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

[Left_Hander]

Nice presentation and nice graphics. Keep this story going Blazer.

 

[The Blazer]

Rameez Raja: Good evening to all our viewers! We are back at the National Stadium in Karachi for the highly anticipated match between the Rawalpindi Rams and the Peshawar Panthers. It's a warm night here tonight and a large crowd has been building under the floodlights. This promises to be special!
Well, it seems like Younis Khan has won the toss and decided that the Panthers will be batting first. Don't go away- we'll be back in just a moment with all the action from the first innings!

PESHAWAR PANTHERS 1st INNINGS

Rashid Latif: A huge cheer went around the National Stadium as Shahid Afridi and Akhtar Sarfraz came out to open the batting for the Panthers. Afridi, in particular, was looking very fired up. Are we in for a beastly knock here from Boom Boom Afridi?

Shahid Afridi has a very impressive strike rate in Twenty-20 cricket.​

Rashid Latif: Afridi managed to get 16 runs off the first over, consisting of two sixes and a four. Sarfraz followed suit in the next over, hurling bat against ball and scoring big. As has become trademark in these high scoring Twenty-20 games, the 50 run mark was reached in the 3rd over. The fireworks continued until Afridi came down the track to Kaneria and mistimed a slog, sending the ball straight into Saeed's hands. The Beast left for a lightning quick 43 off 14 balls. J Khan was next out to bat, but he departed after facing only two balls- some excellent fielding from Kaneria meant that he was run out just before he could make his ground. Khan exchanged some heated words with his partner before going back to the pavillion. The skipper Younis Khan came to the middle next, and he gave Srafraz some steady support as he made his well-deserved fifty.

Sarfraz was devastating- One of his sixes cleared the stadium!​

Rashid Latif: However, Sarfraz was soon dismissed after reaching this milestone, leaving for a quickfire 59 off 20 balls. At this point the Panthers were still at a good position with the score at 106/3 and the run rate hurtling past 18.00! Riaz Afridi was caught on the sweep soon afterwards, leaving for a disappointing 1 off 4. Younis Khan then went onto to form a small partnership with Wasti before the skipper fell as well with the score at 140-5. Middle-order batsmen Wasti and Solh made small contributions to the score (28 off 13 balls and 14 off 4 balls respectively) before they perished to the Ram's bowling attack as well. Alam fell a few overs later after making a quick 25 off 8 balls, Shoaib Akhtar finally striking with his express pace and getting a wicket. At this point the Panthers were 211/8 and it seemed that their innings would soon come to an end. But then the unbelievable happened, as tailenders Mohand and Khan put together a 74 run partnership that saw Peshawar through to 285-8 off 20 overs! This was thanks to Khan, who made a magnificent 52 off 21 balls.

Rashid Latif: Brilliant play by the tailenders! This is as close to the record breaking 300 runs that any team is going to make, I think! Have a look at the score cards if you at home, like me, don't believe what just happened here at the National Stadium.

 

[The Blazer]

RAWALPINDI RAMS 1st INNINGS

Rashid Latif: The Rawalpindi Rams had a lot of work to do if they wanted to have any chance of winning this match. Naeem and Wasim came out to open the innings for the Rams, and it was up to them to get their team off to a good start.

