Centuries by Hassan Raza and Amjad Ali for Pakistan and Narsingh Deonarine for West Indies highlighted the second day’s proceedings of the inaugural MCW Over-40 Cricket Global Cup 2023.
Two completed league matches were played in overcast conditions, while the other two matches were abandoned due to rain.
Pakistan smashed Nepal by 248 runs at the National Stadium and West Indies whacked UAE by 108 runs at the NBP Sports Complex, while the matches between Hong Kong and USA at the Karachi Gymkhana and the one between Australia and Canada were abandoned due to rain.
Deonarine stars again
The West Indian skipper, Deonarine, extended his awesome form by scoring a fluent century, which allowed his team to a huge total of 280-7 in the stipulated 45 overs which was defended comfortably.
Deonarine struck one six and 11 fours in his 100 off 98 balls, adding 130 for third wicket with fellow Guyanese Devon Clement (57 off 62 balls). Medium-pacers Abdul Haq and Roshan Khan finished with identical bowling figures of 2-46 for UAE.
Leg-spinner Zamin Amin (4-30) broke the back of the UAE batting when they came out to chase down a stiff target of 281. Abdul Haq (48 off 41) was the only one to offer any kind of resistance and UAE was bowled out for 172 in 29 overs.
Deonarine was presented Man-of-the-Match award for his superb century at NBP Sports Complex. Deonarine also copped the award in the first match against Australia for his 65 and 1-20 in an 84-run victory.
Pakistan steamroll Nepal
The 266-run unbroken fourth-wicket partnership between Hassan and Amjad enabled Pakistan to amass a mammoth total of 382-3 in the allotted 45 overs after skipper Misbah-ul-Haq chose to bat.
Openers Kashif Siddiqui (66 off 59 balls) and Jun aid Khalil Nainitalwala (24 off 38 balls) set the platform with a first wicket stand of 75 in a little over 11 overs.
Medium-pacer Khim Bahadur Thapa bagged a couple of quick wickets to reduce the hosts to 106-3 in the 18th over, but then the duo of Hasan and Amjad hammered the Nepal bowlers to all parts of the stadium.
Hasan, the youngest-ever Test cricketer, remained undefeated on 154 off 94 balls with the help of seven sixes and 16 fours, while Amjad’s unbeaten 108 off 72 balls contained three sixes and a dozen fours.
The task of overhauling the huge target of 383 in 45 overs looked out of reach for Nepal from the outset and they succumbed to 134 all out in 36.3 overs after having brought up 100 of the innings for the loss of three wickets.
Former Test fast bowler Muhammad Sami (2-27), left-arm spinner Abdul Qadir (2-14), leg-spinner Kashif Siddiqui (2-21) and off-spinner Haris Ayaz (2-29) shared the bowling honours for Pakistan, while Raza was adjudged Man-of-the-Match.
Rain plays spoilsport between USA and Hong Kong
Electing to bat, USA reached a healthy total of 268-9 in their quota of 45 overs against Hong Kong at Karachi Gymkhana. Opener Anwar Ahmed (70 off 26 balls) provided an exhilarating start, while Muhammad Farrukh compiled a sedate 56 off 77 balls.
Rudolph Hinds (38 off 40 balls) and Ameer Khan (24 off 34 balls) contributed usefully down the order after the off-spinning duo of Shelton Joseph (3-56) and Ankur Vashishta (2-36) had puzzled the middle-order.
Needing 269 to win in 45 overs, Hong Kong had slumped to 64-3 in 14.5 overs when the umpires were forced to call off the game due to heavy rains much to the dismay of USA who looked better placed to force a victory.
More rain between Australia and Canada
Only 16.2 overs of play was possible in the day-night encounter between Australia and Canada at Moin Khan Academy before it was also abandoned due to rain. The Canadian captain, Talal Iqbal, inserted the opposition into bat after calling correctly which was an expected move in view of the weather conditions.
The Australians had lost both the openers Luke Jackson (29 off 37 balls) and Martin Raadschelders (10 off 13 balls) by the 11th over and the pair of Steve Paulsen (32 off 27 balls) and Justin Poole (13 off 21 balls) were in the process of repairing the damage when the rain arrived to halt the proceedings at which point the Aussies had progressed to 89 for two.
Aftab Qaisar and Ayaz Ali were the successful bowlers for Canada.
