Fakhar Zaman scripted his 20th List-A century, which helped his National Champions Cup side Pakistan Greens get over the line in the opening game.
Whites post a competitive total
The century came in response to a 277-run target that Pakistan Whites had set them. Batting first, the Whites were in early trouble as they lost two quick wickets within the first powerplay.
Opener Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan then paired up for remedial work as they notched up a 70-plus run partnership. The stand made the Greens’ bowlers toil hard for wickets but both batters stayed steadily at the crease. The partnership only ended in the 24th over when Mehran Mumtaz worked his magic and dismissed Usman.
The trouble, however, was hardly over even when Shahzaib Khan, who had scored 76 by then, was sent packing off a Naseem Shah delivery. Incoming batters Hasan Nawaz and Khushdil Shah kept gradually chipping away at the momentum accumulated by the Greens. The pair scored 77 runs off 80 balls, seeing the side get past 200 by the time the final powerplay began.
That was where things went awry for them. Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah struck in consecutive overs to send both set batters back to the hut. There was no recovery from that point. Whites would lose another couple of quick wickets, making their last seven overs’ returns account to only 37.
Fakhar anchors the chase
Riding on their heightened spirits after an incredible death bowling spell, the Greens’ openers got off to a quick start comfortably. Fakhar Zaman and Sameer Minhas stayed unbeaten for 14 overs, during which they amassed 90 runs. It was a Khushdil Shah delivery that brought Whites their first triumph after what seemed like ages.
Khushdil castled Sameer Minhas, who had scored a toiling 24 off 70 balls. The wicket was followed by a period of steady run flow, most of which came off Fakhar’s bat. Omair Bin Yousuf only added eight runs out of the 67-run partnership off 56 balls between them.
With 30 overs of the chase gone, Whites’ bowler Shahnawaz Dahani finally found a cure for Fakhar. But the comeback was rather late as Greens had, by then, established their unassailable dominance. Less than a hundred runs short of the target with 20 overs and seven wickets to spare, Greens were sailing quite steadily towards the win. This was further bolstered by cameos from Saad Baig, Farhan Yousuf and Shadab Khan, scoring 22, 38, and 34 respectively.
Whites did a decent job at delaying the inevitable but eventually had to succumb as Greens bagged the game in the 49th over.
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