Babar Naeem would be hoping to score big in this game.​

Rashid Latif: Suprisingly enough, Pakistani spinner Shahid Afridi got to bowl the first over of the innings for the Panthers. Naeem had a gleam in his eye, and the player had exchanged words with Afridi as he had come out to bat. First ball of the over, Naeem comes down the track and with a mighty swing of his bat dispatches the ball over the ropes for a huge six. Afridi tries the quicker ball next, but that too is sent hurtling over the ropes for a six. In comes the third ball, and Naeem, playing on the backfoot, sends it crashing way back into the stands. Another six! Afridi kicks the ground in frustration and shouts down a few very explicit words to Naeem, but the batsman just waves him on. Afridi tries the slower ball next, but Naeem picks it up straight away, comes down the track and slogs it over Afridi's head for a massive six! The crowd have gone completely berserk! They're baying for Afridi's blood up in the stands, and the shouts for 'six sixes in a row' can just be heard above the noise. Wasim goes and has a quick chat with Naeem, probably telling him to calm down a bit and play more carefully, but neither Naeem or Afridi seem to be in the mood to calm down! In comes the fifth ball- its a full toss- and Naeem utterly smashes it stright into the air. For a moment everyone thinks that he's skied it, but the ball just keeps going up, up and up! It finally bounces on the roof, rolls for a bit and then disappears from view. Afridi has been hit out of the National Stadium! Afridi has a look on his face that could melt steel- Naeem simply laughs and raises his bat towards Afridi in an act of jest. 30 runs off the over already- And there's still a ball to go! The Beast comes back with a quicker ball, and to everyone's suprise, this time Naeem just guides it down the legside and gets a single. As he reaches the other side of the pitch, he shouts something back to Afridi, who had just turned away to retrieve his cap from the umpire. Afridi suddenly turns around and a barrage of insults escape his mouth. Naeem starts to walk towards him but the umpire holds him back and gives both players a piece of his mind. Afridi slinks back to his position on the field, whilst Naeem just sneers and takes guard. Well, what action and drama we have here at the National Stadium- And it's only been the first over! I can only wonder what is to follow!

Afridi is fuming after conceding 31 runs off his over!​

Rashid Latif: The pair continued to make easy work of the bowling, and in the third over they cruised past the 50 mark. And then towards the end of the fourth over, Naeem made his lightning quick half-century.

Hawkeye shows that Naeem dealt out a lot of punishment to the bowlers, in particular Afridi!​

Rashid Latif: But the tempo of the game changed quite quickly after that: Wasim was dismissed by Mohand after Afridi took a brilliant diving catch, and Naeem followed him in the next over, edging a ball straight into Afridi's hands. The Beast couldn't help but celebrate wildly, sledging Naeem and laughing in his face. The Panthers continued to pile the pressure on, and Amran was soon dismissed as well, Afridi taking his third catch of the match. Pakistani international Salman Butt was next to the crease, and he hoped to calm things down a bit. That was not to be though, as Butt fell after just three balls, leaving a very disappointing score of 7. Match-winner Aziz was next in, but after hitting a six off his very first ball, he played a rash shot the following the delivery, lofting the ball in the hands of Panthers' skipper Younis Khan. The Rams, after a brilliant start, were suddenly at 122-5 and in all sorts of trouble. Their saviour turned out to be Naved Ashraf, who remained defiant even whilst the middle-order collapsed around him, and was rewarded with a great fifty.

Rashid Latif: Another wicket fell and then Shoaib Akhtar joined Ashraf at the crease. Clearly in a beastly mood, Akhtar wasted no time in putting runs on the board- A four from him was followed by a six, a six was followed by an even bigger six! He made a priceless contribution of 38 off 12 balls and was unlucky to be caught on the boundary. The Rams' runrate was now exactly the same as the required run rate, and it seemed that we would be in for a tight finish. But then Aslam striked, picking up the crucial wicket of Ashraf, who looked like he was on his way to make a 100. That wicket basically won the match for the Panthers, as Kaneria was then dismissed in the same over. One wicket remained and another 41 runs were needed for the Rams to win the match. Younis Khan made sure that Rawalpindi would not get near the 285 total by being amazing in the field and directly hitting the stumps as F E-Akbul tried desperately to make his ground. His efforts were in vain, and the dismissal of the final batsman sparked wild celebrations amongst the Panthers' players, as they had managed to win what turned out to be a very exciting and competitive Twenty-20 match. Well, what a game we've had here in Karachi tonight! Feast your eyes upon the scorecards one last time before we head back to the TenSports studio.

 

[Left_Hander]

Nice story. Nice presenation. Keep this going!

