Yogi and UBL enter Aseel Finance Ramadan Cup semifinals

Yogi Group and United Bank Limited registered contrasting victories to enter the semifinals of the Aseel Islamic Finance 26th Sharjah Ramadan Cup 2014 Twenty20 cricket tournament.

The tournament is organised by the Sharjah Cricket Council.

Yogi Group thumped Phoenix Medicine by 70 runs, while UBL edged past Multiplex International by six runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

In the first quarter-final, Phoenix Medicine’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss was justified when Mohammad Azhar bowled a beauty of a spell to scalp six wickets for just nine runs.

But thanks to good knocks from Shahzad Manna (21) and Avdoot Amonkar (27), Yogi Group still managed to recover from a worrying situation.

UAE player Swapnil Patil hit a patient unbeaten 32 from 40 deliveries helped by a boundary and last man Hassan Ali a breezy 19 to help Yogi Group make 141 for nine in 20 overs.

Chasing a relatively easier target, Phoenix Medicine made a terrible start losing four wickets for just 20 runs.

Salman Faris cleaned up the tail to pocket three wickets in his 2.2 overs.

In the other quarter-final, Ahmed Soukat and Mohammad Shakir milked 100 runs for the third wicket as UBL looked good to post a fine total.

Soukat was aggressive smashing 64 from 55 deliveries with eight boundaries and two sixes, while Shakir scored run-a-ball 39.

Multiplex International responded in style as S A Daneep Singh cracked 60 from only 35 deliveries, a knock studded with five boundaries and four sixes.

But with wickets tumbling at the other end, Multiplex lost their grip on the match as they finished on 143 for five in 20 overs.
 
Brief scores:

Yogi Group bt Phoenix Medicine by 70 runs: Yogi Group 141 for 9 in 20 overs (Shahzad Manna 21, Swapnil Patil 32 not out, Avadoot Amonkar 27, Hassan Ali 19 not out; Mohammad Azhar 6 for 9, Asif Mumtaz 2 for 20) Phoenix Medicine 71 all out in 15.2 overs (Mohammad Idrees 11, Mohammad Qassim 17, Mohammad Azhar 13, Asif Mumtaz 10; Salman Faris 3 for 15, Shahzad Manna 2 for 13, Hassan Ali 2 for 17, Mohammad Ramees 2 for 10). Man of the match: Mohammad Azhar of Phoenix Medicine.

United Bank Limited bt Multiplex International by 6 runs: UBL 149 for 6 in 20 overs (Ahmed Soukat 64, Mohammad Shakir 39, Rameez Shahzad 22 not out; Abdul Haq 2 for 35, Mohammad Yasir 2 for 21) Multiplex 148 for 5 in 20 overs (S A Pandeep Singh 60, Zeeshan Khan 12, Mohammad Yasir 23, Sajjad Saeed 20 not out; Ahmed Raza 2 for 33). Man of the match: Ahmed Souket.
 

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