Cricket

ICL World Series: ICL Pakistan beat ICL World

Extraordinary batting display by Abdul Razzaq (73 not out) and Rana naved-ul-Hasan (74) guided the tournament favourites ICL Pakistan to a thrilling victory over ICL World in the the ICL 20s World Series here at the Sardar Patel stadium on Wednesday.

Both the all-rounders Razzaq and Rana Naved put on a 133-run partnership to take their team to a humongous target of 189 with two overs to spare, winning by six wickets.It was a wonderful batting exhibition from both contemporaries, who matched each other stroke for stroke.

Earlier, superb half-centuries by Murray Goodwin and Damien Martyn steered ICL World to a competitive total of 188-3 in their alloted 20 overs. After Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq put ICL World in to bat, taking the due factor into consideration, the World openers got off to a confident start with Goodwin and Martyn playing some delightful strokes to take the score to 40 for no loss at the end of the fourth over.

More dominant of the two, Goodwin was firing all cylinders and brought up his fifty in the seventh over itself.It was debutant Riaz Afridi who gave Pakistan their breakthrough by castling dangerous Goodwin for a brilliant knock of 31-ball 52, studded with eight fours and a six. This also brought an end to a fine 90-run opening partnership.

But at the half-way mark, ICL World were placed comfortably at 94-1, looking set for a massive total.The crucial middle overs turned to be a fascinating contest between the bat and the ball with Martyn and Andre Adams countering some brilliant reverse swing bowling from Riaz Afridi and Shahid Nazir.

Tags: ICL Pakistan, ICL World, ICL World Series