 

[The Blazer]

At a recent press conference, the following statement was released by the Pakistani Cricket Board (PCB):

"The ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup has been a huge success so far. As we move into the fourth round, the Cup moves to the sunny city of Lahore, where all matches will be played at the majestic Gaddafi Stadium.
There has also been a change to the Twenty-20 game rules, which is as follows:

- There will be fielding restrictions for the first six overs of each innings.

This rule has been introduced after a lot of careful thinking, and the general view was that it would be a good addition to the Cup. Fielding restrictions mean that the games will be even more exciting now, as having only two men outside the circle for the first six overs will mean that batsmen will go after the bowlers even more now! Of course, this news doesn't fare too well with bowlers, but on the positive side it means that games will be even more action-packed now, with the potential of having more close-finishes."

 

[The Blazer]

TEAMS ARRIVE AT GADDIFI STADIUM​

cricinfo.com The six Pakistani teams participating in the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup arrived at the Gaddifi Stadium in Lahore earlier on today. Since that time our reporters have been out and about on the grounds, watching with fascination as the players trained and talked with different team players.

Lahore Lions are former champions and good contenders to win the Cup this year.​

As the first match of the fourth round takes place tomorrow night, the cricket fans have started rolling in. Many came out today on this hot summer's day to watch the teams train in the nets. Some lucky fans were rewarded for making the journey by getting autographs from Pakistani stars Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq, who were enjoying a rare moment of relaxation in the stands.

The Peshawar Panthers enjoyed a 40-run victory against the Rams in their last match.​

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has come down to the Gaddafi Stadium as well; to have a look at all these players and maybe make a judgement for any future players for the Pakistan international team.

The Rawalpindi Rams will be eager to get some more wins under their belts. ​

 

[The Blazer]

ROUND THREE ANALYSIS​

Rameez Raja: Good evening. Tonight we have a look at the third round of the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup. In particular, this Master Blaster show will have a detail look at Lahore Lion's wicket keeper Kamran Akmal's superb 100 off 44 balls. Joining me tonight is Pakistani veteran Mustaq Ahmed.

Mustaq Ahmed: Thanks, Rameez. Let me just say that it's been a joy to watch the ABN-AMRO Cup. What a tournament we've had so far! It's great to see these performances by fellow Pakistani players.

Rameez Raja: Yes, indeed it is. And so, without further ado, let's move onto Kamran Akmal's 100 at the National Stadium last week:

Rameez Raja: It was the third round of the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup. The undefeated Multan Tigers were taking on the star-studded Lahore Lions. Abdul Razzaq won the toss for the Lions and decided to put his team into bat first.
Imran Farhat and Kamran Akmal got the Lions off to a flying start, smashing the Tigers' bowlers to all parts of the ground. Akmal was on fire, reaching his fifty in just 19 balls. With a strike rate of 263.2, this lightning quick innings had consisted of 6 sixes and 2 fours. Akmal was clearly not afraid to go after the bowlers, and his Hawkeye shows this! Most of his runs may have been scored in the legside, but just have a look at those massive sixes! The crowd were being bombarded again and again.

Rameez Raja: We thought that was as good as it could get, but how wrong were we! Akmal's relentless hitting meant that the Lions were hurtling forward at a runrate of 16.00- And in the 14th over Kamran Akmal reached his 100, the amazing feat taking him only 44 balls! Akmal had hit an unbelievable 11 sixes and 5 fours in his innings. He still had a superb strike rate of 233.6, even though reaching his second fifty had taken him 25 balls, which was 6 more than the amount it took him to reach his first fifty. Still, nothing should be taken away from the young man- it's only natural to become a bit more careful and defensive as you near your century. Akmal then went on to score a few more sixes before he finally got dismissed- leaving for a record breaking 122 off 52 balls.

