Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) clinched the trophy of the dramatically ended final of the 3rd Mrs Saad Shaheed Twenty20 Women Cricket Gold Cup played here at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University on Friday. Director General (DG) Youth Asfandiyar Khan Khattak was the chief guest on this occasion. Former Member Provincial Assembly Dr Zakir, Secretary General AIPs Asia Amjad Aziz Malik, CEO Liaison Corporation Usman Khan, Director Sports and Organizing Secretary Maria Samin, Prof Dr Aman Khan, Director Works SBBWU and large number of spectators were also present.
Abbottabad skipper and star batter Aysha won the toss and decided to bat first by setting up 83 runs target for the loss of four wickets after playing the allotted 20 overs. Ayesha, who scored 100 runs in the semi-final match, failed to click in the final and gone early on just 11 runs with two boundaries. After Ayesha, both Kiran and Salma Khan played well and added some runs to the team total. Kiran played well and scored 35 runs off 33 balls with five boundaries and one six, Salma added another cracking and quick-fire 21 runs with five boundaries.
For Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University right-arm medium fast bowlers Afsheen, Nousheen Khan and Rohida got one wicket each while off spinner Laiba and leg-spinner Maria got one wicket each. In reply to a meager runs target, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto chased the target for the loss of nine wickets in a dramatically ended final. International cricketer Salma Faiz, who is going to tie-the-note on Sunday next, played a key role in her team success as part from her Nousheen and Komal contributed some runs while the rest of the five batter were bundled out while not crossing the double figures. Salma Faiz played a cracking 35 runs with six boundaries and one six, Nousheen and Komal also played well and added 15 runs each.
Komal played well in the end. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University needed 15 runs off 15 balls when Komal struck two boundaries along with 2s and 3s by enable team to reach to the target. At once SBBWU required two runs on the last balls with one wicket in hands when thin-stature Komal smashed a forceful drive toward the rope and thus guided her team to victory. For Abbottabad Salma Khan, Rubab took two wickets each, Kalsoom and Aysha got one wicket each.
Salma was awarded player of the final, Aysha who scored 200 plus score, got the best batter award, Nousheed was declared as best fielder, Haseeb was awarded with best wicket-keeper while Rubab, who got 11 wickets in the tournament, got the best bowler award.
Speaking on this occasion, Director General Youth Asfandyar lauded the efforts of the Malik Saad Shaheed Sports Trust and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University for organizing the event jointly by involving female players from all across the province. He said the event would give a message of peace to the rest of the country. He said government has allocated Rs 1 billion for the Directorate of Youth and more such youth activities would be organized in the province.
He said soon a women cricket event would be organized at national level in which teams from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Quetta would be invited where two teams out of the total eight teams would be selected to represent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "We want to provide due opportunities to the female so that they should come forward and explore their hidden talent," Asfandyar added. He also announced Rs 10,000 each for the Salma Faiz and Aysha and Rs 5000 each for other players who excellent in bowling, batting, wicket-keeper and fielding departments.
Asfandyar awarded Rs 0.1 million for the winner and Rs 50,000 for the runners-up teams. He said a dinner would also be organized in the honour of female cricketers of the province very soon so that due opportunities would be provided to the youth. Such like youth activities, he said, would also be organized in future as well, he concluded. At the end, he awarded winners and runners-up trophies. A total of eight teams took part in the Cup.
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