SNGPL thrash WAPDA to win President’s Trophy 2023-24 | Maqvi News

LAHORE   –  Century by Bilawal Bhatti and nine wickets in the match from Shahnawaz Dahani led SNGPL to a massive 519-run win over WAPDA in the final of the Pres­ident’s Trophy Grade-I, culminated at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpin­di on Sunday. The match ended inside third day of the five-day final. SNGPL not only won the trophy, but also took away prize money of PKR three million. WAPDA had to settle for the runners-up trophy and prize money of PKR 1.5 mil­lion. Resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 121-5 in 36 overs, SNGPL declared their innings at 346-8 in 82 overs, courtesy century by Bilawal Bhatti (101, 114b, 14x4s, 2x6s) and 91 from Mubasir Khan. 

The pair knitted a 108-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Mubasir’s innings included 14 fours and a six. For WAPDA, Asif Afridi was the most successful bowl­er, taking five wickets for 149 runs. 

In turn, chasing 686 to win, WAPDA were dismissed for 166-9 in 32 overs. Ayaz Tasawar, coming to bat at number six, top-scored for his side with a 30-ball 51, smashing seven fours and three sixes. Test batter Umar Akmal, who scored 28 runs in the first innings, didn’t come to bat in the second innings as he was ill. 

Right-arm fast Shahnawaz Dahani, who bagged seven wickets in the first innings, managed to get two scalps in the second innings, and ended up with match figures of 9 wickets for 94. Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza was the most successful bowler in the second innings, grabbing three wickets for 50 runs in nine overs. 

Shahnawaz Dahani and Sahibzada Farhan (both from SNGPL) were named joint players of the match and received PKR 100,000. Abdul Faseeh (KRL, 637 runs from six matches, 3x100s, 1×50) and Mohammad Rameez Jnr (Ghani Glass, 42 wickets from five matches, five five-wicket hauls) were declared joint players of the tournament.

SCORES IN BRIEF
SNGPL 479-7, 80 overs (Sahibzada
Farhan 161, Saud Shakeel 123*, Kamran
Ghulam 101; Tahir Hussain 2-78,
Iftikhar Ahmed 2-105) and 346-8 decl,
82 overs (Bilawal Bhatti 101, Mubasir
Khan 91, Abid Ali 38; Asif Afridi 5-149,
Ali Shafique 2-53) beat WAPDA 140
all out, 34.4 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 52;
Shahnawaz Dahani 7-42, Mir Hamza
2-30) and 166-9, 32 overs (Ayaz Tasawar
51; Mir Hamza 3-50) by 519 runs.