Danube Lions added another title to their trophy cabinet, this time by winning the Danube one-day series courtesy of a three-wicket victory over GMW Royal at Dubai’s ICC Academy.
Chasing 182, Danube Lions were struggling at 56-4. But tail-ender Samiullah Younis stood his ground on the crease, finding the boundary nine times enroute to his unbeaten 44 to eventually seal victory.
Like Danube, GMW got off to a poor start losing wickets at regular intervals. Usman Mushtaq (36) and Khalid Latif (25) started brightly but were unable to convert to big scores.
But Amjad Gul was the star performer for GMW, smashing 56 off 49 balls before his team were bowled out for 181 inside 42 overs.
Danube pacers Riaz Afridi, Rahil Shaikh and Aamir Hayat and spinner Shahzad Ahmed were among the bowlers who took two wickets each. Danube had their eyes firmly set on the trophy knowing such totals were chased down by their top order.
But chasing in a final was always a different challenge all together, and so it proved as they lost opener Ashfaq Ali and skipper Abid Ali to pacer Zain Ul Abdin. T Mendis (33) and Shehzad Manna (53) helped Danube recover to lead the chase.
And when the duo departed, Younis made sure Danube got home safely inside 45 overs with three wickets to spare and claim the Dh25,000 prize money.
