The Markhors continued their impressive form in the Champions One-Day Cup with a commanding 92-run victory over the Dolphins at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on September 18, 2024.
Chasing a target of 285 runs set by the Markhors, the Dolphins were dismissed for 192. The Markhors, led by Mohammad Rizwan, had posted 284 runs for nine wickets, thanks to a century from Kamran Ghulam and solid contributions from their captain.
Ghulam played a crucial role, scoring 113 runs off 110 balls, including 12 fours and 3 sixes, before being dismissed by Sameen Gul. Rizwan added 51 runs from 67 deliveries, while Salman Agha chipped in with 49 runs from 47 balls. Despite a few late wickets, Zahid Mahmood remained unbeaten on 15, and Akif Javed scored 6 off the final ball.
Faheem Ashraf stood out for the Dolphins with 4 wickets for 43 runs, dismissing key batsmen, while Mir Hamza claimed two wickets.
In their chase, Sahibzada Farhan scored 24 runs off 35 balls, but Muhammad Hurraira was dismissed for a duck, caught behind by Bismillah Khan off Akif Javed’s bowling. The top order struggled, with Muhammad Akhlaq adding just 1 run.
Captain Saud Shakeel contributed 41 runs from 56 balls but was caught by Akif Javed off Salman. Qasim Akram made 13 runs before being bowled by Salman, who proved effective in breaking partnerships.
Asif Ali scored a valuable 50 from 43 balls, including three boundaries and three sixes, but was eventually dismissed. Faheem Ashraf added 15 runs, but the Dolphins were bowled out for 192 in 43.5 overs. Mohammad Imran and Salman Agha each took three wickets for the Markhors.
Playing XIs:
Dolphins: Sahibzada Farhan, Muhammad Hurraira, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Saud Shakeel (c), Qasim Akram, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Sameen Gul, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Qadir, Mir Hamza
Markhors: Bismillah Khan, Mohammad Faizan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Salman Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Mohammad Imran, Zahid Mahmood, Naseem Shah, Akif Javed.