Pakistan has advanced to the semi-finals of the ongoing Hong Kong Sixes tournament after defeating South Africa by 18 runs in a thrilling quarter-final match held at Mission Road Ground on Saturday.
Batting first, the Green Shirts faced an uncertain beginning, losing their star players Asif Ali and Faheem Ashraf for golden ducks in the opening over, leaving them with just eight runs on the scoreboard. However, this early setback did not discourage the team. Muhammad Akhlaq, in partnership with Hussain Talat, spearheaded a remarkable recovery with aggressive hitting that revitalized the innings.
Akhlaq showcased his explosive batting skills, hitting seven sixes and two fours, and reached his half-century in a mere 16 balls. After scoring 53 runs, he retired out, allowing Pakistan to post a solid score of 66-2 after just four overs. The contributions didn’t stop there, as all-rounder Aamer Yamin and Talat added significant runs to the total. Yamin scored 18 off six deliveries, while Talat finished with an unbeaten 27 runs off just 11 balls. This powerful display enabled Pakistan to set a formidable target of 105-3 in their allotted six overs.
In response, South Africa aimed for the challenging 104-run target but ended their innings at 88-4, despite a commendable effort from Evan Jones. The five-time champions struggled early on, losing two wickets, including their captain JJ Smuts, within the first two overs for only 12 runs. Jones, however, formed a crucial partnership of 48 runs with Modiri Litheko for the fourth wicket, which provided some hope until Talat ended Jones’s innings. Jones emerged as South Africa’s top scorer, making 41 runs off 13 balls, featuring one four and five sixes. Despite their efforts, the South African team fell short by 18 runs.
Talat was instrumental for Pakistan, claiming two wickets, while Shahab Khan and Yamin each took one. Under the leadership of Faheem Ashraf, Pakistan remains unbeaten in this edition of the Hong Kong Super Sixes. They kicked off their tournament journey with a 13-run win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before securing a six-wicket victory against arch-rivals India. The semi-finals and finals are set to take place on Sunday.
