Muzaffarabad Tigers edge out Rawalakot Hawks in thrilling KPL qualifier

Muzaffarabad Tigers edged out Rawalakot Hawks in a thrilling Kashmir Premier League (KPL) qualifier by seven runs to book a spot in the final of the inaugural edition of the tournament.

Chasing a tricky target of 165 runs, Rawalakot Hawks were off to a shaky start as they lost opener Ahmed Shehzad (three off three) and batsman Sahibzada Farhan (seven off 11) early.

The Tigers kept the pressure on as batsmen Bismillah Khan (19 off 16), Kashif Ali (13 off 11) and Shahid Afridi (11 off eight) got starts but were sent back into the hut before they could do sustained damage in the run chase.

Batsmen Hussain Talat and Danish Aziz then took the attack to the bowlers as momentum shifted considerably in the match.

Talat scored 52 runs off 35 balls while Aziz scored 37 runs off 22 balls before Muzaffarabad Tigers made a strong comeback to dismiss the opposition for 157 runs in 19.4 overs to secure a thrilling seven-run victory and a place in the final.

Sohail Tanvir was the most successful bowler for his side after taking four wickets.

Batting first, Muzaffarabad Tigers were off to a horrible start losing openers Zeeshan Ashraf (five off four) and Mohammad Hafeez (duck) early.

Batsmen Sohaib Maqsood (17 off 14) and Inzmamul Haq (30 off 33) tried to get their team back on track but could not capitalise on their respective starts.

The disciplined Rawalakot Hawks’ bowling attack kept picking regular wickets which stopped the Tigers from getting any momentum.

All-rounder Anwar Ali and tailender Usama Mir however took the attack to the bowlers in the final stages of the innings to get their side to a total that could be defended.

Anwar Ali smashed 57 runs off 34 balls before being removed by pacer Waqas Maqsood while Usama Mir remained unbeaten after scoring 20 runs off 11 balls as the Tigers managed 164 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted overs.

Bowlers Mohammad Imran and Danish Aziz picked up two wickets each for the Hawks.