Qatar’s Tamoor Sajjad (pictured receiving his man-of-the-match award) snared three wickets for 11 runs as Qatar posted a fine four-wicket victory over Saudi Arabia in their opening match of the ACC Western Region Twenty20 Cricket Tournament here yesterday.
The decision to put Saudi Arabia in to bat first by Qatar skipper Inam-Ul-Haq was justified as Noman Sarwar dealt two quick blows. Saudi Arabia, from two down for eight in two overs, could never recover and folded up at 126 off the final ball.
The Saudi collapse was accelerated by Sajjad who removed three more players to have the rivals struggling at five for 39. Saudi opener Sajid Imran Cheema scored a 41-ball 47. After Cheema was ninth out at 88, Mohamed Adnan offered a spirited rearguard resistance and collected 38 not out with four sixes and two boundaries. His 15-ball effort helped the team reach 126.
Iqbal Hussain Chaudhry also grabbed three wickets, while Inam-Ul-Haq and Mohamed Nadeem shared two wickets.
Qatar also suffered an early setback as they lost Kamran Khan for six. But they steadied their innings with a 47-run stand between Faisal Javed Khan and Zaheeruddeen Ibrahim, who hit 21 with two sixes and a four in 18 balls.
The winners experienced a mini slump after Khan went out after a brisk 26-ball 43, which included eight hits to the fence, and they lost three more players in quick succession.
But Mohamed Tanveer and Noman Sarwar held the innings together to see Qatar home in 15.3 overs. Tanveer blasted two sixes and three fours to collect 33 not out off 18 balls, while Sarwar’s unbeaten 11 had two fours.
Sajjad was declared the man of the match.
Qatar Cricket Association President Yousef Jeham al-Kuwari congratulated the national team on their superb victory over bitter rivals Saudi Arabia.
“We are extremely pleased with the national team’s splendid four-wicket triumph in the opening match in the ACC Western Region T20 in Oman and that too over Saudi Arabia. We hope that the Qatar team will keep improving its performance and continue to win matches. We wish more successes to the team,” al-Kuwari added in his statement.
Brief scores:
Qatar beat Saudi Arabia by four wickets: Saudi Arabia: 126 all out in in 20 overs (Sajid Imran Cheema 43, Mohamed Adnan 38; Noman Sarwar 2/16, Tamoor Sajjad 3/11, Mohamed Nadeem 1/43, Inam-Ul- Haq 1/13, Iqbal Hussain Chaudhry 3/26)
Qatar: 126 for seven in 15.3 overs (Faisal Javed Khan 43, Zaheeruddeen Ibrahim 21, Mohamed Tanveer 33 runs, Noman Sarwar 11 not out; Ibrar-Ul Haq 1/23, Usman Ali 1/21, Mohamed Nadeem 3/16, Faizal Khan 1/21)
Man-of-the-match: Tamoor Sajjad
Tamoor Sajjad
