LAHORE PANTHERS FAIL TO MEET CHALLENGE OF SCORING QUICKLY IN FINAL OVERS BEFORE GOING DOWN BY 82 RUNS

Faisal Iqbal, the skipper of Lahore Panthers, failed miserably to accept the challenge of scoring at a rate of about eight runs in the last 20 overs or so, as he played out the last overs in an apparent attempt to save his wicket.

Naved Latif, the right-handed batsman from Sargodha who scored 394 in a Quaid-e-Azam trophy match, played some useful shots in the opening part of his innings, but they just proved insufficient to bring down the required run rate.

The going had become tough for the Panthers immediately after the fall of two quick wickets in the space of 12 runs, after the second wicket had departed with 86 runs on the board.

The Panthers reached their hundred in the 28th over when Taufeeq worked Yasir Arafat away to deep cover for a single. He collected a few more runs after that but, not finding an able ally in Faisal Iqbal at the other end, the required rate kept on creeping upwards.

The skipper Faisal and Taufeeq added 32 for the third wicket in around eight overs, before the former, in an attempt to accelerate the scoring rate, hoisted the ball from Arshad straight to Younis at mid-wicket. Taufeeq made a fine 70 off 92 balls, which contained ten well-timed boundaries.

Faisal and Naved put on a 50 partnership for the fourth wicket in the 45th over, meaning that the required run rate had climbed to around 20 an over.

At the end of the allotted 50 overs, the Panthers had reached 189 for the loss of three wickets, with Faisal Iqbal and Naved Latif remaining unbeaten on 42 (80 balls) and 42 (57 balls) respectively.

Arshad Khan proved the only successful bowler for the winners, claiming two wickets for 28 runs in 10 overs. Mushtaq Ahmed also had a good match as he bowled with nagging line and length, giving minimum opportunity for the batsmen to score. Wasim Akram also bowled tidily for his seven overs, conceding just 14 runs.

Younis Khan was given the man of the match award for his fine innings of 107 (96 balls), whereas Shabbir Ahmed and Faisal Iqbal were, respectively, declared the best bowler and the fielder of the match.

TAUFEEQ REACHES FIFTY AS PANTHERS APPROACH HUNDRED

Taufeeq, the slightly built left-hander, was in good touch since the start of the innings. He hit two fours in Fazl-e-Akbar’s first over, collecting 14 runs in the over, which contained three no balls. It was mainly due to this aggressive approach by Taufeeq that the Panthers had raced to 24 without loss after the first five overs.

However, the next six overs saw only 11 runs coming, as the Probables’ attack led by the experienced Wasim Akram gave little liberty to the batsmen to score runs freely.

It was in the 12th over that Taufeeq broke this stranglehold by hitting Yasir Arafat, the right-handed medium pace bowler hailing from Rawalpindi, for three consecutive fours. The next over bowled by Wasim saw the left-hander working him away to fine leg for an easy single to bring up the Panthers' fifty.

The lights at Gadaffi Stadium were switched on at the first drinks break, when the Panthers had played 16 overs. However, there was a hold-up in play as the lights went out shortly afterwards, forcing the players to go off the field for about ten minutes.

The resumption of play was immediately followed by the fall of the Panthers' first wicket. Trying to steal a quick single off the bowling of Yasir, Ramzan was run out by a direct throw from the bowler at the batting end. Ramzan made 16 off 60 balls as he added 74 for the first wicket with Taufeeq.

The fall of the wicket put temporary brakes on the Panthers’ scoring rate as the new batsman Qaiser Abbas, another left-hander, found it hard to work out the bowling, especially that of little Mushtaq. Meanwhile, Taufeeq, who was not to be daunted by the situation, reached his fifty after driving the leg-spinner away to long on for a single. His fifty came off just 58 balls, which contained nine hits to the fence.

Wasim brought Arshad Khan for the 24th over and the lanky off-spinner found success with only his second ball. That was a flighted ball, pitched on the middle and all that Qaiser could do was spoon a simple catch back to the bowler. He made four after facing 17 balls.

At the end of the 25th over, the Panthers had reached 91 for two, with Taufeeq on 54 (75 balls), with the right-handed Faisal Iqbal on four off four balls.::At End of Innings::Pakistan Probables 1st innings::Younis blasts ton as Pakistan Probables post 271 Helped by a solid 107 off only 96 balls by Younis Khan, Pakistan Probables posted 271 in their 50 overs after being put into bat by the Lahore Panthers in the day-night encounter at the Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore.

However, the Probables squandered the opportunity of reaching an even bigger total in the last ten overs, after a 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq took them to 230 by the 39th over.

