Doha: Commercial Bank Qatar (CBQ) joined defending champions Warriors Club, Asian Club and Tusker Club in the semi-finals of the popular Qatar Airways Cricket Tournament after edging Galfar Al Misnad by virtue of a better net run-rate.
In the last four-stage clashes on December 24, Warriors Club will take on CBQ again and Asian Club face Tusker Club. The final is scheduled on December 31.
At the West Bay Grounds, CBQ and Galfar Al Misnad, who finished with eight points each, had contrasting fortunes after the seventh and final round of the round-robin league.
CBQ advanced despite suffering a 56-rout at the hands of Warriors Club, who posted sixth victory and topped the standings with 12 points.
Galfar Al Misnad downed Tusker Club by four wickets and still they could not make the knock-out stage. Asian Club and Tusker Club ended the league phase with 10 points apiece from five wins and two losses.
CBQ did extremely well to shoot out Warriors Club for a modest 227 in 44.1 overs with Naeem leading the charge and getting three scalps. Abbas and Sajjad shared four wickets.
Iqbal Hussain Chaudhry hit a six and six fours in 36 while Amir added 34 with five fours and Imal Liyanage slammed one six and four boundaries to post 32
Then skipper Assad Borham dismissed four CBQ players for just 43 to spearhead a potent reply from Warriors Club. Chaudhry and Mujeeb also grabbed two wickets each to complement the efforts of their captain and contain the rivals at 171 in 34.3 overs despite the last-wicket stand for 54 runs between Faheem (32 not out with a six and five fours) and Naeem (23 with three fours).
Akash Babu and Shakir, who realised 144 runs for the third wicket, pushed Tusker Club to 259 all out in 49.4 overs. Opener Babu blasted six sixes and three fours to compile 100 off 116 balls.
Shakir’s 62 with one six and four boundaries were the second best contributor.
Nawaf made 47 off 33 balls, which included one six and five fours. Nadeem and Asim bowled superbly and split the honours with three wickets each. Asim went on to steer Galfar Al Misnad to the fine win in 46.1 overs as he made run-a-ball 58, which contained one six and five fours.
After a third-wicket stand of 79 runs between man of the match Asim and Himanshu (26), Rizlan and Sandun Vithanage shared the match-winning unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 118 runs.
Vithanage put up 54 not out with one six and four boundaries and Rizlan had a six and three fours in his 67-ball knock.
In an insignificant match, Firox Club cruised past Royal Stars Club by five wickets with Saqlain Arshad and Dhanita excelling for the winners. Man of the match Arshad picked three for 41 and smacked eight fours in 44 during the chase later.
Dhanita cracked half a dozen fours to add 55 in 45 balls.
Qatar Airways Cricket Tournament
Warriors Club beat CBQ by 56 runs
Warriors Club: 227 all out in 44.1 overs (Imal Liyanage 32 off 36, Imraz Rafi 27 off 39, Assad Borham 22 off 51, Amir 34 of 40, Iqbal Hussain Chaudhry 36 off 23, Muhammad Murad Khan 24 off 26; Philip 2/50, Abbas 2/46, Sajjad 2/39, Naeem 3/37)
CBQ: 171 all out in 34.3 overs (Tamim 35 off 62, Faheem 32 not out off 42, Naeem 23 off 19; Iqbal Hussain Chaudhry 2/34, Assad Borham 4/43, Mujeeb 2/12)
Man of the match: Assad Borham (Warriors Club)
Galfar Al Misnad beat Tusker Club by 4 wickets
Tusker Club: 259 all out in 49.4 overs (Akash Babu 100 off 116, Shakir 62 of 77, Nawaf 47 off 33; Nadeem 3/34, Asim 3/45, Himanshu 2/51)
Galfar Al Misnad: 260 for six in 46.1 overs (Rizlan 66 not out off 67, Asim 58 off 58, Sandun Vithanage 54 not out off 64; Prem Sagar 2/43)
Man of the match: Asim (Galfar Al Misnad)
Firox Club beat Royal Stars by 5 wickets
Royal Stars: 254 all out in 46.4 overs (Haris 80 off 78, Inam-ul-Haq 67 off 91, Irshad 31 off 31; Saqlain Arshad 3/41, Talal 2/43, Rajeewa 2/29)
Firox Club: 255 for 5 in 31.4 overs (Dhanita 55 off 45, Salqain Arshad 44 off 45, Hassan 38 off 33, Atif Bangash 37 off 28; Irshad 2/46)
Man of the match: Saqlain Arshad (Firox Club)
December 24 (semi-finals)
Warriors Club vs CBQ
Asian Club vs Tusker Club
December 31 (Final)
