MULTAN: Central Punjab’s Faizan Khan and Tayyab Tahir starred with glittering fifties to aid their side seal a comprehensive 25-run win over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), ending the defending champions’ unbeaten run in the National T20 Cup.
The top-order duo wreaked havoc on KP’s bowling attack as they combined excellently for a magnificent 98-run stand after Central Punjab lost the opener Muhammad Akhlaq in the first over.
Faizan smashed 72 off 36 at an astounding strike rate of 200, including seven sixes and four boundaries, while Tayyab blasted 75 off 48, laced with eight fours and four gigantic sixes, to help Central Punjab post a mammoth total of 193 in the 20 overs after they were put to bat.
Maaz Khan starred with the ball for KP as he ran through Central Punjab’s middle order and picked four wickets. Meanwhile, Muhammad Imran took three wickets to bundle out the opponents despite a flourishing start.
KP, on the other hand, failed to pull off the target despite a valiant 47 off 31 by the opener Sahibazada Farhan and expeditious knocks lower down the order by Mohammad Sarwar and skipper Khalid Usman.
Sarwar scored 28 off 14 while Khalid hit 24 off 16 while the middle order failed to impress as Central Punjab restricted KP to 168/9 in the 20 overs.
For Central Punjab, Aamer Yamin, Hunain Shah and Ali Asfand claimed two wickets while Waqas Maqsood, Usama Mir and Faizen made a scalp apiece.
