Heroes was 31 for six

CHANDIGARH: Medium pacer Azhar Mahmood’s five-wicket haul and Imran Nazir’s blistering unbeaten 62 saw Lahore Badshahs race away to a nine-wicket victory over Hyderabad Heroes in the fifth game of the Indian Cricket League’s Edelweiss 20s Challenge at Panchkula here on Thursday.

In the most one-sided game of the competition so far, Heroes was bowled out for 86 in just 18.4 overs.

Badshahs covered the distance in 9.4 overs to post its second victory in as many outings. Nazir toyed with the bowling during his 32-ball innings. Looking to finish the job in a hurry, Nazir hit three sixes and eight boundaries.

With Humayun Farhat (18 n.o., 24 balls, 1x6), Nazir raised 86 runs after opener Imran Farhat fell to Abdul Razzaq in the first over.

Opting to bat on a pitch that held moisture on a cloudy day, Heroes struggled right through, with none of the first six batsmen reaching double figures. A combination of poor stroke selection and unimaginative planning spelt doom for Heroes.

Good knock by Boje

Only Nicky Boje, who scored an unbeaten 39 off 47 deliveries, offered some resistance. He hit five boundaries and added 38 runs with Abdul Razzaq (10, 18 balls) for the seventh wicket.

Except the third over, each of the first seven overs saw a dismissal. With wickets falling at an alarming rate, the pressure remained on Heroes.

Once Mohammad Sami bowled Razzaq, Mahmood bowled the 19th over and claimed three wickets off four deliveries to end the innings.

Crowd disappointed

Jimmy Maher (5), Anirudh Singh (5), Ambati Rayudu (3), Stuart Binny (6), Justin Kemp (5) and skipper Chris Harris (0) disappointed the biggest crowd seen in five days at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium.

Maher hit a four before being bowled by Mahmood in the first over. Anirudh was run out after failing to beat Inzamam-ul-Haq’s throw from point to bowler Naved-ul-Hasan.

Rayudu offered a catch to Inzamam who moved to his left from first slip off Naved.

Binny failed to read a slower one from Mahmood and was bowled. In the next over, Naved uprooted Kemp’s off-stump. Harris was the next one to go after cutting a short delivery into the hands of Naved Latif at third man.

At this stage, Heroes was 31 for six in 6.2 overs before Boje was joined by Razzaq. Eventually, even Boje’s brave effort proved too little too late.

The scores: Hyderabad Heroes 86 in 18.4 overs (Nicky Boje 39 n.o., Azhar Mahmood five for 13, Naved-ul-Hasan two for 19, Mohammad Sami two for 12) lost to Lahore Badshahs 90 for one in 9.4 overs (Imran Nazir 62 n.o.).

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