P&IP and Finance will fight it out in the final of the 11th Kanoo Inter-Division Cricket League 2007-08 for Western Province. In the semifinals, which were played in the sixth week of the tourney, P&IP defeated Travel by one wicket and Finance thrashed Freight by 6 wickets. Kanoo Travel set a competitive total of 140 in the allotted 20 overs. Selmi Cassim topscored with 50. He was supported by Asif 16 and Venkit 12. P&IP bowlers Vasi (3-20), Matheen (3-35), Mushtaq (1-23) bowled well. But it was Fazlula's day as he picked 3-31 and scored 26 not out to emerge as the Man of the Match. In reply, Kanoo Travel had P&IP tottering at one stage, having lost 9 wickets for 97 with some accurate bowling and exceptional fielding. None of the P&IP batsmen got going before the thrilling last wicket partnership of Fazlulla and Najaful Haq stole the show. They added 41 runs to steer their team home in 18.1 overs and reach the final. The successful bowlers of Travel were Oliver (3-41), Muteeb (3-50) and Asif (2-19). In the other semifinals, a confident Freight which had thrashed Finance in the league match, lost openers cheaply for 22 runs. But it jumped to 90-4 when Nizam (46 - 3 fours) and Hameen (48 - 3 fours and 1 six) produced an intimidating third wicket partnership 68 runs before it started losing wickets at regular intervals. Finance bowlers Ehtesham (4-40), Sami (2-42), Naser, Kaiser and Shabhir (one wicket each) restricted Freight to 151-9 in the allotted 20 overs. In response, Finance lost the first wicket for 5 but Sami Khan blazed 5 fours and 6 sixes in his well-made 81 to steady the boat. He was exceptionally supported by Tasneem (12) and Jerome (11). Finance won comfortably by 6 wickets in 15 overs to enter the final. Freight bowlers Nizam, Hameen, Panduka and Hari got one wicket each. Sami Khan was adjudged as the Man of the Match. In the fifth week matches, Travel tied with Freight and P&IP routed Tours by 139 runs. Freight lost an opener cheaply for 2 but Panduka 25 (3 fours) and Nizam 31 (2 fours) put up 64 runs for the second wicket. They were well supported by Hameen 18 (1 four and 1 six) and Wahid 17 (2 fours and 1 six) before the aggressive Junaid dealt 3 vital blows for 25 runs and a wicket each for Moidoo and Muteeb restricted Freight to 130 in 15 overs. In reply, Travel openers Oliver 17 and Aleem 13 rotated the strike and kept the momentum going. After their exit, Cassim 18 and in-form Junaid 38 (6 fours) kept the scoreboard ticking before Ashfaq (2-21), Hameen (2-41) and Nizam (1-31) restricted Travel to 130 in the allotted 15 overs. Freight tied the match with Travel due to some fabulous fielding and direct throw run-outs. Man of the Match: Junaid of Travel. P&IP, batting first, sent the Tours bowlers on a leather hunt by amassing 237 in 15 overs. Though P&IP lost opener Junaid for 7 the second wicket partnership between skipper Shafi and Matheen plundered 226 runs. Skipper Shafi smashed 12 fours and 1 six in his unbeaten 78 while Matheen entertained the spectators with 12 fours and 11 sixes in his explosive and unbeaten 127. Adnan (1-54) was the successful bowler. In response, Tours lost wickets at regular intervals. Adnan 23 (2 fours) and Arif 26 not out (2 fours) were instrumental in helping their team reach 98-5 in 15 overs. Man of the Match: Shafi of P&IP. __
