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DOHA
Falcon Hunters skipper Iqbal Hussain Chaudhry smashed a glorious six and clinched the inaugural Qatar T10 Cricket League crown with an exciting four-wicket victory against Swift Gallopers at the Asian Town Stadium on Monday.
In the final over, the winners required 16 runs while chasing a modest 86-run target. All-rounder Tamoor Sajjad cracked a superb six and a four out of his 12 before getting out to Sufyan Mahmood off the third ball.
The atmosphere got more tense as Murad Khan was able to just place the ball for a single to give the strike to the skipper. But Chaudhry had other ideas and he blasted the very first ball that he faced over the rope to seal the triumph with a ball to spare, bringing joy to his teammates and fans, who were present in a large number. He was aptly declared the man of the final as well.
“It was a great game. We knew the conditions well and that helped us to assess the game. It was a tough fight and it went down to the wire. I give all praise to God for helping me hit the winning runs. I dedicate the win to my father, who was in the stands, and my brother in Dubai, who watched the game on TV,” Chaudhry commented after the final.
Ali Imran, Mohammad Imran and Zain Uddin bowled impressively and put pressure back on the rivals after Amad Butt’s 14 out of 18 came through a six and two fours off Mehmood in the sixth over.
Openers Hashim Amla and Salman Butt added 29 runs in 3.1 overs to give an encouraging start to Falcon Hunters. But regular loss of wickets tilted the match towards Swift Gallopers. But Sajjad’s cameo and Chaudhry’s big hit hijacked the crown from the opponents.
The victory also exacted the revenge for Falcon Hunters who had lost the League match to Swift Gallopers by six runs in an almost similar frantic finish.
South African star player Hashim Amla said, “It was a great final and it fluctuated wildly. But these games are like that. We held in there to get the win. It’s a great feeling.”
Earlier, Swift Gallopers, batting first, failed to get as many runs as they would have wanted. They were pegged back by Murad Khan and Chaudhry, who got two wickets each. Waqas Maqsood, Amad Butt and Saad Bin Zafar snared one each.
Ali Imran hit two sixes in his 12-ball knock to get 19, the highest for Swift Gallopers. Mohammad Imran fired a six and two fours in his fiery 18 off just six balls and skipper Kamran Akmal added 16 with two sixes. Sadiq NM, who hit a six and a four, got 12 in seven balls, while Mehmood also had 12 in 13 balls.
QCA President Yousef Jeham al Kuwari, other association officials and team owners were present during the dazzling prize distribution. The organisers were worried if the final would take place or not, especially after the semi-finals were rained out on Sunday. But the weather was kind enough and allowed the match to go on without interruptions.
The QCA president congratulated both the finalists for playing well in the title clash and making it a close affair. He thanked all the teams for trying hard during the preliminary phase in a bid to reach the knockout stage.
“The game had a great ambience, with thousands of people coming to watch it. I’m very happy with how the final unfolded. I’m sure the second edition of the tournament will be even better than this one,” Kuwari added.Brief scoresFalcon Hunters beat Swift Gallopers by four wickets
Swift Gallopers: 85 for seven (Kamran Akmal 16 in 11 balls, Ali Imran 19 in 12 balls, Mohammad Imran 18 in 6 balls; Murad Khan 2/18, Iqbal Hussain Chaudhry 2/26)
Falcon Hunters: 87 for six in 9.5 overs (Hashim Amla 18 in 21 balls, Salman Butt 18 in 10 balls, Amad Butt 18 in 12 balls; Tamoor Sajjad 12 in 5 balls; Ali Imran 2/8)
Man of the match: Ibqal Hussain Chaudhry (Falcon Hunters)
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17/12/2019
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