Cricket

Sohail Akhtar ton guide Lahore Qalandars to a victory over Vikings

On the very first day of his captaincy role with Lahore Qalandars, the talented Sohail Akhtar delivered for his team, with a responsible and blistering knock against Yorkshire Vikings. He made his first T20 ton in the second game of the competition at Abu Dhabi. In the first game Boost Defenders defeated Auckland Aces by 35 runs with the help of Colin Ingram’s blistering innings.

In the game one Auckland had won the toss and elected field. Boost Defenders had included seven overseas players in their team including Cameron Delport, Ramith Rambukwella, Colin Ingram, Ben Cox, Jeevan Mendis, Kyle Abbott and Ronsford Beaton. Auckland was dragging things back as Boost was 68-3 in the seventh, luckily for Boost Defenders, Ingram was still there, Boost finished with 205-5 and Ingram 84 not out off 47 balls. Superb knock by him gave a match-winning total to his team. Auckland Ace batsmen tried their heart out but failed 35 runs short in the process of chasing the 206 in 20 overs.

Colin Ingram was awarded as a player of the match.

In the second game of the day, Lahore Qalandars’ captain Sohail Akhtar won the toss and he decided to put Yorkshire to bat first as due might come into the play in second innings. K-Cadmore is gone, when he chipped a back of a length ball from Babar to cover, it was an early breakthrough what Lahore Qalandars captain wanted, that time Yorkshire was 2-1 in the first. At the halfway stage of their innings, Yorkshire was 93-3 and going nicely. After the early fireworks from Brook and Lyth, the more measured approach of Ballance and Tattersall were in operation. In the later half-stage of the game wasn’t much different than the first part as Yorkshire finished their innings at 184.

Lahore Qalandars’ chase wasn’t started in a way that they wanted to, they lost their ace opener Imran Nazir very cheaply at 2 when the team’s score was only 12. On the other end Sohail Akhtar who came to open the innings with Nazir kept his calm and joined by Irshad, they both put 70 runs at a good pace. Irshad (30) lost his wicket Josh Poysden, a wicket Yorkshire was badly looking for. Sohail completed his maiden T20 Hundred and soon after he departed on the bowling of Tim Bresnan, it was a quality knock the fans and experts rated this innings as a high-quality inning when you are the captain of a team who is chasing the target at over 9 runs per over from the ball 1. After his dismissal, Razzaq joined the Salt at the crease, who was contributing towards the cause of Lahore Qalandar’s victory. Phil Salt remained unbeaten at 37 and Lahore Qalandars finished the game with two balls to spare.

Controversy:

Sohail Akhtar was given out following a boundary catch by Lyth at long-on on the bowling of Josh Poysden, but decision reversed and six were given by the interference of the third umpire. At that decision, Yorkshire wasn’t looked happy. Lahore Qalandars was only. 90 for 2 and Sohail had just completed his half-century.

Sohail Akhtar was awarded as a player of the match on his brilliant hundred.

Brief Scorecard:

Game: 1

Boost Defenders 205 for 5 in 20.0 overs (Ingram 84, Delport 36; Somerville 28/2)

Auckland Aces 175 for 5 in 20.0 overs (O Donnell 67*, Solia 29; Abbott 21/3, Ingram 16/1)

Game: 2

Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20.0 overs (Brooke 37, Balance 33; Shaheen Shah 36/2, Raja 39/2)

Lahore Qalandars 189 for 4 in 19.4 overs (Sohail Akhtar 100, Salt 37*; Poysden 26/2, Bresnan 41/2)

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