Kamran Akmal ended up posting the highest score ever in the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup.​

Mustaq Ahmed: Yes, it was definately a great knock from the Pakistani wicketkeeper, Kamran Akmal. It couldn't have come at a more crucial time, as the Lahore Lions were desperately looking for another win if they wanted to compete for the Cup this year; and Akmal himself hadn't been playing that great himself. For proof let's just take a look at his stats before this match:

MATCHES- 2
RUNS- 1
AVERAGE- 0.50
STRIKE RATE- 12.5
HIGH SCORE- 1

Rameez Raja: Yes, good point, Mustaq. This innings from Akmal, that was basically a match-winner for the Lions, really did boost confidence and lift the morale of the struggling former champions. And so, that's enough talking from us- Here are the highlights from that memorable match. Enjoy!

 

[The Blazer]

The post above has now been updated.

 

[surendar]

mate, very nicely presented... i like the cricinfo pattern and round analysis very much

 

[The Blazer]

Rameez Raja: Welcome to Lahore! After three hard-fought rounds, the ABN-AMRO Cup moves to the Gaddafi Stadium. Tonight's match see's the Peshawar Panthers take on the Sialkot Stallions. It's a hot night under the floodlights, and a big crowd has been steadily building in anticipation of this match. The groundsmen have done a terrific job; just like at the National Stadium this pitch should be hard and fast, and be a batsmen paradise. Well, news from the middle is that Shoaib Malik has won the toss and suprisngly decided to bowl first! Maybe he has spotted something on the pitch...We will have to wait and see. Don't go anywhere, all the action from the first innings comes after the break!

PESHAWAR PANTHERS 1st INNINGS

Rashid Latif: Shahid Afridi and Akhtar Sarfraz recieved a great reception from the crowd. The atmosphere here is simply sensational: everyone is expecting a close match between these two teams. And with the new six over fielding restrictions in effect now, we should be in for a fiery start to this match!

Shahid Afridi has the abillity to turn the tides of a match.​

Rashid Latif: The Panthers got off to the worst possible start, as Asif bowled a beautiful outswinger that Sarfraz edged back to the keeper. The Peshawar opener left for a very disappointing 2 off 2 balls. However, Boom Boom Afridi started off in grand style, hitting the first four balls he faced way back into the stands for sixes! But it didn't last very long, as Asif claimed his second wicket, sending Afridi's stumps flying all over the place. J Khan was the next man in and he made full advantage of the fielding restriction, sending every bowler over the ropes with some devastating hitting. The crowd had gone totally wild, Khan took only 12 balls to post the fastest 50 in Twenty-20 cricket!

Rashid Latif: If Khan had kept going at the pace he was going, one can't help but wonder if the Panthers would've broken Lahore's record of 305 runs in 20 overs. As it was though, Khan was soon dismissed by Sami, leaving for an amazing 79 off 19 balls! The runrate slowed down after this as the Stallions' bowlers kept it tight, and the wickets of Riaz Afridi and skipper Younis Khan fell before the Panthers reached the 200 mark. They were still in a good position to post a 300+ score, but some careless batting from the lower order meant that the Panthers were restricted to 263 all out. This is of course a very good score but I feel that the Panthers could've made a bigger score if the tailenders hadn't played such rash shots. Credit has to go to the Stallions though, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sami bowled beautifully. Sami, in particular, was simply on fire and become the first man in the Cup to bowl a maiden!

7 wickets were shared between pacemen Asif and Sami.​

Rashid Latif: Well, let's take one last look at the scorecards before we head back to Rameez in the TenSports studio:

 

[The Blazer]

Hey guys. After drawing inspiration from voldemort's excellent c2004 story, I have decided to include video highlights after each innings. Of course doing this isn't easy for me as I play the game on PS2 and getting high quality footage using a digital camera is nigh-on impossible!

Anyways, I have experimented and have a BLIC Highlights Package to show you guys. It's a Pakistan vs West Indies test match- Have a look and tell me what you think. Any advice on how to improve would be greatly appreciated!

Pakistan vs West Indies Highlights Package- Click here.

 

[treva]

good job mate very well done

 

[voldemort]

Good to see that i have inspired someone. Well i just had a doubt, do you play as all teams? Keep up the good wrok, i like your presentation, a lot to read. And i love to read.

