The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Razzaq helps Hyderabad Heroes outshine Lahore Badshahs

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Razzaq helps Hyderabad Heroes outshine Lahore Badshahs

Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Bowling the final over, Abdul Razzaq held his nerve to unsettle his former Pakistan teammates and script a sensational six-run victory for Hyderabad Heroes over Lahore Badshahs in the first match of the best-of-three final of the Indian Cricket League’s Edelweiss 20s Challenge at Panchkula on Friday.

Needing 12 runs to overhaul Heroes’s 143 for six in 20 overs, Badshahs appeared to be inching towards victory with Razzaq bowling three wide deliveries for four runs.

With seven needed from four deliveries, Naved-ul-Hasan was run out at the striker’s end in his bid to steal a bye. Razzaq then dismissed Mohammad Sami. Shahid Nazir missed the next ball before Razzaq bowled him to complete Heroes’s triumph, leaving opener Taufeeq Umar unbeaten on 43.

This was Badshahs’s first defeat after eight straight victories. Inzamam-ul-Haq’s men will be looking for revenge when the action resumes on Sunday with the second final at Hyderabad.

Much before the tense finish, Stuart Binny had turned the tide by sending back Hasan Raza and Inzamam to raise visions of a probable victory. Wickets fell at regular intervals and when Inzamam (8) was fourth out after offering a return catch to Binny, Badshahs had only 50 on the board in the 10th over.

The pitch, used earlier in the day in the match involving Chennai Superstars and Kolkata Tigers, became slower and did not encourage lavish stroke-play. Some disciplined overs from Razzaq, Binny, Nicky Boje and Chris Harris saw the pressure mounting on Badshahs.

Harris accounted for Naved Latif to make it 65 for five in the 13th over and then it was up to opener Taufeeq Umar (43 n.o., 3x4) and Azhar Mahmood (34, 20b, 2x6, 3x4) to resurrect Badshahs’s fortune. The duo added 51 runs in 5.1 overs before the run-out of Mahmood brought Heroes closer to victory. Some lusty blows followed but Heroes was not to be denied a well-deserved triumph.

Cautious approach

Earlier, Heroes treaded cautiously for the better part of its innings. Razzaq was quickly off the blocks before fellow opener Jimmy Maher nearly maintained a run-a-ball strike-rate.

Razzaq hit a six each off Mahmood and Naved before falling for a 12-ball 21. Maher, who hit six boundaries in his 33, too, departed when threatening to tear apart the attack. Thereafter, A. Rayudu and Justin Kemp batted from the 10th to the 18th over to add 53 runs.

Rayudu hit two sixes and two boundaries in his 44 and Kemp, in comparison, struggled for 20 deliveries for his 11. The eventual target did not appear to be challenging but kept appearing bigger with every tight over from Heroes. Rayudu and Binny were declared Men-of-the-Match.

The scores: Hyderabad Heroes 143 for six in 20 overs (A. Rayudu 44, Jimmy Maher 33, Abdul Razzaq 21, Naved-ul-Hasan two for 47) bt Lahore Badshahs 137 for nine in 20 overs (Taufeeq Umar 43 n.o., Azhar Mahmood 34, Abdul Razzaq three for 18, Stuart Binny two for 19).

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