HOOD: Pakistan Shaheens sealed a 2-1 series victory over PCC Select XI on Sunday and chased the goal of five wickets to save on 1. Central County Ground.
Azan Awais and Haider Ali starred with the match-winning half a century to guide their side to victory in the last one-day.
As Shaheens chases a goal of 261, Shaheens started to a dominant start, opening Azan and Shamyl Hussain a solid 102-run partnership, which put the hosts’ bowling attacks under pressure.
Azan showed a compound approach that brought a well -deserved 50.
The opening stand was broken in 19.5. Over when Shamyl, after scoring 40 out of 55 balls, was dismissed by Calvin Harrison.
Muhammad Suleman went in and made an immediate influence, hit boundaries as desired and crushed three sixes.
He contributed a quick 44 out of 40 balls with four four and three sixes before being laid off with the score of 131-1 in 24 overs.
In the following, Pakistan lost their third wicket when Skipper Saud Shakeel was dismissed by Tom Lawes for only one, leaving the team at 171-3 in 31.2 overs.
Haider Ali then joined Azan Awais in the middle, and the duo continued to build laps.
Azan appeared ready for a century, but came short and came out of a decisive 88 out of 104 balls, which included 12 borders and a six. His dismissal left Pakistan on 204-4 in 36.4 Overs.
With only a few races needed to win, Shaheens suffered their fifth and final setback when Mubasir Khan was dismissed by Harrison who claimed his second wicket. Mubasir contributed 11 out of 12 balls.
Haider held on and brought up a composite half a century and led Shaheens to victory.
The right -handed dough remained undefeated at 55 out of 40 deliveries and hit five four and three sixes, while Rohail Nazir did not remain out 6 as they successfully chased the target in 46.4 overs.
Previously, PCC XI chose to beat first, but was shaken early when the opener in shaped Will Smeed was dismissed by Ubaid Shah in eight races. The hosts were 11-1 in 3.2 overs.
Captain Luc Benkenstein tried to stabilize laps, but failed to rotate the strike effectively and was dismissed by Musa Khan in 14.
In the next next one, Ubaid hit again and Hamza Shaikh removed for 13 on the last bullet in the powerplay, reducing PCC to 53-3 after 10 overs.
Tom Lawes and Ollie Sykes sewed a crucial 86-driven partnership together to revive laps. Lawes missed his half-century, fell to Mir Hamza for 49 out of 52 balls with the score of 139-4 in 22.4 overs.
Sykes finished its fifty, but was soon to be laid off for a well-played 64 out of 56 balls, leaving the hosts of 169-5.
Rocky Flintoff added 13 before being run out of Mubasir Khan, followed by Musa Khan, who removed Dan Douthwaite for seven and pushed the score to 184-7.
Wicketkeeper Thomas Rew and Calvin Harrison then composed a valuable 66-run stand for the eighth wicket, which helped PCC cross 200 and edge closer to a proper total.
The partnership was broken when Saud Shakeel dismissed Harrison for 34 out of 27.
In the next, Ubaid claimed his third wicket of Bowling Rew for 44. Innings ended at 260 in 46.4 overs after Scott Currie was run out of Muhammad Suleman for three.
For Pakistan, Ubaid Shah was the prominent bowler with numbers of 4/41 in 9.4 overs. Musa Khan picked up two wickets while Mir Hamza and Captain Saud Shakeel claimed one each.