 

[The Blazer]

Good to see that i have inspired someone. Well i just had a doubt, do you play as all teams? Keep up the good wrok, i like your presentation, a lot to read. And i love to read.

Yep, I play as all the teams. I bat the first innings with the team, save the game and then bat the second innings with the other team. And thanks for the support! :happy

 

[The Blazer]

SIALKOT STALLIONS 1st INNINGS

Rashid Latif: Naved and Yousuf came out to open the batting for the Stallions. They needed to get off to a good start if they wanted to put their team in a position of winning the match. But of course, the Panthers' bowlers would be trying their utmost to protect their hard-earned 263 runs.

Faisal Naved has impressive stats in the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup.​

Rashid Latif: Shahid Afridi opened the bowling for the Stallions and was immediately punished by Naved, who lofted a huge six over his head very first ball of the innings. Next ball he got a single and gave the strike to Yousuf. Afridi came in with a deadly faster ball, and Yousuf was caught totally by suprise, lofting the ball straight back into Afridi's hands!

Shahid Afridi dismissed Shahid Yousuf for a golden duck.​

Rashid Latif: This was a terrible start for the Stallions, but Naved and Abbas formed a solid partnership and made up for the early loss. Naved was totally devastating, taking full advantage of the fiedling restrictions and blasting the bowlers out of the ground. He made his 50 in just 12 balls!

Naved hit 8 sixes and 1 four in his lightning quick 50!​

Rashid Latif: The onslaught continued, as the pair kept up with the required runrate by playing some amazingly big hits. The crowd were jumping and dancing in the stands: this was top-notch entertainment for them! Abbas was next to get his 50, the feat taking him only 19 balls.

Rashid Latif: Victory seemed assured if this pair stayed at the crease for another few overs, but the Panthers got lucky Wasti took a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Abbas off Mohand's bowling. The skipper, Shoaib Malik, who had been out of form, was soon to perish as well, leaving for a disappointing 18 off 6 balls. Naved, however, was still going very strongly and his super hitting meant that he ended up making a record breaking century in just 27 balls!

Naved showed the bowlers who was boss!​

Rashid Latif: The joy of scoring the fastest century ever in Twenty-20 cricket may have overcome Naved, as the very next ball he seemed to lose concentration and loft a ball straight into Khan's safe hands. The Stallions fell into further trouble as Imran Nazeer was caught out on his first ball, becoming the second player in the innings to leave for a golden duck! After this the middle-order basically collapsed, no batsmen scoring more than 20 runs. The favour of the game seemed to be back with the Panthers, but as Mohammad Sami came out to bat he tried to change all that. The tailender smashed a few boundaries and making 29 off 17 balls before he was trapped in front of stumps LBW by Khan. The fall of this wicket had the Gaddafi Stadium in an uproar; there were only two wickets left and 24 runs were still needed for the Stallions to win this game. The runrate didn't seem to be a problem as there were still a few overs to go, but Younis Khan cleverly set up some tight fields that meant that many dot balls followed, or else the batsmen were only restricted to singles. In desperation, Mughal came down the pitch and tried to slog one over the ropes, but was clean bowled by Khan. The Panthers were estatic, they were so close to victory! Aslam came in to bowl the last over the innings, with the Stallions needing 9 runs to win.

FIRST BALL- Four! Ahmed smashes one through the offside to the boundary!
SECOND BALL- Dot ball. The fielders are in very attacking positions to stop the singles.
THIRD BALL- Dot ball. The pressure is building! 3 balls remaining, 5 runs to win, 1 wicket in hand. Can the Stallions do it?
FOURTH BALL- Six! Ahmed risks it all and comes down the track and with a huge swing of his bat sends the ball hurtling way back into the stands! The Stalllions have won! The batsmen are overcome with joy- Off they go with the stumps!!

Rashid Latif: Wow! What a nailbiting finish! I am simply speechless. Who said Twenty-20 cricket didn't have close endings? Sialkot must be delighted with this win; it wasn't an easy score to chase down! One last look at the scorecards before we head back to the TenSports studio, then: