LAHORE: Wicket-keeper opening batter Shawaiz Irfan’s power-hitting and Tayyab Arif’s cool-headed knock led Bahawalpur Royals to post the highest total of the tournament of 225-3 and lift trophy by defeating Gwadar Sharks by 85 runs in the final of the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
Bahawalpur Royals, mentored by South African leg-spinner, Imran Tahir became the first team to lift the PJL trophy.
Openers Shawaiz Irfan 79 (32) and Basit Ali 35 (23) added 95 runs for the first wicket in 7.4 overs while Tayyab Arif 56 (34) and Nangeyalia Kharote 47 n.o. coined 87 runs for the third wicket to lift the Royals to the highest total of the PJL in the last match of the tournament.
The Royals also scored the highest total of the power-play 86-0 and the fastest century of the tournament of 100 in 7.4 overs. The Royals had reached 124-1 at the half-way mark and went to score 225-3 in 20 overs.
The difference between the two teams was the outrageous display of power-hitting by Shawaiz Irfan at the start of the innings who hit 79 off 32 balls which included six 6s and seven 4s. He was adjudged player of the match for his scintillating innings of 79 runs.
Tayyab Arif ensured that the Royals did not lose the good work of the openers and played yet another responsible innings of 56 off 34 balls while Kharote blasted 47 not out off 30 balls towards the end.
Momin Qamar was the most successful bowler for the Sharks who claimed two wickets for 32 runs in four overs while Mohammad Shoaib got one wicket for 28 runs in two overs. Mohammad Ismail remained wicketless and gave away 51 runs in four overs.
In the Chase, Gwadar Sharks’s resistance was led by Shamyl Hussain who scored 67 runs off 34 balls and the innings comprised four 6s and seven 4s. Only two other batters Arafat Minhas (19) and Danial Masood (20) could enter the double – figures while the rest of the batter fell in the single digit. Despite a quick start by the Sharks, the fall of wickets at regular intervals did not help the cause and the whole team fell for 140 runs in 15 overs.
Mohammad Zeeshan, the highest wicket taker in the tournament, and Kharote were the most successful bowlers who bagged three wickets each in the match while Sajjad Ali and all-rounder Arham Nawab claimed two and one wicket respectively.
Basit Ali was adjudged the player of the tournament for his 379 runs in the tournament as well the as the best batter for his heroic performance. He was rewarded with a cash prize of one million rupees.
Mohamamd Zeeshan was declared the best bowler of the PJL 2022 for his 14 wickets.
Runner-ups Gwardar Sharks were awarded the prize money of five million rupees while the winner Bahawalpur Royals Captain Obaid Shahid was presented a cash prize of 10 million rupees and the glittering trophy by the Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja.