The introduction of Shabbir Ahmed from the Pavilion End for his second and final spell paid immediate dividends for the Panthers. After shattering the stumps of Younis off a perfect yorker, Shabbir struck again in the same over when he induced Humayun Farhat to drive uppishly to mid-wicket where Faisal Iqbal took the third of his four catches.

The tall right-handed speedster took his third wicket in the next over when Yasir Arafat, the all-rounder from Rawalpindi, failed to come to terms with another perfect yorker. He made five off eight balls.

The remaining Probables batsmen could not negotiate some tight line and length bowling adopted by the Panthers, despite Wasim Akram staying resolute at the other end. They were all out in the penultimate over with the total at 271. The skipper remained not out on 21 off 30 balls.

Earlier, Saleem Elahi and Younis Khan had added 125 for the third wicket before the former was caught by Faisal Iqbal for 68 (79 balls). The bowler on this occasion was the left-handed Qaiser Abbas. Saleem’s innings contained eight fours.

The next over saw Younis working Shafique into the covers for a single to bring up his fifty, which contained five boundaries. The fifty proved an appetizer as he promptly shook off his earlier defensive approach to go after the bowling.

He hit Qaiser Abbas, for a huge six over long off, which was followed by another huge hit over mid-wicket in the next over bowled by Faisal. Younis hit the Panther’s skipper out of the attack as he collected fourteen runs from that over.

Younis reached his century off 90 balls which contained 7 fours and three sixes. Going for a big hit immediately after getting to his hundred, he spooned the ball high in the air only to see wicket-keeper Kamran drop a sitter. However, the century-maker soon departed, bowled by Shabbir Ahmed with a yorker after making a fine 107.

Shabbir was the pick of the bowlers for Panthers taking four wickets for 33 runs in his spell of ten overs. Waqas Ahmed bowled nine overs to bag two wickets for 32. Qaiser Abbas also claimed two wickets with his gentle leg-breaks, giving away 53 runs in ten overs. The remaining two batsmen were run out.

SALEEM AND YOUNIS SHARE UNBEATEN 109 FOR THIRD WICKET AFTER EARLY SETBACK

The Probables' start to their campaign in the second match of the series against Lahore Panthers was not dissimilar to their showing in the initial overs against the Lahore Tigers yesterday. Losing the left-handed opener, Saeed Anwar, in only the second over of the afternoon, they suffered another blow in the fifth over when a confident-looking Imran Nazir went with the total at 27.

Saeed Anwar was caught at second slip by the skipper of the Panthers, Faisal Iqbal, off the bowling of Waqas Ahmed. Faisal took his second catch three overs later, off Shabbir's bowling, to get rid of Imran Nazir, who had made 14 with the help of three boundaries off just 18 balls. His left-handed opening partner could make only two after facing eight balls.

At two down for only 27, the going was tough for Pakistan Probables, as both Shabbir and Waqas extracted sufficient pace from the pitch. Salim Elahi and Younis Khan, both newcomers at the crease, took their time to get adjusted to the conditions.

Saleem hit his first four as late as the 16th over bowled by Mubbashir operating from the College End. That was a lusty square cut which went wide of the fielder at third man. He repeated that shot on the very next ball only to find Navid Latif at gully. However, the batsman was lucky to survive as the fielder failed to grab the ball. Saleem's individual score at the time was 20. The right-hander then grew in confidence as he drove Saad, the lanky local lad bowling from the Pavilion End, to cover for his second boundary.

Younis on the other hand, played a chanceless knock. He played his shots with perfect command and authority, racing to 45 by the 25th over of the innings. He has three magnificently timed boundaries in this score.

Saleem Elahi, growing in confidence, reached his 50 in the 24th over when he lifted the right-arm googly bowler Shafique for his sixth boundary. He faced 68 balls to reach this landmark.

Halfway through their innings, Pakistan Probables are 136 for two, with Salim and Younis not out on respective scores of 60 and 45.

Shabbir and Waqas bowled well for the Panthers taking one wicket each for 26 and 28 runs respectively.

LAHORE PANTHERS WIN THE TOSS AND ELECT TO FIELD FIRST

Apart from the induction of paceman Wasim in the side, the Pakistan Probables are boosted by the presence of the likes of Younis Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed, Arshad Khan, and Humayun Farhat, who will don the wicket-keeping gloves, in their ranks, whereas Yousaf Youhana, Afridi, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar have opted out of today’s fixture.

The Gadaffi Stadium is yet again basking gloriously under the bright sunshine. However, the crowd is not more than a few hundred.

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Date-stamped : 27 Jan2001 - 18:23