Story ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup 2005-06 [BLIC PS2]

[The Blazer]

Is Saeed Anwar JR really Saeed Anwars son?

Yes he is.

 

[hassan17]

Karachi is Beieng Cheated Afridi is ours!!!!!!!! =D
Afridi Major teams: Pakistan, Asia XI, Griqualand West, Habib Bank Limited, ICC World XI, Karachi, Leicestershire

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/42639.html

 

[The Blazer]

Been a long time! Sorry for the lack of updates, guys. Several things had taken up my time, including studies and a trip to Pakistan. However, I plan to continue on with this story and will post an update soon. Once again, sorry for the big delay!

 

[The Blazer]

TEN SPORTS ANNOUNCES TAKEOVER​

Due to financial issues constraints, PTV has dropped the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup series. Following this, the Pakistani Cricket Board offered the series to various sports channels, with the highest bidder turning out to be Ten Sports. They now have an exlusive contract [with cricinfo] to show the the series live on TV and also have rights over any highlights packages and Master Blaster shows.

 

[The Blazer]

LAHORE LIONS 1st INNINGS

Rameez Raja: The two experienced Pakistani internationals, Kamran Akmal and Imran Farhat came out to open the innings for the Lions, hoping to make a steady start to the innings. The Rawalpindi Rams bowlers', however, saw to that by making sure that the Lahore Lions got off to the worst possible start- Kamran Akmal edged the second ball of the innings straight into the hands of Akhtar, thus leaving for a duck. Mohammad Yousuf was next to follow, getting lbw on the first ball of the second over (leaving for a disappointing score of 4 off 4 balls). Imran Farhat was next to perish, getting frustrated by Danish Kaneria's bowling and lofting a ball into Amran's grateful hands.

Rameez Raja: It was finally the Lions' captain, Abdul Razzaq, who got things back in order. He completely dominated the bowlers, smacking the ball to all parts of the ground. He made a fiery 50 in 20 balls, the skipper leading by example.

Rameez Raja: But after Razzaq got out (after making a very well played 62 off 25 balls) the middle order simply collapsed. Tanvir was chief amongst the wicket takers with four wickets. There was a bit of resistance from the tailenders (Haider 20 off 16 balls and Butt 15 off 11 balls) but the Rawalpindi Express wrapped things up by taking the last two wickets, the Lahore Lions crashing to a lowly score of 141.

So, one last look at the scorecards before we head back to the TenSports studios:

 

[ZoraxDoom]

The story is back! Good work, hope you carry it on

 

[faraz haider]

yes really good story. and takeover of tensports is a good news.

 

[The Blazer]

ROUND TWO ANALYSIS​

Rameez Raja: A very good evening to all our viewers! Welcome to the ever-famous Master Blaster show exclusively on TenSports. Tonight we will have a look at the second round of the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup, and in particular one of the greatest Twenty-20 matches ever: Multan Tigers vs. Sialkot Stallions. Joining me tonight is Surrey and former Pakistan player Mohammad Akram.

Well, without further ado, let's move onto the thriller that took place at Karachi last week.
Just to recap, the Sialkot Stallions won the toss and decided to bat first. Good performances by Shoaib Malik and Imran Nazir meant that the Stallions ended up posting a massive 236-8 from the 20 overs. At this point, the match seemed to be all but over. A required runrate of nearly 12.00 per over, the task of the Multan Tigers getting close to the Stallion's total, let alone beating it, seemed highly improbable. But then the Tigers' openers came out to bat and the destruction that followed in the next few overs was beyond belief. Bowlers' economy rates rose up into double figures and nothing seemed impossible anymore. However, a few wickets fell during the middle of the match (including the crucial wicket of Tigers' skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq) and the match seemed to be back in Sialkot's favour. But then Saeed Anwar Jnr. came to the crease and the fireworks started again. Working hard with tailend batsmen such as Mohammad Ali and Obaid Bin Nasir, Anwar Jnr led his team to a nailbiting finish againt the Stallions. With only a few balls to spare, Anwar Jnr. hit the winning shot of the match, sparking celebrations all round the National Stadium.

The National Stadium bore witness to "The Greatest Twenty-20 Match Ever"​

Mohammad Akram: Yes, it certainly was a very good match. Chasing down such a big score under pressure in 20 overs is a magnificent achievement; one that will live long in the memory! Credit is due to Azhar Shafiq and Usman Tariq, without the amazing start they gave to the Multan Tigers it would've been nigh on impossible for their team to win this match.

Rameez Raja: Definately. We have to feel sorry for the Sialkot Stallions: they must've been gutted to lose this match. They did so well to make 236 runs in 20 overs, they certainly would not have been expecting such a comeback from Multan! Their bowlers suffered a lot, and one thinks that they just may have lost their will to win after witnessing such destructive batting from Shafiq and Tariq.
And finally, here are the highlights of the match. I hope you enjoy watching this runfeast from the National Stadium, but from me and Mohammad Akram here at the TenSports studio, good night!

 

[The Blazer]

SIALKOT STALLIONS VS KARACHI DOLPHINS​

Rameez Raja: Welcome to the National Stadium in Karachi! Tonight we see the home team, Karachi Dolphins take on the Sialkot Stallions in what promises to be a highly tense and close match. We nearly have a fully-packed stadium tonight as the locals have come here to show their support for Karachi.

Rameez Raja: Well, news from the down at the pitch is that Stallions' captain Shoaib Malik has won the toss the and decided to bat first. We'll be back after the commercial break with all the action from the first innings!

SIALKOT STALLIONS 1st INNINGS

Rashid Latif: Faisal Naved and Shahid Yousuf came out to the middle to open the batting for the Stallions. They got off to an amazing start, dispatching the ball over the boundary from the start. In what must have been the greatest runfeast in this series yet, the opening fair reached the 50 mark by the middle of the third over- with a run rate of 15+! Just when it seemed certain that the Stallions would end up posting the highest score ever in Twenty-20 cricket, Yousuf fell to the Dolphins' bowling, quickly being followed by his partner Naved. Another two wickets fell and the run rate died down dramatically, but the advantage still seemed to be with the Stallions and with their skipper, Shoaib Malik, coming to the crease next, they were still in a very stable position.

The Karachi Dolphins pick up the crucial wicket of Shoaib Malik.​

Rashid Latif: However, luck seemed to be with the Dolphins and they picked up the wicket of Malik shortly afterwards, the skipper leaving for a disappointing score of 34. After this the middle order totally collapsed; even Imran Nazir, who had turned out to be a key player for Sialkot in the last two matches, failed to make an impact on the innings. In the end it was, suprisingly enough, Mohammad Sami who ended up saving the Stallions from crashing to a low score. Batting with other tailenders he ended up posting a very defiant 54 off 29 balls, hitting six sixes in his quickfire innings!

Rashid Latif: Thanks to this crucial innings by Pakistani international Sami, the Sialkot Stallions ended up posting 190-9 from their alloted 20 overs, which in all fairness is an average score considering the hard and flat pitch.

KARACHI DOLPHINS 1st INNINGS:

Rashid Latif: The Dolphins came out to bat fully expecting to have a good chance in chasing down this total, as long they got off to a good start like their counterparts. Express paceman Sami had other plans, however. He struck with only the second ball of the innings, a 95 mph ball making a real mess of Agha Sabir's stumps. Mughal was next to strike as the Stallions kept the pressure on. The Karachi batsmen were restricted by the tight fields, and as the overs went on, the required run rate kept rising steadily. All hope for a Dolphins win ended as Sami struck again in his fourth and final over, tearing apart the middle with three wickets.

Mohamamd Sami took 4 wickets during his deadly spell.​

Rashid Latif: At this point the Dolphins were at 100/5 and in all sorts of trouble. However, some meaningful tailend resistance from Hasnain (43 off 14!) and Aftab (45 runs off 14 not out) allowed Karachi to come closer to their target, but they were eventually bowled out for 177 with 3 overs to spare. One can't help but think that if either Hasnain had stayed at the crease for a bit longer than the Dolphins could have won this game with balls to spare. But this wasn't the case, and the Stallions have another victory in the ABN-AMRO Cup. Still, that was a very good performance from the two Karachi tailenders that ended up making 40s- just look at how many balls it took them to make these scores; just 14 balls! That is just simply unbelieveable. And so one last look at the scorecards before we head back to the TenSports studios:

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Sami for MOTM!!

 

[The Blazer]

Rameez Raja: Welcome again to the National Stadium, where tonight we see former champions Lahore Lions take on the mighty Multan Tigers. The Lions have so far underachieved in this series, whereas the Tigers have been performing really well- It'll be interesting to see who comes out on top in this match. Well, once again the pitch is hard and fast and promises to be a batsman's paradise- We should be in for a good night's cricket. Ah, the news from below is that the Lions have won the toss and elected to bat. Stay with us, we'll be back in a moment with all the action!

LAHORE LIONS 1st INNINGS

Rashid Latif: The two Pakistani international stars, Kamran Akmal and Imran Farhat came out to open the batting for Lahore. And boy, they didn't waste any time in scoring runs! The first two overs went in a flurry of fours and sixes. And as hard as it is to believe, the pair reached the 50 milestone by the second ball of the third over! The Tigers' bowlers did strike soon afterwards though, taking the wicket the wicket of Farhat, who left for a dashing 22 off 11 balls. The onslaught didn't stop though, and halfway through the next over Akmal reached his 50, the feat taking him only 19 balls!

Rashid Latif: Mohammad Yousuf put on a couple of runs before he too perished, but the Lions were still in a very commanding position with the score at 124/2. Next in was Lahore captain and international big hitter, Abdul Razzaq.

