JEDDAH: In the 3rd week matches of the Kanoo Inter-Division League, Commercial defeated Finance by 12 runs, Freight managed to scrape past P&IP on the last ball of the match and Maersk Lions thrashed Travel by 6 wickets. Commercial downs Finance Despite losing an early wicket Commercial all-rounders Nabil 16 and Raju 24 played sensibly along with the lower order to set up a good target of 137-7 in 15 overs. Finance bowlers Sami Khan (3-15), Suresh (2-12) and Sadique (1-23) bowled well. In response, Finance openers old war horse Merchant 18 and Rafiq 19 kept the scoreboard ticking and built a prudent partnership of 48 in just 5 overs before losing their wickets. Then veteran Waqar continued the run flow with the support of tail-enders and when it looked like an easy win for it Commercial bowlers Raju struck 4 vital blows (4-29), Nabil and Ashfaque picked up 2 wickets each to restrict Finance to 120-8 in 15 overs. Man of the Match: Nabil of Commercial. Freight scrapes past P&IP Although P&IP lost first 3 wickets in one over to Freight's speedster Mushtaq (3-31), P&IP middle order batsmen Yunus 19, Irfan 31 not out (2 sixes), Vasi 36 not out enabled their team to set up a formidable target of 147-4. In reply, Freight lost opener Hameen early. However Oliver 29 and swash-buckling Jayasuriya 55 (6 fours, 2 sixes) put on a second wicket partnership of 67 runs. Later a crucial innings of Fazal 17 (1 four, 2 sixes) and Donald 17 (3 fours) enabled to accelerate. But Matheen (4-37) struck 3 telling blows and with support of Najaf (2-35) and Vasi (1-19) Freight was reduced to 8 wickets and required 3 runs on the last ball which youngster Raees clinched with a boundary, handing his team a thrilling win by 2 wickets. Man of the Match: Jayasuria of Freight. Maersk Lions down Travel Travel lost early wickets but bounced back, thanks to veteran Nayaz who played an attacking knock of 37 (4 fours). Though wickets kept falling Arif (SQ) 11, Muteeb 12 and Arif 11 played a supporting role against the pace attack of Maersk Lions bowlers Asad (3-18), Ghazanfer (2), Kamran (2), Ashfaque (1) and Nabil (1) which reduced Travel to 98-8. In reply, Maersk Lions made short work of Travel reaching the target for the loss of 4 wickets. Opener Kamran 19 and Ashfaque, 35 not out, were given good support by Ghazanfer 10 and Nawab 20 not out to rip apart the Travel's bowling attack and romp home in just 12 overs. By this victory Maersk Lions registered their first win in Kanoo league. Man of the Match: Ashfaque of Maersk Lions. __
