DARWIN: Pakistan Shaheens fell 30 runs short of Adelaide Strikers in the first semi-final of the Top End T20 series as they scored 167 against the target of 197 at the DXC Arena in Darwin on Sunday.
Mohammad Abbas Afridi's quickfire 54 off 29 balls went in vain as the Shaheens ran out of batsmen with 11 balls still in the bag. Earlier, Abbas also took three wickets, the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a press release.
Adelaide Strikers won the semi-final by 30 runs to reach the final of the tournament.
In their pursuit of the 198-run target, Pakistan Shaheens lost a wicket in the second, third, fourth and fifth overs and were reduced to 33-4 in 4.1 overs. Mohammad Haris made a steady start by scoring 19 runs off 11 balls with the help of three fours before falling to Tim Oakley in the third over.
Mubasir Khan (18) and Usman Khan (32) joined forces to grab the fifth wicket but both fell in the eighth and eleventh overs respectively, with the score at 65-5 and then 91-6.
Abbas, who came in to bat at the seventh over, hit five fours and three sixes during his 29-ball stay at the crease but with no support from the other end. Arif Yaqoob (15) and Mohammad Imran Junior (11) chipped in with minor contributions but all went in vain as the team was bowled out for 167 in 18.1 overs.
Liam Scott took three wickets, while Jordan Buckingham and Lloyd Pope had two each. Oakley, Tim O'Connell and Noah Mcfayden each dismissed one batsman.
Earlier, after Shaheens opted to bowl first, Strikers opening batsman Jake Winter made a 61-ball 104 with six fours and eight sixes to take the game away. He was joined by Harry Manenti (52 off 32) in the ninth over as the duo stitched a 73-run partnership for the fourth wicket in 7.4 overs, taking the team's score from 57-3 to 130-4 in 15.4 overs when Manenti departed.
Sam Rahaley remained unbeaten on 13 off 10 scoring a four while Winter was eventually dismissed in the final over of the innings. For Shaheens, Abbas took three wickets while Faisal Akram chipped in with two.
This semi-final defeat brings to an end Pakistan Shaheens' tour of Darwin, which began with a two-match four-day series against Bangladesh 'A' in July, followed by two 50-overs matches against Bangladesh 'A' and NT Strike. Pakistan Shaheens played seven matches in the Top End T20 series, winning five and losing two.
Scores in brief:
Adelaide Strikers 197-5 in 20 overs (Jake Winter 104, Harry Manenti 52; Mohammad Abbas Afridi 3-51, Faisal Akram 2-58)
Pakistan Shaheens 167 all out in 18.1 overs (Mohammad Abbas Afridi 54, Usman Khan 32; Scott 3-44, Lloyd Pope 2-32, Jordan Buckingham 2-33)
