The KMPL Night tournament witnessed another interesting match as Ansari CC clashed with Gladiators CC.
Ansari CC batted first, with openers Ismail Shah and Sunny getting off to a slow but stable start. However, Farhan Nisar knocked over both batsmen before they could really get going, exposing the middle order. Nisar and Sufyan Butt prevented the opposition’s batting line-up from gaining any real momentum, as both bowlers picked 3 wickets apiece. The batting side wobbled its way to a measly 119 runs, setting Gladiators a considerably modest target of 120.
Following their team’s mediocre batting display, Ansari CC’s bowlers came out firing on all cylinders early in the second innings. Hassan Nawab immediately removed both openers for ducks, placing the burden of the chase on the middle order. Shahzaib Nazar stepped up and played a sensible hand with 37 runs off 38 deliveries, with Haris Ali and Adil Razzaq providing adequate support. Losing five wickets in the process of the chase derailed the batting side at various points but the batsmen managed to hover around the 6 runs per over mark. A final push from Farhan Nisar, who struck 14 runs from 9 balls, put Gladiators over the line with 3 balls left in the innings.
Gladiators CC won the match by 5 wickets.
