Muhammad Irfan Khan smashed his maiden T20 century, leading Pakistan Shaheens to a commanding 91-run victory over Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Comets in their final league match of the Top End T20 series at the DXC Arena in Darwin on Saturday. This decisive win secured the Shaheens the top spot on the points table, with five wins in six games, and a place in the semi-finals alongside Adelaide Strikers, Bangladesh ‘A,’ and Northern Territory Strike.
After opting to bat first, the Shaheens faced early setbacks as they lost their opening batters, Abdul Faseeh (8) and Mohammad Haris (15), within the first four overs. With the score at 48-4 at the end of the powerplay, the Shaheens were in a precarious position. However, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Haseebullah orchestrated a remarkable recovery, stitching together a massive 140-run partnership for the fifth wicket over the next 13 overs.
Irfan was the star of the show, blasting 106 off just 56 balls, laced with 14 fours and two sixes. His century was pivotal in propelling the Shaheens to a formidable total of 202-6 in their allotted 20 overs. Haseebullah provided crucial support with an unbeaten 49 off 34 balls, including four boundaries and a six. For ACT Comets, Hanno Jacobs was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, while Zak Keogh, Tyler Hays, Esam Rahman, and Jake Smith took one wicket each.
In reply, ACT Comets crumbled under the pressure of a large chase, bowled out for a mere 111 in 16.1 overs. Mubasir Khan set the tone early by dismissing the openers, Esam Rahman (9) and Nicholas Broes (3), while Arafat chipped in with the wicket of Michael Mcnamara (5), reducing the Comets to 24-3 in just over three overs.
Though Tyler van Luin (29) and Zak Keogh (26) put up a brief fight with a 49-run stand for the fourth wicket, the Comets’ innings fell apart quickly thereafter. The Shaheens’ spinners took control, with Arif Yaqoob leading the charge with 4-36. Arafat added three wickets to his tally, Mubasir Khan claimed two, and Faisal Akram picked up one as the Comets lost their last five wickets for just 32 runs.
The emphatic victory has set up a semi-final clash between Pakistan Shaheens and Adelaide Strikers at DXC Arena, while the other semi-final will feature Northern Territory Strike against Bangladesh ‘A’ at TIO Stadium. Both matches are scheduled for an early morning start at 5:30 AM PKT tomorrow, with the winners advancing to the final.
Scores in Brief:
- Pakistan Shaheens: 202-6 in 20 overs (Muhammad Irfan Khan 106, Haseebullah 49*; Hanno Jacobs 2-32)
- ACT Comets: 111 all out in 16.1 overs (Tyler van Luin 29, Zak Keogh 26; Arif Yaqoob 4-36, Arafat 3-24, Mubasir Khan 2-18)
Result: Pakistan Shaheens won by 91 runs.
Upcoming Matches:
- Semi-finals:
- Pakistan Shaheens vs Adelaide Strikers at DXC Arena (5:30 AM PKT)
- NT Strike vs Bangladesh ‘A’ at TIO Stadium (5:30 AM PKT)
- Final: TBD vs TBD – Tomorrow
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