A compose half century by skipper Inzamam-Ul-Haq guided Lahore Badshahs to register a five-wicket win last year’s winners Chennai Superstars in the third match of the second edition of the Indian Cricket League being played at Tau Devi Lal Stadium on Tuesday.
In what was his first innings of 50-plus score in the league, Inzamam played a sheet anchor role for Lahore Badshahs after Badshahs were restricted to 32 for 3 in five overs. Openers Imran farhat and Imran Nazir gave Basdshahs a flying start putting up 32 runs in 3.4 overs before Imran Farhat gave his wicket away trying to pull over midwicket
but getting bowled by D T Kumaran. Imran Nazir too went in the next over off the bowling of Thiru Kumaran and when Hasan Raza on the very next ball, the team was looking out in dumps. But Inzamam first scripted a partnership of 15 runs with … and then a 77-run partnership with Naved Latif. Inzama was in fine form hitting five fours and a six
in his innings and he was ably assisted by Azhar Mehmodd in the end with Badshahs needing 17 runs in the last two overs.
Earlier Led by their coach Michael Bevan who played a composed innings of 56, Chennai Superstars posted a espectable total of 157 for 6 in the third match of the second edition of the Indian Cricket League being played at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula. Chennia Superstars won the toss and elected to bat first against an opposition
that boasted names like Mohammed Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq and Riaz Afridi in their ranks.
Coming as an opener, the Aussie veteran who is also the coach of Chennai Superstars played magnificently through out his … minutes stay at the crease. After Ian Harvey (5) went cheaply in the fourth over giving a faint edge off the bowling of Rana Naved Ul Hasan to wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat, Superstars were on the back foot after Rusel Arnold was found plumb before wicket off the bowling of Rana in the sixth over. But Bevan first crafted a 60-run stand with Hemang Badani to provide some solidarity in the middle overs of the game. Badani looked aggressive in the initial part of his batting hitting Riaz Afridi for A six and four off consecutive balls in the seventh over. bevan continued to deal in singles at the other end as Badani stepped up the tempo for Superstars hitting four more boundaries before he departed after being runout in the 13th over. R Sathish too went after he started on a aggressive note hitting Riaz Afridi for ahuge six, at an individual score of 7. Bevan, meanwhile continued his
supreme form racing to his fifty in 45 balls in the seventeenth over including six fours. His partner for the fifth wicket, Sarvanan departed after making 14 as he was stumped by wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat off the bowling of Saqlain Mushtaq in the 19th over. Bevan departed after two balls as he was caught by Inzamam-Ul-Haq at covers
after making 56 off 53 balls. Syed Mohammed hit three fours in the last over to take the Superstars total to 157 for 6 in the allotted 20 overs.