RIYADH — RCA’s SAIB T20 Tournament has reached the final stage as semifinals were played in Huraymala, Hayer and Diriyah Leagues. This tournament is organized by Riyadh Cricket Association (RCA) and sponsored by Saudi Arabian Investment Bank (SAIB).
In Huraymala semifinal, Sialkot XI defeated Al-Harbi CC by 11 runs in a thriller. Sialkot XI posted 200-6. Yasser Naik scored 56, Ali Raza 52 and Siaqat Khan 33. Samiullah grabbed 3 wickets. Al-Harbi CC was restricted to 189-6 by some fine bowling and fielding. Arshad remained unbeaten on 62, while Shahid added 42 and Samiullah 26. Qasim Jan was the pick of the bowlers with 2-30 in his 4 overs. Man of the Match: Yasser Naik.
In the second semifinal, White Star CC beat Riyadh Blues by 6 wickets. Riyadh Blues, put into bat, managed 167-8. Himayat hit 57 and Mohsin 25. Irfan Sagar claimed 3 wickets and Rashid Rafique 2. White Star CC won the match comfortably in 16.3 overs. Ashiq made 39, Qasim 38, Naeem 30 and Umar 29. Fayyaz picked up 2 wickets. Man of the Match: Irfan Sagar.
In Hayer League, Swat Tigers thrashed Asia XI by 8 wickets in a one-sided affair. Asia XI was restricted to 164. Swat Tigers won the match in 13.3 overs. Israr Ahmed contributed 64. Man of the Match: Israr Ahmed. Thales beat Green Bangla by 45 runs in another one-sided match. Thales posted a formidable total of 240-6. Sheeraz Ahmed hit 65, Aziz Ur Rehman 49, Najamul Said 42 and Ali Behzaad 39. Abu Musa grabbed 3 wickets and Saqib 2. Green Bangla managed 195-7 in reply. Shahid added 39, Zakir 38, Zahid 34 and Mustafa 33. Zaheer Qureshi picked up 2 wickets. Man of the Match: Sheeraz Ahmed.
In Diriyah League, Raavi CC got the better of Knight Hawks CC by 54 runs. Raavi CC posted a huge total of 239-5. Zia Khan scored an unbeaten 70 off 41 balls, while Adnan added 55, Irfan 39 and Shahbaz 30. Sameer took 2 wickets. Knight Hawks CC managed 186-6. Sanyog scored 60, Haroon 31 and Qadeer 26. Abubaker took 3 wickets. Man of the Match: Zia Khan.
Riyadh Warriors Yellow beat Karachi Kings by 64 runs. Riyadh Warriors Yellow, batting first, scored 218-7. Syed Mubashir hit 78, Mirza Ayub Baig 50 and Feroz Ali 40. Aftab and Asghar took 2 wickets each. Karachi Kings were restricted to 154-7. Mohsin Younus hit 65 off 46 balls. Mirza Ayub Baig performed well with the ball as he picked up 3 wickets, while Khalid took 2 wickets. Man of the Match: Mirza Ayub Baig. — SG
