Muscat, Jan 20 (UNI) Upul Tharanga and Misbah-ul-Haq powered Asia Lions to post 175/7 against India Maharajas in the Legends League Cricket here at Al Amerat Cricket ground on Thursday.
Maharajas, who had put Lions into bat, need 176 runs to win.
Stuart Binny struck for Maharajas in the very first over, dismissing Tillakaratne Dilshan (5) leg-before but not before a review. The pacer convinced captain Mohammad Kaif to go upstairs. The utraedge confirmed there was no bat involved and the ball would have knocked down the off-stump, forcing the umpire to overturn her decision.
Interestingly, four women officials were appointed to overlook the proceedings.
Binny could have had another wicket but S Badrinath dropped a high catch at extra cover region, giving life to Akmal on 10. Tharanga recorded the first maximum of the tournament as he pulled away to fine leg off Binny.
Kamran Akmal too smashed one maximum to deep mid-wicket. But soon Manpreet Gony got rid of him as Akmal (25) found the deep square leg fielder.
Kaif brought in Irfan Pathan into the attack and the left-arm pacer got Mohammad Hafeez on his first ball. On a leg-cutter outside the off-stump, Hafeez (16) gave an easy catch to Munaf Patel at short third-man.
Irfan bagged another wicket as Mohammad Yousuf (1) got an edge and wicket-keeper Naman Ojha collected a low catch, reducing Lions to 79/4.
Tharanga along with Misbah-ul-Haq rebuilt the innings and took Lions past the 100-run mark in the 13th over. Tharanga brought up his fifty in style, playing the ball down to the fine leg for a boundary off Gony.
The Sri Lankan continued to take on Maharajas, taking Irfan straight down the ground for a maximum. He then swung his arms through the off-side for a boundary past the cover region.
Munaf Patel finally got the better of Tharanga (66 off 46 balls). The right-hander holed out to the deep cover, where Venugopal Rao took a catch, ending an entertaining innings.
Towards the end, Lions' skipper Ul-Haq took on Gony for two back-to-back maximums. Just when he tried to go for another, Ul-Haq (44 off 30 balls) mistimed it and Irfan caught him at extra cover.
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