KARACHI: Awais Zia and Test discard Aizaz Cheema enabled Rawalpindi to notch up their first win from two games when they defeated Karachi Blues by 22 runs in their National T20 Cup 2016 outing at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi late Monday night.
Awais chipped in with a rapid 31-ball 45 to help Rawalpindi post 144-7.
Cheema, a veteran of seven Tests, picked 3-22 in four overs to restrict Karachi Blues to 122-7.
After Rawalpindi opted to bat first, Awais and Mukhtar Ahmed (16) scored 41 runs off 33 balls before the latter was removed by left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar. Mukhtar struck three fours in his 17-ball effort.
The Chakwal-born Awais added 39 off 28 balls for the second wicket with Umar Amin (15) to take the team to 80 in 10.1 overs.
Awais fell prey to Saeed Ajmal after he had hit two sixes and five overs.
Asif Ali (26) joined Umar but their association was short-lived as the latter got run out while taking a risky single. Umar smacked two fours in his a-run-a-ball knock.
Asghar sent back Zahid Mansoor (11) before Ajmal had Asif to leave Rawalpindi at 122-5 in the 17th over. Asif hit two fours and a six from 23 deliveries.
International all-rounder Hammad Azam got run out after scoring a-run-a-ball 14. His knock included a six.
Asghar, who hails from football-mad Chaman, bowled with discipline, taking 2-19 in four overs.
Ajmal was once again seen in his element as he picked 2-22 in four overs.
Karachi Blues, who had beaten Karachi Whites in their first outing, struggled throughout as they failed to build any major partnership.
Test opener Khurram Manzoor scored 40-ball 30 which featured four fours. He scored 27 with the first match hero Shahzaib Hasan (13), who was removed by international spinner Zulfiqar Babar.
Shahzaib hit one six and one four from 11 balls. Hammad took the prized scalp of Khurram before skipper Khalid Latif was run out after making 21-ball 17 with two fours.
Fawad Alam (20) and Sialkot-born Ali Khan (22) added 36 off 29 balls for the fourth wicket before they both fell in the dying moments inside six balls. Fawad, who was removed by Cheema, struck two fours from 23 balls. Ali hit one six from 19 balls.
Cheema got all his three wickets in the last over of the innings. Sending Fawad back off his first ball, Cheema had Mohammad Sami (7) and Bilawal Bhatti (0) off fourth and fifth balls of the over.
Sohail Tanvir (1-18), Zulfiqar Babar (1-26) and Hammad Azam (1-9) were the other successful bowlers.
Awais was declared man-of-the-match.
Ahmed Shahab and Ghaffar Kazmi supervised the match. Shozab Raza was the television umpire, Imtiaz Iqbal, the reserve umpire and Khalid Niazi the match referee.
After a rest day on Wednesday two matches will be played on Wednesday (today). Karachi Whites face Lahore Whites and Karachi Blues meet Lahore Blues, at 4pm and 8pm, respectively.
