Hafeez and Cheema heroics push Lahore Lions over the line

Sport360 staff 06:04 17/09/2014
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  • Brillian effort: Cheema (l) and Hafeez (r).

    Lahore Lions crushed Southern Express by 55 runs in their Cham­pions League T20 qualifier in Raipur yesterday, a result that saw them qualify for the main leg of the tournament following Northern Knights’ win over Mumbai Indians.

    Batting first, the Pakistan domes­tic champions amassed 164 runs for the loss of six wickets, with captain Mohammad Hafeez leading the way with 67 off 40 deliveries with five boundaries and four hits over the fence.

    In reply, the Sri Lankan side were bowled out for 109 in 18 overs with seamer Aizaz Cheema picking up three wickets for 15.

    Lions openers Umar Siddiq (18) and Ahmed Shehzad (29) made a confident start, adding 40 runs in six overs, before Farveez Maharoof struck, getting Siddiq to nick it be­hind to wicketkeeper Kusal Perera. Maharoof then turned on the heat the next over, grabbing the scalps of Shehzad and Nasir Jamshed.

    The next seven overs saw Lions score just 37 runs as Hafeez and Saad Nasim consolidated the innings.

    The Lions went into their last five overs with the score on 89 for three before Hafeez upped the ante. He blasted Seekkuge Prasanna for a four and three successive sixes off the first four balls of the 16th over, which cost Express 25 runs. The Lions captain cracked a few more to the fence and brought up the 150 with a six and four off Charith Jayampathi in the 19th over.

    In the chase, Express needed a quick start but seamer Cheema put paid to those plans as he reduced Express to 36 for three. Wickets feel at regular intervals and only Jehan Mubarak stitched together a meaningful knock of 35.

    Cheema, who missed out on a hat-trick for the third successive match, was well supported by left arm quick Wahab Riaz (2-20).

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