ICL Final: Heros Vs Badshahs

[Nadeem]

Best Of Three Final:
Final 1: Heros Beat Badshahs

Heroes pull off a giant-killing act



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Panchkula: A spectacular bowling spell by Abdul Razzaq (3-18) was instrumental in Hyderabad Heroes’ six-run win over the mighty Lahore Badshahs in the first of the best of three finals of the Indian Cricket League's (ICL) second Twenty20 edition at the Tau Devi Lal Cricket Stadium, Panchkula, on Friday. Heroes have gained a significant 1-0 lead in what was a cracker of a match. Razzaq stood tall for his team after Lahore Badshahs restricted Heroes to 143-6. He found just the right support in Stuart Binny who finished with figures of 2-19. For Badshahs, Taufeeq Umar top scored with 43 off 48 balls although his was a rather laboured innings. Badshahs needed 12 runs in the final over bowled by Razzaq. The all-rounder gave some anxious moments bowling as many as three wides to make it seven in four balls. He held his nerves in the next few balls, first effecting a run-out and taking two wickets in two balls to restrict Badshahs to 137 for 9.

Heroes had put the breaks on the scoring with some tight bowling. Not for once they allowed Badshahs to stage a significant partnership. It was Binny's spell that pushed Badshahs on the back foot. He scalped both Hasan Raza and Inzamam-ul-Haq in consecutive overs to leave them in a spot of bother at 50/4 in ten overs. Umar batted doggedly; much as he tried he failed to find the boards when the asking rate mounted over eight. The charge came from Azhar Mahmood who once again displayed a wide array of shots scoring 30 in only 14 balls (two fours, two sixes). The pendulum swung Heroes’ way when Mahmood perished attempting a tight single. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan hit a six and a four to send a few jitters in the dressing room. Heroes added to their woes by putting up a shoddy display on the field. Eventually it was the experience of Razzaq that got them out of jail. Thanks

[Nadeem]

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New Delhi: Hyderabad Heroes managed to prevail over Lahore Badshahs in a pulsating bowl-out in the second final to claim the ICL Twenty20 title at Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday. After the match ended in a thrilling tie, the Heroes, who won the first final on Friday to go ahead 1-0 in the best of three-finals, edged out the Badshahs 3-0 in the bowl out. Electing to bat, Badshahs were restricted to 130-9, thanks to outstanding bowling spells by Inder Shekhar Reddy (4-19) and Stuart Binny (3-09). However, chasing this modest target of 131, the local favourites also found it hard to get easy runs as the Badshah pace bowlers came up with some brilliant bowling to make it a nail-biting finish. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan claimed five for 22. However, Amabati Rayudu always kept the hopes alive for the Heroes with his unbeaten 46-run knock from 39 balls, studded with 4 fours and a six and at the end took it to a tie.

In the last over of the match, Heroes needed 12 runs to win and Naved, who came up an lethal spell in the match, was given the ball. But to Badshah's horror, he faltered in the final over by bowling two no-balls and a wide only to enable Heroes level the scores, which stretched the match to bowl-out. Badshahs were simply outplayed in the bowl out as Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shahid Nazir and Naveed Latif missed the first three hits. Heroes, the other hand, were bang on target thrice out of their four hits through Nicky Boje, Inder Shekar Reddy and skipper Chris Harris that sealed the championship title for them.