Lahore Badshahs’s Azhar Mehmood (5 for 13) ripped apart through Hyderabad Heroes’ top order to restrict them to 86 all and later Imran Nazir (62) scored an
unbeaten half-century as Badshahs defeated Heroes by nine wickets in the fifth match of the Indian Cricket League Twenty20 Championship being played at Tau Devi Lal Satdium, Panchkula on Thursday. After Hyderabad Heroes’ skipper Chris Harris won the toss and elected to bat first, Mehmood and Rana paired up together to share the new ball and sent the Heroes’ top order packing. Mehmood started the proceedings for Badshahs sending Jimmy Meher (5) back to the pavilion after the former Aussie wicketkeeper missed a good length delivery in the first over of the game. Anirudh Singh was looking good after he hit Naved for a four in the second over but a miss calculation of a single after a lbw appeal led to him being run out after Badshahs’ skipper Inzamam-Ul-Haq removed the bails with a direct throw. Naved struck again the fourth over removing Ambati Rayadu (3) with a short of length delivery with Rayadu giving a simple catch to Inzmam-Ul-Haq at first slip. A slower delievery from Azhar Mehmood found the stumps of Stuart Binny uprooted as he tried to play across the line and in the process missed the ball altogether. Heroes were 21 for 4 after 4.1 overs and skipper Chris Harris was joined by Justin Kemp on the crease. But Kemp (5) too departed early as he fell to the medium pace of Naved while trying to play a straight shot in the sixth over. Skipper Inzamam then brought Mohammed Sami in to the attack in the seventh over and Sami struck in his very first over removing Harris(0) who gave a simple catch to Naved Latiff at thirdman. Sami could have got his second wicket of the over had Imran Farhat not dropped a chance of Nicky Boje in the same over. Boje then paired up with Abdur Razzaq to provide some solidarity to Heroes’ total and hit some glorious shots to the boundary to ease some pressure for Heroes. But just as it looked that Boje and Razzaq will take the total past 100, Sami struck again in the 16th over removing Razzaq (10) who went across the line and was bowled. Heores’ score at that time was 69 for 7 in 15.2 overs. Nicky Boje (39) and Khaleel(8) took the score to 86 before Mehmood picked up the last three Heroes’ wickets in the 19th over to restrict Heroes to 86 all out in 18.4 overs. Badshahs bagan on a somber note as opener Imran Farhat (4) departed early in the first over giving simple catch to Heroes’ keeper Khaleel off the bowling of Abdur Razzaq. But Imran Nazir and Humayun Farhat were then associated in an unbroken 86-ruun stand to guide their team to victory. Nazir blasted 62 off 32 balls which included three sixes and eight fours while Humayun Farhat made 18.