Lahore Lions beat Southern Express to stay afloat

Raipur:  Mohammad Hafeez led from the frontwith a blazing 67 as Lahore Lions trounced Sri Lankan side Southern Express by 55 runs in their penultimate Champions League Twenty20 qualifier, keeping their main-draw hopes alive, here on Tuesday.

Put into bat, Hafeez smashed a 40-ball 67 to power the Pakistan T20 champions to 164 for six in 20 overs. In reply, Express never really got going as the Lahore bowlers turned on the heat to pack the Lankans for 109 in 18 overs. Medium-pacer Aizaz Cheema (3-15) was the destroyer-in-chief as Lahore, who won their second of the three qualifying matches, find themselves competing with Mumbai Indians for a spot in the main event.

Earlier, the Lahore openers provided a brisk start as the they managed 40 runs in the powerplays. Left-handed opener Umar Siddiq though lost his wicket in the last delivery of the sixth over while trying to dab at a rising Farveez Maharoof (3-28) bouncer and was caught behind for 18.

Maharoof continued the good work by sending back Ahmed Shehzad (29 off 21 balls) and Nasir Jamshed (1) in one over to stop the Lahore surge. If Shehzad, who was looking dangerous till then, tried a silly-looking 'dilscoop' against Maharoof then Jamshed was guilty of fishing on an away-going delivery to be caught at slip.

Saad Nasim (31) and Hafeez, registering his 22nd T20 fifty, then stuck it out to stitch a superb 75-run fourth-wicket partnership that gave Lahore the perfect platform to finish off on a high in the final overs. After playing the waiting game between overs 10 and 15, Hafeez cut loose in the 16th over as leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna (0-35) came at the wrong end of the stick. Hafeez hit a boundary and three straight sixes to help the side get 25 runs in the over.

Nasim, though, fell to Charith Jayampathi (1-45) in the 17th over after trying a hit over long on, but was instead caught by Ishan Jayaratne. Joined in by Umar Akmal (11 not out), Hafeez continued his aggressive play, hitting fours and sixes, to help the side fetch 75 runs from the last five overs.

Brief scores: Lahore Lions 164/6 in 20 overs (M Hafeez 67; F Maharoof 3/28) bt Southern Express 109 (J Mubarak 35; A Cheema 3/15) by 55 runs