Date:30/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/30/stories/2008033056911900.htm

Sport - Cricket

Badshahs continues winning spree

Principal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Lahore Badshahs notched up its sixth straight win with a 22-run verdict over Kolkata Tigers in the Edelweiss 20s Challenge cricket championship at the Lal Bahadur Stadium here on Friday.

If Kolkata Tigers entertained hopes of a dramatic victory at the break after restricting Lahore to 153 for four, it faded away in no time when the chase began.

Mohd. Sami and Azhar Mehmood struck telling blows to reduce Tigers to 11 for four in the fourth over.

Writing on the wall

Though captain Carig McMillan (30, 3x4, 1x6), who lived dangerously, and Rohan Gavaskar (46 not out, 3x4, 1x6) put up some fight the writing was on the wall.

Badhshahs struck at regular intervals to hand Tigers its third defeat in six matches. Tigers has six points.

Badshahs stays on top

Badshahs continued to top the table with 12 points with an all-win record.

Earlier, Badshahs overcame a sedate start scoring 26 for one from five overs to post a challenging score.

Chandana’s superb spell

Sri Lankan leg-spinner Upul Chandana bowled a splendid spell of 3-0-18-0 in the middle-overs to check the powerful Lahore batting line-up.

It was left to some hard-hitting by Taufeeq Umar (41, 3x4, 1x6) and Hasan Raza (48, 5x4, 1x6) to put the innings back on rails.

Naved Latif chipped in with a breezy unbeaten 30 (17 balls, 2x4, 2x6).

The scores:

Lahore Badshahs 153 for four in 20 overs (Taufeeq Umar 41, Hasan Raza 48, Naved Latif 30 n.o.) bt Kolkata Tigers 131 for seven in 20 overs (Craig McMillan 30, Rohan Gavaskar 46 n.o., Azhar Mehmood two for 25).