MULTAN: Balochistan on Friday defeated five-time champion Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by eight wickets to claim its maiden Pakistan Cup title.
The five-time champion KPK were bowled out for 171 in 46 overs after being invited to bat first. KPK lost their first wicket without adding any runs to the scoreboard. The right-arm medium-pacer Khurram Shahzad dismissed Ashfaq Ahmed for a duck.
KPK lost quick wickets as Balochistan captain Yasir Shah bagged four wickets to keep the target low. Kamran Ghulam played a fighting knock of 70 runs which helped increase the total for KPK.
Khurram Shahzad and Akif Javed chipped in with two wickets each for Balochistan as they maintained complete control over the match.
In response, chasing a modest target of 172, Balochistan looked solid from the start and completed the chase in 31.2 overs with the loss of two wickets only.
The top run-getter of the tournament, Haseebullah Khan, made an impressive 45. At the same time, Abdul Bangalzai smashed an unbeaten 80* off 77 balls, including nine boundaries and two sixes.
Khalid Usman was the only bowler for KPK amongst the wickets. He bagged two wickets in the one-sided run-chase by Balochistan.
The premium List A tournament of Pakistan domestic had some very impressive performances. Amongst the top performers, Haseebullah Khan caught everyone’s eye as he scored 614 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.81, including three centuries and one half-century.
The captain of KPK, Khalid Usman, was crowned the tournament’s top wicket-taker. He got 25 scalps at an average of 21.08, while the veteran leg spinner Yasir Shah picked up 24 wickets in 12 innings at 22.66.
The List A domestic tournament comes to an end with a new champion in the shape of Baluchistan. The next domestic tournament played would be Quaid-e-Azam Trophy later this year.