Razzaq arrives with his team in a very strong position.​

Rashid Latif: Razzaq put on a quickfire 31 off 12 balls before being dismissed, but the crowd's main attention was on Akmal, who was relentlessly hiiting any and every bowler back into the stands. This highly aggressive attitude meant that the Lions were hurtling forward at a run rate of 15+! Malik was also sent back to the pavillion soon after the Lions crossed the 200 mark. And yet invincible Akmal was still going strong, and in the 14th over he reached his well-deserved and totally awe-inspiring 100, becoming only the second man in the series to reach this milestone. It also surely has to be one of the quickest 100s in Twenty-20 cricket!

Rashid Latif: Lions' hero Kamran Akmal was finally dismissed after mistiming a shot and being caught right on the boundary, leaving for a breathtaking 122 off 52 balls! Inspired by his performance, middle-order batsman Riaz Ahmed put on a quickfire 35 off 14 balls that edged the Lions closer to the magical 300 mark. It eventually came down to the last ball of the innings, with the Lions on 298-7. Several fielders had gone out to the ropes to stop and bih shots, but Haider ignored them all and with a mighty swing of his bat, middled the ball and sent it way back into the stands!!
Well, I am speechless...Simply speechless! 304 runs off 20 overs! What a score, what a score! I cannot believe what just unfolded here at the National Stadium; perhaps Rameez can make more sense of it back in the TenSports studio!

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Woah! To the score and the presentation!

 

[duffarama]

Excellent work. It would be especially hard to produce such quality due to it being played on the PS2. Well done and keep it up.

 

[The Blazer]

MULTAN TIGERS 1st INNINGS

Rashid Latif: The Tigers' openers Shafiq and Tariq came out to bat facing the daunting task of chasing down 305 in 20 overs. The required runrate at the start of the innings was 15.00 but no doubt it would keep rising if the Tigers failed to score quickly. Razzaq started the bowling for the Lions, and there was drama from the off as a 90 mph first ball delivery had Shafiq trapped in front of his stumps, but he was lucky to survive a huge LBW appeal from the Lions. Razzaq kept bowling a tight line until the last two balls of the over when Shafiq hit back and dispatched them over the boundary for a six and a four. 10 runs off the first over would've been a good start in most matches but in the context of this match, it simply wasn't enough. And to the Lions' dismay, Razzaq announced straight after the over that he had suffered a sprained ankle and wouldn't be able to bowl anymore.

The Lahore Lions' skipper suffered an injury early on in the innings.​

Rashid Latif: The Tigers' batsmen took heart from this news and went on to slog the other bowlers around the park. But it didn't last long, as Tahir mishit a slower ball straight into the hands of Razzaq. Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Tigers' captain, came out to the middle next and what followed was probably the biggest shock of the innings. The very first ball he faced, Inzi tried to slog sweep it and skied it instead, Mohammad Yousuf getting underneath it and taking an easy catch. The skipper left for a golden duck!

To the shock of everyone at the National Stadium, Inzamam-ul-Haq left without troubling the score.​

Rashid Latif: Then a few overs past without incident. Shafiq and Hussain seemed to be building a solid partnership, and towards the end of the sixth over Shafiq was rewarded with a hard-fought 50.

Rashid Latif: But he didn't last much longer and fell to the Lions' bowling attack. At this point the Tigers' were 94-3 but they still weren't scoring quickly enough. The pressure was building, as was shown when Anwar Jnr. was dismissed the following over for a lowly score of 7 off 3 balls. Khilji was the next man in, and he too departed shortly afterwards. The Lions were slowly bowling their way towards victory. But there was still one man who defied them- Hussain, who had watched the last three wickets tumble in quick succession, was the one batsman who the Lahore Lions could not tame- He reached his quickfire 50 in the 11th over. Suprisingly enough, it came in just 19 balls; exactly the same number of balls it took Kamran Akmal to reach this milestone before he went onto to score his 100...

Rashid Latif: What Hussain needed at this point was the lower-order batsmen to stick around with him, something that Bin Nasir failed to do as he was trapped LBW by Butt, leaving for just 1 off 3 balls. Mohammad Ali came to the crease next, and he gave Hussain a bit of support by scoring a quick 24 off 11 balls, but it simply wasn't enough as the wickets kept falling and the required run rate kept rising- at this point it was 18.00. Rauf and Irshad were dismissed quickly, and all hopes for a Tigers' victory were lost. It ended in the 15th over, when Hussain, still at the crease, lost his concentration momentarily and was caught and bowled by Haider, his dismissal sparking wild celebrations amongst the Lahore Lions. It had been a tough match, much closer than the scorecard showed, but it would've been nigh on impossible for any team to chase down 300+ in twenty overs. Well, what a match of high and lows its been here at the National Stadium in Karachi tonight. Kamran Akmal's 100, Haider's three wicket haul, Hussain's 60- There will be much to remember from this match! A look at the scorecards before we head back to the TenSports stuidos.

 

[The Blazer]

yes really good story. and takeover of tensports is a good news.

The story is back! Good work, hope you carry it on

Excellent work. It would be especially hard to produce such quality due to it being played on the PS2. Well done and keep it up.

Thanks a lot for all the support, fellas! In particular ZoraxDoom, thank you for following this story from the start!