Sri Lanka T20 domestic champions, Southern Express bowed out of the Champions League T20 tournament as their unsatisfactory campaign came to a bitter end as they lost their 3rd and final qualifying match by 55 runs at the hands of Pakistan’s domestic T20 winners, Lahore Lions on Tuesday evening at Raipur.
At the toss, Express captain Jehan Mubarak had said that he had chosen to bowl because he preferred chasing a target with the qualification at stake, and had aimed to restrict Lions to a total in the range of 130-140. Express brought in young chinamen spinner Lakshan Rangika and TN Sampath in place of Sachith Pathirana and Yashoda Lanka.
Lahore Lions started their innings brightly as their openers put on 40 runs before experienced seamer Farveez Maharoof grabbed 3 quick wickets in the space of 2 overs to rattle the Lions at 52 for 3. Skipper Mohammed Hafeez and Saeed Nisam resurrected the innings with a solid 75-run partnership for the 4th wicket.
Lions went into their last five overs on 89 for 3 before Hafeez changed gears. He blasted Seekkuge Prasanna for a four and three successive sixes off the first four balls of the 16th over, which went for 25. The Lions captain followed that up with a few more big hits and brought up the 150 for the side with a six and four off Charith Jayampathi in the 19th over.
By the time the innings ended at 164 for 6, Lions had 75 come off the last 5 overs. Mohammad Hafeez blasted 67 off 40 balls in an enterprising innings. Farveez Maharoof was once again the only bowler to excel as he completed his quota of 4 overs for just 28 runs.
Express needed one of their top-order batsmen to replicate the kind of innings Hafeez had played but their challenge began withering away soon, as Aizaz Cheema reduced them to 36 for 3. Firstly it was Kusal Perera who nicked a wide delivery to the wicket-keeper and in the next ball Danushka Gunathilake chopped one straight back to the timber. TN Sampath’s entertaining short little cameo ended when he was trapped in front of his stumps.
An already weakened innings stumbled along to an early finish as Express lost four wickets for six runs, including skipper Mubarak who had struck a brisk 35 while Angelo Perera slow-paced 16 did not help Express’ cause.
Cheema, who missed out on a hat-trick for the third successive match in the tournament, finished with 3 for 15 and was well supported by Wahab Riaz and Adnan Rasool as Southern Express folded for 109 in 18 overs.
Chief Scores:
Lahore Lions – 164/6 in 20 overs: Mohammed Hafeez 67, Saeed Nisam 31, Ahmed Shehzad 29, Farveez Maharoof 3/28.
Southern Express – 109 all out in 18 overs: Jehan Mubarak 35, TN Sampath 18, Angelo Perera 16, Aizaz Cheema 3/15, Adnan Rasool 2/32, Wahab Riaz 2/20.
