By Rifat Malik and Haider Abbas

The fifth match of the National Cricket League showcased a thrilling face-off between the Dallas Lonestars and the New York Lions. Both teams boasted a lineup of international heavy hitters, with Upul Tharanga, Muhammad Hafeez, and Suresh Raina leading the charge for the Lions. On the other side, the Lonestars featured an impressive roster, including Sohaib Maqsood, Samit Patel, Colin Munro, and Chris Green.

This high-stakes encounter promised a display of top-tier cricket talent.

The New York Lions batted first, putting up a total of 125 runs in 10 overs, largely due to a strong opening partnership. However, the Dallas Lonestars chased down the target comfortably, finishing with a ball to spare. This victory marked the Lonestars’ first win of the tournament, placing them on the points table, while the New York Lions faced their first defeat.

Playing XIs

Dallas Lonestars: Dinesh Karthik (wk), Colin Munro, Sohaib Maqsood, Chris Green, Samit Patel, Matt Critchley, Chiranjeevi Saikanth Akunuri, Sai Praveen Posani, Pragyan Ojha, Hayden Walsh

New York Lions: Upul Tharanga (Wk), Manvinder Bisla (wk), Suresh Raina, Ben Cutting, Syed Abdullah, Saurish, Chakraborty, Mohammad Hafeez. Asad Shafiq, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dominic Drakes, Shourya Gaur

Great Start by the Lions, Greater Comeback by the Lonestars

The New York Lions were off to a great start, thanks to Upul Tharanga and Professor Muhammad Hafeez. The pair put on an opening stand of 74 runs inside 5 overs. The partnership was broken by Samit Patel when he dismissed Upul Tharanga. Muhammad Hafeez was then joined by Suresh Raina, but that seemed to be the downfall of the Lions, as wickets fell at regular intervals. Muhammad Hafeez scored a brilliant 59 off just 19 balls before being dismissed by CJ Green.

Despite a shaky start, the bowling lineup of Lonestars displayed great resilience, restricting the Lions to 125. Hayden Walsh was brilliant with the ball in hand, taking 4 important wickets. The sole dismissal by Samit Patel was also equally important as it brought back the Lonestars into the game.

The Brilliance of Maqsood and Patel at Display

Lonestars got off to a shaky start, as their star opener, Colin Munro, was dismissed on 6 with just 26 on the team board. However, the introduction of Samit Patel to the pitch changed the dimension of the game. The English all-rounder took the Lions bowlers to the cleaners and was scoring freely. His 57 runs made sure that Lonestars crossed the line comfortably. In the end, the 126 target by Lions seemed 10 runs short, as Lonestars achieved the target with a ball to spare.

Man of the Match

Samit Patel earned the Man of the Match award for his impressive all-round performance, showcasing his skills with both bat and ball.